Soggy wood cores

[Jerry Woznicki]

Soggy Cockpit Floor, I just purchased a 1986, 31' Hunter. After a few days, I have noticed the cockpit floor is a little soft in spots. A fiberglass repair shop says the core in the floor must be repaired and several areas of the core on the top of the cabin are wet and must be replaced for over $18,000!!!! His explination is the the former owner did not re-caulk the deck hardware and below the mast. Is there some other method of injecting resin into the "wet" areas other then tearing off the top skin and replacing the wood core?? There must be a water based resin for this!!! Someone please advise.

 

[Steve Dion]

That sounds like BS.

Jerry:Look in the archives. I think that this can be repaired by drilling holes in the cockpit sole about 2" apart. Then you just inject some West epoxy into the holes. Then you patch the holes and refinish the sole. At $18k you are better off to sell at a loss and start over. These boats only sell in the low 30's if they are near perfect.Check with West Systems too. I think that they have a system to show you exactly what to do.PS: were is the surveyor?

 

[Eric]

Repair

Wet core? Pick up a Book by Casey about old boat repair. He explains how this repair is done. Yes you do drill holes and inject resin. West Systems also has a booklet which describes how this is done. Git Rot will also work, especially on soggy wood. There is also a possibility that these areas are not soggy but that there is a dry delamination between the deck and corps. I had this problem on about 1 sq.ft of my deck and used the West System. What I learned is that the West System coloring agent turns yellow after a year. My expereince is that once you drill the holes,and inject epoxy, the epoxy settles into dimples the size of the drill bit. Let dry and fill with marine tex which will give you the color you need.Once repairs are made, you may have to grind down the non-skid and paint the deck using a non-slip additive. Use grey on the deck non-slip, looks great.Sorry to hear of your problem but I too had that sinking feeling but once the repair is made, the boat will be servicable and you will save $16,000 including a paint job.Hope it goes well.

 

[Melody Miller]

This May Apply to You

Hi Jerry:When the surveyor inspected my boat before purchase, he noticed some soft spots as well. He said DO NOT go through the routine of injecting epoxy as would likely be recommended by a repair shop. He said to take up the hardware near the soft spots and allow the moisture to "wick out" just the way it "wicked in" and reseal the hardware. Of course you have to allow some time for the moisture to wick out. Also, he said to eventually do the whole deck over a space of about 3 seasons. I notice you have an MD address. My boat is at Cadle Creek Marina in Edgewater, MD off the Rhode River. If you want to give my surveyor a call, his name is Robert Noyce, 410-263-7499.I would definitely discuss with a surveyor before I did anything!Hope this helps.Melody

 

[Don Evans]

Its a Doable

Got to second Eric's advice on a good reference. Don Casey's "Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair" is excellent, and cheap. 18K??? There out of their freakin minds. Arm yourself with knowledge, as your attempting. Start with a small area of delamination (check out to see if it is wet or dry as Eric has stated)to build up your skill levels and confidence. If its wet you have to open this area up and perhaps apply drying agents (acetone, be careful) and heat. If the entire floor is shot, you may be better to cut it out entirely and rebuild with plywood, cloth and epoxy. A major refit for sure, but maybe the only solution. I might also second the advice of a "good" marine surveyor, if the problem is extensive. Best of decisions.Don