Wet HULL Core Repair

[RobC222]

Discovered this spring wet core in lower half of the transom in in the starboard side hull from the transom forward to the keel, from the water line down to the centerline. Likely source is exhaust tube and engine water inlet. Core samples indicate balsa is wet, but not yet rotted. Balsa came out normal color (not black), saturated with water.
I have seen the info on this site and related blogs about recoring. With this extensive an area (at least 100 sqft), a professional recoring is not possible given my limited financial commitment to the boat. Likewise, I am not in a position to do it myself.
Ideally, I would like to sell to someone with the time/skill/money, but, in lieu of that, I am seeking alternative methods to repair other than recoring. Is it possible to open the core to the air by drilling a grid of holes thru the outer skin, and allowing to dry over a winter? Or drill from the inside, and run a humidifier for several months to dry out the core??
Any ideas you have heard of, or leads to sites/blogs where project like this have been completed would be welcome.

 

[Hermit Scott]

You have a cored hull BELOW the waterline?
Did you use a moisture meter to determine that the core is wet in all of that area?
How accessible is the inside of the hull in the area that has the wet core?

 

[tommays]

That is pretty much a dead boat

 

[Tim R.]

That is pretty much a dead boat

Especially with fresh water. Salt water intrusion below the WL tends to pickle the core. Fresh water rots the core much faster. The value of that boat is not enough to warrant the proper repair. Drilling holes and trying to dry out will not do much. You really need to peel the outer skin, replace the core and reglass.

There are so many other boats out there that do not have this problem that it will be difficult to sell for any decent money. A DIYer may take it on if it is real cheap.

 

[Ross]

100 Square feet on a 30 foot boat? That is like 8x12 feet or 4x25 feet or 10 feet square. Or 3-4'x8' sheets of corecell. It will take 5 gallons of core bond and 30 yards each of chopped strand mat and glass cloth Probably 10 gallons of resin.
if you can't do the job yourself then get a different boat.

 

[MagothyBoy]

I hate to say it but it sounds like a death blow to the boat. Even if you could repair it, the economics of repairing it hardly make sense. You might be better of piecing the boat apart and trying to sell them (engine, rigging, sails etc.). Sorry for your loss....

 

[Ross]

I think that the material cost for the repair would fall between 2000 and 3000 dollars. The special handling needs for the work may add another 1000. If you had to hire the work done it would break the bank.

 

[tommays]

For better or worse the thin skin is the outer which makes the whole osmosis deal a bit to easy on Jboats

based on others i would have to think theirs issues with the boat that raised the need to explore