On a recently purchased O'Day 19 in excellent shape overall I discovered and repaired several cracks in fiberglass 4-8 inches from mast step on starboard side. A combination of fiberglass filler and embedded stainless screws seemed to pull it all together and I got surface smooth and repainted. A couple weeks later I noticed some irregularity developing in surface that i had painted. I decided it must be related to trapped moisture in the enclosed space i had repaired. Drilled inspection hole and determined that the encased plywood was wet and partially disintegrated as i moved 7 or 8 " from mast step (which i determined was structurally sound). I drilled a couple of holes thinking with some air circulation this would dry out but i'm now thinking I will be an old man by the time the saturated plywood dries. I'm now wondering if a filler that mixes with water and hardens would be a solution. I have enough access thru the hole that i drilled to fill the space with something that i can inject into hole but not sure what to use or if this is wise move. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Wet plywood encased in fiberglass
- Thread starter weh5748
- Start date
- Status
I did that around my stbd chainplate, using polyurathane glue. By compressing the area I controlled the curing into a dense foam. The deck is quite solid now and although I don't recommend this in favor of core replacement for more substantial repairs, it certainly fit the bill for this smallish job.
- Status