small area foreward deck rot

[g36]

on my f32 i have an area that is apx 8" x12" on the forward deck by the chain rope pipe that is rotted. it extends toward the deck cleat amidship on the forward deck. i have removed the rope pipe and have cleaned out the area so i now have a nice empty cavity with deck on top and bottom. i can get to the area underneath in the rope locker but my question is i have read different things about this type of repair. what do you guys think? i thought of closing of the hole to the chain locker from underneath and mixing a thick west system epoxy putty and forcing it into the area and filling it. and then recutting the hole for the rope or i have thought about cutting the inside fiberglass out and cutting wood the shape of the area and reinstalling the piece with epoxy and then glassing in the underneath again. any thought on which might be best? i havent done alot with epoxy before but i know i can do this but i would like to do it right.

[gardnersf]

http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=127627

See the above topic. I had a similar situation with my radar arch. In my case I had to replace the core. Do yuo know that the water damage was limited ot the area you cleaned out? or is that as far as you can reach. Almost my entire arch was rotted.

If you can replace the core, you have a better repair.

[g36]

hey gardersf thanks for responding. i had read your post somtime earlier. i have found the edges of where the rot and the good core meet. i have drawn with pencil on the deck the design of the area after probing. i know this area was there just not the size of it. the previous owner had not kept things as tidy as i like and could have even been there before him but not this size, who knows. the boat is in a covered slip so it really only gets wet when washed or when were out or anchored and it comes a rain, which is much better than if it sat out all the time. i'm fortunate with that. everything i cleaned out was totally dry no moisture at all. i beleive that mixing the west system with the 406 silica and the void filled would be a good repair but i do not have real experience with this. didnt know if this would get way to hot while curing since it would be enclosed etc. i have found a product on the rotdoctor website that says it can be used for something similiar to my situation but i already have the west products so i wanted to use it. my other option is to cut the underneath out and recore i guess with plywood in the area and reglass that. which i can get to all the area so thats possible. i just figured someone who may have run into this without a major deck replacement could give their comment.

[willietrojan]

Check out the following post.

http://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/viewt ... highlight=

[Safari]

I found that the Smith & Co. epoxy is too heavy for this type of application. I have done this type of repair using AeroMarine epoxy that is available on Ebay (cheaper but great quality). I mix the epoxy with fibers (same supplier) to the thickness of mayo (preventing overrun), then get some empty West Systems caulk tubes, fill them, then inject through a 3/8 hole (you need to drill another hole near the periphery of the bad area to allow air to escape. I have not had any real problems with excessive heat doing the repairs on my deck, but if there is any question (due to depth of repair), I would recommend slowing down the cure. Call the epoxy supplier to get their recommended blend to slow the cure.

[gjrylands]

I’m sure you have seen my progress on making the repair of the core from the bottom. Working from below is slow, messy, and difficult work. Working inside the rope locker was the worst because of the limited access and sloping hull. I understand not wanting to cut the deck open from the top. If the repair is small and only in the nose of the boat it would be worth the grief and aggravation to do it from below. The nose of the boat slopes forward, so any water that has entered the core will be drawn to the very front of the bow. From your post, it sounds like you have raked out the core between the layers of glass around the anchor deck plate. As you probably know, raking out the core through the hole in the deck is not real easy. There is only a 3/4” space to work between. Once you have raked out the bad core as far as you can get, use a hole saw and cut about a 2” hole through the bottom layer of glass about 2-3” beyond where you have raked out the core. Work back towards the area you have raked out until you break through and have tunnel connecting the holes. With a connection between holes, it will be easier to fill the gap with thickened epoxy You may have to drill a few holes to get the bad core out.

Drill a test hole in the very front of the bow. When the lower layer is removed the core can be inspected. If the core is dry you have caught the problem early and packing thickened epoxy in-between the deck and lower layer around the anchor deck plate should repair the core. This will stiffen the deck and keep and additional water from getting in.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the core will be dry under the test hole. If the core around the deck plate was totally saturated and mushy, water had been getting in for some time. The balsa wood draws the water like a sponge migrating in all directions, but more towards the nose since that is the direction gravity is pulling it. I found that even though the core was wet, it was still very strong. It was still firmly bonded to both the deck and lower layer. It was heavier, but had not lost structural integrity. It was when the core began to rot is when the integrity was lost. If you find that the core is rotted under the test hole, rake out the rotten wood and drill additional test holes. You’re trying to find where the core is solid. Once the area of damage is determined the best course of the repair can be determined.

One of the problems with leaving wet core between the layers is if it freezes it will expand. This can crack the deck and allow access for more water to enter. This will be more likely where the bottom layer is rigidly held and can’t move. (At bulk heads, cleats, and at the edges around the gunnels.)

If you have any specific questions, send a PM.