Trojan Boat Forum

http://s1110.photobucket.com/albums/h44 ... =014-1.jpg I don't know if the pics uploaded. What I am into is the bridge deck. There was more water damage than thought. I ended up cutting a section out 8'x9'. Only 2' left in front. The deck was made of 2 layers of balsa core. Starting from the top, glass, balsa, glass, balsa, glass with another layer of glass which is the salon ceiling. The lower salon celing was randomly glued to the first layer of glass. With the weight of the water saturated balsa, it has started to sag. After all the rotted material has been removed is acn be pushed back up in place, but if not supported it comes back down. My plan is to use 2x4's to make tee's to regain contour inside salon. My delema is if I use the previous design and use two lawers of balsa, how do I lay it up so I get the crown back on top? And two, how do I get inside salon ceiling to stay up?
All input is greatly appreiciated. Rick

Here ya go!

what came up?

i put the pic up for you and it was a pic of a junk bardge with a citco sign, i cant find a pic as u desribe in your photo bucket album

unfortunatly, the junk barge is the bridge. See why im in deep....

Holy p00p thats one part I dont think I could have cut off! Ill help you any way I can buddy.

thats ok, in person it even looks worse, if you can believe that...

going to get my boots out of the closet, gotta feeling this topic is about to get deep. It can be done. I already have Ideas. just need some good guideance not slander. This can be fixed IMO, we need a new structure base, then some where big and flat we can start prefabing molds to insert, Im sure im about to be told wrong to.

Can you cut some plywood with an arc and then shim up the ceiling with the plywood to get the arc shape back. Then build up with balsa from the top. You can order scored balsa that you can bend to curved surfaces. I haven't done this procedure but seems like it would work. I will eventually do this to my hard top.

that was my thought, use 2x6's and secure on the molded window frames on the outside. worried about how much weight with the added lumber?

I was thinking that you could come up under the flybridge with some temporary shoring made from plywood turned up on edge that is cut in the shape of the ceiling curve. This can then be supported on vertical 2x's supported off the salon floor. Multiples of these may be required across the entire ceiling to get the uniform shape you want. Kind of like the ribs that old boats are built on. Then just fill the top of bridge with glass, then balsa, then glass, then balsa then then glass and gelcoat or paint. The shores can then be removed. This would mimic the existing construction that lasted for years. In lieu of balsa, maybe you could use another material that has a little more strength.

If you need more strength, maybe you can add some "Prisma Composite Preforms Hull Stiffeners" to the ceiling. Google them and may be that can give you some ideas.

I by no means am an expert on this, but I thought I'd get the conversation going on this matter with what I would probably do. Anyone else want to chime in?

hmmm, i dont know how you can tell anything from these pictures.

do you have the inside gutted or are you trying to do this from the top only?

Please excuse me not using nautical terminology, but ICK!!!!!

Sounds like you are thinking you need to completely rebuild. If so, is there any chance of going 'old school' a bit and building it like they used to to build the roof on the old woodies? Here's a concept - may not work for you, but throwing it out there just in case.

If you have enough structure around the edges of the bridge (fore, aft, and port/starboard sides), would it be possible cut a big hole in the middle and lay in a frame - essentially like a wall or floor? (or like you did with the aft deck)

If so, you may be able to create either an angled, or at least somewhat curved frame by shaping the framing members that run side to side a bit to give them a curved profile. I think Dad's old '69 used 1x2s or 1x3s, potentially oak or some other hardwood (Big D may know what is used), and they were twinned, for each 'rib', and each was shaped to give the curve.

Then 3/8 marine ply over top to create the deck surface, thick enough to support weight, thin enough to bend to the curve. Then you can glass over top of it.

For inside, I have seen a few guys with hardwood planking overhead - you might be able to lay that to underside of the framing structure, or go with more ply (maybe 1/4 this time) which you can paint, or apply vinyl or some other covering to.

Regardless, good luck!