Refurbishing of interior around the ports

[Evergreen]

Thinking of replacing the damaged interior wood around my ports. Was wondering if anyone had suggestions of a synthetic product that could be used in order to prevent the recurrence of the problem?? My ports have not leaked in years but the ongoing damage to the wood still occurs due to condensation that develops on the port frames in the cooler climates. Has anyone done such a project and how did it turn out?? Thanks

[Paul D.]

Years ago I did this job on an old Erickson 30 when I worked at a marina. I removed the port light and rotted wood and replaced with a 1/4" piece of mahogany ply. Then stained to match the rest of the wood aboard and installed a new port light. I was proud of that job but it was the first time ever my back went out, probably from doing all that work leaning forward and up awkwardly in the head.

[Joe CD MS 300]

I have a similar problem with the teak plywood under my pilot house windows. No obvious leaks but probably the accumulated effect of condensation has caused it to delaminate it somewhat. It's not real bad. I try to keep away any mold by booing it with lemon oil.

I was thinking of using a thin strip of Starboard marine lumber after removing the plywood. Not sure how thick the plywood is. It should hold up pretty well. The Starboard was pretty easy to work with when I used some to make a cover plate and mount for a satellite antenna over an opening on the transom used for an old Loran antenna. The Starboard cuts easy with wood tools and has a nice mate finish that is easy to match when sanding or rounding edges.

[Doug Gibson]

I have the same issue with my CD36. I like the approach the new Robinhood built boats used - a matte white formica plywood. It looks nice against the teak trim and brightens up the interior. There area couple RH36's on Yachtworld site with photos of the interior/ports.

The problem is this would be huge job... first removing all the ports and teak trim, removing old plywood, installing new, etc. So for now, I live with discoloration. It would be a good project to do if I ever have the deck/cabin topsides refinished and would remove and rebed all the hardware.

[Evergreen]

Doug:

I was wondering how things would look in white --- will check out the photos.

I gather the formica is put over plywood. Question is, how does the plywood hold up in the long term. Does it just deteriorate unseen?

I may consider this approach since it is about time to have my ports rebedded anyway.

Any other ideas out there?

[Joe CD MS 300]

I would not use another plywood product unless I was looking to keep a teak veneer. If you are looking for a white look I'd use a solid product. Corian comes in many colors and shades of white.