HELP! Squishy Ty deck

[john]

I was getting my Ty ready to launch this weekend and discovered a split in the port side deck, close to the chain plate. My guess is that there was water infiltration in the core at that point which froze over the winter and caused the crack. It was stored inside for the winter and has been under a tarp since I got it out. The crack is about six in. long, is slightly forward of the chain plate, ending at about the forward end of the plate.

My question is how serious is it? Can I seal it with caulk and deal with it in the fall or does it need to be done prior to use this summer, in which case I'll have to have a yard do it. In fact, I dropped it off at the yard this morning to at least get an estimate. I assume that the repair is to cut out a section of deck, dig out the wet core, replace with plywood or endgrain cedar, and replace the deck piece (if salvageable) or build up with glass & epoxy. Any idea what a reasonable price from a yard might be?

Thanks for your help.



john.hoft-march@appleton.org