I had a good, productive weekend on my CD33 sloop. First I installed all the third reef hardware, then began preping the deck for new non-skid. In the process I discovered water in the balsa-cored deck in one spot. I mapped out an area of about 1 square foot by drilling small holes into the balsa to see where water was and where it was not. The effected area is located just forward of my inboard jib sheet track amidships on the port deck. Now what do I do? I've heard and read that some sailors flood the area with acetone, then inject epoxy to saturate the balsa. I've also read and heard others tell of stripping the top layer of fiberglass, gouging out all the waterlogged balsa, then rebuilding the balsa core and top skin of the effected area. What does the Cape Dory board have to say?
Ryan Turner
s/v Zenobia
CD33 hull no. 100
Oriental, NC
rdtec@aol.com
I've joined the wet-deck club!
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Tom
Re: I've joined the wet-deck club!
Ryan, this is a judgment call based on how serious you think it is. I had moisture in the deck of my 31 so I'll give you my two bits. I wasn't convinced that you could get all the moisture our with acetone, heat guns or heat lamps. So I had Ed Verge (Next to the Boonedocks right there in Oriental) take up the top of the deck remove the balsa core that was wet and fill the void with fiberglass mat and epoxy resin. This was in 1988. I just had a survey done about 3 months ago and no sign of moisture in the deck. Tommy Suggs has a moisture meter and can go over the deck for you to check for places that you might not be able to tell by sight. As long as you're doing it you might as well find and fix them all while the resin is hot. You could always try the drill and fill technique and then have the deck checked every year to see that it's still tight, but I'm inclined to do it as right as you can when you're doing it. A few hundred bucks if you hire it done and maybe $ 20 to $50 if you do it yourself. I'm sure Alan Arnfast could do it for you also. Look at that he's getting referrals from California! Just my opinion for what it's worth.Ryan Turner wrote: I had a good, productive weekend on my CD33 sloop. First I installed all the third reef hardware, then began preping the deck for new non-skid. In the process I discovered water in the balsa-cored deck in one spot. I mapped out an area of about 1 square foot by drilling small holes into the balsa to see where water was and where it was not. The effected area is located just forward of my inboard jib sheet track amidships on the port deck. Now what do I do? I've heard and read that some sailors flood the area with acetone, then inject epoxy to saturate the balsa. I've also read and heard others tell of stripping the top layer of fiberglass, gouging out all the waterlogged balsa, then rebuilding the balsa core and top skin of the effected area. What does the Cape Dory board have to say?
Ryan Turner
s/v Zenobia
CD33 hull no. 100
Oriental, NC
TacCambria@thegrid.net
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SteveZ
Re: I've joined the wet-deck club!
My opinion, for what it's worth (just don't ask my wife for it's real value)...
Over the course of my boat owning career I have had occassion to use both methods with satisfaction. I would base the decision on several factors. First, the size of the area. The drill, dry and fill method works best for small areas. For larger areas you are probably better off cutting off the skin and removing the core to ensure a strong repair. Remember also the the area drilled needs to extend about 6 inches outside of the wet area.
Second, the condition of the core. Is it just moist or is the area actually saturated and soft? If there is any area that has rot (as shown by black or dark brown<nearly chocolate> color) in the drilled core, you are better off cutting off the skin.
Three, time. It takes more time (but less effort) to dry the area with heat lamps (I've never tried acetone)than to cut off the skin, remove the core and rebuild.
Finally, cosmetic finishing of the repair factors in. It takes more effort to fair in the repair if you cut the skin off than to refinish over the drilled holes. If you are already investing in repainting your deck this may be less of a concern because matching the color of the surrounding area is a non-issue.
Over the course of my boat owning career I have had occassion to use both methods with satisfaction. I would base the decision on several factors. First, the size of the area. The drill, dry and fill method works best for small areas. For larger areas you are probably better off cutting off the skin and removing the core to ensure a strong repair. Remember also the the area drilled needs to extend about 6 inches outside of the wet area.
Second, the condition of the core. Is it just moist or is the area actually saturated and soft? If there is any area that has rot (as shown by black or dark brown<nearly chocolate> color) in the drilled core, you are better off cutting off the skin.
Three, time. It takes more time (but less effort) to dry the area with heat lamps (I've never tried acetone)than to cut off the skin, remove the core and rebuild.
Finally, cosmetic finishing of the repair factors in. It takes more effort to fair in the repair if you cut the skin off than to refinish over the drilled holes. If you are already investing in repainting your deck this may be less of a concern because matching the color of the surrounding area is a non-issue.
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John Baker
Re: I've joined the wet-deck club!
Look at Practical Sailor July 1, 1999 Vol 25 Number 13 page 24Ryan Turner wrote: I had a good, productive weekend on my CD33 sloop. First I installed all the third reef hardware, then began preping the deck for new non-skid. In the process I discovered water in the balsa-cored deck in one spot. I mapped out an area of about 1 square foot by drilling small holes into the balsa to see where water was and where it was not. The effected area is located just forward of my inboard jib sheet track amidships on the port deck. Now what do I do? I've heard and read that some sailors flood the area with acetone, then inject epoxy to saturate the balsa. I've also read and heard others tell of stripping the top layer of fiberglass, gouging out all the waterlogged balsa, then rebuilding the balsa core and top skin of the effected area. What does the Cape Dory board have to say?
Ryan Turner
s/v Zenobia
CD33 hull no. 100
Oriental, NC
John Baker
Solana CD31 #31
poblana@juno.com