Seal your deck hardware

[David van den Burgh]

Just a friendly reminder to inspect and rebed your deck hardware...before it becomes an issue.



This isn't our Cape Dory - fortunately. It's a '71 Morgan 30. The balsa core around the mast partner was not sealed from the factory, and previous owners fastened hardware through the deck without proper bedding techniques.

https://youtu.be/Z64ceYw4zgc

So far I've found two areas of exposed core on our CD36, so don't think that Cape Dory wouldn't cut corners, too. As our boats age, it's important to be proactive. Rebed hardware before water has a chance to get under it.

[Tom Keevil]

Where did you find the exposed core on your boat?

[David van den Burgh]

Where did you find the exposed core on your boat?

Tom,

I found exposed core around the emergency tiller access plate and - eventually - around the hawse pipe after the thin layer of resin CD "sealed" the core with disintegrated. I'm pulling the mast this winter to ensure that the once-sealed area of the mast partner is, in fact, still sealed. I suspect it's just a skim coating and not a proper "gouge and fill" repair in which the balsa is cleaned away from the opening and the area filled with thickened epoxy.

[John Stone]

David
The mast partner area is solid fiberglass. No core. At least on the Far Reach.

[David van den Burgh]

David
The mast partner area is solid fiberglass. No core. At least on the Far Reach.

That's good to hear. I hope hull #7 is the same. How did you determine that it's solid glass?