Wet balsa core repair options?

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

Unfortunately, those photos do not look very promising...

That boat is a dog. Avoid.

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by prof_mariner

I was afraid you were going to say that. These spider web cracks can be seen over most of the cabin top and the starboard deck. I didn't count them, but I'd guess there were well over a dozen, maybe 20 of them ranging from 4" in diameter to almost a foot.

When I first looked at the boat I was under the impression that the hull and decks were solid glass laminate. Seemed plausible based on the age and that the decks felt solid (no soft or spongy spots). I wrote off the cracks as a bad gelcoat / paint job.

But after seeing the report showing high levels of moisture in the deck I realized I needed to investigate this further. This boat comes from New England so it's very likely, as you said, the previous owner neglected to rebed the deck hardware and over time (and freezing temperatures) the core got wet, froze during the winter, and got worse.

The negotiated price for the boat is very attractive. I can access the cabin top from below (the head liner can be removed) but the side decks look like I'd need to work from above. I'm really tempted to take on this project but my better half thinks I'm crazy. For the sake of my marriage, I may pass on this one...

If your goal is take on a hobby that will require a lot of work and money (even if the boat can be acquired free), long before, and if you ever, go sailing on it, this may be a suitable vessel.

If you want to go sailing and think this may be an inexpensive and easy way to do so, I recommend passing.

It usually takes way less time and money to buy a well maintained boat that is sound and that you can be proud to own, than to end up with the same thing, starting with a poorly maintained boat that is not sound.

[sailor_ed]

I posted earlier about my Gulfstar deck repair. I thought I would add a few details though they may be slightly OT.

Pre-purchase survey showed about 20% of the deck was wet. A quote of $7,500US was obtained for the repair. This amount was deducted from the $45,000 asking price. This was acceptable to the seller and things proceeded.

After the deck was complete ALL deck hardware was removed, holes reefed and epoxy filled and the fittings rebedded.

P. S.
Yes, with their 1/4 inch carbide tip, you can use a RotoZip to cut 3/8" deck laminate but only in extremis! :-) It will also gnaw its way at 1/4" SS but I will not reveal how I know that!

[sailor_ed]

US$ quoted are 1994$. (How to edit a post?)

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by sailor_ed

US$ quoted are 1994$. (How to edit a post?)

You have a limited time to do it, I think only about 10 minutes. During that time there will be an 'edit' option next to the 'quote' option in the lower right hand of your new post, click on that and when you've made your changes click on 'save changes'.

Just out of curiosity, were your repairs made with polyester or epoxy?

[prof_mariner]

Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who participated in this thread. I've decided not to buy this boat. Although I still think it has potential for the right person with the right facilities and time to work on it, unfortunately I'm not that person.

[malbert73]

Good idea! Most who have done say run away from wet decks

[sailor_ed]

Jimbunyard,

Polyester

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by prof_mariner

I've decided not to buy this boat.

Good call.

Imagine if you'd only thought to ask after the fact!

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Good idea! Most who have done say run away from wet decks

And again, a great deal can be had by buying a boat with wet SOUND decks, that can be sailed that way indefinitely.

High (not through the roof) moisture readings is no reason to remove and replace core; saturated (through the roof) with rot and delam is.

In the case of the photos provided by prof mariner, those decks have been saturated for a long, long time, and the core allowed to rot and delam.

Had anyone done just reasonable maintenance in the last 20 years, it could be a different story.

[clockwork orange]

You make a good point, I have a friend who bought a Hunter 37 and got a nice discount because of moisture readings. He did nothing and sailed it for years including running a charter business on it and when he sold it he got 25k for it which seemed like a lot to me. He had done a lot of improvements in the form of canvas work and upholstery I think and maintained it well, just didn't recore. It was solid, just showed as wet. So it can be a viable option.

[prof_mariner]

I've owned a lot of boats in my 50+ years of sailing, but all were on the West coast and in areas that never had freezing temperatures. I have to say, that the boats I've seen here on the East coast have, in general, been in much worse condition than anything I might have considered back West. I know I've purchased boats that had some areas of wet core, but I've never seen the result of a frozen wet core before. This experience has really put me on guard for my future shopping.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

You make a good point, I have a friend who bought a Hunter 37 and got a nice discount because of moisture readings. He did nothing and sailed it for years including running a charter business on it and when he sold it he got 25k for it which seemed like a lot to me. He had done a lot of improvements in the form of canvas work and upholstery I think and maintained it well, just didn't recore. It was solid, just showed as wet. So it can be a viable option.

Yes, some just dont worry. Friends of mine, when we were buddy cruising in the Caribe, had a Pan Asiatic (?) 43 Taiwan built boat. It was a really cool boat design, but the teak decks were so bad that on the side decks there was a huge buckled up portion of the deck, maybe an inch or so. He refused to do anything major to the boat. Pretty much guaranteed the core was wet. They just kept using it. After 3 years of Caribe cruising they headed back to the mainland and sold the boat for what they paid for it. Bad decks and all. Boat cost of cruising? nearly 0
Now maybe you dont want to do that if you are going to cruise the Roaring 40's, but...

Jay was a pretty nice guy and a competitive swimmer at one point in his life I guess. Amazing how fast his body just moved thru the water. We arrived late at the Turks and Caicos and anchored near the last little exit bay nearest to the DR. No one wanted to launch a dingy as we were leaving just before daybreak next morning. They had caught a big Mahi just before coming into the anchorage, so Jay swam over a big chunk in a heavy wind chop about 100 yards and back, holding the chunk out of the water!

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

And again, a great deal can be had by buying a boat with wet SOUND decks, that can be sailed that way indefinitely.



High (not through the roof) moisture readings is no reason to remove and replace core; saturated (through the roof) with rot and delam is.



In the case of the photos provided by prof mariner, those decks have been saturated for a long, long time, and the core allowed to rot and delam.



Had anyone done just reasonable maintenance in the last 20 years, it could be a different story.

I misspoke, you are right. Yes wet core not so much of an issue, delamination and rot are.

But yes here on the forums everyone says all or nothing for repair options. I bet a lot of people buy a cheap older boat with wet decks, do a massive repair or pay a ton, and sell the boat within 5-8 years to upsize...

[Suijin]

If the surveyor found high moisture levels but did not detect delamination (and they should have noted that if it was present) you have other alternatives to recoring. It really depends on interpreting what the meter reveals which is not always entirely straightforward or definitive.