[Public-list] Deck repairs

Sat Jun 2 07:01:17 PDT 2007

Don,
Thanks for your advice [and Villo as well]. I did get
a moisture meter, but I think I need a more sensitive
one. In places where I can get to the exposed core, I
do not get high readings. I drilled a couple of small
holes in areas where I know I have deck work to do and
still found no moisture. Some interior wood is giving
me readings of 10-12. I have been going over the boat
with the nylon hammer and most areas are sound. The
cockpit sole has some weak spots, but I am resolved to
its total rehab anyway. [And yes Don I do need to pick
your brain on that one.] Still it is the apparent
delamination of a layer of gelcoat and the small
crazing/blistering that has me puzzled. Specifically:
1. The "blisters" are small and seem completely dry. I
get no moisture reading, though I'm not sure this
probe is sensitive enough. ( It is a moisture meter
for detecting moisture in wood for home inspection
purposes). I see no ooze of any kind though I have not
drilled into the core yet on these hull locations.
Also, the blisters are very thin. They are rashlike
which would preclude me from doing any surgery to each
one. A hammer test at these locations sounds very
solid. I am headed towards a paint job at the proper
stage of this renovation so I don't want to neglect a
potential problem. Obviously either way, I can't just
paint over them.

2. The delamination on the cockpit floor is pervasive
and consistent across the entire surface. As stated I
know that will have to be dealt with. It is in the
other places (like behind the coaming boards and where
that area rolls up on to the deck), that I face spot
repairs. I guess I should do as you would to paint on
a house... scrape and peel it away til I get to
non-delaminated gelcoat, sand the area and transition
and then coat or fill it with something. I don't know
exactly what, but once again, I'm reluctant to paint
over any crazing or the depressions created by the
peeled away delaminated gelcoat.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I'm hoping some of you
have dealt with this situation before.

Thanks again for all your help,

John Cooler
Atalaya, #087

--- Don Campbell <dk.campbell at sympatico.ca> wrote:

> John;'
>     Get a moisture meter somehow and go over the
> deck and hull including 
> cockpit floor to see if any of the crazing has let
> moisture in to your 
> deck. It should not be too bad with the masonite
> core, but if there is 
> any water in the core, you might need to take a
> different view than to 
> just fix the exterior. A nylon hammer on the flakes
> on the hull should 
> indicate whether there is a different sound between
> good, sound hull and 
> water blisters. Water sounds dead and good hull has
> a ring to it. You 
> don't hit hard, just enough to get the sound.
>     Generally for crazing, it is recommended that
> you increase the size 
> of the crack and then use material to fill that. If
> it is only gelcoat 
> that is gone crazy, then gelcoat is the filler. It
> is a bit more time 
> consuming if you need to fill first with a resin and
> then top with gelcoat.
>     If you want information on re-doing the cockpit
> floor contact me 
> off-list as I have done one, albeit a balsa cored
> floor.
> Don #528
> 
> Coolray wrote:
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I have every stick of wood, every piece of metal
> and
> > all the thru hulls off of my boat! What a job. Now
> > that the easy part is over, I have several
> questions
> > regarding deck repairs. I am going through "This
> Old
> > Boat" and some old emails to learn some of the
> > techniques, but the number of options and opinions
> are
> > daunting. Any help on the following would be much
> > appreciated.
> > 1) I have approximately one million screw & bolt
> > holes, such as the through bolts for the old
> > deteriorated toe rail, that need to be filled.
> Some
> > will be seen others hidden. What is the best
> "filler"
> > to use? (Obviously a paint job will follow at the
> > appropriate time.)
> > 2) I have several extensive locations on the deck
> that
> > appear to be cracked and parting gel coat. These
> > locations, such as behind the coaming boards vary
> in
> > size, but most are about half the thickness of a
> > penny. The entire cockpit sole is crazed in this
> > manner as are some other more localized areas. I
> > expect to have to rebuild the sole, but I'm not
> sure
> > what to do about the other areas as they appear to
> be
> > sound beneath. Any thoughts or past experience
> would
> > be helpful.
> > 3) I have noticed several local areas on the hull
> that
> > appear to be small semi-circular "flakes". Most
> are
> > just above the bottom paint, (they could also be
> under
> > it for that matter), and appear to be only as
> thick as
> > a business card at best. In other words, thicker
> than
> > a coat of paint but thinner than the
> aforementioned
> > deck crazing. I have read the posts on osmotic
> > blisters and these areas do not sound like the
> same
> > problem. Once again, any advice is welcomed.
> >
> > I can take pictures of these problems though I do
> not
> > know how well any of it will show up. 
> >
> > Thank you in advance for your help and advice.
> > John Cooler
> > Atalaya, #087
> >
> >
> >        
> >
>
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