400DB Swim platform rebuild or replace?

[BillG72340]

New to me 99 400DB has a wet/soft core in the bolt on swim platform. I am considering removing and have it rebuilt from the bottom. Does anyone have any experience with this job? If so how tough was it to break the bond to the hull? The other option would be to have a new platform built for roughly 4k or find a solid used platform (unlikely). A lift platform is not an option due to the base 300hp engines and I do not want to add weight to the back of the hull. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[fwebster]

I had a platform damaged duing Hurricane Opal in 1995. The boat next to me came loose and twisted in the slip and pinned my boat to the pier and pilings on th e down wind side. When the surge subsided, my boat came down on the dock and ripped out 2 bolts in the platform.

We removed the platform then ground all the coring off the back and recored the platform wiith rigid Divinicell. The repair cost was about $1200 (1996 money) because no cosmetics were involved. All the repair and new gelcoat was brushed/rolled onto the back side of the platform.

This approach offers some other definite advantages: it fits right because all the holes are drilled using the original as a pattern, it is stronger since the foam is lighter and has more strength, preserves t he OEM look, costs about 1/4 -1/3 that of building a new platform.

The bond to the hull can be tricky and you just have to ease the old platform up from the bottom with a jack or forklift while using a pry bar to break the bedding seal.

 

[SCORPIO]

I'm in the middle of the exact same project on my 89 300DA for the same reasons, soft core due to water intrusion. I have didn't have much problem removing the platform, two people rocked it up and down a few times while I used a putty knife to slice into the caulk. I have the rear skin removed and the wet/rotten core removed. I was going to use Nida Core pourable transom compound for the new core but between the cost and the need to perform the work outside (due to polyseter based resin and its associated fumes) its currently too cold. I am instead going to use marine plywood encapsulated in epoxy and glass and then layup a new lower skin and paint with Interlux yacht white.