Removed windlass - Rotten core, soft deck - Advice needed!!

[NJMatt50]

So I removed my windlass to try to get it repaired. I found that the core is rotten a couple inches around that area. After further inspection I found a lot of water intrusion around the foot switches as well. I outlined the area in red that I was able to scoop out with a coat hanger. It was all wet coring material and the deck is soft around the foot switches especially. Now my question is can I "dig" out as much rotten wood, let it dry and inject epoxy into the areas that are now hollow? Or do I need to cut the top deck out and re-core the middle between the fiberglass?

 

[2texoma]

First thing on my list would be find the duck that used caulk instead of buytl tape when it was installed.
If the windlass is still well enough supported that strain and stress of rough seas while anchored are unlikly to pull it loose,I wouldn't have a problem filling the voids. I not familar with your hull but if it's possiable to access the area from inside without ruining your lungs and eyes,I would think repair might be easier because of less cosmetics required after repairs. The real experts when it comes to this type thing can be found in the classics forum.

 

[src]

I'd be concerned that even if I got all the rot out, I didn't get the wet. Get an expert, stat.

 

[MasterFab]

I just removed and rebedded this same hardware on my 340, so I am familiar with the structure. As you know, access from the anchor locker is tight, unless you have 5 foot long arms and a second pair of elbows. SRC is correct that the remaining core has to be fully dried before you seal the area back up, or you will just trap water in there. Drying a core, unlike getting it wet, is difficult, and takes a long time, unless you cut open the deck and fully expose it. Drying it from the edges could take weeks, even months, depending on conditions, and whether or not you can use heat - such as heat lamps. Heating has to be done carefully - if the temperature of the fiberglass is driven too high, the resin can be degraded and weakened.

Unlike the deck over the cabin, where access can be gained from the inside, this area will be easier to repair from the outside. You certainly should have a fiberglass/gel coat repair expert take a look at it. Unless you are very comfortable and experienced with fiberglass repair, I don't recommend you attempt this one alone. The stress placed on the windlass while anchored in rough weather is tremendous, and the underlying structure must be of the highest integrity.

Dale

 

[NJMatt50]

Well the area around the windlass is not rotted too deep more or less right around the bolt holes. I can probably hit that with a heat gun for a few days and get that dry. Is epoxy strong enough and will it adhere to the remaining wood once its dry?

 

[Lazy Daze]

You're going to want to pull the other hardware on your deck, as well. I'm dealing with the same thing right now, also.

 

[fwebster]

The area where the switches have been leaking is far to large to try to dig the wet/rotten core out. If you fix it so it will pass a future survey, you will have to access it from the top. Repairing a non-skid deck isn't something a better than average do-it-yourselfer can do. It is part art and takes a lot of experience, practice and a fair amount of luck. If this is your first core and deck repair, then you will be way head of the game to get a professional involved. If you are going to use professional help, then have him do the windlass area as well.

Here is a thought: Fiberglass guys in the north are overworked this time of the year, You might find a good guy who will come and open the deck then let you do the grunt work, epoxy filling and re-coring, then come back to do the gelcoat repair when you are ready.

 

[NJMatt50]

So maybe another option is to dry out the area around the windlass with a heat guy, expoxy it make sure its strong for the season. Then seal around the foot switches to not let any more water in and let it dry all winter and have someone tackle that for next season??

 

[fwebster]

Put a damp sponge in a bottle........blow hot air in it, seal the bottle air tight, then put it out in the sun for a week. You will have a wet soggy mess with moisture in the bottom of the bottle. Same thing will happen, and is happening as long as the balsa is wet. It just won't work.

Your choices are straight forward........either fix it right or postpone the repair with stop gap measures and face a much bigger repair later.

If it were me, I'd fix it now while the damages area is forward of the cabin and the interior of the boat isn't affected by the moisture or the repair.

 

[MasterFab]

yep....

 

[Lazy Daze]

yep, yep.

The only thing I'd add that may save you a bit is whether or not the deck above the cabin and the deck above the anchor locker has one continuous piece of wood, or not. I can't say for the 340 (maybe Dale can verify), but on my boat the reinforcing wood (plywood in my case) in the deck above the anchor locker is a separate piece from the rest of the deck. I noticed this because I can stick my head in the anchor locker and see an obvious area where the plywood is and is not. It stops before the bulkhead between the cabin and locker.

Now, it could be that way because the boat is smaller - again, I'm not sure. But if Dale doesn't know, you might be able to stick your head in there and look (or a good light and a camera). IF that's the case, you could realistically get by this season by removing what you can, filling the void, and adding a second backer (plywood) on the underside of the deck. By no means is this a permanent fix, but it could get you by.

Other than that, I agree with the good advice above that you should you hire this out. You can still use your boat while you're waiting for your appointment. I assume you probably have a 22lb or 25lb anchor? It's a bit cumbersome, but it's totally doable to throw and retrieve the anchor by hand. The hardest part is not letting the chain scratch the deck. You could always change over to all rope for the time being.

Because I have somewhat decent access to the anchor locker ceiling, I think I'm going to attempt to repair mine by removing the plywood from the underside, instead of ripping off the deck. If I need to, I can cut a hole in the bulkhead between the locker and cabin.

In the meantime, I'm going to check out Dale's thread to see what he did!

 

[MasterFab]

The coring up at the bow, and the coring over the cabin, are separate.

The post on my blog concerns the rebedding of deck hatches, windlass foot switches, and handrails. I did not address re-coring. This is a time consuming, labor intensive job, and I did not want to give the impression that this is a job for the average handyman, so I have not posted, on my blog, the steps I followed to replace a wet core section that was on my boat (the potential liability was a bit too much for my comfort factor).

However, I will say that I did find a wet core area, over the cabin, and I repaired it from the inside. This required removing much of the interior, then cutting out the inner skin, and repairing with West System epoxy and end grain balsa. I can say the finished repair is superior to the original construction, and is now undetectable. Total time was close to 7 weeks, start to finish. Anyone interested in the details of the job can PM me....

Dale

 

[Lazy Daze]

I agree, with a headliner in play, there's really no reason to skin the top. While I understand the procedure, I've also never attempted to match the non-skid pattern. I just don't think I could match it well enough to be satisfied with the repair - at least not the first time and the subsequent half dozen times to redo it! :smt001 There's a reason a "good" gel guy is "good".

 

[Turtlesboat]

Owning an older boat, if water was leaking in one area, I would put money on leaks in other areas. all of the silicone is the same age. If this were me, I would hire either a surveyor or a good fiberglass guy and map out the problem with someone that knows how to use a moisture meter. If you were able to dig out that much coring with a coat hanger, then the damage is much larger than you are imagining. I would check the whole deck, around hatches, windows, windshield, deck rails.

 

[NJMatt50]

Yes, I am going to check it further around the other areas. I can feel the top is pretty solid everywhere else. I have leaking present in the cabin. The area in question was obiviously soft. You can feel around the foot switches where its hard and soft I will be pulling the hatches really soon to check around those. Does anyone have any good fiberglass guy they can recommend in the Jersey Shore area? I would like to have a professional check it out in person. Thanks.