Swim deck rot - penetrating epoxy?

G

gregoire

New Member
Aug 25, 2021
21
Newport,OR
Boat Info
1989 Sedan 300
Engines
Mercruiser 5.7
There are a hand full of holes in the swim platform where the swim ladder was mounted. PO removed it for easier access to transom door based on his slip orientation but never sealed the holes. I went to seal them today and noticed the wood layer between the fiberglass is rotted. Does anyone have any thoughts on penetrating epoxy? Does the rotted wood need be completely cleaned away? Can it be applied to wet / rotted wood?

I just bought the boat and am in the middle of bigger projects so was hoping there’s an easy epoxy answer vs diving deep into this. (Boat is in the water).

wishful thinking?
 
Greg, if need be, I can bring my boat and trailer over and launch my boat and you can use the trailer to get yours out of the water. The port does let folks work on a project as long as you pay the parking fees and get things done quickly. And from what I know about the bay, if yours has been in the water for a while, it's time to check the bottom. Things grow really really fast there. I talked to a guy that had his in for two weeks and his drives were packed solid from barnacles. Took them two days just to clean the drives.

I'll send you a DM with my contact info.
 
It depends on how much of the old wood you can remove. Another option is Arjay 6011 which is a material that can be poured into transoms to replace rotted wood. I just did a couple of old stringers in a 1986 ski boat. Didn't even have to remove the motor but you do have to remove as much of the loose wood as possible. The CPE can be used if it's dry but that doesn't sound like an option for your swim platform.
 
There used to be a product out there that would replace water in wood and make it like a hard plastic. It was actually the grand dad to gorilla glue. GG works best if you soak one or both wood parts in water. It will go into the grain and cause the "pores" of the wood to be filed with the chemical making two wood or things with "pores" become one. But the one draw back is it also will swell. This works great with a wood joint that you want tight but wood in a glassed surface might break.
 
You need to figure out how big the spot is. A moisture meter will help as well as sounding the area with a hammer. Based on that you can figure out the best repair. Could be a big or little job depending on the size.
 
Golfman25 said:
Could be a big or little job depending on the size.
Click to expand...

Having worked in fiberglass, all jobs are "easy". Some just require more time than others. The only time a job was really hard was when we had just a little too much whiskey while waiting for the hardener to do it's thing.
 
Inject-a-dek is supposed to work great for stuff like this. Many on here have used it and had great success. I have a very similar issue with out swim platform. I tried the inject a dek but was in a hurry and didn't get it good enough. My platform is a bolt on so i checked with swimplatforms.com and they make an exact replacement and an extended for mine so I'm just gonna order the extended one. For my boat its $2500 plus about $600 for shipping and crating to Pittsburgh. The identical replacement was $2000 so for the extra $500 I'll get the extra 12"
 
I will have to check that injectable foam out. I have used the two part stuff in high power rocketry to fill the aft end that gets hot from the motor.

Swim deck quoted me $4800 plus shipping for a swim deck for the 92 300DA. For 5 boat bucks plus, I can live with out and get another gallon of fuel.
 
I stumbled across a USED swim platform for my 89 300 DA. Had it shipped via airfreight since it was cheaper than LTL. Cost $1,200 delivered and I know I was VERY lucky to find it and get it! It's worth WAY more than what I paid for it!! I was ready to pull the trigger on a $3,000 replacement for the OLD platform. BTW, anybody need an old platform for a 300 DA? Didn't think so.....
 
If I'm not mistaken, your boat is going to have a bolt-on platform, right? This makes it easier - although it needs to be out of the water. At this point, though, if it doesn't feel dangerous, just wait till you can get it out of the water - you can put some white, shrink wrap tape over the holes for now. When you get it out of the water, simply cut the bottom skin off (the underside), remove and replace the core, then epoxy the skin back on. Fill the holes on top with epoxy and gelcoat. Done. Yeah, you're working upside down (unless of course you remove the platform), but you can brace the core and skin in place with 2x's and plywood easily enough.

If those holes have been there for a while, you never know how far the rot has extended. But I guarantee you that it's farther you think! You might get lucky with an injection product - but skinning the bottom side is so easy that it's not really worth it to take a chance.
 
Lazy, that is what I was thinking. Take it off and flip it over. Cut out the underside and replace the wood. Then through about 6 layers of cloth starting with some heavy mat for two layers then some standard heavy e glass cloth. Finish it off by spraying some gelcoat over the bottom to finish it off. The holes on the top should be easy enough to finish. I have offered the use of the trailer to haul it out. So we will see. Shoot, he can drop the deck off here and I would love to fix it just for fun. Then he could put it back on when he goes back to the boat.
 
Thanks for the answers. I don’t feel any soft spots when I walk on it. Just did a tap test and it sounds fairly bright / crisp all around. Nothing like the dull thuds I hear on some YouTube videos of rotten transoms etc.

It’s a bolt on. Accessible from underneath by hanging my head over and looking! Less than desirable - but doable. I dug around down there a bitch a dremmel yesterday.

Jhornsby3, thanks for the incredibly generous offer to trailer your boat down and let me pull out with yours. Wow. Thank you. I may take you up on that some day. I’m in Newport at the embarcadero so quite a ways from the Dalles. The gas would cost more than a new swim platform :)

for now - I think I’ll try the epoxy / injection suggestions mentioned while it’s in the water and see if any soft spots develop.

I’ve got the interior torn out and am remodeling (plus a punch list of other projects a mile long).

I really appreciate the knowledge of people chiming in.

I’ll post some before and after pics of the interior when I get something accomplished besides tearing it all apart :)
 
I'm on the west side of Sheridan. So I am only about 60 miles from Newport. So I'm not very far at all. That, and Newport is our closest ramp for salt launch. PDX is my closest for fresh water launch. I think I'm too big for Clackamas for launch.
 
JHornsby3 said:
How far are you from The Dalles? And I wonder how off our hulls are?
Click to expand...
Mine is one of the LAST of the 86 to 89 hulls that had a bolt on swim platform. I doubt it would work, but I could send a pic. I don't think it will hang on a 92 or newer boat at all. I'm close to the Dalles only a couple of hours or less, but I don't think this will work. Still, you're welcome to it? It's just occupying space in my RV barn right now and I keep tripping over it!
 
Yeah, yours has the flat back. Mine has the built in swim deck. So your right it won't go on.
 
Sundancer,

send a pic when you get a chance. It’s good to know where spare parts are if you need them. What does your old one need? New core?

I used to fly into prosser regularly when i was based in Richland.
 
Gregoire,

The old one just needs the bolts to mount it on the transom and a boat! I cut them off instead of trying to undo all of them. I didn't have anyone to stay inside the boat while I was trying to unscrew them from the outside, plus they were old, corroded and ugly after 30 years. It's fine and the teak inserts probably need a good oiling or spar varnish. Your call there! I'll get a pic tomorrow, but it's usable with no huge flaws and it's solid.

And I live right by the airport! Bummer, but that's life! If you ever fly in again, shoot me a note and I'll walk over!
 
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