Rusty—
That is a common misconception. There are three commonly used core materials—end grain balsa, ductile PVC foam and rigid PVC foam. Yes, some companies used marine plywood for a while, but it really is not an appropriate core material, as I've written about on my
blog.
The problem with end-grain balsa is that it tends to rot if water gets in... then as it rots, the cored laminate delaminates.
However, end grain balsa tends to keep water intrusion localized until it starts to rot, due to the orientation of the end-grain balsa.
The problem with the PVC foam, both ductile—like Airex and rigid—like Divinylcell—is that they allow water to migrate long distances and can delaminate over great areas rather quickly under the right conditions. While PVC foam doesn't rot... the fact that the fiberglass skin can separate from the foam over a wide area fairly quickly means that the laminate is compromised.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustyf
Does the fact that the 3400 has a hull cored with polyurethene and not balsa mean that it is not susceptible to problem of moisture seeping into the hull and wetting the balsa of a balsa cored hull? Seems to me that the water would not wick through the polyurethene as it would with balsa. Thanks
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Sailingdog
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Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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