[Maine Sail]

I plan to start this task next month on my boat. I'll be using balsa core and wanted to get some opinions on bedding hardware and using a liner as outlined in another post here on sailnet. I just want to make sure that a skim layer of FG is not required on the inside for strength. I plan to do the re-core from the inside leaving the outter decks untouched. (I know, I know).

I'll keep updating this post with pictures and progress. Hopefully I can have the repair done with 100sq ft of balsa, and minimal down time.

Here are the steps I have outlined
1. drop the mast and remove hardware
2. strip insides of anything important, vests, gear, etc.
3. start from the companionway and cut sections of deck out working my up to the bow.
4. plug all hardware holes to keep out rainwater, and allow a week to dry.
5. begin cutting and expoxying new balsa in place, same order as it was removed.
6. epoxy over all exposed balsa to seal it. Let it cure.
7. drill new holes and install hardware.
8. cut and install liner.
9. put the stick up.

WAAAY easier said than done. I'm not looking forward to this.

You're forgetting a very important part of repair from the bottom GRAVITY! Use vacuum bagging!!! What ever the interior skin was made of lamination wise I should be put back with the same schedule.

I can assure you that without vacuum bagging this job will be harder, and come out with more gravity voids than doing it from above and repainting the decks. You make it sound so easy and I wish you luck!!

 

[Maine Sail]

Folks have been successful doing this from below, but not me.

Good luck.

I believe folks "think" they have been successful. I have had the opportunity on a number of occasions to either dig into this work myself from above or have seen it in the shop and can assure you they were not nearly as successful as they thought they were..

 

[Maine Sail]

While..

While you can drill & fill DRY deck delamination, as can happen in foam cores or in hot environments, you can not effectively fix wet core with this method. Wet core is wet core no matter how much epoxy you inject in. Epoxy only penetrates dry rot. If the core is moist the epoxy will not displace the water and take its place. In 25 years of tearing into boats I've yet to see a cored deck or cored lamination that exhibited dry rot. It's always either wet or dry but I've never seen dry rot..

Penetrating epoxies, or thinned West System, is meant for dry not wet core fixes. Even then it does not work very well and does not penetrate as one may think it would..