17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

[snowbrd84]

I bought this 17', 1990, Bayliner Capri last year with the intent to fix it up. The deck was soft in spots so I ripped the deck out last weekend and the foam was ll wet underneath. So I ripped all of the foam under the deck out. The stringers are all encased in fiberglass and are solid as can be. The transom does not see soft at all either. I now have new plywood laid down, but this is my first time doing a deck and I have a couple questions.

1) I am going to be putting marine vinyl flooring on the deck, so do I need to go over the entire deck with mat and resin? Would it be sufficient to just put down 2 or 3 coats of resin diluted with acetone over the plywood to seal it, then put the vinyl flooring over that? Or should I mat and glass the whole deck? I will probably only have the boat for a couple years, so I am not concerned about it lasting for eternity...

2) I noticed that when the PO put in the battery box, two of the screws wen all the way through the hull. Two tiny little holes with daylight coming through... What would be the best way to seat these? They are on the bottow below the waterline, can I just put some mat down inside the hull and glass over it and call it a day? Sort of push some fiberglass so it comes out the bottom through the hole and then just trim it off flush with the bottom of the hull?

3) For the bottom side of the deck, does it need to be glassed? I put a thick coat of Thompsons Water Seal on the bottom of the ply wood, but it shouldnt ever really get wet underneath right?

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

The fiberglass on a deck serves more purpose than just waterproofing. The deck needs to be "glued" and filleted to the hull with thickened fiberglass resin, then 2 to three layers of glass going over the deck, and up the hull, as well as a 6-8 inch strip of tabbing around the edge of the deck. The deck has to be tied to the hull via fiberglass to tie the hull sides together.

The bottom of the desk needs to be sealed some sort of way.

 

[snowbrd84]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

The fiberglass on a deck serves more purpose than just waterproofing. The deck needs to be "glued" and filleted to the hull with thickened fiberglass resin, then 2 to three layers of glass going over the deck, and up the hull, as well as a 6-8 inch strip of tabbing around the edge of the deck. The deck has to be tied to the hull via fiberglass to tie the hull sides together.

The bottom of the desk needs to be sealed some sort of way.

The sides will definitely be glassed to the hull around the entire perimeter. My question was does the center portions need to be matted if I am just covering them with marine vinyl flooring or would diluted resin with acetone over the whole deck be suffice? Diluting the resin to a watery consistency with acentone will allow it to soak into the plywood and then the acetone will evap and the plywood should become hard as a rock.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

I've never seen or read any recommendations to do anything other than glass three layers of csm over the deck, each layer extending 3" further up the hull than the last. I guess it would be sufficient to do three layers of 1708 tabbing, 4", 10", and 16", then waterproof it with something, but I don't know if it would really be best. I'm sure if there were an easier route that is good we would all be doing it.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

Polyester Resin without glass mat is worthless. When cured it becomes hard and brittle and when it flexes it will crack and allow water to penetrate. If you're using epoxy resin then yes you can use resin only. The bottom of the deck will indeed get wet via condensation "Sweating" via temperature changing etc. Bottom should get one coat or resin and mat top side minimum of 2. Check the first link in my signature below. As for the Screw holes, a couple of layers of mat and cloth on the inside and you're good to go. Oh, do not thin the resin, it breaks down the chemical characteristics and makes it almost useless. IMHO.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

The sides will definitely be glassed to the hull around the entire perimeter. My question was does the center portions need to be matted if I am just covering them with marine vinyl flooring or would diluted resin with acetone over the whole deck be suffice? Diluting the resin to a watery consistency with acentone will allow it to soak into the plywood and then the acetone will evap and the plywood should become hard as a rock.

Just to let you know your gonna get slammed with the thinning of the resin with Acetone thing.

I have done it with complete satisfaction .. but others will tell you how bad it is with the thinning ..

How it reduces the longevity and superior strength of the resin bond to the glass etc ..

The Ply will NOT become hard as a rock . .. but there is a certain something that us old school guys use that is basically what your talking about ( making a better cheap ply into a cheap Marine Grade ).

Im sure the thread will continue ..

YD.

Edit: Too late .. Bye 5 mins lol

 

[snowbrd84]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

Alright, bit the bullet and ordered enough mat and resin to put down 2 layers on the whole deck.

Now I have another question , this one pertaining to all the foam i removed. I do not want to go through the hassle of 2 part pour due to cost of materials and cutting a bunch of holes. I want to use the blue foam board from HD or Lowes. Over 5 cubic feet for about 20 bucks and my understanding is that is does not absorb any water at all. I plan on putting in a 5" diameter deck hatch/lid on each side of the floor near the back of the boat so that I can periodically check for water in those side compartments. I already have the deck half on and the sides glassed in. Would there be any downside to just taking the foam board, cutting it into small 2" cubes and filling the void through those hatches?? If I ever had to replace that foam for any reason, it would be fairly easy to get out again through those hatches.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

So you want to stuff 2" cubes of foam into the void below the installed deck??? My advice is to slow down and think things through a bit better before making to many mistakes you'll regret. JMO but I don't think this would be a good way to do it, but again, that's just me, others may disagree. I much rather you cut the planks to fit the shape of the compartment and help support the deck as well.

 

[snowbrd84]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

So you want to stuff 2" cubes of foam into the void below the installed deck??? My advice is to slow down and think things through a bit better before making to many mistakes you'll regret. JMO but I don't think this would be a good way to do it, but again, that's just me, others may disagree. I much rather you cut the planks to fit the shape of the compartment and help support the deck as well.

Deck is already half glassed in, so cutting to exact fit is not an option...

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

Two part pour in is...

Its not that bad. And not expensive for what it does. Nothing else you have he option of now will float the boat as well or support the deck. I drilled two holes in each compartment, except the 70" long ones which I drilled 4 in. Not much time there either and not hard replacing the pucks.

 

[snowbrd84]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

Two part pour in is...

Its not that bad. And not expensive for what it does. Nothing else you have he option of now will float the boat as well or support the deck. I drilled two holes in each compartment, except the 70" long ones which I drilled 4 in. Not much time there either and not hard replacing the pucks.

I just really hate the idea of pouring foam back in there after how unbelievably waterlogged the foam was that i took out. I removed over 300 pounds of soaked foam. I am going to go in a different route and avoid foam under the deck all together. I am going to put foam up in the gunwales around the perimeter of the boat. I would rather have the foam up high anyways so that if it did go down, the deck would be under and the boat wouldn't flip. The higher up the foam the better right?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

The reason your foam got waterlogged was due to improper care and maintenance and possibly poor workmanship from the factory. If you seal your deck properly, as I have no doubt you will, and you care for and maintain your boat properly, always keeping it protected from the elements and never screwing or bolting anything into the deck without ensuring the openings are properly sealed then theres nor reason for the underlying foam to ever become waterlogged again as long as you own the boat. IMHO your worries are unwarranted. The Foam serves to really good purposes. One, it provides floatation for your boat and passengers in case of a catastrophic event and two, it adds additional structural support to the hull of your boat. I would seriously reconsider the installation of the 2 part pour in foam. For less than $200 dollars I believe the benefits far outweigh the costs. Again, just my opinion.:joyous:

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

It also serves to dampen the noise of water slapping the hull. The hull sides would also flex easily if they aren't pressurized from the foam under the deck I'd imagine. My boat hull was a little floppy before foaming. Now I can press on it from the outside anywhere below the deck line and I get no flexing.

 

[DarkAndStormy]

Re: 17' Bayliner Capri Deck Replacement, Couple Questions Before I start Glassing...

New to Iboats. redoing my deck on an old MFG Gypsy tri-hull. Had the same issue with the wet foam, keep in mind the foam is the fun part! I had some bulkhead and stringers underneath and had resined in the sides beforehand and I thought that the floor was solid when I was walking on it. Then I added the foam...what a difference. Super SOLID. There was even some talk about not even putting in stringers and bulkheads because the foam would support so well. I understand the concern about it getting wet again, but if you glass it all in and add a gel coat or good paint on top of that, water won't touch it. By following the suggestions regarding glassing in the deck above, you are going way above and beyond what the previous floor was. The original floor that was in my gypsy had 1 layer of CSM over most of the floor. At most!! Just make sure you get all the nooks and crannies glassed over really well, don't skimp on that part and you will not have a problem.