Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

[v1_0]

So I've found a few soft spots in the deck. Looks like they formed where there were things screwed in - chairs - etc. I'm guessing the carpet held the water and helped it keep things moist.

The boat probably came with these, but I didn't think much of them last year. But I've been reading the Iboats forums over the winter, so now I know what they are.

I'm pretty sure I can repair the other couple of soft spots - they are accessable and I can cut away the wood (45degree angle on the cut) then replace with plywood/epoxy/CSM.

Now the one area that has me puzzled is very near the front, under what seems to be a moulded fiberglass "cap" sort of thing. (Picture attached: the three holes are my exploritory holes, from there forward as far as I can reach it feels like the wood is crumbling). I'm figuring that the deck under that cap is soft. I've figured out a few methods of dealing with this, and was wondering which would be best or if there is any other type of solution.

I should note that there was a set of carpet covered plywood sections making sortof a step up to the section.

Now here are the methods that I've thought of:

1. Ignore this, and keep the heavy people in the back. I'm not liking this option, but it is easier in the short run..

2. Get some 1/4" ply, expoxy & glass it on both sides then shove it under the moulded section. There seems to be some room, at least at the back (aft?) part of it. This would go ontop of the weak deck and out to the sides where the deck is strong.

3. Cut as much as I can get to, replace it, then perform solution #2 to cover the stuff that I can't reach.

4. Cut the moulded section, leaving 2-3 inches from the top of the 'well'. This should give me access to the deck - replace the weak sections, then epoxy & glass the "well" back together. If needed, reinforce the well with some 1/4" plywood/epoxy/fiberglass.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
-V

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

You are not going to like my answer........ pull the cap off and do it right. What lies beneathe could be the real monster!

 

[salty87]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

what bob said, would be a shame to do all that work and not get it all.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

An update on this.

I do like the idea of pulling the cap to do it right. There's a but here, though which I'll get to.

I've removed the rest of the deck, if it needed it or not. It turned out easier to make 4 long cuts than 20 or so short cuts. This way I also can get at the foam to replace it.

I've also been happy to find that I have (pure) fiberglass stringers - not wood wrapped with fiberglass. So, I don't have to worry about the stringers being rotten.

The long and the short of pulling the cap is that: I'm not getting the boat to the water this season if I do it. I have too many major projects that are all waiting on me to get to, and only so much time I can spend on the boat.

The boat is 21' with one of those swim platforms. I'd have to build some scaffolding to pull the cap off the boat, some supports for the boat. All of this is outside too...

All of that for a 16" x 36" triangular portion.

I'm leaning to fix what I can get to now, get it to the water - then pull the cap off in the winter. By that time I would have reduced the pending projects and maybe have some space in the garage (for at least the cap).

Is this a very bad choice?

 

[v1_0]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

I've also been happy to find that I have (pure) fiberglass stringers - not wood wrapped with fiberglass. So, I don't have to worry about the stringers being rotten.

My happiness is shortlived. It was nice while it lasted. There is some wood in them, and in at least one place it is rotten.

I'm now considering taking the boat to someone to finish it up...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

well V1..

Splash it m8... use it and go have some fun for the summer.

Unless its not sound..

YD.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

well V1..

Splash it m8... use it and go have some fun for the summer.

Unless its not sound..

YD.

thats what I'd do too, thats what I did last yr, then started in on it by sept, just as the transom was starting to crack.

 

[v1_0]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

I'm now considering taking the boat to someone to finish it up...

This isn't going to happen. The shop wanted 3000+ just to redo the deck (pull the cap, remove the front section of deck, then install a new deck & foam. Note that I pretty much had most of the deck and foam already removed).

I'm guessing they have too much work and don't want to deal with this unless they can make a killing.

I'm trying to figure out the math behind the estimate.

Pull the cap: 4 hours
Pull the remaining deck sections and foam: 4 hours (very generous estimate)

Measure, cut, place, ready the new deck for glassing: 8 hours.
Glass then new deck: ?? Maybe this is where all the time is, but it doesn't sound like it from the posts I've read here. I'll allocate 8 effort hours for this over 3 days.

Put the cap back on: 6 hours.

So, I can figure 32 hours for the job. Let's say materials run 1000 to make it an even 2000 for labor. That's about 62 dollars an hour. I don't want to be insulting, but that's a pretty high pay rate for this sort of work.

After all, I could manage doing this work, and I have no skills.

 

[109jb]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

$62/hr is not that high of a rate IMO. Also, $1000 for materials is probably low for a 21' boat. My 16 foot boat is going to cost me very close to that for materials. As for your time estimates, 4 hours to pull the cap is fair, but removing the rest of the deck, stringers, bulkheads, etc. in 4 hours is pushing it. Last night when I went to work on my boat, I had all the deck out, and the stringers out and spent 5 hours just grinding the old glass to get things ready for stuff to go in. Guess what. I still have about 5 more hours of grinding to do. To give a little more perspective, I probably have about 3 days (24 hours) work into my boat right now and have not even started cutting wood to go back in. That included pulling the motor (outboard - 1hr), pulling the cap, removing deck, removing foam, removing stringers, starting to grind. That is for a 16 foot boat. I just don't see how 32 hours would get it done on a 21 footer.

However, I was in your same position last year when I got my sea ray. Soft floor that needed to be fixed, but wanted to be on the water. What I did to use it last year was buy some 1/2" PT ply and cut it to fit and screwed it to the existing floor. Slapped some cheap indoor/outdoor carpet from the lumber center on it with adhesive and went boating. That kind of fix is a hack job, but it will allow you to use the boat for a year or two until the time is right to fix it yourself the correct way.

 

[Fingernip]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

I have the same setup and was planning to do some mole man stuff and do it all with the cap still on. Lately i have been thinking of cutting out the bow floor section completely and rebuilding it later so its part of the deck rather having an area for water to become trapped under again.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Deck Repair: how do I get under the moulded fiberglass?

Bring it to my shop m8..

we charge 89-95 / hour

32 hours @ $90/hr = $ 2880 plus materials..your looking at about 4k.

If your outdrive is busted..or motor..ouchies..

YD.