Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

[LuvBoating]

Have a '92 20ft Celebrity Cuddy Cabin w/5.7L engine. Earlier this week I stepped on a 19 x 29 inch piece of plywood flooring next to the side of the engine and it was somewhat soft in the middle. I was able to pull up the carpet and SURE ENOUGH, the middle part of the plywood was pretty rotted out:facepalm:. This piece sits on a fiberglass stringer and (I think) screws into other pieces of plywood.
Since we don't have the finances right now to have this repaired professionally, I will do what I can.

I will take out the rotted pieces and take out the rest of the plywood, in which I may have to cut part of the carpet to get at it. Clean the pieces of rotted plywood stuck to the bottom of the carpet (best as I can). By a piece of "marine" type plywood from Home Depot (have them cut it to what I need) and put down the new plywood on the spot.

This is just a TEMPORARY thing til our finances are in better shape........will I be doing it right???

Also found another soft spot next to the access plate to the top of the gas tank. It's not real soft, but I can tell it needs replacing. Fortunately, that spot is covered up by the bench seat that sits in front of the engine.

In Dec 2011, we had to have the floor replaced in our cuddy cabin due to softness/rotten wood. That area cost us $450. Up until then, the only cover we had was the deck cover that we used. The boat is stored outside, on a trailer in a storage facility. After that repair, we bought a full cover for the boat and have both covers on all the time when the boat is sitting in storage.

 

[pauloman]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

seal the wood first with 2-3 coats of solvent thinned epoxy. Also see if you get some air circulation down there....

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

Home Depot doesn't carry marine plywood, but you can use BCX instead and put 3 or 4 coats of exterior spar urethane on it to seal it. That was the good news.

The bad news:

Your boat is rotting internally, they rot from the inside out and from the bottom up. When the rot finally surfaces to the decking it has usually already wreaked havoc below deck.

I remember you've mentioned about "mystery" water showing up in the bilge and suspicions that your transom may be compromised.

All of this adds up to a full scale restoration one of these days... you can keep "patching" at it over and over, but problems will start showing up more frequently and probably on a larger scale.

Since you're not very handy with working on your boat and restorations are extremely expensive to sub-out you may want to consider looking for a new(er) boat and selling the one you have now as a project boat.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

Have a '92 20ft Celebrity Cuddy Cabin w/5.7L engine. Earlier this week I stepped on a 19 x 29 inch piece of plywood flooring next to the side of the engine and it was somewhat soft in the middle. I was able to pull up the carpet and SURE ENOUGH, the middle part of the plywood was pretty rotted out:facepalm:. This piece sits on a fiberglass stringer and (I think) screws into other pieces of plywood.
Since we don't have the finances right now to have this repaired professionally, I will do what I can.

I will take out the rotted pieces and take out the rest of the plywood, in which I may have to cut part of the carpet to get at it. Clean the pieces of rotted plywood stuck to the bottom of the carpet (best as I can). By a piece of "marine" type plywood from Home Depot (have them cut it to what I need) and put down the new plywood on the spot.

This is just a TEMPORARY thing til our finances are in better shape........will I be doing it right???

Also found another soft spot next to the access plate to the top of the gas tank. It's not real soft, but I can tell it needs replacing. Fortunately, that spot is covered up by the bench seat that sits in front of the engine.

In Dec 2011, we had to have the floor replaced in our cuddy cabin due to softness/rotten wood. That area cost us $450. Up until then, the only cover we had was the deck cover that we used. The boat is stored outside, on a trailer in a storage facility. After that repair, we bought a full cover for the boat and have both covers on all the time when the boat is sitting in storage.

While you have things ripped up, check the stringers, bulkheads and even the transom to see if there is rot within those structural areas. Also, get an idea if the foam is soggy or dry.

Ususally the sequence of events after replacing the floor is to sell the boat on Craigslist, but if you want to keep it to work on it at a later date, that seems fine too . . .

However, if your boat has significant rot, it may not be safe to use, so it would have to go off-line until you can afford the fix.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

Ok, I found out that you are right about Home Depot not having marine plywood.
As far as the water inside our cuddy cabin floor goes, there were two reasons for that:
1. As I stated when I started this thread........we did not have a full cover for the boat before we had the cuddy cabin floor done. All we had was a deck cover, so that would mean when we'd have a downpour of rain, water/moisture could come thru the front/top window hatch. I still have to reseal that hatch with sealant. Rainwater would also enter the boat from the two engine vents on each side of the boat. The deck cover didn't go over them.
2. We think the reason there WAS water under the cuddy cabin floor is b/c the full cover wasn't on the boat when it was in for repairs in early January. The shop didn't put the boat under an overhead covering like we were told it was. Anyway, since getting the boat back from the shop, I have sponged the water out. No water has shown up under the floor since and we had some darn hard rains earlier this week.

We have never had a problem with water under the cuddy cabin floor, while on the water, except when we got the engine water leak last year.

I seriously doubt if our boat is rotting internally, but the only way to find out would be to take up all the carpeting and look at it. The deck around the passenger and drivers seat is completely solid as is the deck where our dual batteries sit.

I just read a "boat floor" website and it stated that only wooden boats rot from the bottom up. Fiberglass boats rot from the top (wood/plywood) down. That's what it said.

Home Depot doesn't carry marine plywood, but you can use BCX instead and put 3 or 4 coats of exterior spar urethane on it to seal it. That was the good news.

The bad news:

Your boat is rotting internally, they rot from the inside out and from the bottom up. When the rot finally surfaces to the decking it has usually already wreaked havoc below deck.

I remember you've mentioned about "mystery" water showing up in the bilge and suspicions that your transom may be compromised.

All of this adds up to a full scale restoration one of these days... you can keep "patching" at it over and over, but problems will start showing up more frequently and probably on a larger scale.

Since you're not very handy with working on your boat and restorations are extremely expensive to sub-out you may want to consider looking for a new(er) boat and selling the one you have now as a project boat.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

After we replaced the cuddy cabin floor, we had no intention (or thought) about selling the boat. As I already stated in another reply, the floor that the dual batteries sit on is solid as is the deck around the passenger and drivers seat. If water gets into our bilge area, like it did the last time we took it our, we will have to re-think our boat situation............BUT, the mechanic that worked on our outdrive (fixed a water leak in it) told me that there are no more leaks in the boat. Just have to wait and see when we take it out again after this cold spell we are having goes away.

While you have things ripped up, check the stringers, bulkheads and even the transom to see if there is rot within those structural areas. Also, get an idea if the foam is soggy or dry.

Ususally the sequence of events after replacing the floor is to sell the boat on Craigslist, but if you want to keep it to work on it at a later date, that seems fine too . . .

However, if your boat has significant rot, it may not be safe to use, so it would have to go off-line until you can afford the fix.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

I just read a "boat floor" website and it stated that only wooden boats rot from the bottom up. Fiberglass boats rot from the top (wood/plywood) down. That's what it said.

Not everything on the internet is true.

I will say this: I've been on this forum a long time and I'd say a good 9 out of 10 people who come here with soft spots on the deck have rotten stringers and/or transom.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

Not everything on the internet is true.

I will say this: I've been on this forum a long time and I'd say a good 9 out of 10 people who come here with soft spots on the deck have rotten stringers and/or transom.

Ayuh,.... 'n the 10th person is in Denial...

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

I did check the fiberglass stringer under the floor.........pulled out enough rotted plywood to see the top of it and it is solid (that I could see/touch, anyway). Now, once I take up this 19" x 29" piece of plywood, I'll be able to see more. At that time, well, we'll see. Pray and Hope, Hope and Pray!

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

I did check the fiberglass stringer under the floor.........pulled out enough rotted plywood to see the top of it and it is solid (that I could see/touch, anyway). Now, once I take up this 19" x 29" piece of plywood, I'll be able to see more. At that time, well, we'll see. Pray and Hope, Hope and Pray!

Visualizing it, and touching it doesn't mean much. The FG covering the stringer is no doubt still solid. The insides may be a different story. You need to drill into the stringers in various areas to check the condition of the wood.

Golden dry wood is good to go. Reseal the holes you drill with 3M 5200.
Wet wood, pulp, or soup, and you have problems.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

This member thought he just had to repair 1 small soft spot in his deck too:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repair/first-attempt-boat-repair-579280.html

Your boat may not be that bad, but the chances of you having at least some rot below deck are greater than not.


I know no one wants to hear that their boat could have wood cancer below deck, and denial at the beginning is typical... but after drilling for evidence their tone usually changes.

Don't drill the tops of the stringers drill down as low on the stringer as you can. If your boat has floatation foam take a core sample by using a piece of PVC pipe with a couple of notches cut in one end to make teeth, then push and twist it down through the foam until you hit the hull. Pull the pipe out and push the plug of foam out and check the bottom of it for moisture.

You should drill your transom as well, down low like the stringers and port, center, and starboard sides.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

I just read a "boat floor" website and it stated that only wooden boats rot from the bottom up. Fiberglass boats rot from the top (wood/plywood) down. That's what it said.

I am wondering if this information is from the RotDoctor web site ???

Here is the quote from the stringer/transon section of their write-up . . .

" The rot process is often from the top down. Water on the floors leaks through and gets into the stringers. You go to fix the floor and find that the glass is delaminating around the stringers and the wood inside is rotted. "

If you have a rotted floor, then you may have rotted stringers. the longer the floor has been rotted, the more likely the stringers are rotted. With older boats, it is hard to know how long the process has been going on and how much cover-up work has been done previously.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

I am with the other guys. When you have a soft spot, 90% of the time you have a bigger problem.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

My 4 Winns had 2 soft spots on the deck.....ended up doing a full resto!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Two Floor "Soft Spots" Found

These last two posters have no idea what they're talking about