Had been postponing dealing with moisture in the balsa core on the fore deck of
my M17. Deck fittings (cleat and bow pulpit) and bedding sealants aged and
allowed moisture in. Moisture ended up as far back as where the front of the
cabin meets the fore deck. Drilled a few holes up from underneath into the
core at places where I suspected moisture had saturated the core (you can tell
after you drill a hole - wood fragments on the bit are wet.) Took off the
pulpit and cleat, then let the old girl cook in the sun for a couple of weeks.
Moisture can escape up through the bolt holes and down and out through the
holes I drilled up from the bottom. (You have to protect the deck openings at
night to prevent dew or rain from getting in.) Added 3:1 epoxy -- used a $.78
"applicator bottle" (looks just like a restarant red plastic ketchup dispenser
I picked up at Walmart). The bottle has a small enough tip to insert into the
deck bolt holes and the flexible bottle allows you to
generate a bit of pressure to inject the goo. Used duct tape on the inside
under the bolt holes to keep the goo from running out before it can set.
Redrilled the 1/4" deck fitting bolt holes, bought longer bolts and made
starboard backing plates to provide better support underneath -- the original
just used washers against the laminate on the inside surface of the deck.
Monty lives!
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