Balsa core repair

[Denis]

While on vacation at Block Island this fourth of July, I felt a soft spot on the deck floor. I tapped around using the wooden handle on my hammer and could feel a very distinct soft spot. After returning home, I removed all the screws that hold down the hatch over the fuel tank on my 28TE. In thirty minutes I had the hatch out and on horses in the parking lot. I turned it over and tapped all around and found the amount of water intrusion. Two of the screws had leaked water into the balsa core on the floor and rotted out an area about a foot long and six inches wide. Using a battery circular saw, I cut out the back side to expose the core. I dug out the damaged wood until I found solid core. In two coats, I filled the area with epoxy resin, before the last coat dried, I replaced the peice I had cut out. After it hardened, I applied a finish coat, belt sanded it to flush it off. I turned the hatch over and taped over the bottom of all the screw holes. I filled all the holes with epoxy, after hardening I drilled pilot holes and chamfered the holes for the new screws. While I was in there I installed new drain hoses and checked everything. I seated all the screws in new marine caulk then applied new caulk around the hatch to seal it off. My boat is a 94 so I know it's due, I have been checking and re-bedding everything. This was just a wake up for me, easy and cheap to fix, it could have been MUCH worse. Check every hole in your fiberglass.

[Russell]

When you own a boat the fun never stops. It sounds like you did a great job and I for one will heed your warning.