| CORE REPAIR |
| The bane of Triton ownership is commonly the core. The Tritons built on the east coast have a balsa cored deck. This construction method incorporates a layer of end-grain balsa between the upper and lower fiberglass "skins" to create the deck. The purpose of using core in deck construction is to maintain rigidity while preserving weight. This is a popular method and, in boat design, numerous types of core are used in the decks and hulls of both cruising and racing sailboats. The hazard associated with cored decks though, is water intrusion. If water finds its way into the core, then it will, inevitably, result in rotten core and the delamination of the fiberglass skins. This has led to a much maligned reputation for balsa cored boats. However, the use of balsa is a viable technique if the proper steps are taken to prevent water intrusion. Unfortunately, as time passes and boats change owners, attention to the deck core is often overlooked. The most common cause of water intrusion is improperly mounted deck hardware, particularly stanchions. Any holes drilled into the deck should be surrounded by a layer of thickened epoxy. In the case of stanchion bases, the ideal installation would be to have the entire base area either glassed in or filled with epoxy. For proper hardware installation techniques, click here. While most West Coast Tritons have solid fiberglass decks, those boats constructed on the East Cost were cored and, as a result, there have been many Triton buyers that have been told of a "couple of soft spots." If your boat has rotten core, it is not the end of the world or the end of your boat. That said, core repair is a big job that (as I found out) abides no short cuts. Traditonal thinking is that there are two ways to repair core rot. As in all things, there are two ways to do the job: the right way and the wrong way. The right way is to cut away either the top or bottom skin, grind away the rotten core, replace the core, and rebond the skin. This can be seen executed to perfection on Tim Lackey's encyclopedic website. To view the core repair, click here. [See links page for more Tim Lackey sites] The wrong way is the "drill and fill method." While this may work on very small areas of rot, it is generally more of a band-aid than a repair. Unfortunately, this is the way I elected to try my repair. This method involves drilling a series of closely spaced holes through the top skin and into the core - carefully avoiding the bottom skin. Once the holes are drilled, the core needs to be removed and the void dried. The core can removed by attaching an allen wrench to your drill and rotating the wrench inside the holes. This will cause the rotten core to back up out of the holes. After that, a shop vac can be attached to suck some more core material out. Once I had done both of these things, I turned my attention to drying the area out. The first step was to flush the entire area with acetone. This will float the remaining water out of the holes and leave the area considerably drier. I then covered the area and waited 24 hours before applying heat. I strongly advise waiting after acetone is applied. That stuff is extremely flammable. Heat was applied first with a hair dryer and then with a tented lightbulb. Once the area was dry I mixed a batch of unthickended epoxy and ejected it into the holes to "wet out" the area. I waited 24 hours and filled the holes with epoxy thickened with colloidal silica. This involved injecting epoxy into one hole until it came up from the surrounding holes. Once this dried I sanded down the spilled epoxy and faired the area. This is definitely an improvement in terms of rigidity in the decks. However, I will need to properly recore the deck sometime in the future. I will probably attempt the repair from beneath given all the effort that has gone into painting the deck. |
| UPDATE: 2-20-2006 The repair failed this weekend, as the epoxy filler cracked and created a void. I absolutely cannot recommend the drill and fill method to any area of remotely considerable size. It will pay to do the job correctly. If the damaged area is greater than 1 foot square, then you should recore. I will be recoring the side decks from inside the cabin when there is a suitable break in the weather. Full details and photos will follow. Update: 2-20-2006 Supplies have been purchased and I'm only waiting on the weather to begin. With luck, work will begin on Saturday or, worst case, Sunday. Supplies include: large dropcloth, 2 gallons of epoxy plus colloidal silica and microballons, three 2'x4' sections of end-grain balsa, plenty of fiberglass in the form of 6 oz cloth and biax, a dremel tool to cut off bottom skin, and a variety of tools for removing the old core and injected epoxy. STAY TUNED! |