Rotten core on forward deck, how would you fix it?
 

**Note - not a SeaCraft but similar design and build construction**

My boat is a 1987 and someone poorly sealed a pie plate on the forward deck of my boat. Unfortunately this has lead to a good amount of rot that extends outward of the pie plate at least 6" in almost all directions. 6" is as far as I can reach with the tools I had without cutting into the deck.

The pie plate leads to a decent size storage area. I'm thinking about ordering (or making) this trapezoid hatch and installing it into the deck where this pie plate was. This would give me better access to that storage area and allow me to cut out more of the deck to hopefully get to solid wood.

https://www.gulfstreamcomposites.com..._trapezoid.htm

A full deck replacement is not in the cards at the moment so I think my options are as follows:

1. Core with 1/2" marine ply imbedded in epoxy.
2. Core with some sort of composite material that I am not yet familiar with
3. Pour with Seacast

Anything else I should consider? Any other tips for getting as much of the core out as possible and also being able to replace the core with something?

https://i.imgur.com/F3JKlgwh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gD0fgFGh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tb3J75Bh.jpg

I seriously doubt there is any viable wood left in the area so the best bandaide fix might be some putty or composite combo of both. Not sure how you would pour the RJ but if you could seal it somehow it may work to some extent. Like SeaCrafts, older boats usually need lots of rehab once the decks and transoms go soft. Not much you can do other than to remove and recore or replace. Go Birds....

Still thinking about this and I just thought of another option. If opening up the hole for the larger hatch doesn't get me to clean wood, I would at least gain some room to put some power tools underneath and then I could cut out the inner skin and replace from underneath.

Sounds like I need to google how to make a some hatch molds.

Search it here. Someone posted a link recently about this very subject.

Just a thought you don’t mention the thickness f the deck but you can buy empty caulking tubes and get clear hose to slide into the void, nd onto the tube.iwould try getting some PCs ofstarboard or ? Tall enough to bridge the open gap(1/2) and 3/4-1” wide to except the screws for the new hatch temp put in place then install the hatch and drill mounting holes .remove hatch mark sides of starboard pull then cut a few slots etween the mounting holes big enough for the plastic tube to be pushed in then set up your filler in the tubes and go at it

Did you see my post on your previous thread?

Vezo

This is what I'd do ( I had a similar situation - and this is what I did ). My rot only extended about 2" around the hole. But, if you can clean out the bad wood, this would work:

First, you must dig out the bad core. I used a set of Allen keys put into a drill chuck to get the horizontal mush out. I used a compressor and vacuum to blow/suck to clean it out as I went. Take your time and get the mush out. Then, let it dry. I put plastic on the bottom of the hole, held in place with Gorilla Tape. I put a computer "muffin" fan over the top to exhaust air out from the hole - taking moisture with it - for a few days. If you can, keep a hearing pad on or around the area to help with evaporation.

When I was ready to fill with epoxy, I re-taped the hole from the bottom with plastic and Gorilla Tape - make sure you get a really good bond or you'll have a mess ( for such a big hole, I might use a 1/4" of plywood covered with plastic, screwed into place ( do not go through the deck !) - use Mortite ( like a clay ) sandwiched between the ply and the underneath of the deck, around the whole thing to avoid the epoxy from dripping out.

Then, mix up epoxy and a lot of chopped fiberglass ( must have a good flowing consistency ). I used a syringe to put through smaller access holes, but you could just poor into the void to fill it up. This will self level so if the boat is not level, neither will your epoxy be ( try to level the area - use a level and adjust trailer as necessary ). Depending on the area to be filled, it could 'drink' a lot - so be ready to mix another batch with chopped glass.

This is a very fluid mix so be sure that your 1/4"/ plastic/ mortite/ screw-job is leak proof.

Once dry, you could drill through to make a new hole - or, you could use Gorilla tape around the circumference of the opening to create a 'wall', so the epoxy stays within the area you want to fill - so you don't fill the inspection plate hole. This is how I did it and the Gorilla Tape held perfectly, keeping the epoxy contained where I wanted it.

My repair is rock solid...

I'm basically at the point of letting the wood dry out. I'm goign to pour acetone in there to help with the drying/kill the rot spores. Your repair was my original game plan but the rot extended much farther than I expected. As of now the core is removed about 5" surrounding the entire deck plate hole. but I know it extends farther. I think I need to cut the hole bigger so that I can get farther reach so that I hopefully get back to goo wood. If my new hole is still not large enough then at least the hole will be big enough for me to get tools in there to cut out the bottom skin and replace from underneath. I just don't want to cut the top skin because the gelcoat is still in such good condition.

I did, thank you.

Abl1111 and mine are basically the same type of idea but the calling tubes allow for more material to work with

Can you take a picture of the entire foredeck?

There may be a more effective way to do this.