Help! with hole in my deck

[mswalter2009]

Anyone see any issue with my plan to fix the hole? I have worked with fiberglass a good bit so it?s a given that surfaces will be properly cleaned and prepared.

Went out last weekend and someone was sitting in a deck chair in the front of the boat. Hit a big wake and the person and chair slammed down onto the deck. Later when I was cleaning the boat noticed that a chair leg had cracked a hole in the deck. Upon further inspection there was a soft area there. I now have an 11 x 14 inch hole in my deck where I cut back to good wood. The deck consists of about 1/8 inch glass on top of half inch plywood. There is a stringer running through the left side of the hole. About two inches off center. Stringer is fine. Fully encapsulated even on top. Thank goodness. Can?t tell where the water came from. No cracks in the deck and no hardware even close.

So here?s is where I?m at. I have the glass cut away at 11 x 14 inches. Left about an inch of good wood so the actual hole is smaller. The hole spans a stringer. My plan is to ?
1. Install deadwood around the edges using half inch plywood. Securing to the goodwood using stainless screws counter sunk and also a two part epoxy adhesive. Coat the deadwood with fiberglass. Maybe a couple of coats.
2. Either build or find a quarter inch sheet of fiberglass. Cut a piece to fit in the hole. It will rest on the deadwood.
3. Apply two part epoxy to the deadwood and secure the piece into place with SS screws.
4. Since the deck is half inch plywood and I put a quarter inch piece into the hole I still have some space to build up.
5. Build up the space with pieces of fiberglass mat until I?m just above the glass on the deck.
6. Let it cure and sand it down to even with the deck.
7. blend it in with some grey non stick marine paint.

Boat is an 1984 18? Privateer
Deck is a grey non skid. Not a finished deck.

Thanks

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Help! with hole in my deck

If it were me, first I'd drill into the stringer in a few spots to prove to myself that it's dry inside. If it checks out OK fill the drill holes with a paste of epoxy and milled fiber. If not then you've got yourself a project for the winter. Then I'd bite the bullet and cut a few holes in the deck to check for wet foam. The reason for all this is that wherever there's a soft deck there's usually more water damage than you realize (been there-done that with 2 boats).

As far as repairing the deck, building up a half inch of fiberglass is way overkill. I'd go with the dead-wood as you suggest, maybe coated with epoxy on the bottom if you want, and held in place with stainless screws and a paste of epoxy and milled fiber. Cut a piece of plywood for the repair, screw it to the dead-wood with stainless screws. Fill the small gap between the original deck and the repair with epoxy/milled fiber paste, then a couple plies of fiberglass mat overlapping onto the original deck, the first ply slightly larger than the second.

 

[mswalter2009]

Re: Help! with hole in my deck with drawing

Re: Help! with hole in my deck with drawing

attached drawing.

metriccrescentwrench - I would only be building up 1/4" plus the 1/8" of the deck glass because I would start with 1/4" of plywood or fiberglass piece. I see what you mean though.

I already checked the stringer and its dry. whew!

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Help! with hole in my deck

That idea on paper looks good, I bet it works well.
Stupid chair.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Help! with hole in my deck

OK, after looking at your drawing I'll amend my first post a little bit.

First, instead of cutting the existing fiberglass off square as shown in the drawing it should be featherd out about an inch or so. Install 1/2" plywood in the repair area as per my first post.

Then add 3 or 4 plies of 1708 biax or similar to get up to the height of the existing glass (you'll have to figure out the number of layers based on the thickness of what you use). The first ply will be cut to the size of the inside of the existing glass, the next ply will be slightly larger, until the final ply matches up to the outside of the feathered edge. Then one more layer about an inch beyond the feathered edge, which you can sand after it cures to make a smooth transition.