Re: Bayliner Capri unintentional restoration project
I am no expert. I have only been through this restoration process one time. However, from what I have seen and what I have read here, water will find a way in eventually, so you might as well give it a way to get out. The waterproof foam can eventually end up completely waterlogged if water cannot get out. I have seen many people who have used the pour in foam drill holes and leave open spaces for water to drain away from the foam.
As far as adding another way for water to get into the wood -- You can seal the drainage holes up pretty easily with anything from the "peanut butter" mix everyone uses to epoxy to 5200 sealant. I inserted pieces of 1/2" pipe (cut to the thickness of the stringers) through the holes and sealed with peanut butter.
I'm really conflicted now because I had made my mind up to seal it and now am uncertain again! My main concerns with creating drainage:
1. If water can get through the peanut butter filleting in the deck eventually then surely it will get through the PB coating the hole in stringers/bulkheads eventually and into the wood.
2. By putting holes through bulkheads/stringers it creates a passage through which water definitely WILL be able to get up into the other compartments from the bilge and get foam etc wet.
3. If the boat is always kept under cover (as it will be now its owned by me) and not left moored for any lengths of time surely there will never be much standing water to seep through into the below deck area.
4. The only screws i'm going to put through the deck (and I might even glass on a 'sacrificial' bit of wood for this) will be for the ski pole which is over the fuel tank compartment and drained anyway.
I have read some threads where people have created drainage and others where they haven't. One notable one I use a lot for reference is Friscoboaters and he did not create drainage from the foamed compartments. The other thing that worried me about drainage (and I know it has been discussed extensively on these forums) is how to create it effectively without perforating the foam. The only idea I like really is the balloon one but reckon they would pop on the sharp bits of my fillets which I don't think I could ever sand effectively enough without doing it by hand because of the awkward angles and it taking days!
SD - I really appreciate your input and am not trying to ignore/contradict your advice but just voicing my concerns/thoughts!
