Is my project destroyed?

[Maxum21]

i've installed new stringers and a new floor in my 20' wellcraft over the past few months. HOWEVER, i have not sealed or glassed over the top of my floor yet, so its just bare wood. Well we got a nasty storm up here in jersey. Destroyed my carport, and the two tarps i had over the boat. My boat got alot of water in it. My whole new floor is saturated. Is it ruined? its still raining here and cant even get the water out yet

 

[Bondo]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

Nope,... Drain it,+ dry it, then keep on keepin' on...

 

[Lou C]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

I almost had the same thing happen when I was re-doing mine....first thing I'd do is drain it and leave it open on any nice days to get air circulation through...but first get a GOOD cover for it...when my old cover (not really supported correctly got trashed from an ice storm...I got a custom cover from Overton's for my FW which fits great and then I made a support frame to keep it from caving in from the snow....its worked well all winter...every couple of years I add another support here or there but its cheaper over the long run than shrinkwrap...

 

[Maxum21]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

thanks for the replies.. when you say let air circulate, do you mean leave a fan in there? i've got the drained out and vaccumed up. I have my carport back over it(amazingly it wasnt destroyed) so am i better off with a heater or a fan inisde my boat to dry out the remaining water? i'm also concerned about the bondo on my deck which i used to smooth out any inperfections in the wood. From what i understand, bondo isnt waterproof..

<a href="http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/whitevette1982/?action=view&current=boatinteior.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq273/whitevette1982/boatinteior.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Maxum21]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

here is a pic

 

[lowkee]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

Bondo will absorb water, but that just means you need to let it dry out before painting over it. Getting wet won't ruin Bondo (just look at all of the cars driving around with bondo patches). The plywood may bulge in a few areas as it dries, so be prepared. The wood won't be ruined from getting wet once and thoroughly drying, but the fibers will expand and contract, which is never a good thing with plywood. Having Bondo sovering most of it may be your saving grace.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

A fan will help but the best thing is the first warm sunny day pull it out in the sun and let it dry out wel...the sun will dry it out better than anything else....

 

[Eute]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

water doesnt hurt bondo when it is used on cars they wet sand it to get a nice smooth area so paint will go on nice.
only thing to look for is warping in the wood especially near seems

 

[bananaboater]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

I would let it air dry at a slow rate, no fan or heat. Those methods will put stress on the layers of the ply more so than slow natural drying.

 

[Robj]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

I see a couple holes at the rear of the deck. Did you use pour foam? If so was water able to get under the deck and saturate the foam? Will wait for your response before saying anything else.

Have a great day

Rob.

 

[Maxum21]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

Rob, those are custom made floor drains i made to allow water to run off the deck into the bilge area. Unfortunately i had them plugged(to keep bondo and other debris out while working) so the rain water filled up a few inches on my deck

 

[Maxum21]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

So to answer your question, no water got where it wasnt supposed to or trapped anywhere. My main concern was my plywood deck/floor

 

[Robj]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

Then I would do as the others have suggested. Let it dry out and go from there. It shouldn't really hurt the ply.

Have a great day

Rob.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

Dont put a heater on it. If you want to put a cold air fan (aka regular fan) thats ok. But if you put a heater on it it will warp. Just make sure its dry all the way before you paint it. One way to check is find where the deepest pool seems to be and when you think its dry, drill a pilot hole and check it like you check redness on a steak.

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

sorry to hear about the rain, the guys are giving you good advice, just let it air out naturally, a fan could help if there isn't any wind. Sounds like it'll be fine.

 

[Maxum21]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

well, l've been letting it dry out. It seems about 90% dried up, however i'm noticing some small cracks in the bondo. an easy fix, but i'll be rolling on a non-skid paint down(possibly durabak or interlux). My concern now is additional cracking after i spend a small fortunate on paint. Is there anything to prevent this? I'm hoping once its completely dry, the cracking will stop. any thoughts?

 

[Eute]

Re: Is my project destroyed?

cracking probably came from the wood swelling when it got wet and as the wood dries it shrinks. If you ever had a wood deck on your house you will notice the gaps between each board are close together when wet and when it dries the gap gets larger