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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:53 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5688
Location: Long Island NY
Here's what I learned about how plywood rots, it is very deceptive, in that the wood is roughly 5 plys glued together. It can start to rot in the inner plys and the top most layers can feel solid but when I cut out my old deck, I was amazed at how far the rot went.
The places you look are, the opening for the ski locker, the edges where the deck is cut out for the hatch over the gas tank, because of the tendency of moisture to get trapped between the hatch and the framing around it. On my boat that framing was raw pine, not glassed or anything. The mounts for the gas tank tabs had all rotted off, only one of the 4 was holding it in place.

If the screws hold tight, then you are in good shape. If you remove the OE seats, I'd recommend filling the holes with some thickened epoxy (you can thicken it with sawdust). Any new holes you drill, before you put in the screws for the new seats, inject some thinned epoxy (like Rot Docs CPES) in there and let it cure. Then use 3M 4200 or Boat Life Caulk to bed the screws, the proper way is to fill the hole, put the screw in about 3/4 of the way, then let it set up for a day, and then screw them in all the way. That keeps the sealer from getting squeezed out of the holes.

Even though you feel you don't have issues, I'd still look in the area under the ski locker and lift up that gas tank hatch and see how it looks in there, good idea to check the fuel lines after all that time anyway.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:02 am 
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Shark

Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 107
Location: Certral IL
Good advice. I will pull the cover to make sure the gas tank and mounts are ok and check lines.

What was the history of your boat that had the rot? Were you the original owner? Had it ever been stored outdoors?

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1994 FW Horizon 190
5.0 OMC Cobra


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:18 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
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Location: Long Island NY
I don't know for sure how many owners it had but it was for sure stored outdoors. Here indoor storage is very expensive most boats are stored out doors, since I fixed all the rot I got a custom fit canvas cover and made a support frame for it for winter. It keeps the boat dry all winter inside.
When it still had the carpet, I would take the rear seat out after winter storage when getting the boat ready and the carpet under it was STILL wet, holding all that moisture in. That's what convinced me to get rid of all the carpet on the deck. Here, in a damp climate, with having to use outside storage, carpet on the deck of any open boat is just not good.....

If you can store inside and let the boat dry out, then it may be fine. I just think its a bad way to build boats that are going to get wet inside. It would be like putting a wood deck on your house, with an awning, and then putting indoor/outdoor carpet on it, even if didn't get rained on directly, any moisture that gets under it can't get out.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:50 am 
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Shark

Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 107
Location: Certral IL
I understand where you're coming from LouC, and I'm not here to argue for wood floors. But, fortunately, I have had my boat stored inside and dried out its whole life, and it has held up fine. I don't store outside in a wet climate.

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1994 FW Horizon 190
5.0 OMC Cobra


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