Kip: '85 Predictor Floor Repair

[85Predictor]

Kip,
Many of the members of the board have done their own work. They have been very helpful!!
I would also like to hear from you as to areas to be concerned about. I am faced with the same task. Also, are there drawings available which show the beam(s) layout?

Thanks in advance!
You put out a very high quality product!!
The shine on my '85 puts many new boats(Non-Checkmate)to shame!
http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif

[85Predictor]

Kip,
Many of the members of the board have done their own work. They have been very helpful!!
I would also like to hear from you as to areas to be concerned about. I am faced with the same task. Also, are there drawings available which show the beam(s) layout?

Thanks in advance!
You put out a very high quality product!!
The shine on my '85 puts many new boats(Non-Checkmate)to shame!
http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif

[85Predictor]

Water in sub-floor?
How deep would a scratch/gouge have to be to allow water to seep through the fiberglass and into the sub-floor/foam? I am looking for the possible source of the leak.

Thanks!

[175checkmate]

Anything that breaks the surface of the fiberglass has a chance off letting water in. Could be a gouge, or something mounted with screws.

[85Predictor]

Thanks!
What is the best product/method to repair/seal fairly small damaged areas. (Hull also?)

[175checkmate]

If you just have a minor scratch (inside) then polyester resen works good. The problem is making sure you get all the rot out. This may involve cutting out the damaged area and installing new wood. I'll let someone else comment on the outside as this involes gelcoat and I have not done any of that. My trimate is going to be painted. If you can take some pictues of the damage area you are wondering about and send them to me I'll see if I can give you some detail as to how to repair it.
checkedout@charter.net

[Mark]

85
If your outer gelcoat is damaged (glass exposed) water will seep into your balsa core not your flotation foam. If you have water in the foam it probably came thru your floor. Most likely thru holes in the floor (battery screws, pump screws, etc). If the boat has spent a lot of time outside w/o a cover, water has probably work its way into the staples that attach the floor to the stringers. If that is the case you will never dry out the foam w/o removing and replacing the floor. Not uncommon for 20 year old Mates left uncovered. Let us know exactly where your water is and we can advise more specifically.

[85Predictor]

Thanks,
I do think you hit the nail on the head! I do not think the previous owners(2nd to own the boat)did a good job keeping it covered. I re-did the seats last year and spent a whole weekend wet-sanding the "milkiness" out of the bow. I am prepared to pull the entire floor so as to remove any/all damaged wood. The boxes/foam(backseat supports} are also wet. I also do not want to create any more problems with my ignorance! What is the best way to ensure the transom is not rotted? If water was to seep in through the transom(old motor mounting holes),how far forward could it get?(sub-floor)
I will post pictures as I proceed. Need warmer weather for that.
Hats off to Chris and all the members here! One big happy Checkmate family!!
http://checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/Graemlins/thumb.gif

[175checkmate]

There are a few ways to tell if you have water in the transmom.
1, tap with a rubber hammer. You are looking for a soild sound.
2, Pick up/ push down on the lower unit of the engine. Look real close to at the mounting bolts. They should not move. Also look at you mount bolt area where they go through the transom. Are they starting to sink? Are there cracks around the washers? If so the transom is going soft.
3, Pull the engine off and then take a small pick and give the wood inside the bolt holes a poke. It should not be soft.
Here is what a rotten floor and transom look like. This was under the carpet of my trimate.
http://www.checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/MemberBoats/110402.jpg
http://www.checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/MemberBoats/MVC-117S.jpg
http://checkmate-boats.com/images/memberpics/Gus6.jpg

[85Predictor]

Here are some pics I took last Fall.
Not the best quality. You should be able to see what I have. I'll get better ones this Spring.
Thanks alot for the help/interest!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/85mate/rot1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/85mate/rot6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/85mate/rot2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/85mate/rot4.jpg

[175checkmate]

Well I think you may need to do at least the floor. We'll hope the stringer is ok. Foam will have to go.

[85Predictor]

Stringers:
Replace with pressure treated?
Foam: Replace? If so, with what?

Thanks again

[Convincor283]

You do not want to use pressure treated wood, the glass will not stick to it. If your transom is rotted you want to do all repairs from inside the hall, never cut the outside of hall to replace a transom board.

[Mark]

Fortunately, the transom and floor are unrelated. The floor and stringers of my Starliner were completely shot, yet because the bolt holes in transom had been bedded in 3M 4200 the transom was fine. There is a good book on replacing a floor by Helendale publishing. You can order it online. A floor and stringers is a lot of work but it can be done if you have some good info. Research it before you start tearing everything up. Be very careful cutting out the old floor so as not to pierce the core. Usually just cutting thru the top glass layer at the seams will let you take the floor out.

[85Predictor]

You memtioned the core.
Is this the balsa core I have been hearing about? What is its' purpose in life?

Thanks

[Mark]

The bottom of your hull is two layers of composite glass sandwiching an end grain balsa wood core. Makes the boat stronger and lighter than solid fiberglass. If the fiberglass is compromised you get water in the core. A bad thing! When you remove the floor you can see a wet core as it will be much darker than the surrounding area. If it is not too extensive it can be dried out by drilling two holes (inside layer only, be very careful) one high, one low and flushing with acetone. A small vacuum cleaner over one hole can dry it out. Then and only then fill with epoxy. Usually the top hole is already drilled for you by the moron who owned the boat before you. That's how the core got wet in the first place.

[illMATTic]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Convincor283:
You do not want to use pressure treated wood, the glass will not stick to it. If your transom is rotted you want to do all repairs from inside the hall, never cut the outside of hall to replace a transom board. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
great now i have to go out and purchase new wood. what is the reason it wont stick?

[Mark]

Because it is "pressure" treated it is saturated already and will not absorb the resin. Regular plywood is fine since you are going to completely encapsulate it in fiberglass.