Soft deck

[Grime]

With all the rain we are having my soft spots in the cabin top is getting larger and larger. I've not found where the water intrusion is coming from.

What are your thoughts on repair?
Cut out all the old soft deck and rebuild?
Drill a zillion holes and fill with epoxy?

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

Close up the boat, put a fan in the companionway & tape off the balance of the opening with plastic to pressurize the interior. Spray some soapy water on the deck, you'll see where the leak is coming from.

Bob

[Grime]

Bob that would work if it wasn't for one big issue. The Watkins 27 have a cabin liner so you can see the deck above. No way to see a drip.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

David, You wouldn't be looking for a drip per say. Take some water in a spray bottle, add some soap & once the cabin is "pressurized" spray the soapy water around the fittings on the deck; cleats, stanchions, frames around hatches etc. The escaping air will make the soapy water bubble up & you'll find where the water is entering.

Bob

[Grime]

Bob,
There is a air space liner at the ceiling of the cabin. In fact the whole inside of the boat has a ceiling liner. When you drill through the deck you hit a space that there is no fiberglass or core then you hit fiberglass again. You can remove the ports and see this space. If fact I had to fill some of it with epoxy just to screw in the port.

Again you'll never see a wet or damp spot on the ceiling.  Most boats in the winter drip with condensation from heat in the winter. Mine doesn't because of this liner.

[solodare]

gRIME,
I think he means you spray on the deck and look for air to escape WHILE YOUR STANDING ON THE OUTSIDE.  Kinda like looking for a leak in a tire.

Not when your inside looking at the celling.

Its worth a try at least. I think regardless off the interior celling liner, the plan still seems probable.
Maybe Im missing something though. I just got my coffie so......

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

gRIME,
I think he means you spray on the deck and look for air to escape WHILE YOUR STANDING ON THE OUTSIDE.  Kinda like looking for a leak in a tire. Not when your inside looking at the celling.

Good comparison, the leaky tire. This will work.

[Grime]

OK I'll see if that works the next time at the boat.

[w00dy]

Re-caulk every piece of hardware in the problem area????  :o
Or perhaps the quick and dirty method: http://www.epdmcoatings.com/elastomeric-roof-coatings.php

[Grime]

What are your thoughts on repair?
Cut out all the old soft deck and rebuild?
Drill a zillion holes and fill with epoxy?

[w00dy]

What is the deck construction? Plywood? Balsa? Foam core? How bad/big of a spot is it? If you can seal up the leaks and stop the water intrusion, can you live with the soft spots as-is? Either of your strategies would work fine, though if the deck isn't well dried out when you try to epoxy, that could cause problems. Hard to say much about what I would do without knowing all the details.

My thoughts on repair are pretty biased at this point. To heck with the rot, just plug the leak and go sailing??

[Grime]

First it would be almost impossible to sell the boat with the soft deck. Or I should say sponge deck as it has quite a give when walking across it. How much deck area is soft. That would be about half of the cabin top from the mast to the companion way. 

Whats strange about it is I have had a tarp over the entire area all summer. Just removed it a couple of days ago.

The deck is plywood core. Going to be hard to get dry even after I seep stopped.

I know where you are coming from on this comment.  "My thoughts on repair are pretty biased at this point. To heck with the rot, just plug the leak and go sailing??"   ;D

[w00dy]

I've spent too much time working on boats and not enough using them. Just trying to balance out the equation somewhat!

[Grime]

I know I watched you work on your boat for 2 years.  Come February it will be 2 years working on this one. We did get away from the dock a couple of times.