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I am looking to buy a Mark III which "may" have moisture in the deck core, according to the seller. What should I look for and at what point is this a huge problem? Thank you
Most cored decks have some moisture in them; you need to know if there is too much. What you should look for, therefore, is a credentialled marine surveyor who knows how to use a hammer and a moisture meter, and is capable of making a reasoned judgement about whether the levels found are excessive.
He or she will determine roughly how wet the deck is and the size of the area of wetness. He or she will also be able to determine whether the deck core is sound, or delaminated and/or rotted. From there, he or she should be able to help you decide whether you should pay a figure approximating what the seller wants or the scrap value of the lead keel.
I can't answer your last question without knowing your definition of a 'huge problem'. I saw a 27 whose decks were so delaminated that the stanchions tipped in toward you as you walked the deck. The new owner (who got the boat at a very attractive price) did all the repair work himself and is happy. Other people get pros to do it (which may or may not make sense financially, depending on who you hire). When I bought it, my own boat had highly localized dampness around several fittings in the deck. This I cured by removing the fittings and allowing the areas to dry out over the winter, then sealing the holes' edges with epoxy and rebedding the fittings thoroughly. Five years later, the insurance survey found dampness in the chain plate area. Again, this was quickly sorted out with a few dollops of epoxy. Others have been less lucky. Read "Inboard Tracks for Blade or #3" in this Forum for a description (with costs) of a fairly major deck repair.
Also enter 'balsa' in the Message field of this site's Search function to see several discussions of owner-done or owner-assisted repairs. Run the words 'balsa core delamination' (without the quotes) through Google to see a slew of articles on repairing wet core. That may give you a better sense of what you might be facing. Also, Gougeon Brothers have a $3 booklet called "Fiberglass Boat Repair & Maintenance" that deals with deck repairs with West Epoxy - www.westsystem.com/ .
Moisture in the decks is not by itself a deal-breaker, but it is something to consider seriously. Are you willing to put up with the hassle and is the seller willing to adjust the price? To give a fair basis for answering these questions, you must get yourself a real surveyor (not some goof who 'knows boats') - otherwise you're putting yourself in the perilous position of the man who buys a used car in a dark garage.
David Weatherston
"Towser", Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Last edited by (2004-03-10 08:43:38)
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
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I wholeheartedly agree with all that David's written! I own the basket case that's mentioned in the thread titled "Inboard Tracks for Blade or #3". We're currently undergoing a deck refit due to what could be considered a "huge problem"!
We bought the boat 7 years ago well aware that the deck was an issue. The purchase price reflected the condition of the boat (> 30% less than market rate at the time). Got 6 good years of use out of the boat, then let it sit for a year while we saved up our pennies...
The 27's just right for us & we don't want any other boat, just ours with the deck repaired. A job of this magnitude is way out of my league + I've had 7 years to think about how & where to have the repairs done, so we'll end up not too far from where we'd hoped to be in terms of cost. Of course, the problem is that since the deck's gonna be shiny & updated, I want the rest of the boat perfect too!!
Still have a very long way to go until we've pumped anywhere near what some other 27 owners have in their boats (right, Bob?!), but we're definately on the ragged edge of what's financially prudent, & passionately illogical justifications are beginning to take over!
To check out the work on Critical Path, click the link below (& come back for weekly updates!):
<A href="http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=11315942/t_=9087692">http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=11315942/t_=9087692</A>
<IMG src="http://www.cc27association.com/f3/toast/emoticons/icon_exclaim.gif" border=0><IMG src="http://www.cc27association.com/f3/toast/emoticons/icon_exclaim.gif" border=0> Snapfish isn't the most user-friendly site to view other people's pictures, so if required, use <A href="mailto:talwolf@hotmail.com">talwolf@hotmail.com</A> as the email & "critpath" for the password to gain access...
Cheers,
Tal Wolf ../)../)..
Critical Path
1976 C&C 27 Mark III #632
Last edited by (2004-03-12 05:07:08)
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I am the "questioner". Thank you for your help! Can deck core replacement be done by removing the inderside and leaving the weather side intact?
C&C 27's have a fibreglass headliner inside the structural deck. To work from the inside, you'd have to rip this out. Bad idea in my opinion; costly too. Also, working from inside means that you'd be working up instead of down. Working up with resin and glass is about a gazillion times more difficult and unpleasant than working down. It is also more of a quality challenge.
You may be worried about the final finish but if you work with an experienced glassman who is capable at finishing (and not all are -- get references and check them), your deck will look better than it did going into the project.
David Weatherston
"Towser", Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Last edited by (2004-03-25 04:16:42)
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Offline
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