I am wondering if NS30 Ultras were built with cored decks around the mast partners. Can anyone confirm the deck configuration around the mast? And if cored, has anyone dealt with moisture remediation? Details would be appreciated.
My 33 has solid wood as deck core in the vicinity of the mast. Perhaps a 30U is similar.
Ward Woodruff
N33 #8, Margery
Niantic Bay, CT
Thanks Ward – I think we will have to get invasive to confirm.
Best for the New Year,
Bill
Bill,
If you remove a bolt holding the mast collar to the deck, that will allow you to see the core material.
Thanks Ward – will see how that works out.
Bill
Bill -
I am 75% of the way through a re-coring and re-glassing job on this very area on my N22. I’ll get back to you soon re: what I’ve found. And, yes, guaranteed, there is both balsa and fir ply in this area.
Talk soon.
Ernie A. in Toronto
On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 2:03:24 PM UTC-5, Bill Baxter, Persistence, NS30 #507, Penetang, ON wrote:
Thanks Ernie – look forward to learning how you make out.
Happy New Year,
Bill
Hi Bill et al –
Regarding the re-do of my foredeck (N22 O/B hull #56)….. the work is being done by Rod Brandon of Sheen Marine in Peterborough, Ontario. Rod is the “mobile” guy – you pay his mileage and he comes to you (depending on your location). Ideally, this job should have happened, under wraps, in a warm and dry locale and it would have been finished by now. However, for many reasons (all of them $$$$$), that was not to be. Rod is good (but he’s busy and not THAT quick) and the job wound up being far more brutish than he and I had thought. It’ll be done in the Spring when it’s warm enough (soon, I sure hope – I miss my boat).
I’ve included various photos of this saga/soap opera. Two show the previous cracks and crazing. Another, the underside of the foredeck. Then, the piece de resistance, sort of – the ground out core and glass, under plastic, waiting to be re-built. Two others show the new core pieces and the new Or, just maybe, the old) fiberglass skins.
Years ago, before I bought MOUSTACHES (in 2012), someone had done a truly cheezy job of “repairing” gelcoat cracks and crazing around the mast collar. The surveyor caught it, questioned it and found some water ingress in general in the foredeck area (which measures around 11 sq. ft.).He didn’t fuss too much and didn’t think that this would pose a problem in the “immediate” future. That was 7 long years ago. In time, I began to notice yucky brown moisture collecting around the mast step and seeming to drip into the boat from the underside of the foredeck (via the mast collar bolts). Prior to last season, my surveyor checked the foredeck with a moisture meter and it screamed all over. “One more summer and that’s it” he said. So, this work began around late September.
I was concerned as this part of deck gets all of the stress from the mast flexing. I was afraid that it would “collapse” out there during a sail or … ??
My boat was one of the last N22s built, in 1986. Construction methods were always changing (usually, for the better) at Hinterhoeller, The “ground out foredeck” foto shows a square area around the mast hole. This is fir ply – the other core used is balsa. This foredeck is VERY solidly built and I’m sure that, the bigger the boat, the STRONGER it’s built. Furthermore, fir ply can handle being waterlogged for eons, so I’m told. Regardless, I’m thrilled that it’ll be renewed as it should be, if for nothing else than re-sale down the line but, primarily, as the boat deserves “better”. That said, it was a monstrious job to dig all of that out of there. It’s safe to guestimate around $325. - $350. CAD per sq. ft. (or MORE) for this kind of work plus heavens-knows- what other expenses. And your foredeck is bigger than mine.
Here are a few words from Rod to me during the course of this job: “Those Hinterholler built boats sure are solid, The core removal was a brute.”
Later on, he sent me this which is quite interesting: “Additionally, I addressed the underside of the deck skin. I think I know why you had such an ingress problem. For some reason, the chopped strand laminate layer between the core and skin was very, very, resin starved (unusual). So when moisture got into the bolt holes (for tying the deck to the re-enforced structure below), it could wick through the dry layer very easily, spreading across the whole deck, instead of remaining contained in the local layer. This was likely confounded by the sealant applied underneath (by another previous owner, not me), that prohibited any moisture from draining straight through, forcing it to spread through the dry laminate. The new construction will not have this dry laminate layer, and all core penetrations (I make) will be resin potted, so even if bedding fails, it just leaks into the boat, and not the core.”
It’ll be loverly when it’s all done. I can’t wait. Hope this clarifies your situation a bit, Bill. I’ll keep you posted and send you more pics when the cover is off.
All the best for this new year.
Ernie A. in Toronto
On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 4:06:36 PM UTC-5, Bill Baxter, Persistence, NS30 #507, Penetang, ON wrote:
My 1996 324 developed deck buckling which turn out to be due to aluminum oxidization. These panels were installed in the fore deck around the carbon fibre mast. Surrounding the aluminum was core balsa. When aluminum oxidizes it expands. I had it repaired from below.
Ray Dykstra
Timaru Nui NS 324