The Soft Cockpit Deck Repair

We've known about the soft spot in our cockpit since we were on the Great Loop. A crack developed around the rudder post. Dave covered it with epoxy a couple times but it kept returning. It was time for a permanent fix. 

Crack around rudder post

After some research and gathering of supplies, we were ready to take on this project. We chose Total Boat epoxy because the reviews were good and the dispensing pumps made measuring easy. The mix is one pump to one pump, a ratio of five resin to one hardener. Each resin pump is measured to match each hardener pump in the correct amount.

Dave started by drilling holes in the deck to get to the balsa core. He used a pick to pull out the soft wood. It was quickly apparent that the water intrusion was worse than we thought. Once the moisture got in, it couldn't get back out. The floor would have to come up. Dave began cutting out the area of drilled holes by connecting the dot pattern. The entire area underneath was wet and the balsa was completely rotted. He continued to extend the opening until the area needing repair was about a 2x2 foot section. Luckily, there is a solid fiberglass support beam running across the cockpit which kept water from getting to the rest of the cockpit floor. The repair area was big but could have been much worse.

Holes Drilled to Reach the Balsa Core

Cut out area
Crack at base of rudder post

Rotten balsa core

 Repair area ready for epoxy

Luckily, Menards carries the marine grade plywood we used to replace the old balsa core. We only needed a little, (2x2), but had to purchase an entire board sheet, (4x8). Marine grade plywood is not cheap! Dave cut and fit the plywood, then drilled little gullies on each side so he could get the epoxy to flow around and under the wood, filling any cracks or voids. The plywood was held in place by a fiberglass mat and epoxy layer. We let that dry then added a second coat that covered the plywood and  filled the entire area up to just below the floor. Unfortunately, we ran out of epoxy. Our Amazon order would take only a few days but it ended our forward motion, slowing down the project. We shifted gears and worked on other things while we waited.

Marine plywood with fiberglass mat underneath

First coat of epoxy under plywood

Second coat of epoxy over plywood

The epoxy arrived on Wednesday, one day later than expected. We were eager to get back to the project. Dave had already sanded out the second coat so it was prepared to receive the next. The sun was high over the cockpit. The weather was finally warming up so Dave used a laser infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the floor. It was 106; much too hot for curing epoxy safely. We rigged our sun shade over the work area and waited for it to cool down. I mixed epoxy while Dave added a coat over the entire area then filled in with 5 or 6 layers of fiberglass cloth. He wetted out, or soaked each layer of the cloth with epoxy to build the repair area up close to the level of the floor. 

Next he mixed up a fairing or finishing compound of epoxy and silica made by Total Boat. It made the surface smoother and filled the gaps. It took one last coat of fairing compound to fill the remaining low spots. Dave sanded before priming the area. His last step was adding two top coats, the first with non-skid added to it. The final coat extended over the repair as well as the rest of the cockpit floor. The damage is no longer visible and we have a bright and clean cockpit.

Ready for top coats of paint

Fiberglass cloth shows through
the epoxy

First coat with non-skid

This project was a major one that, at times, looked and felt daunting. But it's like everything we do, it wasn't so bad taken in steps. Patience and diligence got us through. In some ways the weather hindered our work but it also kept us in the yard long enough to take care of the repair. One of the things that draws us to Hi Seas Marina is being able to work on our boat. Boat yards are a great place to hang out and get stuff done! We've been in a lot of marinas throughout the US. Hi-Seas is one of our favorites!