84 Floor repair
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33275
Printed Date: November-17-2024 at 7:12pm
Topic: 84 Floor repair
Posted By: dpkumph
Subject: 84 Floor repair
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 2:21pm
Hello CC fans! Last fall I described a limited floor repair I was planning to do on my '84 2001. CC fans were fantastic with advice. Following up that post, I am looking for more input. The stringers sound tight and all bolts tighten, that said, I know there are likely issues. The floors separated from the hull, so I ground everything down in preparation for laying glass down to reconnect the floor to the hull. In doing that, I found the floor under the observer seat to be a bit spongy, and I am thinking of replacing that section with plywood - but stopping there. I suspect when I cut that out I will see ugliness and I am looking for some guidance. Truth is, I am very impressed by the amount of work and detail that goes into the full blown repair and aspire to it at some point, but am not able to pull that together - at least this year. I was hoping to find some feedback telling me I am not totally nuts for doing the following: cut out the floor section under the observer seat, forward of the ski pylon, replace with plywood piece covered in epoxy, fill the small gap along the sides where the floor meets the hull with foam, more as a filler than anything else, lay up biax approx 18" wide - 9 on the floor, 9 on the hull, recarpet, then ski this year. Some pictures are attached. Please go easy on me. Thanks, Doug  
|
Replies:
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 2:36pm
|
Sounds like a plan but you may want to replace the ply wall-to-wall, pylon to battery box. It won't be much more expensive & then there won't be a weak seam where your patch ends. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 2:45pm
| Fantastic, that is great. I presume this means re-setting the bat box and cooler, which are in good shape? I suppose I may have to figure it out as I pull it apart. Thank you very much. |
Posted By: ny_nautique
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 2:55pm
|
We have twin boats. See mine in my signature. Forum user "OldSchoolBlue84" also has the same one. What about epoxying the floor to the walls and getting through the season? With that separation, we can pretty much guarantee that the foam is soaked and the secondaries are mush. Look at the pics in my 84 thread and you'll see what you are potentially in for. ------------- - Jeff 1999 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 6:00pm
|
Thanks, I think...I am new to the forum, I don't know how to see your signature pics or user info. Any help getting there is appreciated. thanks Doug |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 6:07pm
| Hello again, I figured it out. Wow, tough shape. I am going to read your thread in detail. I guess I am an optimist but I am hoping I am not in that much of a jam. The boat is mint outside. I appreciate your input very much, thanks - Doug. |
Posted By: ny_nautique
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 6:45pm
|
On a positive note... you may be able to take that floor out in one big piece and reuse it if/when you do fix your stringers. ------------- - Jeff 1999 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 6:50pm
| I guess the big question is, "how bad is it"? - and I need to get in there and see. The floors themselves, other than under the observer seat feel very solid - which is why I wanted to go the way I am going with it. Thanks again for your input. |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 8:20pm
|
Wow, the entire floor/wall joint on both sides of the boat has failed? Ive never seen that before. Any cracks showing up on the outside of the boat? Before you even think about tearing the floor up, you need to gain a better understanding of how these boats were built in the first place. Then you will understand how one little soft spot in the floor where youre describing can be a tell tale sign of widespread rot underneath. The only wood in the floor goes from the front of the engine box to the rear of the battery box, and serves to span the bilge and provide a good substrate for the screws holding the seats down. (It does not go full width, as Chris suggested, it stops 3-4" short of the walls.) The rest of the floor is glass (~1/8" thick) laid directly over foam, so it will not get soft when the stringers are rotten. Check out some stringer rebuild threads on here that include pictures of the tear down process- that will calibrate your eyes. What youre proposing to do is a pretty massive band aid. Yes, it will get you through the year- but it will still take 40 hours or so to complete the work, a good bit of money in materials for the glass, wood and carpet, and it'll all be undone when you do a full stringer job (so youre essentially flushing the money you spend down the toilet). I have done a partial repair as you describe and would not recommend it. Replacing that section of the floor will not prolong the life of the boat in any way- the rot that surely extends to the stringers is really the concern (which wouldnt be addressed). You would do no more harm if you leave it be. I would suggest repairing the broken floor/hull wall joint though- doing so may prevent stress cracks from forming. I'd recommend doing that, and then skiing for another year! |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 9:28pm
|
Once again, thanks for the thoughtful feedback...Yes there is gel coat cracking along the chines. I think you just saved me lots of time, energy and money. For this I thank you very much. I want to use the boat this year, which provided the most fantastic skiing yet last year, but cannot with the joint open like it is. I already have the materials to repair the floor/wall joint and had planned to do that. As much as I admire the thorough repair jobs I have seen on this forum, I don't have an engine lift or a garage that would serve this purpose, but I will use the boat this year. Regarding the wood, that is a very small section between the bat box and engine, if the rest is just thin glass, than there really isn't anything to repair anyway - (short of the full Monte) Which means that the piece of wood the seat hinges screw into is rotten, which I figured, and not worth dealing with. I just need to be able to refasten the seat to the floor so it will last another season or two. So one simple question for the sake of my education, understanding that stringer rot is the ultimate problem, is the gel coat cracking due to the joint between the floor and side of the hull the reason for this - lack of support in that joint causing the hull to flex at that point and crack? Thanks again, Doug |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 9:54pm
Doug, The simple answer is yes. It has been documented in several posts. but when the stringers are gone, gel cracking along the floor level fore to aft is common. My worry is if you do bond the sole to the hull sides as a temporary fix, you will do more damage to the hull side gel. You need to plan a total gut and stringer job. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
dpkumph wrote:Posted By: OldSchoolBlue84
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 10:07pm
I would like to change my status to "current" user, can not get rid of me that quickly...  I am in the same boat as you Doug learning the history of these CC classic boats! Saw you still have the original interior, how's its condition? Wife and I were sad we had to replace ours last year. Also, you could check our signatures on a desktop/laptop or switch to the classic view when using an IPad/phone. Good luck and have a good one! ------------- Kostas http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6700&sort=&pagenum=1" rel="nofollow - 1984 Ski Nautique 2001 |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 10:34pm
| I thought about that...puts me in a quandry for being able to use the boat this year...or perhaps not. I was planning on filling the gap with foam. simply to fill the gap and provide a smooth surface between the hull and floor to apply the glass. Maybe that would also serve to "plug the leak" temporarily....lots to think about, thank you. Doug |
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 10:35pm
|
Posted By: dpkumph
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 10:37pm
|
The interior is in great shape. it was kept in a boat house, the boat looks beautiful - except for those pesky gel cracks, floor separation and other related scariness. Doug |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: April-06-2014 at 10:41pm
Sorry Pete, I'm aware of no such "documentation". I contend that gel cracking at the waterline can be caused by a failed floor/hull joint, as in this case, but probably more commonly caused by bad gel or improper care (long term water storage). I've seen too many boats with perfect gel and mushy stringers to make the connection you're implying. I don't disagree this boat probably needs a full structural redo, but fixing the floor joint will get it through another year... The cracking shouldn't get significantly worse. |
Posted By: Dreaming
Date Posted: April-07-2014 at 3:16am
|
Check out the parts for sale section... User "turbo lesbo" has a restrung hull that he is parting out. If you're even relatively close to his location, it might be worth checking out. Put the boats side by side and swap everything out. Hours wise to what you're talking about, you might be close..... You did come to the right place for advice. Good luck with what ever you decide |