End grain balsa/16 footer screw holes question.

C

Cutty Sark

New member
Does anyone know what year they started using end grain balsa in the floor of the 16's? I read somewhere that originally or for a while they were regular marine plywood. I'm looking at a boat that has a couple of screw holes that were not sealed properly and at least one of them was fairly wet inside. I know the theory with the balsa so it shouldn't have spread too far... anyone have any real life experience with this in say a late 80's angler?

Sark
 
Wow alot of views but not alot of responses, I have done a search and checked previous threads. I guess my question is for those who have found moisture in the core, and how far did it travel. I have a line on a pretty decent 16 but one of the previous owners put a scuba rack in the middle of the cockpit floor and screwed straight into the hull without sealant, later when it was removed by the current owner the holes were never quite sealed properly. Most of the holes seem fine but one has a fair bit of wet balsa and moisture and I'm trying to determine how far the damage has gone, now I know it should only migrate a couple inches if the balsa is sealed properly, but I don't want to end up with a Thataway style project and repleacing the whole floor. So anyone with experience on this type of repair?

Sark
 
I cannot answer your question about plywood vs balsa, but I don't believe it makes a great deal of difference. If there is moisture in either, it needs to be repaired.

I would either find a person who has a moisture meter or buy one and examine both sides of the bottom with the moisture meter to see how far the moisture extends. The wet core, will read high on the moisture meter. If the area is more than a couple of inches, I would pass on that boat.
 
Sark
When I bought Beagle, a 1987 cruiser, about 2 years ago I found the screws from the fuel tanks were loose. I spun an allen wrench in the holes and found wet mush. I started by removing about 1" of fiberglass around each hole, and in the end, cut out about a 2 foot wide section of glass across my entire back deck. I had to remove about an eight inch square of balsa at 3 of the holes and about an 8 x 15 inch section at 1 hole. I also had to remove a section at the forward bilge pump where 1 screw was loose.

I'd be happy to talk to you about it (360) 790-0481.

Ron
 
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