So...my "new to me" CD 16 is water-logged!

R

Resqguy77

New member
1984 CD 16

This is what I bought
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Wanted to see what was in the boxes
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Fiberglass over plywood, but no fiberglass on the inside and the wood is soaked.

Decided to open up fronts for fuel tank storage
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There was about an inch of standing water inside the boxes. Makes me very concerned about the hull.

Pretty sure my transom is gonna be wet too. There is some separation of the cap and transom
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Just got it and your already do mod's. Thats great. where the boxes filled with foam like I thought? After the area dries out you can use a moisture meter to check the hull and the stern.
 
Looks like the boxes are glassed in after the hull was built, so there may not be water in the core of the hull.

I'm wondering why the 2x6 was added at the transom. If it's for stiffness, then you may have a weak transom, probably caused by water intrusion.
 
starcrafttom":3cbghpr9 said:
Just got it and your already do mod's. Thats great. where the boxes filled with foam like I thought? After the area dries out you can use a moisture meter to check the hull and the stern.
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I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I cant stand the shape she's in.

The boxes did have styrofoam blocks in them.

Whats a good place to get a moisture meter from...never seen one.
 
Matt Gurnsey":3cel892y said:
Looks like the boxes are glassed in after the hull was built, so there may not be water in the core of the hull.

I'm wondering why the 2x6 was added at the transom. If it's for stiffness, then you may have a weak transom, probably caused by water intrusion.
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Thats what I was thinking, but the fiberglass on the deck and gunwales inside the boxes is just bare fiberglass...no gelcoat, paint, or anything. So that leads me to believe they were original...maybe.

I think the 2x6 was because the motor is mounted about about 2" above the gunwale and the top mounting holes are pretty close to the top edge. Its kinda hard to see, but in the last photo you can see the wood is about 2" above the top edge, and thats what the motor mount is sitting on.

But I also think the transom is gonna be wet...
 
Outboard motors are held to the transom by the bolts. The lip or hook at the top of the transom bracket does not have to be sitting on the top of the transom to support the motor.

I would remove one of lower motor mount bolts to see if the wood inside the transom is wet. If there is a transducer at the lower edge of the transom, the screws can be removed to see if water drips out. Even if the transom is not wet, it would be a good idea to remove and reseal the bolts and screws using 3M 4200. Don't use silicone as it will leak.

The boxes you cut open were for flotation, which is required on boats shorter than 20ft by the USCG. By removing the box and foam, you have made the boat a 'sinker'! Once the boxes are dried out, you can replace the foam to provide flotation.

The transom boxes also provide stiffness and reinforcement for the transom area. Without the box fronts, the hull might flex.

Larry H
Retired outboard mechanic.
 
You want a capacitance or pinless type of moisture meter. One like the Electrophysics is a good choice. Some folks have tried the Ryobi--it has only a penetration of 1/2", and may not be sufficient for the cored C Dory hull.

I would also be concerned about that extra support in the transom. One way to test the transom itself beside the moisture meter and removing screws and bolts, is to put our full weight on the lower unit, when the motor is trimmed up in trailering position. If the transom flexes, there is a good chance that there is damage.

Let the hull dry out for at least a week before taking moisture readings. I know that surveyors do moisture readings during a quick haul, but to have good readings the boat needs to dry out.
 
Larry H":34d902g5 said:
The boxes you cut open were for flotation, which is required on boats shorter than 20ft by the USCG. By removing the box and foam, you have made the boat a 'sinker'! Once the boxes are dried out, you can replace the foam to provide flotation.

The transom boxes also provide stiffness and reinforcement for the transom area. Without the box fronts, the hull might flex.

Larry H
Retired outboard mechanic.
Click to expand...

I am no expert, but that foam flotation isn't going to do anything unless the boat is completely swamped and if that happens, I think she's going the bottom no matter what. it's no different than an aluminum skiff. They don't have any foam.

As far as structural, every other CD 16 I have seen dosnt have anything like this. They are completely open back there.
 
One cubic foot of foam will support about 62 lbs before going under completely. Those boxes look to be larger that 12 in by 12in by 12 in, so there would be over 120lbs of flotation. That, combined with the core in the floor and transom might just keep the boat at the surface. There is probably also flotation in the bow area. The newer 16s have the flotation under the gunnels and in the bow. The newer 16s also have a splashwell structure which supports the transom.

Aluminum skiffs in the 14-16ft range, most likely have foam under the seats. Boats over 20ft long are not required to meet the level flotation requirement.

The level flotation requirement is real, and the USCG would shut down any manufacturer that builds and sells a boat without such flotation. Of course, its your boat, I am just trying to let you know why there were boxes there.
 
Photo showing structure at stern of a 1992 16ft C-Dory.

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Another photo showing flotation built in along gunnels in a 1992 16ft C-Dory.

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Looking at the original circular cut out-

While the wood looks like it has been wet, it does not look rotten. If the fiberglass boxes were nearly airtight (which I suspect) it could be moisture from condensation over the years, and surface mold or mildew on the plywood.

It makes sense the the inside of the box is "unfinished, as all the parts would probably be glassed into the boat before the final "finish" color was applied.

I'm not convinced you have any moisture in the hull based on the evidence shown so far.
 
The wood isn't in too bad a shape. There was about an inch of standing water inside, so I think it must have had a leak somewhere. We'll see as the wood dries out. Fingers crossed!

Is there any way to shorten throttle cables? Or do you have to buy specific lengths?

Cleaning and sanding.
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Throttle cables are length specific, and yours may not be too long once everything is secured. You don't want any sharp bends in the cable run, and it's not uncommon for the cable to "loop" at the motor for best performance.
 
Okay.

Have you sounded the transom? is the water just at the tdx, or all over?

Pull the bottom mount bolts on the engine and see if moisture is there as well. You may have moisture just at the transducer location. If more sever, than it may be a very involved repair.
 
I'll bet a beer your transom core is toast. Sorry to be so blunt. A quick look at your shot of the added transom brace and, more importantly, at the transom cut-away shows skin delamination. When this happens it may very well mean the core is saturated and rotting. My CD 18 looked exactly the same there and someone had tried to reseal the edge with marine tex and 3M4200. " Get in there 'n git 'er done! Good luck. Best regards, Tim
 
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