Cheating slightly, as this was yesterday, but I removed a bunch of hardware. Since I'm going to have the v-berth "sealed off" while I install the windlass (dust) anyway, I figured now is the time.
So, I removed the bow cleat, the bow pulpit, the two 'midships cleats, and started on the deck pipe and the forehatch. All core completely unprotected (raw balsa), and all fitting "lightly bedded" in silicone :amgry Nothing like making a job ten times harder than it need be. In a few places on my boat someone "mistakenly" used polysulfide instead of silicone, and it's like a dream in comparison: Remove fitting, wipe clean with mineral spirits on a rag, proceed. Instead of fighting with silicone for hours (and never really being able to get rid of the contamination completely). Yes, it's aggravating! Okay, got that out of my system for now
Anyway, good news is, the core is dry as a bone. Of course the boat has been indoors most of its life, and used in dry places when outdoors (Powell). So it wasn't "taxed" at all. I'll overdrill/fill it all before reinstalling.
There were also no backing plates, just medium sized fender washers. In a couple of places on the bow pulpit these had been tightened to the point of causing a depression and some stress cracks in the fiberglass (belowdecks). The epoxy annuli will prevent crushing, but I may add backing plates as well (certainly on the cleats; maybe just bigger fender washers on the pulpit... haven't decided yet. Either way that will take care of the dented area.
The (pointy) screws on the forehatch were not all very tight, so that's not reassuring (of course they are going into balsa, so how tight can they be). But the hatch is still bonded in place, and I'm a bit nervous about potentially bending it trying to get it out (there is a caulk bead on the inside I have yet to cut). I'm tempted to just epoxy the screw holes, but then it seems almost everyone who has removed the hatch on a more "seasoned" boat has found wet core, so I will probably just bite the bullet and proceed with removing it. The deck pipe is similar (loosish screws, but still bonded in with inside caulking), but I'm not afraid of bending that. I thought about eliminating it since I will have the windlass, but I think it might come in handy that I can reach right int to the bottom of the locker that way (to rearrange chain or what have you).
One last note is that the fender washers and nuts on the inside were also "sealed" with silicone. I don't like this method, as then it could "silently leak" and the easiest place for water to go is the core. So I'll do the opposite approach: Seal the core and not seal the below decks fasteners. Then if there is a leak I will know about it and can re-bed (and the core is protected).
Man, that foredeck is *little* without the bow pulpit in place! Even though I wasn't hanging onto it before, it's amazing how pulpit, lifelines, etc. give you visual reassurance. I'm stepping carefully now.
Sunbeam