I don't think you can adequately dry the hul with vacum bagging. Even if you could it wouldn't help the core that is rotten and no longer stiff. My boat sails dramatically different now that the core has been repalced.
Originally posted by Peter E:
I have the same problem with Blue J, #503. When I had her surveyed in the spring, not only did the surveyor find the starboard side of the hull wet, but told me that the starboard backstay chain plate gusset was probably "garden mulch" and absolutely had to be replaced before sailing. Turned out to be wet but not rotten, and was a real PIA to cut out of there, since access from the quarter berth is very limited.
Now the boat's on her cradle and I want to get as much drying done as I can before it gets too cold here on the North Coast. I had in mind a scheme similar to Bill's, but I'm not sure how vacuum bagging would work either from the inside (preferred) or the outside. Can anyone provide a diagram or place to go to learn more?
I've drilled a couple test holes in the outer hull, at the transition point where knocking on the hull goes from a solid to a dull or hollow sound. Longitudinally, the holes are 1-2 feet behind the keel. The balsa that came out with the drill was wet but not rotten at all. I was expecting a stream or trickle of water, but only got a slight weep from one of the holes. I've also drilled some interior holes in the transom and under the aft half of the quarter berth. There may be a little rot in spots in the transom, but the rest appears just wet. There are some small blisters on the hull, even though it was barrier-coated with VC Tar by the previous owner. I suspect some of the moisture is due to osmosis, in addition to the exhaust pipe thing.
I'd like to do most of the work from the inside and was considering drilling multiple holes, using heat and possibly a dehumidifier to dry as much as possible, then filling enlarged holes with thickened West epoxy when it gets warm again in the Spring.
I'd use the bent nail technique to remove any rotted core. I'm also planning to address the exhaust pipe issue, from the inside if possible.
My wife and I are in our 60's, and we use the boat primarily for day sails and cruises on Lake Erie. I also race Wed. nights, primarily JAM, with a crew in their 60's. In other words, we don't push things too hard. Before I bought her in 2005, she had been exclusively and actively raced and well-maintained. I was not present for the purchase survey, and I'm somewhat disappointed that the hull problem was not detected at the time. Too late to worry about that.
I'd appreciate any thoughts and advice and will attempt to document my work as it moves forward. For now, I'm using a 100W trouble light to heat the transom/aft hull area, but I need a way to do some serious drying.
