The stubborn area on the port side just aft of the keel near the solid center section has now been stripped of the balsa coring. It simply resisted all my efforts to dry it out. Even after removing the coring and cooking the inner skin for several hours yesterday the inner skin glass still wants to read wet with the meter. I have to believe this is from the old vermiculite and resin that dammed the water, or retained it, however you like to look at that situation. I have done a basic grind of this glass too prior to heating it. I have wondered if the remaining residue is messing with the meter. This skin is not terribly thick here, so I really don't want to go too crazy grinding it, or I will end up having to reglass it before recoring it. I think I may just coat it with thickened epoxy and let it harden and then read it again. The other option is to get the vacuum pump back out and heat it while applying a high vacuum. But doing that takes time and I'm ready to rock and roll on this section.
This is the same section that last spring I pulled out more than 48 oz. of water. The area about 20" from the centerline has fully dried and is fine. I was even wondering if there was a source of water that was essentially leaking back in to this area, but there isn't anything obvious like that. I can't cut any further aft either because I am up to my cradle and I need enough hull strength left to support the boat while I reglass.
