Scott -
My boat is wet just below the water line on the starboard side from about 3ft aft of the bow all the way to the stern and about half way up the transom. I've done 4-5 test borings and the core is moist but not so wet that I can squeeze and water out of the drilled material. Also the core is still very light in color, so I don't think I have a rot problem yet.
So far I've received varying opinions on how to handle the problem. There is a yard just outside of Philadelphia, Custom Offshore, that has a machine that they say will dry out a core using heat and a vacuum - but they want about $10M for the job, much more than I'm willing to spend on a 25 year old boat. A number of people have told me to drill holes from the inside into the core apply heat and dry using a dehumidifier. Still others have recommended some type of vacuum bagging.
I called West System and asked their opinion. The Technical Assitance guy I talked to said that they used to sell a kit to vacuum bag and dry cores, but that it wasn't all that effective. he also stated that the amount of holes I would need to drill to dry out the core with a dehumidifier, would significantly weaken the structural integrity and stiffness of the hull. He recommends sealing the hull to prevent any air from penetrating and causing rot damage. He says that I should pull every fitting to check the condition of the core, dig out any rotted material and seal with thickened epoxy. He also recommends barrier coating the bottom. At the moment this is the direction I'm leaning towards, but I'd like to get the benefit of someone else's experience before I procede if possible.
What's the condition of your hull?
