J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Hull #83

I called TPI and they reccommended drilling 2" holes every square foot. They also think that the most likely culprit is the exhaust pipe.

I started drilling the holes this weekend, beginning in the bow. I used a drill to cut through the inner fiberglass shell, then dug out the balsa core using a screwdriver. The inner side of the balsa was essentially dry, but the outer side showed significant moisture, especially in the holes I cut lower in the hull. Fortunately, so far, I haven't seen any evidence of rot. However, it looks like I'll need to pull out the water and fuel tanks to do the job right.

Phil,

How can I contact you?

pheldrich@yahoo.com

I recently talked to a guy just south of Annapolis who has a heat/vac system for core drying. I contacted TPI about this process and they highly reccomend it.

The guy in Annapolis is going to charge $325/day and thinks it will take 2-3 days to dry out the core with this system. I had heard about this system previously from a guy near Philadelphia, but didn't pursue it because his cost was prohibitive. So you definitely need to shop for the best price.

Phil,

Do you have a name and phone number for the guy that does the core drying near Annoplace?

Annapolis Gelcoat & Fiberglass, 410-263-8980. The guy I've been talking with is Steve.

I found them via an ad in the February Spinsheet.