Fixing a hole where the rain gets in.....

Almost certainly stops my mind from wandering or better said, makes my mind wander straight to Dayspring ( my Santana 22). The boat is in a major ugly duckling phase and I have to say, that i do wonder if i should just strip it of everything of value and wreck the hull. I am trying to keep perspective.

Since I have been crewing on other peoples boats I haven't been racing mine and find myself wondering if it is even worth the slow ongoing overhaul. I'm sure I'll get over it, a boat is a subscription, it's never done, there will always be something and the focus must be on the sailing not the maintenance.

So, whoever installed the deck organizers, did a truly rotten job and there was a good bit of rot beneath them. I will likely have to do a more extensive repair later, maybe when I do the bottom next year. In the meantime, I had to get these things closed up before the rains set in in earnest. The removal of old unused deck hardware was easily accomplished, but identifying the myriad of poorly closed deck penetrations has been another matter. It seems there are dozens of 1/4 inch holes that have been closed with caulking all over the place. I dig out the caulk and razor the fiberglass opening and fill. There are little fill spots everywhere waiting to be sanded.

I have left a tarp over the boat as the epoxy hadn't completely set when I left and there is almost always some drop to the level in the hole. Can't leave an open pathway into the deck core, despite the years which others have left these paths open. It had looked like the deck core had dried pretty well with a set of plastic cups over the holes and taped in place (there were holes drilled in the cups for ventilation, but not in a way to allow rain), Further inspection showed that to not be the entirely the case or moisture still got back in through the recent rains and colder weather. Thus my rush to get the holes truly sealed.

Next will be the mast step. I am uncertain if there is actually deck core under the mast, would be hugely stupid. Regardless, I have a depression under the mast step. The very best thing to do would be to cut open the deck, inspect and build up/replace any rot. Since the deck is not compressing any further I am considering filling with epoxy and cabosil, fairing and painting. I am still mulling over the idea of glassing in a piece of delrin plastic.

The rains will come on Thursday and stay through the weekend.