posted October 10, 2005 04:56 PM               

After my problem with water inside the cockpit locker and the cabin lockers being filled with water earlier this year, I though that I would put in some inspection ports before I put Barefoot away for the winter. When I tried to cut a hole on the port side floatation areajust beside the table I found out that it has a wood core behind the fibreglass then the floatation material. I found that the floatation material seems dry but the wood core is soaked. nothing is spongy but the wood is wet.

Should I be concerned??

Thanx in advance.

posted October 10, 2005 09:02 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Patrick Crooks:
... When I tried to cut a hole on the port side floatation area just beside the table...

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Patrick, I'm not quite understanding where you cut the inspection port? When you write "table," do you mean the table over the keel trunk? Do you mean from next to the table, port side, near the cabin sole, going back aft under the companionway step?

posted October 11, 2005 11:51 AM               

For further clarification, you're saying you cut through the fiberglass, removed the piece & found you'd cut through plywood as well? You could inspect the floatation chamber, found the foam dry but the plywood wet? I can't think wetness in there is a good thing, especially if it's "soaked." Basically, wetness & wood means rot at some point.

Again, I'm interested in this question as I believe I need to check out our own floatation chamber situation at some point. How big of a port did you cut?