Drying out foam in the laminate

[Boatyarddog]

If you considering drilling holes to explore the water ingress, glass those holes over again don't fill them as it will pop out eventually.
Invasive core samples are fine as long as you properly re-glass the area.
You cannot be sure how far it's gone.
Moisture meters will always show water below the waterline, how much is too much?
I'd be extra careful with solvents.
I'd drill holes at the lowest points and leave them open to see how much water drips out.
Seen people stick cut off plastic straws in these holes, like sapping a tree.
Good luck my friend.


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[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Panting is caused by wave action.

The likelihood of failure is what prevents most prudent yachtsmen from choosing a cored hull. Links? Try Google.

So am I then to take it that you have nothing concrete to back up your claims? For without such, that which you're stating is, shall we say, on the speculative side. And it's not as if I'm asking for an encyclopedic reference on rocket design.

Where does this idea you're purporting come from? You had to have read text, & case studies on it somewhere. Are you a licensed surveyor with drawers full of files on the topic supporting your statements?
To be blunt, the nature of your answer(s), or rather lack there of (AKA evasiveness), is starting to make me wonder (a lot) about the veracity behind what you're saying.

As to "prudent yachtsmen", I know plenty that lose zero sleep over having cored hulls. Particularly as, there are dozens, or tens of dozens of very reputable companies producing quality boats with cored hulls. With tens of thousands of examples out sailing the oceans. Plenty of them being several decades old.

[Terra Nova]

UN--I really don't care if you choose to believe me or not. If you need links, look them up yourself. What I described didn't come from reading the internet, but from 40 years of hands-on experience customizing and refitting yachts.

Change "yachtsmen" to "cruisers", for that is what I meant to say, regarding cored hulls.

An anecdote...

Mapleleaf 50 hauled out of the water. Drilled a hole to mount a bilge pump/switch, and water squirted up a foot or two.

[Boatyarddog]

Sounds like an artesian well in that 50 ft.


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[Sonosailor]

Lots of fantastic advice, and I'll be reading through again just for the education.

However, wrt the problem, colemj nailed it. I drilled the holes just as UNCIVILIZED suggested, installed a tube and attempted to find and suck water. No core at the screw holes, and no water in the section either. Whatever was dripping out of the screw holes dried up during the arid summer in the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour Boatyard.

As there was no water deep in the hull that is lower than the screwholes (at least 20 inches forward of the transom), and as there had been no real venting until I had drilled the exploratory holes, I have to conclude I cannot have much of a problem.

I epoxied the holes, gave a layer of epoxy paint over the area where gelcoat had cracked or fallen off, and reinstalled the rubber with 4200 and new screws.

Interestingly, when I first acquired the boat out of charter, the plenum under the engines on both sides were filled with pressurized water. The charterer had drilled screwholes into the plenum area from under the boat to fasten solid covers over the saildrive boots, and obviously messed up. I found it by trying to replace engine mounts while afloat, and scratched my head for days over it.

Thanks folks for the education and advice.