Leak in cabin fixable, but worried about deck damage

[JIvories]

I recently found some water marks in the cabin above the windows. There
was a bolt I had failed to tighten all the way when I removed the teak rails to
refinish . It was raining today in RI, and after work I stopped by the boat (on the hard) to see if the leak was active. Ugh, I could see the water almost dripping.

The leak will be easily fixed, by tightening bolt and recaulking at deck. But...
how about the water that has gotten into the balsa deck in between deck glass and cabin wall? Is there any way to attempt to dry out this hole?

I'm tempted to leave the bolt out, seal the hole at the top, so that the hole and any wet balsa might dry out. Maybe with very careful application of warm dry air from a hair dryer? I'm worried about tightening the bolt and sealing moisture in there.

Any advice appreciated.

[barnakiel]

It will stay there and the balsa core will rot leading to a complete loss of structural properties of the boat. The boat will sink next. You will get sued by the marina ...

Now, wake up! ;-) ;-)

If you know where this water is now (you know the basic property of water?) then just drill a small hole there and any collected water will get out. This will save your ship from sinking.

Cheers,
b.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

...just drill a small hole there and any collected water will get out...

NOT!

Just drilling a hole will not dry out the core.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

NOT!

Just drilling a hole will not dry out the core.

Yep. +1!

If the core got saturated, it will take time/effort to dry.

Drilling the hole lets any accumulated water get out, if you know where it accumulated. (Normally, the lowest spot).

Balsa stands on its end and is glued to both skins, so it does not get saturated in a short accident. If you let the water sit in between the skins then the trouble brews.

b.

[foufou]

Drill hole, use hair dryer, caulk above. If shore power is available use a small heater below the spot. Also acetone absorbs water somehow. Good luck

[OS2Dude]

Be careful about just tightening more and more to try to stop a leak. You can crush the balsa core eventually.

The best way to handle holes through cored fibreglass is to over-size the hole (At least 1/4" larger diameter), fill with thickened epoxy then drill the through hole for the bolt so there is at least 1/8" of epoxy on all sides. This will seal the core and prevent any water that may leak in from getting to the core. It also gives a small pillar of strong material for you to tighten against without having to worry so much about crushing it. (Some people will actually tap the epoxy so it will help hold the bolt and have less room for water to intrude by.) You should also counter-sink the through hole a small amount to give the sealant a place to go. If you squeeze it all out there is nothing left to seal the opening.

NOTE: This is best done BEFORE the core is wet. If it is already wet, you must dry the core and remove any material that may be rotted. There are many sites that describe how to do this in more detail.

[Isabella Jane]

Ethylene glycol (traditional antifreeze) is a brilliant anti-fungus. It will chase the water, mix with it and kill spores.

[michaelratinter]

+1 OS2Dude