I added afew more pictures of my progress. Got new plywood cut and
fitted today. The deck is a wierd composition. Basically 3 types of
deck laminate. One is straight fiberglass, the second is fiberglassed
with end grain balsa, and the third is fiberglass with plywood. The
non cored is obvious as it is thinner than the rest of the deck and
makes a nice solid sound when tapped with a plastic hammer. The balsa
and plywood cored deck is indistinguishable from each other but make
a more hollow thunk (especially where it's mush). I am finding that
some areas that I expect to be all balsa is both balsa and plywood.
I've been lucky so far that non of the plywood really needs
replacing. But I have ended up doing the ply areas that I thought
were balsa. The area in front of the companion way (or aft of the
companionway) is a mix of both. The coring stops at the edge of the
companion way before the icebox hatch but extends all the way to the
side deck on starboard side. I cut all the way over, but had I known
I would have saved the little bit of side deck to do with the rest of
the side deck. Again I expected balsa but instead the bit of side
deck is ply. I'm sure there is balsa further up though next to the
cabin. I also imagine that as the years went on the actual coring
plan probably changed. so one might want to drill for a smaple before
cutting specific areas. In the end it will all be solid and won't
really matter I guess.
Bob
SV Gabba Hey
1964 #90
