Foredeck coring question / Bow pulpit question

It really seems that the coring on my foredeck is 5/8" balsa.

People here have mentioned 3/4", and I reading the threads there were a few comments that the 5/8" was probably compressed 3/4" but I feel like it is 5/8".

I have a 1972 43DC, does anyone have any opinion on that?

Related, in the leaky fly bridge threads, people talk about fiberglassing their bridges on to get rid of the thousand leaky screws thing...

It seems to me you could fiberglass the pulpit on for the same kind of reason.

Has anyone done this?

Any reason not to?

I can confirm that a 1983 46C has 5/8 balsa core in the fore deck. Just replaced the core in my anchor locker from below because we had a wet winter. I also had a small place (1'x1') that delaminated (no rot or wetness) that I patched from above as it was small enough to sneak in between rains. In the locker I used 3/4" marine ply and beveled the edges and glassed in. The original work is so rough in there you cant tell a difference. On the top I used half inch and built up 1/4" with 1708 cloth.

On the pulpit it also has a core. If it is rotten like mine was you would want to address that before you glass it in permanently. Unless of course you do like I did and attack from below.

I am doing it from above.

I don’t think my pulpit has core?

Although I have investigated that thoroughly yet.

Isn't that plywood where the rope is laying on the pulpit? I know mine had it in that location. Here is a picture of the replacement. The top skin (below the plywood) is actually the deck glass under the pulpit.

Attachment 73382

There is a 1/4” layer plywood attached to the pulpit still, but not as a core, meaning not encapsulated in fiberglass.

And then there is the pile of mulch you see on deck there that was the other part of the shim, I suppose. That is about 1” thick, it has to dry out before I go near it again!

But, I don’t think there is any actual “core” per se in the pulpit, like there is in the deck.

All I can add is that on our 34C with wet balsa we dried it out over 30 years ago an no problems since. It was definitely wet so just saying. Seems wet balsa is actually a good product to sustain. Have read that several times in different forums. .

My pulpit was cored along the long edges under the teak trim boards. I replaced it with pvc, a forever repair. I fixed the core under the pulpit with three layers of 1/4" marine plywood. I worked from below so matching the exact thickness was not an issue. I do think that in 1973 the anchor locker is where the new guy learned to lay up glass, its not pretty in there.

Walt Hoover

I replaced the coring on foredeck and under bow pulpit about 10 years ago on my 1976 43dc, it was 3/4” thick. Replaced by building 3 layers of 1/4” mohogany marine plywood that was saturated with West Systems between layers, all done from above. Reused top skin when done. This method made it easy to reproduce crown (bow) in deck and had incredible compression strength. Been happy with repair, still looks good. There is a thread somewhere here on sams with details and pictures.