Help needed! Core problems for flybridge deck

[kflod]

Hi,
I am the proud owner of a 42 LRC and looking to upgrade to the 58 LRC.
I am currently looking at a specific 58 LRC. Although mostly in good condition, it turned out there are massive core problems for the large parts of the flybridge deck. Most, if not all, of the deck need repairing, and due to previous attempts to fix the various cracks in the gelcoat, there are so many holes filled with epoxy that the top skin is such bad shape that it needs extensive repair or even replacing as well as it has collapsed in several areas.

So the questions are these;
On terms of costs, what would a guestimate be for fixing this? The area thats needs fixing is large: approx. 14* 20 feet = 280 square feet. I could remove seats etc, cut it open and remove the rotten core myself, but I have little knowledge with glassfibre layup and lamination and would have this done professionaly. How many man hours are we talking about (hired help?) And what costs are we talking about regaring material - and what would the preferred core material be?

I know coosa is a good product, but would I be ok with using balsa as is used originally and arguably much cheaper? I would own this boat for many years and make sure that new holes in the deck would be done the correct way using an epoxy puck etc.

Please help - I love the boat, but am afraid of the costs of this project... I believe the seller will reduce the price somewhat accordingly to this cost, but we need help estimating a figure based on the information above.

Thanks!
Kristian

 

[bobk]

Hi,
I am the proud owner of a 42 LRC and looking to upgrade to the 58 LRC.
I am currently looking at a specific 58 LRC. Although mostly in good condition, it turned out there are massive core problems for the large parts of the flybridge deck. Most, if not all, of the deck need repairing, and due to previous attempts to fix the various cracks in the gelcoat, there are so many holes filled with epoxy that the top skin is such bad shape that it needs extensive repair or even replacing as well as it has collapsed in several areas.

So the questions are these;
On terms of costs, what would a guestimate be for fixing this? The area thats needs fixing is large: approx. 14* 20 feet = 280 square feet. I could remove seats etc, cut it open and remove the rotten core myself, but I have little knowledge with glassfibre layup and lamination and would have this done professionaly. How many man hours are we talking about (hired help?) And what costs are we talking about regaring material - and what would the preferred core material be?

I know coosa is a good product, but would I be ok with using balsa as is used originally and arguably much cheaper? I would own this boat for many years and make sure that new holes in the deck would be done the correct way using an epoxy puck etc.

Please help - I love the boat, but am afraid of the costs of this project... I believe the seller will reduce the price somewhat accordingly to this cost, but we need help estimating a figure based on the information above.

Thanks!
Kristian

Look back at posts on deck coring repair. None cover as much area as you have but you might scale it up.

Use a plastic foam like Coosa. Also consider putting the bridge back together w/o screws. This has also been discussed on the forum.

This will be a big job and costs will vary by your location and the quality of the job that you want.

Also consider that if the PO didn't care for the bridge deck, what other surprises might you find.

Bobk

 

[Cricket]

Would not put balsa back, the difference in price between balsa vs foam will be irrelevant compared to the labor cost.
Why not get an estimate to have in hand for the negotiation?

 

[krush]

To do it right, fly bridge needs to come off, or at least be raised up and supported. If I were doing it, I'd cut as big as piece as possible in just the upper skin and remove it, cut out core, and reuse top skin.

The nice thing is the top deck is pretty simple geometrically.

And when all done, glass the flybridge down and DRILL NO HOLES ANYWHERE.

Why do people drill so many holes in boats? Do you drill random holes in the roof of your house?

 

[jim rosenthal]

Good question, and no, we don't. Of course we don't drive our houses from the roof, either.


The materials cost is small compared with the labor. Maybe you ought to see how many other 58s are out there before you buy the boat you're viewing. This is a big and expensive repair, and like he said, you don't know what else they didn't keep up with.

 

[kflod]

Thanks for all the quick replies here guys, I really appreciate it!

You have fair points all around and this is turning out to be something quite else than first anticipated. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be... decisions, decisions...

thanks,
Kristian

 

[Red Hatt]

The 58 LRC are great boats. If you are really in love with the boat bite the bullet and make the repair and be happy with a good looking LRC.

 

[carolinacoast]

I have done this on a 53. Hire a surveyor to put together a bid package, and send it out. In NC, where I had it done, with full flybridge removal, surveyor inspections I was about $60/sf.

I added stuff, but the entire 2 month visit was in the 23k range. I had change order pricing PSF in my agreement, and we did find additional rotten core until the dinghy on our boat.
Used Coosa and Awlgrip on the paint.

Happy we did it, and changed how the salon actually smelled!! scary.

 

[kflod]

I have done this on a 53. Hire a surveyor to put together a bid package, and send it out. In NC, where I had it done, with full flybridge removal, surveyor inspections I was about $60/sf.

I added stuff, but the entire 2 month visit was in the 23k range. I had change order pricing PSF in my agreement, and we did find additional rotten core until the dinghy on our boat.
Used Coosa and Awlgrip on the paint.

Happy we did it, and changed how the salon actually smelled!! scary.

Well, that's certainly encouraging! Were you able to reuse the upper skin or did you have to rebuild this as well? Also - what would be approx sf that needed work on yours?

thanks
Kristian

 

[Pascal]

I don't use balsa or ply for any repair i doon my boat. Only divinicel. It s a little more expensive but well worth it. Closed cell, strong. That's what hatt uses nowadays

I wonder if you really have to redo the whole flybridge I would do sections at a time where the rot realllly is

When i removed the aft deck hatch on my 53 I was surprised to see that the rot didn't extend as far inthiught it would

 

[jim rosenthal]

You may very well be able to separate the upper skin of the layup since everything under it will look like peat moss and not be very well attached to the balsa core.

 

[carolinacoast]

pics wouldn't load from this chromebook. reused non skid. Labor is all the $$$. replaced about 320 sf.
source for us was whip antennas on stbd and PO repair around dinghy, without removing cradle.

Surveyor said many Hatts he sees have high moisture content up there. We got the dreaded brown stain drip on a hot dry day.

Was able to get it done offseason in a barn, and allow time to make sure things were really dry. Alternative is scaffolding and tenting , which is more expensive.
Ask a surveyor who has documented a repair like this before. Best $600 I spent on the project. Yard did not close anything until surveyor checked it.
Disclosure: I don't live near the boat, so I make life hard for myself.

 

[Cricket]

Don't be scared of the project, get an estimate or 2 for use in the sale price negotiation. You will have to find the "right" type of crew or yard to do the work. Have you told us where the boat is and or where you would like to keep it or have the work done? Makes a difference in both cost and quality people to do the job..

 

[nautibake]

I don't use balsa or ply for any repair i doon my boat. Only divinicel. It s a little more expensive but well worth it. Closed cell, strong. That's what hatt uses nowadays

I wonder if you really have to redo the whole flybridge I would do sections at a time where the rot realllly is

When i removed the aft deck hatch on my 53 I was surprised to see that the rot didn't extend as far inthiught it would

We just had this done while at the yard a couple months ago. We went with Divinicel and re-used the top layer of fiberglass. Here are a couple of pics.

 

[kflod]

Thanks again, I know I could trust this forum

 

[Finalee]

I've done this job several times on different boats. Don't worry Dave Finalee was ok.
It's pretty straight forward. My best advise is, get the right tools.