1997 SN Soft Floor

Well crud. I'm glad that you are paving the way for me.
Rough 1993 Ski soft floor

I have some new questions:

1. How do you know the rest of your foam isn't wet where you have not cut out the floor?

2. What are you using to cut out the floor? I did my small cut with a razor blade, but that's not a process that will work for much more than a small area.

3. I notice that you are not cutting out the floor on top of the stringers. I agree with this concept since the floor is attached to the top of the stringer. How are you going to lay down fiberglass in those holes you have cut and "reattach"?

4. Those of your suggesting "sanding in", what type of sanding are you talking about? Is this sandpaper? A tool of some sort?

That's enough questions for now. I'm going to go get a beer and wait for replies.

storm34, any idea what should a naked 1993 Ski Nautique hull should weigh? My carpet is out now, so if I'm going to do this now is the time. I'd rather not tear out the floor, but these photos have me rethinking my strategy. I got a 1993 because I didn't want to do a huge fiberglass job.

Maybe it is just me, but is that really delamination? Or, is that an area you cut out? I am just wondering where the material went. I see fibers lying there, but that's the way things look from a cut-gun I think. Is the area "soft" or does it just look bad. What does the tap-test tell you is going on?

You are making me weak in the knees. I sure hope that I don't have to do this to my 1993 Ski.

OK So i have taken a couple more pics for you to show the delamination, what I have taken today is the other side of the cross member, in the smaller hole in the first picture i posted of the floor. This are is delaminated alot worse than in the other hole towards the stern. This area has a small hole i suppose under the cross member that i have shown by sticking my finger into.

Hope these make it clearer:







Thankyou again for all the help and comments on here you guys are great, well I hope i only still have to grind off the bad material and re lay I should use epoxy mat and resin to do this? Thanks again

Steve

I 2nd on Chris suggestion. Remove the delam removing minimal material in a circular pattern by taper sanding as best as you can. Tap test the area with a heavy coin or end of a folded up pocket knife to be sure you've got it all. A dull thud means you still have delam in there. layer up the repair with the smallest ply first then get bigger as you go over lapping the prior one. Doing this ensures multiple layers adhering to the hull instead of just one.

Lewy looks to me like it's the "egg" or "pimple" in the picture is his delamination.

Steve I cant see the delamination clearly in those pictures I can see what appears to be a air bubble in the original layup around what you are calling "cross members". Just grind that out and any other soft parts around it. Then re apply some more resin and matt.

You have probably dug in deeper than you wanted to already with our season approaching fast. I guess you could remove the complete floor and foam but I would be closing up (Do a tool count first ) and sending the patient to recover in a warm enviroment. Bring on summer

Guys,

Well I have finally had to look further under the floor as there was still some water there seeping through the foam. I have cut holes along the main stringer between it and the secondary. F}Refer to this picture of the two holes.



The next images show down under the floor at the ends where i have dug out the foam right o=up to the `crossmembers` (sorry not sure what else to call them, they seem to rum between the main and secoudary. Anyway down under there where the water has been sitting it has penetrated the glass, I have delamination on part of one cross member, the glass has has soften in areas under there. I am not sure what to do now. I hope masters with the knowledge here would like to chime in. Here are the other pics.













I hope the pics explain a little of what i am going through, not very good at the moment, I am going to seek some help, I think the repairs are now going to be major right?

Tim,

No more water seems ed seep from the foam, I have dug forward and aft of the hole as far as I can, seem to have hit some cross members. I noticed a little moisture the next morning, I just vac it up and then hit the area with heat gun for about ten minutes, I am going to keep the area open to air out for at least 5 days. Then I am going to pour the foam and patch, hope this is all good as I want to get the new carpet in.

So I dug deeper this morning and there was more water down by the hull, i sucked it all out and then dug out the foam to the stringers on the sides and forward and back till I hit a cross member. There water seemed to be contained to that compartment as I dug next the the cross member and there was no water.





So I am thinking I will let this dry out and then pour the foam and patch up, you think I am doing this right guys? Sure do not want to have to go back down there to fix anything.

Steve

They are fibreglass stringers so definitely do not cut into them. I would remove the foam up against them on both sides leaving the hole in the foam between them. This picture from the 93 brochure should give you an idea what is below the floor. The more I look at your previous pictures I think what happened is that something was dropped onto the floor that punctured the fiberglass skin over the foam allowing water to enter from the top. It still may be worth delving deeper but that is up to you.

Hey Mark,

I looked on the cans but they didn`t have any specs on desity or water resistance, it actually said moisture needed to cure, so i suspect that the foam will absorb water, I am going to get pour in foam from a chandlery on Saturday. So dig all the way down to the hull hey? The foam i have dug down too seems firm and not wet but if yous think to keep digging i will, wow i hope this doesn`t turn into something huge!!!

If it were me, I would open up the hole to a circle as mentioned above by Tim Morfoot. Yes, this will make a bigger opening, but it will be easier to patch once you start putting everything back together.

The I'd dig down and see if there is standing water down by the hull. If there isn't, then go ahead and fill the void with two part foam (I'd get it from Jamestown Dist.) and cover it back up.

...If there's a bunch of water then you're in uncharted territory! I'd hate to hear you say there's a bunch of water because I've got a small soft spot from ski fins in our 96!

Guys,

I have succumbed to curiosity and cut into the floor, after i did i was glad i chose to. Upon cutting the hole in the glass floor there was a considerable amount of water under the floor, i used a wet vac and sucked all the water i could , then i removed all foam i thought to be a little rotted or wet. I have left open the the area the help dry out for a few days, any advise from here on in? I bought a can of expandable foam from bunnings in Australia(lilke your Lowes) but i think this expandale foam may not be the best for what i want, not dense enough and not really for marine application, i think i should use the pour in foam but i have a very small are to fill like maybe two fist sizes. I have attached some pice for viewing. Please anyone with an idea as to where to go from here would be great, awaiting your replies.


The hole in floor


when pushed on the water coming up through the foam


after i removed the foam from under the floor


some foam i removed

One more thing - the foam can create quite a lot of pressure. Inject the foam, lay a piece of plastic over the holes, cover with a piece of wood and weigh it down until it cures.

Pete, Hi again and thanks for the reply, I know about not opening it up, but do you think it is ok to cut the floor in that position? Do I just use the same matting and resin i used on the muffler to reapair the floor if i cut it?