Experience with soft decks or flexing spots on the deck?

[dlandersson]

They're not?

[*]

Yes, you wouldn't want to try this over at Sailing Anarchy. They're not known for their warm welcomes, especially for Mac owners...

[Tomfoolery]

I believe early model X's (2000 and before )had some balsa on the cabin roof. I have a 99 X but I don't have (I'm 200+ lbs) any flexing.

Same here - '99, and no flexing. The access holes I've poked around in only had raw FG (or FRP, technically ) in there, and I don't remember finding any balsa when drilling the few holes I've drilled, or redrilled to fill with expoxy to fix loose screws.

Mine has the step for the ballast vent, but with no ballast vent (it's in the bow, like the later ones), so maybe when mine was made MacGregor made some changes to other parts, like the deck coring.

But I'm just glad there's no flex. Anywhere. Other than the super-thin liner in the cabin.

[Cougar]

Here's the article describing the switch from balsa to foam, among other changes.
http://web.archive.org/web/200104182024 ... the_26.htm
It mentions that "much of the balsa wood has been replaced with a system of molded beams" , so it may well be that some balsa was still used for other structures than the deck. As said, I have one small soft spot near the mast, but without spider cracks in the surface. And I never discovered any wood while working on electric and VHF wiring. My boat's an early '99 with companionway ladder, forward ballast tank vent and no step.

[sailboatmike]

1995 X, deck is solid as a rock even with my close too 220lbs walking around on it, I sort of get the feeling its solid glass not cored

[DownSouth]

Mike, balsa cored decks in good condition all feel stiff (hard to sell a new boat that isn't) just don't drill any holes in your deck and check and fill any that are there or it may get the Hood yacht issue (older Australian 20 and 23ft flush decked boats notorious for spongy decks).

DownSouth

[sailboatmike]

Yes the Hoods are sort of renown for being trampolines, if my memory serves me they had a plywood core being a 1970's boat.

[vizwhiz]

Interesting thread.
I have been wondering whether the various soft or flexing spots were just my 235# being heavier than the deck was really designed around, or if there really is some delamination or rot going on. But I have a 95S boat, so it may not apply the same way. And i think i do have some kind of core in my deck around the mast...i remember from drilling out the hole for the antenna and lighting cables.

Also, as a note for the S boat owners out there, the bulkhead and wooden stick in the galley area DOES serve to support the deck around the mast area. We don't have a daggerboard trunk to support anything.

So how long do you think one can ignore the soft areas before something catastrophic happens?

[DownSouth]

Yes the Hoods are sort of renown for being trampolines, if my memory serves me they had a plywood core being a 1970's boat.

Yes you are right - plywood - terrific boat building material where you can see it!

[Highlander]

The only place there is balsa wood on my 2008 is inside the front opening hatch & the anchor locker lid.
if u need to drill say a 3/8" hole in a balsa core then u drill a 1/2" hole or larger then refill it with resin & after it has hardened redrill out the center 3/8" & u now have a sealed hole

J

[sailboatmike]

I never understand why when they used wood cores they didnt coat the wood before sealing it all up

[GreatBarrierReef]

Thank you all for your replies and helpful tips or comments!
Since my starting this thread and my first ever post in this forum, we decided to buy the boat - despite the single soft spot. I'm finally now a proud (co-)owner of a 2012 ! We're now getting her ready for our first trip. We want to fix the soft spot on the deck as soon as we decided on the best method, and at the moment I am contemplating to fix this soft spot (on the port side next to the mast) using one of the following options:

1) Carefully cutting out the area to then install a stable hatch. This would need to be a stable product so that we can stand on it, and when it is open it would serve as an extra vent. After cutting, but prior to installation we could insert pieces of glass mats and the correct products to bring in the required strengths. Downside: It's a big change, and possibly a bigger risk than one of the other options.

2) Drill as few holes as possible and fill them with pieces of fiberglass mats and epoxy. There is certainly no guarantee that this will work, but I and also a local fibreglass repairer believes that it could work. This option would be far less dramatic than option 1) or any of the options below.

3) Carefully cutting out the soft spot area and then rebuild it (seems very difficult to do, since it's both skid and non-skid surface and very visible). As shown in my first post above, the cracks are in the area next to the mast step (smooth surface = no non-skid), but the soft spot is under the non-skid, so I wonder if it's possible at all to fix this in a way that it looks good or at least aesthetically "OK". Any tips or experience?

4) Cut out an area from underneath, and determine the best way forward. Ideally there is a way to build enough strength below the deck. To do this, I wonder if anyone has experience with removing (at least partially) the moulded ceiling, which seems to be nearly impossible to remove, because of the way the boat has built. I cut could out a small area to have a look. It could be sealed later with a cover, mirror or a light. Any tips or experience, if that approach could work to fix a soft spot on the ?

I found this nice 91-page free manual which be helpful (also for others and other repairs): http://www.westsystem.com.au/files/fibr ... enance.pdf

If anyone has comments or a better idea, please share it. All ideas will be read and considered.
Thanks again to everyone for reading and sharing your tips and thoughts!

[Highlander]

I had no issues with soft deck,s but I did do some cut-out in that area here,s the link
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 15#p282194

Not sure if u can view the pic,s after photobucket,s changes , I can but I,m a paid member ?
If memory serves me right the cabin roof/deck support beams on the S/B side under the front dinning seat where the large mirror is run front to aft & the port side supports run port to S/B they r approx 2 1/2" to 3" apart from each other .

I,m thinkin if u do actually have a problem it might b that one of these ribs has become delaminated which is an easy fix on the S/B side as u can access that area very easily , more of an issue on the port side

here,s how I found out where the ribs were on the port side at the D/B area I beleive I removed the plugs on the port side for the sliding hatch mounting bolts stuck my finger in there or pinky ! an a small flash light determined where they were & once I had determined where my cowl vents would have to go as the ribs were running in oposite directions , also if u remove the mirror on top of the port side D/B I believe u can determine & see where these ribs r running "not sure" its been a while since I,ve been in there , then I drilled out a 2" hole for my location with a holesaw as these can b filled back in with a 2" plug same as the one,s already on the roof liner for access plugs , it was no big deal for me as I found a whole bunch of Beckson access 12" 9" & 6" plates the same tan colour as the liner at a marine flea market all brand new so I bought them all , they look great as they look like original equipment made my life a lot easier when it came to doing mods & cutting holes out on the liner , guess I just lucked out lol
hope this helps u out if u cannot view the pics e/m me & I,ll seach my external hard drive for them & send them too u they show where the ribs r after I cut out the holes
J