1961??? Larson completely soaked floor

[The_FoX]

I pulled the carpet to reseal the floor and while I was at it I cut a small square in the floor. The floor is a made of a fiberglass sheet covering a sheet of 1/3 inch plywood. The wood is soaked but not rotted. Under the wood are the stringers (wet also but not rotted) and a whole lot of foam. I wasnt aware that they used foam in floors in the '60s. Well the foam is waterlogged and if you press on it hard water just comes 'boiling' out of it. My question is, Would it be safe to reseal the floor and leave it alone for the summer of boating and tackle it during the fall/winter months? Or do I run into some kind of hazard? When walking on the floor you cant feel any soft spots. Also can someone please give me any info on where I might be able to find a replacement windshield for my boat.

 

[JB]

Re: 1961??? Larson completely soaked floor

Ahoy, Fox.<br /><br />Now you know why I called the Larson I had for 3 weeks, !@#$%^&. If wood is wet, it may as well be rotted.<br /><br />Sorry.

 

[DJ]

Re: 1961??? Larson completely soaked floor

The_Fox,<br /><br />You have to get that water out of there. No telling how much extra weight you are hauling around.<br /><br />You may be able to drill some holes in the rear bilge area and tip the bow of the boat up high and let it drain.<br /><br />Once dry, you can seal everything up and use it for the summer.<br /><br />You WILL need to replace at least the floor though later.

 

[rickl]

Re: 1961??? Larson completely soaked floor

Hi The_Fox,<br />I had a similar problem with a 14ft sailboat I bought a few years ago. It was an older boat and she seemed very heavy for the size until I realized that I had the problem you described. Djohns19 has the right idea; I drilled a 1.1/2 inch hole in the stern (the size of a t-handle drain plug) and tipped the bow of the boat up as high as I could and let it drain, after the water stopped flowing I took a wet vac and duct tape it to the hole an was able to remove several additional gallons. I believe between the vacuum and gravity I was able to remove most of the water. I never sealed the hole that summer I simply put the plug when in use and stored her without the plug and the bow raised. After I made the repairs I kept the drain in the stern so I could air it out while out of the water.<br />I hope this helps and good luck.<br /><br />Rickl

 

[oldboat1]

Re: 1961??? Larson completely soaked floor

had the same problem, and the solutions described will keep you floating. If you get it drained well the first time, you should be OK -- will have use of it this Summer. If you winter it in a postion to drain, it should be in good shape by next Spring. I would keep a plastic tarp over it as much as possible this summer to keep out rainwater, and would certainly cover it for the winter.