1996 Rinker Captiva 212- Weak floor

[rh92]

Owned the boat for three years. Enjoyed it and put plenty of hours on it. Never has any issues until this summer I realized a mold spot directly in front of the of the driver seat. Cleaned it as well as possible then noticed the golf ball size spot became soft. That spot has turned into the size of a softball now and even weaker. Is there any quick fix? Or way to delay replacing the entire floor? Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[tpenfield]

It will be the size of a basketball soon, and then onto a beach ball.

Quick fix and soft floor really don;t go together. The boat being 20 years old may have issue below the floor that may need attention. My advice is to start checking the stricture (stringers, transom, bulkheads, etc) for signs of moisture and rot. Often the foam filled chambers in the structure become saturated with water. Now would be the time to see how things are down below the floor as best you can. . . . maybe a few test holes in the structure to check for water.

 

[rh92]

OK I'll look around this section on how to do that. The floor seems fine everywhere else so it was a surprise. Especially in such a low traffic area.

 

[rh92]

Update... Incase any other user runs into this issue. Began talking to a friend at work he said what can it hurt to dig into it. So I pulled my captains seat up and noticed it was very loose. Seems like water had gotten down around the screws attaching the seats to the floor. So water seeped down the screws and got under the fiberglass. I cut out a section and going to replace the wood and refiberglass the section. Then make sure all the screws holding down seats are sealed....

 

[CrazyFinn]

While you have that section cut out, make sure you dig into the foam under the floor. Good chance that it is waterlogged... also, check the stringers - not just what the glass skin looks like but check the wood core inside. Drill a core sample - if it's wet, they need to be dealt with or else you're just fixing a floor on top of a rotting structure. If the core is dry, just seal it up....

 

[proshadetree]

3m makes some really good sealing compounds. Will agree inspection under the area you are working on would be wise.

 

[Woodonglass]

How has the boat been stored for all it's life? Any significant "Standing Water" in the boat at any time?

 

[imp0ster]

At a minimum, the rearward bulkhead will usually be rotten as well then it creeps towards the stringers or is already in the stringers if they weren't sealed properly like mine. Depending on what you find you have to weigh the cost and time of repairs vs the cost of another boat.

As always, I recommend composite materials. They're superior to work with and usually superior in every way compared to wood.

 

[Woodonglass]

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"they weren't sealed properly"

This is the KEY statement for wood structures in boats. The Wood is Not the problem. IF they are installed and glassed properly they will last the Life of the boat. As long as proper care and Maintenance procedures are followed.