Dauntless 13 - Rotten Wood - opinions needed
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:00 pm
I have a badly neglected Dauntless 13 in need of full restoration. I was planning to grind out all of the cracks (hundreds of them), fill, fair, sand, and paint. Then rewire and repower. I was hoping for like-new restoration. However, I've found enough rotten wood that I'm reconsidering.
I recently found that the plywood core on the stern deck, console face, and bow deck hatch was rotten, which I can repair. However, today I removed the cracked plastic motor well drain tubes. When I removed them I found the wood transom core was wet. I can scrape off bits of rotted wood with my finger inside the holes. I have a wood locating diagram for the boat (attached), and the wood in my transom is at least 6" wider than shown on the diagram. I'm trying to determine how major of a project it would be to remove the wood from the transom and repair it with coosa board or similar, but without knowing the correct size location of the wood in the transom it makes the decision more difficult.
Additionally, since all the wood I've encounter so far is rotten, I suspect that some of the wood under the floor may also be rotten, but I'm really hesitant to drill any exploratory holes.
Given the abundance of rotten wood I've found, I'm reconsidering restoring this particular hull. I can do most of the work myself, but have limited free time to work on the boat, so if the project gets too major it will be never ending. For those who have restored Whalers I welcome you opinion.
Q1: What is the true location and dimensions of the wood in the Dauntless 13 transom?
Q2: is there concern about the wood beneath the deck being rotten? The boat had standing water inside when I removed it from a storage yard, so I'm concerned water seeped in through screw holes in the deck.
I welcome any input on whether I should move forward with this hull or go a different direction.
I recently found that the plywood core on the stern deck, console face, and bow deck hatch was rotten, which I can repair. However, today I removed the cracked plastic motor well drain tubes. When I removed them I found the wood transom core was wet. I can scrape off bits of rotted wood with my finger inside the holes. I have a wood locating diagram for the boat (attached), and the wood in my transom is at least 6" wider than shown on the diagram. I'm trying to determine how major of a project it would be to remove the wood from the transom and repair it with coosa board or similar, but without knowing the correct size location of the wood in the transom it makes the decision more difficult.
Additionally, since all the wood I've encounter so far is rotten, I suspect that some of the wood under the floor may also be rotten, but I'm really hesitant to drill any exploratory holes.
Given the abundance of rotten wood I've found, I'm reconsidering restoring this particular hull. I can do most of the work myself, but have limited free time to work on the boat, so if the project gets too major it will be never ending. For those who have restored Whalers I welcome you opinion.
Q1: What is the true location and dimensions of the wood in the Dauntless 13 transom?
Q2: is there concern about the wood beneath the deck being rotten? The boat had standing water inside when I removed it from a storage yard, so I'm concerned water seeped in through screw holes in the deck.
I welcome any input on whether I should move forward with this hull or go a different direction.