1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
rjwilliams77
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1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby rjwilliams77 » Tue Jul 12, 2022 10:04 pm

Give me advice about how to make a repair to the soft spots in the deck of recently purchased [1987] OUTRAGE 18. The soft spots are in the [aft portion of the deck] near the [engine splash well dam]. They start around the sump drain and extend athwartship to port, in a width about the same as the sump opening.

aftCockpitDeck.jpg
Fig. 1. Aft cockpit area of OUTRAGE 18 boat.
aftCockpitDeck.jpg (60.16 KiB) Viewed 1759 times


Before I get too involved, [tell me] what I will be getting into [in the repair process of fixing the soft deck].

ASIDE: I was aware of these soft spots before I bought the boat, but this OUTRAGE 18 was too cool to pass up at the asking price.

I grew up driving my grandfather's Montauk 17 so I wanted a little project of my own.

jimh
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Re: 1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 13, 2022 6:35 am

rjwilliams77 wrote:...I wanted a little project of my own.


The deck area of a classic OUTRAGE 18 boat has a large molded laminated fiberglass piece that covers the fuel tank cavity. This deck laminated piece has plywood backing. If there is a soft area in the deck, the cause is usually due to the plywood backing being soft from water saturation or rot.

The remedy is not a simple or quick process.

The caulked seam of the deck center laminated assembly to the hull liner will have to be broken--if it is not already compromised. The deck section will be removed to be worked on elsewhere.

The deck section is then usually supported on saw horses and inverted so the plywood backing is facing up.

The plywood areas that are wet or soft or rotted are mechanically removed, but with care not to damage the actual fiberglass molded deck structure. The areas of the fiberglass where wood has been removed are then sanded to remove old resin and any remaining wood.

When all the wet or soft or rotted wood is removed and the remaining wood is all dry, strong, and free from decay, new marine plywood is cut to fit the needed areas, then adhered to the laminate with a structural adhesive, such as marine-grade epoxy. Typically some weight might be added to press down on the wood to insure there will be a good bond to the fiberglass.

This is a common problem. This occurs because the plywood was not particularly well sealed at the time of manufacture.

To prevent recurrence of decay in the plywood, the plywood should be coated with epoxy resin and completely sealed.

When the repair to the deck is completed, the deck is reinstalled. All the screw fasteners holding the deck in place should be installed with a caulk or sealant to help prevent water getting into the wood via the screw holes. Then the gap between the removable center section and the fixed deck areas of the hull liner must be carefully re-caulked.

This repair is illustrated in an archived article. See

Cockpit Deck and Central Hull Cavity Overhaul
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... epair.html

Another very nicely done and nicely documented repair of the center deck section is explained with many illustrations in this two-part article, at

Under-deck Repairs On a 1985 OUTRAGE 22
by Jeff Rohlfing
PART ONE

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... store.html

OUTRAGE RESTORATION--PART TWO
by Jeff Rohlfing
REBUILDING THE DECK

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... tore2.html

jimh
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Re: 1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 13, 2022 6:55 am

Another aspect of the repair of a few soft spots in the deck: once you remove the center deck section and reveal the fuel tank cavity, the fuel tank, and all the fuel hoses, you may find that those elements may need attention as well. Projects like this can tend to grow into bigger projects.

At the least, with the deck removed the fuel hoses, particularly the fuel filler hose, should be carefully checked for integrity. In a 1986 boat, those rubber hoses will be 36-years-old. Check that the hoses show a clear indication they are suitable for alcohol fuels. In introduction of alcohol into gasoline fuel (usually in the form of ethanol) occurred around that same epoch. To prevent damage to rubber fuel hoses, the rubber in the hoses needed to be able to tolerate having gasoline-ethanol blended fuel sitting in the hoses for extended periods of time. The fuel hoses should be marked "Alcohol Resistant" on the outer jackets.

rjwilliams77
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Re: 1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby rjwilliams77 » Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:22 am

I greatly appreciate your response and attention to detail. I somewhat impulsively purchased the boat, but for less than $11,000 with a newer engine with fairly low hours, so I am not that concerned about repairs.

Q1: does the restoration need to be completed immediately?

Q2: can the repair be delayed for some time?

There were no other soft spots on the boat.

When I do go to repair, there was a T-top put onto the boat that is slightly loose so that would be a good time to get it fastened or removed.

Thanks again.

dtmackey
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Re: 1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby dtmackey » Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:35 am

rjwilliams77 wrote:Q1: does the restoration need to be completed immediately?

…there was a T top put onto the boat that is slightly loose…


I would address the repair when you have the time, but don't push it too far off as it will continue to get softer as the plywodd core rots away.

During the repair process it is highly recommended that any fastener (screw) that goes into the deck, be removed and properly bedded to prevent water intrusion into the foam over time.

On your model, I would remove the T-top as Boston Whaler boats of that vintage did not have much reinforcement in the hull to support a T-top.

Also, if you have the bow bollard [Samson Post], remove that and rebed with sealant (Boatlife sealant seems to be a favorite). Over time, the bollard leaks allowing water into the foam in the bow. It may not be a problem in warmer climates, but in colder climates, the foam freezes and expands causing buckles in the fiberglass skin. The repair then becomes invasive to remove the waterlogged foam.

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Once the foam in a Whaler is waterlogged, the repair process to remove and refoam is labor intensive and expensive.

D-

jimh
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Re: 1987 Outrage 18 Soft Spots in Aft Cockpit Deck

Postby jimh » Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:53 am

In the cockpit deck area you report as having soft spots, there are two circular pry-out deck access plates. Check the O-ring seals on those deck plates. For advice on replacement BECKSON circular pry-out deck access plates, see:

Replacement Deck Pry-out Access Plates
https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2406

If the pry-out plates are still in good condition, you may be able to just replace the O-ring seals.