1985 Montauk 17 Soft Deck

[tiger9601]

I'm considering purchasing a 1985 Montauk 17. I noticed that the sloped sections on the cockpit deck below either side of the anchor locker are spongy and soft. I'm a big guy at 280-lbs, so that may play into it, but there seems to be a slight give to the floor.

The hull has no damage. A few bolt holes in cockpit where a seat or a trolling motor was removed that may have leaked. This would only explain soft areas on starboard side.

[Phil T]

Photos would be helpful.

May need to do some serious repairs or something simple like Inject-a-Deck.

[tiger9601]

Thanks Phil.

Part of my challenge is there's not a lot to see; there are no cracks in the soft deck area.

[jimh]

A seller of a boat that needs a repair will often have the attitude that the buyer should buy the boat as-is and the buyer will make the repair. The problem with that approach is the repair may not be very simple or very inexpensive or even be limited to just the obvious problem.

A better attitude to have as a buyer is to tell the seller you are interested in the boat, but only after the seller has the repair work done at his expense and to your satisfaction.

Buying a boat that exhibits an obvious defect should be done with caution. What might appear as a “simple fix” could actually become a more expensive and more extensive repair.

[Phil T]

Tiger -

With bare feet assess the area.

Mark the out line of the area with some non-white colored string or your bow line and snap a photo.

How soft? How much deflection?

I am wanting to know if it is an area where there is wood reinforcement or not.

The size of the softness will help me give specific advice on product and techniques.

[jimh]

If you decide to buy the boat with soft deck areas, please update the thread so more advice can be offered on repair methods once you can really investigate the cause more closely as the owner than you can as just a possible buyer. Most sellers won’t let buyers start to tear into the deck of an unsold boat.