# Carolina Skiff Front deck



## Guest (Feb 1, 2020)

I am willing to bet the core in that deck is failing. They used to use small 4”x4” or 6”x6” blocks of plywood for core and just throw some chop over that. The core then gets a screw hole in it and water begins to migrate inevitably rotting it out. I would take a much closer look before moving forward.


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## nburhans (Jan 18, 2020)

Will defend get


Boatbrains said:


> I am willing to bet the core in that deck is failing. They used to use small 4”x4” or 6”x6” blocks of plywood for core and just throw some chop over that. The core then gets a screw hole in it and water begins to migrate inevitably rotting it out. I would take a much closer look before moving forward.


Will definitely get a better look. It feels really solid, but I’m sure that can be deceiving. Will have to pull the deck off to tomorrow and get a better look. Hopefully the deck is solid underneath, and sitting in dry dock for three years in Florida weather just caused the gel coat to fail. (Lol can that even happen?!) boat was completely redone, and immediately sold. The guy that purchased it had it put in a boat storage building for three years.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

I've got a CS with similar decks, and mine are pretty much solid plywood with glass. I've not cut the front deck, but I did a cut in the back deck and it was 3/4"ply with glass top and bottom....and hard as heck! I haven't had any cracking issues front or rear.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Why does that gel or finish look so thick? Is it?


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2020)

Capnredfish said:


> Why does that gel or finish look so thick? Is it?


Give a low paid laborer a squirt gun and this is what happens!


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Capnredfish said:


> Why does that gel or finish look so thick? Is it?


I don't know why, but the finish is thick. I'll admit, I don't know hardly anything about boat construction. How do you tell the difference between gel coat and fiberglass? Is gel the actual finish instead of paint over fiberglass?....you don't know if you don't axt.....


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2020)

fishnpreacher said:


> I don't know why, but the finish is thick. I'll admit, I don't know hardly anything about boat construction. How do you tell the difference between gel coat and fiberglass? Is gel the actual finish instead of paint over fiberglass?....you don't know if you don't axt.....


Yes sir


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Cool...so it's thick gel. I still don't know why. But you may be right, cheap labor and a squirt gun.


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## nburhans (Jan 18, 2020)

I finally got around to removing the deck to get a better look at it. The wood has been replaced at some point with plywood and re-glassed. The wood is rock solid with no rot at all. For some reason the deck did not adhere well to the plywood. It looks thick because the delaminated part is the original deck and gel coat(s) coming up from the glassed plywood. It’s only happening in the center. Not sure what to do from here.


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## nburhans (Jan 18, 2020)

More pictures. The black spots on the underside are more on top of the glass. You can tell it’s fiberglass and Gelcoat on top of the glassed plywood.


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