That is not a safe assumption. We did extensive repairs to the core below the waterline on my Custom 42, including from the keel back and the keel forward. Arguably, water in these areas resulted from failing to isolate thru-hulls and the prop shaft strut. Two areas we did not consider, because there is no access point like a thru-hull, was amidships (port and starboard). When we completed the work, we put over 10 coats of barrier coat on the bottom.
About four years ago I noticed blistering amidships, both port and starboard. You would think this is impossible – there is no way water got through all those barrier coats. To access these areas, we needed to remove the water tanks on both sides and the diesel fuel tank (starboard). Our conclusion, after scratching our heads, was that constant condensation under the tanks for 45 years resulted in the core getting wet from the inside. The inside glass was very thin in much of these areas. There may be no bad balsa, but construction techniques can be a factor. And there is water, and there is time. Matt From: Hoyt, Mike via CnC-List <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2021 9:21 AM To: 'Stus-List' <[email protected]> Cc: Hoyt, Mike <[email protected]> Subject: Stus-List Re: Balsa core history There is no bad balsa. Only bad owners (or prior owners) I think it is safe to say that pretty much all water saturation of balsa is caused by poor bedding of fittings
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