The survey when we bought our boat showed 2 suspect areas for possible core issues: strip along the stbd side of the house, and an area behind the bow pulpit. I wanted to start looking into quotes for possible repairs, and decided to try some amature sounding to get an idea of possible locations and extent. I found areas with differnt degrees of sound, but started to notice they are, with one small exception, symmetric and all have linear or feature based edges. I can see the underside of the deck in the area behind the refrigerator recess. It is a limited area, but even in that limited space I found 4 obvious differences in the core thickness. The thickest core is in thwartship panels. In the visible area they are about 12" wide and spaced about 15 incles apart. The core appears possibly twice as thick as adjacent areas. This thick/thin pattern would seem to explain the sounding along the sides of the house where there are alternating 'heavy' and 'light' sounds. The next core thickness is the space between the thwartship thick regions and I believe could be the nominal thickness across most of the deck. The area where the surface changes from the smooth center of the deck to the non-skid border of the deck the core thickness visibly steps down, probably by 1/8" to 3/16". That also matches where the sound changes going from the smooth surface to the non-skid (which would sound different due to the surface texture as well). Finally the area of the toe rails appears to be likely not cored at all so thinner than the rest of the deck, which corresponds to the very hollow sound of the toe rails. Visible behind the dryer, the toe rail recess has a roughly 4" square wood beam where the cleats would tie into. So how to tell what is real? There is one obvious hollow sounding 6" roundish spot on the port side (which also flexes if I step on it). Beyond that it looks like I could explain all the differences I found by logical patterns of the deck underside reinforcements. The area from the survey behind the pulpit has an obvious lighter triangular space on each side with a thicker/more solid "panel" along the centerline. A side note, when they installed the new windless and cut through the 3" of core in the deck and pulpit the wood was all perfectly dry and looked 'like new' immediatly ahead of the area the survey found 'suspect' which he felt would extend under the pulpit. Is there any chance someone has a manufacturing photo of a Post deck upside down before installation? I would love to see what the thickness pattern is across more of the deck (but don't plan to drop the headliner in the stateroom). I have a call in to the best surveyor in the area to see if i can get him to survey the deck for a more trained second opinion.
Moisture meter would be a first check you can do yourself. Audio then thermal devices with an experienced operator are other tools. But let me ask; Is the deck in question soft? You could be on it, just tapping with a plastic mallet on these varying thickness decks may have just thrown the first surveyor off. Over 20 years ago, I noticed one spot on my for/port deck (high foot traffic) of our Bert when we purchased her. 15 years ago, I quit worrying about it. To date, Still has not moved, expanded, changed it's feel or sound. Just a lil void that has been there probably since she was built 45 years ago.
The only soft spot is the 6" circular one. I can hear it click/oil can if I step on it. One spot on the stbd side I noticed before survey sounded different, but I only checked a few places. Surveyor also checked with moisture meter but wasn't off the scale obvious like one of the Oceans we looked at, on it I could watch a spot at the bow flex when my wife pressed on it with her toe. Want to do due diligence for prevention, but not exploratory surgery LOL
Exactly like our one deck spot. All these years, No crack in the deck FRP, no changes at all. If your not planning on a paint job in the next year, sit back and learn your boat. Does that lil click stay the same in that time. Somewhere here on YF, an owner shows his picture history of repairing core damage on his bridge deck, fore deck and deck house. What a job. I would not wish that on most enemies. But it turned out great.
I found a post on the re-core of 46 Post deck, thanks. Interesting that in the photos I don't see the stepped core thickness that I can clearly see on mine on the accessible area underside. Also I can see the bolts from the forward cleats from inside the anchor locker on mine, not under the stateroom headliner like on the photos. Photos are a 1980 46 ft, mine is a 1989 43ft, so possibly they changed their deck core structure over the years. I'm going to do more looking around.
A couple pictures showing the underside of the foredeck. This location is just outboard of the aft port hatch.
From what do you get that? The brown paint is the same as is on the inside of all of the fiberglass in the boat.
Duct tape gives some of it away. Cable hangers also. Glass tabbing, paint application, wood batten/spacer and glue. Roofing Nails?? IMO, That is not factory. Are those white stains from salt or leaching from the resin?
I think the white is light mildew since the space is accessed from a normally closed off cabinet? The paint is in the back of all cabinets, anchor locker, and anywhere else you can see the inside of the hull so I'm pretty sure is factory. The wood blocks are in the cove of the otherwise hollow back side of the fiberglass toe rail, and is where the cleat mounts so I expect is the original doubler. It looks the same on the opposite side behind the dryer so either the whole boat was re-wired or it is probably original.
Not questioning, just asking. The white came off with a simple pre-wetted wipe. About the same on the wall and floor in that space. Doubt it has been cleaned for years (decades?) since not much reason to crawl into the cabinet to get to it. There is silver tape around the main wire bundle in other places so was used to that. Prior owner used nasty black tape so it wasn't him. Original owner I can't say. Since the deck doesn't seem soft anywhere (but looking for it I can find the location/edges of 'thick' sections elsewhere around the deck) so I'm going to leave it till next summer and then look for any changes. Thanks
Although my Post is older, I can verify the use of roofing nails here and there. I laughed at that when I first discovered one. No factory duct tape though. Same brown paint but they used a gray/white kind if electrical tape to wrap the wiring
Roofing nails is new to me. The furniture boxes in out 45 year old Bert was built in local Miami shops and back yards. Amazing how many different nails (not brad or finish) were used in the same bed box. Then brought to the boat yard and screwed into place.
Old Russel never threw anything out. Old monel ring nails from the wood Post boat days, good stuff and they hold quite well. Also had them on my old 1962 Matthews. My uncle had a 38' wood Post for many years which I spent a lot of time on . I know a little something about them. My 43 year old Ocean's decks are all still solid over all, and what I consider , dry. Give me a moisture meter and I'll find moisture on any boat. All boats have moisture somewhere. Just a bit overrated, a form of surveyor fear mongering I think. Now if the ''spot'' in question is flexing , soft, and squishy, you have a problem. Go enjoy your Post, just make sure all deck hardware bedding is in good shape. I think you are spot on with your sounding thoughts. Good job.
