Ugh wet wood in Bigfoot
I recently bought a 2003 Bigfoot 10.5. The interior is in excellent condition. Seems to have barely been used. Generator has 30 hours on it. I paid the local Bigfoot dealer to inspect it before I boug...
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So the shell seal was definitely the source of my leak. I found all sorts of fun stuff under there. Missing fasteners (holes appeared filled by the butyl tape on backside). Did Bigfoot use gray butyl there, or was that part of a repair? About 1/3 of the fasteners didn’t have purchase at all. Around my leaky corner the screws were nuked. Maybe 40% diameter remaining, all the threads corroded away. The butyl tape was “normal” in most places, but then watery and oily in others. Never seen that before and not sure what caused it. Only a few fasteners were clean of corrosion, mostly towards the door (yay at least I have some dry spots). It looks like Bigfoot used a construction adhesive/sealant on the shell lap (beige colored) and the screws go into that stuff where there is not wood. That sealant appears to get rubbery and expand when it gets wet. It was bulging out of my leaky corner. I pulled some of it out while cleaning up the wet wood corner beam. Didn’t know what it was. Now I know.
I am pretty committed at this point to replace the entire shell seam. I really don’t want to use the crappy trim that it came with and I am not too worried about aesthetics. My thoughts are:
1. 316 stainless strip with countersunk holes and stainless screws bonded to shell with either 4200 or 4000UV (hopefully it is never coming off again).
2. Get it all cleaned up, install stainless screws, take it to the boat yard and have them glass the entire seam and finish with gel coat. This will look a little weird and cost more, but imagine that, a 1-piece shell. Throw a transom on there and mount a 30hp and she’ll be ready to go fishing.
If 1, I will fill the holes with thickened epoxy so that I don’t need to worry about new holes lining up with the old ones.
Any other ideas for how to re-finish the shell seam?
I am pretty committed at this point to replace the entire shell seam. I really don’t want to use the crappy trim that it came with and I am not too worried about aesthetics. My thoughts are:
1. 316 stainless strip with countersunk holes and stainless screws bonded to shell with either 4200 or 4000UV (hopefully it is never coming off again).
2. Get it all cleaned up, install stainless screws, take it to the boat yard and have them glass the entire seam and finish with gel coat. This will look a little weird and cost more, but imagine that, a 1-piece shell. Throw a transom on there and mount a 30hp and she’ll be ready to go fishing.
If 1, I will fill the holes with thickened epoxy so that I don’t need to worry about new holes lining up with the old ones.
Any other ideas for how to re-finish the shell seam?
