[C320-list] cabin top leak/rotted balsa core

[Earl Engelmann]

We sold our C320 a year ago and are no longer members. How do I get off the email list?
Earl

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________________________________
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> on behalf of Bill & Kay- Diversion via C320-list <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 4, 2023 7:33:04 AM
To: c320-list at catalina320.com <c320-list at catalina320.com>
Cc: wdoc1 at aol.com <wdoc1 at aol.com>
Subject: [C320-list] cabin top leak/rotted balsa core

Shipmates-
I re-bedded the plate for the starboard mainsheet turning block mid-season last summer after identifying that as the source of a recurring leak.
While the boat is on the hard/shrink-wrapped, I've begun to open the area up and clean out the underlying balsa core which appears to have rotted as evidenced by a subtle 3 inch area of depression of the deck.
I used a hole saw to create 1" openings in the headliner and topside fiberglass, then used a bent screwdriver to remove wet balsa from the surrounding ~4 inch diameter area, hoping it will dry out over the rest of the winter.
An extensive on-line search yielded many different approaches, ranging from 'use a moisture meter and remove the entire section of glass and remove every bit of wet core' to 'drill a few holes and inject expanding foam and epoxy.'
I've decided to try using a combination of heat from inside the cabin and a vacuum pump sealed to the topside. Assuming this will extract enough moisture I plan to then fill the void with thickened epoxy. However, this will not correct the subtle 3" diameter depression of the topside deck/non-skid, and I wonder if it's possible to heat this, then push it back up from below?
Anyone else been through this? All ideas/suggestions are welcome.
Thank you in advance!
Bill McConnell2000 C320 DIVERSION