GP14 Sailing Forums Forum Matching Deck Ply

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    • #9397
      mflynn1971
      Participant

      Hi I’m restoring 12900 a wooden series 1 that was left out with a dodgy cover from some years. A large part of the boat is in good nick. The fore deck starboard side is ruined however.

      I reckon redoing all the deck in a dinghy build in the epoxy era is a tortuous task and am inclined to replace the damaged section only. I have ‘gently’ tried on both the running strip and splash boards(with screws removed). Even with some hot air it seems like a difficult task that will be destructive to the coamings frames etc.. I’m considering routing out the offending panel to reduce collateral damage..

      Do I stand any chance of matching the look in a varnished boat. The plywood in the damages wet section is very easy to delaminate and crumble.. would this indicate it may not be marine ply in the first place or would several years of abuse cause this to marine ply. I have got to a clean piece of wood to determine exactly what gauge it is ye but think it is 5mm. My though is to get an accep[table piece fo the removed fore deck, strip and sand it and look for a match.. Is this naive?

       

      Regards

      Mike

    • #9398
      Oliver Shaw
      Moderator

      It seems that you have an “interesting” job on your hands.

       

      Thankfully I have never had to tackle that sort of a task,  but  from your description your reasoning seems sound,  and use of a router may well be a sensible way forward.

       

      I think it fairly unlikely that the original would not have been marine ply,  but not all marine ply is to the same standards,  and this boat seems to have suffered prolonged abuse.   My <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>guess</span>,  for several reasons,  is that the ply might be at the bottom end of the marine ply spectrum,  and very probably Robbins Elite.   That is not for one moment to denigrate a very good product;   but the manufacturers specify it with only a 15-year guarantee,  as contrasted with the 25-year guarantee of their more expensive Super-Elite and Super-Elite Plus.   Their Elite range is very popular for dinghy decks,  and is designed as a comparatively lightweight ply;  to quote their website,  “<span style=”color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;”>Due to its excellent strength to weight ratio, it is also very popular for dinghy construction and racing boat building.”</span>

       

      Since Robbins are possibly the biggest headline name in the marine ply manufacturing business,  my guess is that your deck may well be either their Elite or their Tiger-Elite;   the latter is effectively the same product,  but with a stripey sapele outer surface.    This may help you in finding a match.

       

      5 mm sounds a very likely thickness.   4 mm is the class minimum,  but a great many builders prefer 5 mm because it is that much stronger and less vulnerable,  and with modern timbers the boats are still coming out under weight even with 5 mm decks.

       

      Sadly I doubt whether you will ever achieve a perfect visual match,  if only because the existing deck will have faded over the years whereas your new insert will not.    However if you think it worth the effort you could get some way towards a match by stripping the existing varnish back to bare wood and power sanding (but only in moderation,  and with great care) to get through the worst of the faded wood.    But that will be a big labour …

       

      Hope this helps.

       

       

      Oliver

    • #9401
      mflynn1971
      Participant

      Thanks Oliver..Great information. I will get on to Robbins one I’ve cleaned back the ply to a finish i can photograph

      I do intend stripping back the entire deck with Nitromors and perhaps even some oxalic acid. While much of the wood seems sound the varnish was peeling and sun bleached in many places so a complete deck re-varnish is already on the cards.

      Its funny when I read accounts of some of the older boats that are restored that it seems at least easier to take them apart..I saw all at these references to whipping off and redoing the decks. Fat chance when I look under my side deck and see the copious amounts of ‘glue’. I tried heat direct on some drops of glue in hideaway places and it didn’t soften just slowly crumbled to a beeswax like quality..

      I’ve just removed all fittings and floor and am now  just really standing back and figuring out the least destructive path to a decent looking boat..

      Thanks

      Mike

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