Floor inside the cabin area

[Rusty5387]

Hello all! I have a 1993 V21 and thought I was in good shape when putting it in the water for this years season however I noticed some rotted wood inside the first storage hatch inside the cabin and then the other day the entire hatch cracked when it was stepped on. Is the entire floor in the cabin wood or fiberglass? Has anyone had any issues like this and if so what kind of changes or repairs did you make? Thanks in advance for any information!

[SkunkBoat]

not sure if you are asking about the "hatch" or the deck.

Assuming you have a cuddy. Earlier models had 2 plywood backed cushions covering the "porta-potty" compartment. Sounds like you had a one piece plywood cover there and that's what cracked? Or are you talking about the deck itself?

I replaced the covers to the porta potty space and anchor space with 1/2 inch starboard. Rounded the edges with a router.

[Rusty5387]

Sorry about the bad description. It was the hatch over the storage area where the porta potty goes. That wood seems to have rotted and it finally collapsed in. My questions is, are the covers for the storage areas the only wood inside the cuddy or is the entire floor inside made of wood that I need to be concerned about the rest of it rotting?

[Cam]

Just the covers are wood. The rest is fiberglass.

[Destroyer]

But be aware that under the deck there is a layer of wood that is glued on to the bottom of the fiberglass for structural strength. If that wood is allowed, over time, to get wet and not be dried properly it will eventually rot and you will get soft spots on your deck where you walk. You can prevent this or at least slow it down considerable by opening all your deck hatches when the boat is not being used and allowing air to circulate under the deck to dry the wood. I know several persons, including myself, that go as far as placing a small fan into one of the hatches at one end to force air thru the underside area and out the other end.

[Rusty5387]

Thanks for the advice guys. Sounds like I'll be making new covers out of starboard for the boxes in the cabin. And thanks for the advice on the wood under the deck. So far no soft spots and Im a big guy so I would notice them but I will keep an eye on it. Thanks again