advice on deck hatch soft spot - 94 2655-gctid386957

[Guest]

I have just noticed a slight soft spot - 6" total - adjacent to the pull up hardware on my engine hatch, starboard side - right where all the traffic goes. When I press with my hand, there is a little flexing - no crack yet.

With the hatch open, looking from the bottom, I see that I am lucky that this area is NOT where the silver foam soundproofing is. Obviously water intruded through the pull up handle and rotted the (plywood?) inner material between the FG top and bottom. So, I need to kill the rot from creeping further, and fill the (now empty) space. My first BAD thought was to drill a small hole in the bottom side of hatch, and pump in spray foam - maybe it would harden to fill the gap. Buy maybe it wont. Would Sea Cast harden?

I dont want to rip apart the entire hatch for a 6" spot....in the middle of the season.

All advice welcome!

[2850Bounty]

This is a project that could be completed in one Saturday.

In addition, if your deck hatch is dipping or convex in the center (holding water), this can be corrected as well by removing the entire core from it, and replacing it. When done correctly, this will give the hatch the integrity it requires, and a new fresh convex shape to the top side.

Here's a thread that you may want to read.

Again..... this is if the core were to require this work.

If not..... repair the bad area only.

[richardson]

If it is just the area near the hatch pull you could remove the hardware and dry the area out, then use Git Rot to firm up the soft wood.