Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bean Station
    Posts
    907

    ROTTED WOOD IN BOAT

    I went to tighten up a couple screws on my hotfoot the other night. The screws just kept turning with nothing to bite into. So I took out the hotfoot. There was a piece of 1/2-3/4" plywood that was fiberglassed into the floor and that is what the hotfoot sat on. I chipped away and little and opened up the fiberglass to find that all the wood under it was completely rotted out (all dry, not wet wood).

    I do think that the root cause of this was due to someone before me putting in a carpet job that had no business doing so. I always noticed water would gather and sit in that area. So I think that has the most reason to this. They blocked all the drains (under the driver and passenger seat).

    There are no other soft spots in any part of the floor. But I can't help but be concerned about the other wood in my boat.
    How can I look to see if anything else may be rotted out of need of repair/replacement?

    I have been working a lot in the battery compartment and know that all of that (from what you can see when lifting the locker lid) is dry and sturdy.
    The motor/transom does not flex when I put my weight on the motor when checking it. But that is all the checks I know to do as of right now.

  2. Cobra Boats Moderator Backlash Ar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Mountain Home, AR
    Posts
    16,951
    #2
    Have you removed the batteries and opened the "hatch door" underneath them? If not, when you open the "hatch door" it will expose the innards of the hull and stringers. Use a flashlight and look for any dark discolored areas. Get a prodding type tool and poke at any discolored area you can reach to see if that area is soft (which wouldn't be good). All the wood in your Cobra should have been encased in fiberglass to prevent any type of rotting due to water intrusion (boats were made that way for years and years and performed very well) but as you found out...man made holes for whatever reason that are not sealed properly can lead to water intrusion getting to the wood and over time it rots. One of the biggest areas for rot is the front deck due to when people install a recessed trolling motor pedal but failed to seal the wood in the deck where they cut a piece out and then just screwed their recessed tray down and left it like that. From what you say, it sounds like the rest of your boat/hull should be ok except for that area where a poor carpet job created your current problem with the hot foot.


    I thought I would be on Easy Street by now but somehow I missed the off ramp!

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Metairie, LA.
    Posts
    127
    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by BigBassCtchr101 View Post
    I went to tighten up a couple screws on my hotfoot the other night. The screws just kept turning with nothing to bite into. So I took out the hotfoot. There was a piece of 1/2-3/4" plywood that was fiberglassed into the floor and that is what the hotfoot sat on. I chipped away and little and opened up the fiberglass to find that all the wood under it was completely rotted out (all dry, not wet wood).

    I do think that the root cause of this was due to someone before me putting in a carpet job that had no business doing so. I always noticed water would gather and sit in that area. So I think that has the most reason to this. They blocked all the drains (under the driver and passenger seat).

    There are no other soft spots in any part of the floor. But I can't help but be concerned about the other wood in my boat.
    How can I look to see if anything else may be rotted out of need of repair/replacement?

    I have been working a lot in the battery compartment and know that all of that (from what you can see when lifting the locker lid) is dry and sturdy.
    The motor/transom does not flex when I put my weight on the motor when checking it. But that is all the checks I know to do as of right now.

    I just got rid of my 2000 Cobra when I found the exact same thing while removing the hotfoot to change carpet. My stringers/bulkheads were completely gone, hopefully yours aren't. Easy way to check the long stringers is to remove the floor drain and see if those stringers are still solid. Cobra didn't put any glass on the underside of the floor, so while I hope for you that it is just that piece of floor, mine wasn't so lucky.
    2006 Stratos 200 Pro XL