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I have sentimental attachement to my 1978 Montauk 17 that has been progressively sitting lower in the water, I recently cut out a 6" port on the deck near the transom to inspect, the foam is soaked and so is the 1/2", there was some free clear water (1/4") that was vacuamed up and has since not returned. Note" boat has not been in the water in 2023, just unwrapped after winter stored at Marina.

The hull is not showing any visible damage or water dripping out when stored on a trailer. I have been searching the site for intel on foam replacement, my initial thought was to cut out the main deck, instal stingers, replace foam and 1/2", reglass & gel coat new deck.

Has anyone tried this or is this a Whaler "no go", any links or advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.

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You don't need stringers.

Most people who cut the floor find water in very limited areas and regret making the job so much bigger than needed.

Don't cut the floor.

Weigh the boat to get a sense of the weight.

Remove all the drain tubes and seal the holes with epoxy before installing new drain holes.

Seal every screw hole in the deck and gunnel with marine sealant (not adhesive).

Cut small holes where you have indicator there is water and then dig out the foam leaving the skins in place.

Use 4lb expanding foam.

Don't overthink it.

Questions?

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Thanks Phil - I will go with your advice, there's enough maintanence work to be done on the boat annually without pulling the deck.