At What Size Range Are Hulls Fully Cored?
03-17-2014, 04:24 PM
#11
Registered
It Varies by Builder "And" By Year. I Re-cored a 1967 Donzi 18 Triple Hatch, the Hull had no core, The deck was cored with Plywood. Some Builders did both (Cored/Non Cored) depending on the Buyer. Buyers could Pick core type or No Core at all. Coring actually makes a Stiffer Panel with less weight. Solid Glass will take more of a beating without failing, But at the cost of extra weight.
Last edited by fastdonzi; 03-17-2014 at 07:56 PM.
03-17-2014, 06:27 PM
#12
Gold Member
Gold Member
The 24 Superboat I used to own had coring in the deck and bottom, but not the sides. When you banged on the sides it sounded real thin. I asked the builder about it and he said that coring in the sides was not necessary.
I bought the boat when it was 3-4 yr. old, and kept it for 10 years. I tortured that boat and it didn't have a single stress crack in it when I sold it. The 24 Super is lighter than some of the other 24X7's, subsequently faster.
I bought the boat when it was 3-4 yr. old, and kept it for 10 years. I tortured that boat and it didn't have a single stress crack in it when I sold it. The 24 Super is lighter than some of the other 24X7's, subsequently faster.
03-17-2014, 08:08 PM
#14
Registered
if the deck and liner are balsa cored you absolutely need to worry about rot, balsa is wood. I have seen it scooped out like wet sawdust
Boats without wood come in many sizes, heck my neighbor just bought a 17 ft bow rider with zero wood.
Boats without wood come in many sizes, heck my neighbor just bought a 17 ft bow rider with zero wood.
This kind of goes along with some of the other build threads going on right now. I have a 2005 22 Donzi Classic. Actual length of hull is 22' 6". The hull is solid glass and has held up well to real off-shore use on the Great Lakes. I know that this makes for a heavy hull but I will never have to worry about rotten coring. The deck and liner are balsa cored. Transom is non-wood and stringers appear to not be wood also. Now let's say we step up to a 24' off-shore type boat such as a Pantera, Superboat, Banana, etc. Do these all use fully cored hulls? I assume that anything bigger would have to be cored to keep weight down?
03-18-2014, 07:38 AM
#15
Registered
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
All interesting replies! It's highly unlikely that I will have water intrusion on my deck since everything is well sealed and stays relatively dry. I suppose the floor could get wet eventually but to me it seems that a wood cored hull is a ticking time bomb since it takes such a beating and it only takes a small crack to let the water in and it's mostly out of sight so not discovered until a lot of damage has been done. It is good to see composites being used more and hopefully we will eventually see most boats being wood free. I thought that most 24' + boats must be cored to keep weight down. I learned a lot from this thread.
03-18-2014, 08:05 AM
#16
Registered
A friend of mine is a builder of the talon 22 and jcraft slalom ski boats. Unless I misunderstood him I am pretty sure he says that balsa core is stronger but foam core is lighter. I think it all depends on the purpose of the boat.
For all round non racing a boat with no wood has to be the best. ALl you have top do is replace a floor , transor or stringers once to appreciate the value of a non wood boat or a boat with a "water proof" layup. Seems to me that a current laverycraft is the cream of the crop in terms of great glasswork.
For all round non racing a boat with no wood has to be the best. ALl you have top do is replace a floor , transor or stringers once to appreciate the value of a non wood boat or a boat with a "water proof" layup. Seems to me that a current laverycraft is the cream of the crop in terms of great glasswork.
All interesting replies! It's highly unlikely that I will have water intrusion on my deck since everything is well sealed and stays relatively dry. I suppose the floor could get wet eventually but to me it seems that a wood cored hull is a ticking time bomb since it takes such a beating and it only takes a small crack to let the water in and it's mostly out of sight so not discovered until a lot of damage has been done. It is good to see composites being used more and hopefully we will eventually see most boats being wood free. I thought that most 24' + boats must be cored to keep weight down. I learned a lot from this thread.
