This intricate looking set of holes is where one of two fittings for the Wanderer's jib sheet turning blocks. This is the starboard side deck of Canto. The fittings are female threaded, diamond-shaped castings that receive a hefty screw-eye attached to a large turning block.

Neither of the two surveys (pre-purchase - 4/98 or insurance post-incident - 9/04) showed any substantial migration of water in the deck molding. There was no indication, from either moisture meter or soundings, that there was any general damage to the deck's balsa core. Rather, water damage seemed to be localized around some of the fittings.

The shop crew refitted the fitting after gelcoating the deck. I decided to see what, if anything, they had done with the balsa coring around this hole, as I was pretty sure the fittings, port and starboard, had never before been removed. Upon removing the fitting I found lots of dry, flaky balsa. It really would have paid dividends for former owners of this boat to have removed and rebedded these fittings in earlier years. Anyway . . .

I reefed out the old balsa as far out as I could reach in all directions with a stiff wire. I then vacuumed and blew air into the resulting cavity, then took this photo. I then sealed the bottom of the holes and filled the cavity with filled epoxy.

Each hole in the entire deck and cabintop has been treated in this way. It's been a long but not arduous process and I feel a lot better about the whole boat since doing it.