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EDITED for misspellings!
Also what I forgot to say is that below is what I would do if the cause is delamination and voids that are not soaked and punky substrate. Basically mostly whole goods but not intact anymore. If what you find is punky, like wet gypsum board then that's a different fix, in one way it can get easier to do -- depending of course -- but more involved.
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Look this isn't rocket science so try not to over worry about it. The cure reaction isn't that much with moderate and unnoticeable using small amounts -- and even if larger it isn't going to melt your cockpit sole.
You're not doing a critical structural repair -- it's structural in a sense but not like a hull or shaft log repair. So a little learning experience is fine. There is something I find so satisfying about epoxy work (and frankly drilling and cutting fiberglass when doing well-planned mods and repairs -- very sick, I know -- It's like a satisfaction of cheating the manufacturer and doing something not designed-in.)
Anything that mostly fills voids or re-tacks together separations will be a WIN for this. Perfection is unnecessary.
I recommend Mas (which is an easy mix ratio using 3-oz plastic or paper bathroom cups to measure. I actually prefer those because they are expendable and if you have epoxy cans left over the pumps tend to clog up or drip or get gummy and I am, quite frankly, not diligent about (read: lazy and hate) cleaning containers and epoxy tools. So very easy to pour a full- or half-cup fulls and toss em into a landfill.
Mix using plastic silverware or BBQ skewers or popsicle sticks. All throwaways, no muss no fuss. Yogurt cups work well, paper cups, plastic cups, restaurant plastic doggie bag trays (an excuse to take the Admiral to Applebees or call DoorDash) -- the lower/wider the epoxy the less heat and longer pot time in the tray. Use the smooth bottom tray not textured ones like a paint tray.) The deeper, more confined volume, the greater the heat during mixing and shorter pot time. (Think of a pilsner of brew (ok I'm conflating the work with the reward -- massive heat of reaction) vs. pouring that brew into a low baking tray (no heat -- but a waste of alcohol).)
Rotating several plastic yogurt or other cups can be reused -- when the epoxy film cures, pop out the old film and reuse it. When I was doing a bunch of fairing on the keel repair (photo) I used low Rubbermaid(tm) containers so I could mix, scoop, and lay it on with a throwaway 3" drywall knife (I have a natural ability for drywall finishing too -- another mental sickness.) I popped out the cured poxy and reused trays 10 times -- and still use ones left over from 1996.
ID each individual void or separated area and mark their boundaries. USE A DRILL DEPTH STOP to drill epoxy entry and exit holes (to expel trapped air and so you know when a void is reasonably filled. The number and spacing will depend on the size being treated but work from from one fill hole to another. USE A DRILL DEPTH STOP!! and the hole needs to be so the syringe fits tight so you can force in the mix. You can work from the center to the outside exit holes for small areas. USE A DRILL DEPTH STOP!!!
I recommend West microfibers additive. It's the best adhesive, folds into the mix easily, and is nearly as strucural as colloidal silica (which is PAIN to mix into resin/hardener.) Depending on the temps use slow hardener or if hot, keep the sole wet as a heat sink. If working from below you want it like a soft toothpaste (thick maple syrup) consistency so that it will flow but stay put until you can tape over each hole. Certainly less viscous is better to flow/saturate but harder to control. It's a compromise (imagine that, needing to compromise involving a boat.) If I were working from the top I would use unthickened mix. Experiment with how much (plastic spoons) of microfiber to add to a full cup of resin and half of hardener (4-1/2 oz total) for your consistency in your chosen container. Then check the pot time before it kicks (gels up.) That tells you how much you can mix for the temp that day depending on how quickly you can work. Use half that pot time so poxy can flow/fill and infuse before it kicks. It's not a race, no harm in not going as quickly as you possibly could. If you transfer the mixed poxy into a larger pan or mix in that pan you will increase the pot time (use it as a safety factor.)
You could work in succession for large areas by starting at holes on one end, filling until the next set of holes weep. Tape over the first hole, pump into the weep hole -- behind it is already filled, so more poxy will push to the next weep hole in that void. You just need to experiment and see with a trial or two what works best.
Immediately tape over filled holes w/ Frog or duck tape so they don't drip.
Wear safety glasses otherwise, IT WILL drip into at least one eye. Guaranteed. And no Buffett while you're doing this otherwise you'll be Parrot Heading along an acccompanyment and swallow a drip. Been there.
Buy plenty of Harbor Freight nitrile gloves and change often - you'll sweat like Mark Meadows in Georgia. Buy a dozen cotton gloves (cheap on Scamazon) you can wear them when not critical and won't sweat as much.
Now ask questions!!
PS: Everything above carries a standard 3-mile stern nav light guarantee.
If you are paranoid about tackling it I can tell you how to easily make a 2' x 2' mock-up to learn/test your skill in injecting, mix consistency, pot time, cure times, etc. but I don't think it's necessary.
Firstly I would like to offer my profound thanks for taking the time to write that, and even more to care enough to write it at all.
I apologize for being away from this topic for so long after all the help that has been posted here; life has gotten in the way.
It turns out we were due for a marine survey for insurance purposes. So we hired one.
The full survery is pending however the early results on the cockpit sole........were cockpit sole is fine. The surveyor watched the same video and got the same explanation as here.
I have no idea what to think at this point, and I'm not ruling out doing some drilling, as quite frankly I'm flabbergasted.
Assuming there is nothing wrong with the cockpit sole, this movement is then by design, and I didn't get a 'don't worry about it, that's normal' from Catalina.
I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm struggling to believe this is possible normal movement, and that the noise is simply dirt in the bushing.
We are doing the winter haul out next week, and it look like to do this 'investigative' work I'd have to pull the aft tank, which I'm running out of time to do this year. Maybe I can get to the right spot through the stern lazarettes.
I have also received the Ryobi moisture meter, and I'll give the cockpit sole once over as well.
KWKloeber, I'm more than happy to hear how to setup a test rig. My garage is heated well enough that I can work in it over the coming months, and I'd like to learn how to do this work!
