Chase hull sides have wood?!

[Drew61199]

EDIT: Further research I've found specifically names Marlins and Sailfish (both larger boats than Chase, but not by much), so I'm still curious. If it does have balsa coring, is it structural? How thick is the balsa compared to inner & outer glass?

2000 Chase 263 is my specific boat. Stumbled across a thread that mentioned coring in hull sides (generic and someone mentioned they thought it was "all 8'6" beam boats).I'd expect it on interior walls, but not exterior (running surface). Just curious

 

[Drew61199]

bump

 

[DennisG01]

I do not know. But if I was asking this question I'd want to know definitively. Call Grady - you'll have your answer in just a couple minutes.

 

[seasick]

As far as I understand, older Grady hulls were all made with solid fiberglass below the water line. Some have balsa coring above the water line. The transoms are a different story and typically were cored with wood. I can't say if it is always the case but the balsa I've seen in pictures looks like it is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. I do not know if Grady uses composites in the newer hulls but I would think they do

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I know that on my particular boat, a 2004 GW 228 Seafarer, when I was adding some Burnewiin mounts to the gunwales that there was definitely some kind of wood in there. I believe in 1997 Grady White switched from marine grade plywood to a product called Greenwood XL and I'm assuming that was used on the gunwale area, but I'm not positive. I did look darker in color like it was coated with something, I'm assuming so that it doesn't rot as easily, but it was all dry when I added the Burnewiin mounts to them. As far as wood in the rest of the boat, I believe it wasn't up until about 2015 or so to where GW went completely timber free in their boats? Though again, I'm not 100% on that.

 

[SeanC]

I know that on my particular boat, a 2004 GW 228 Seafarer, when I was adding some Burnewiin mounts to the gunwales that there was definitely some kind of wood in there. I believe in 1997 Grady White switched from marine grade plywood to a product called Greenwood XL and I'm assuming that was used on the gunwale area, but I'm not positive. I did look darker in color like it was coated with something, I'm assuming so that it doesn't rot as easily, but it was all dry when I added the Burnewiin mounts to them. As far as wood in the rest of the boat, I believe it wasn't up until about 2015 or so to where GW went completely timber free in their boats? Though again, I'm not 100% on that.

Timber in my 2006 228 gunwales as well.