Stringer Repair ?

[joepcdr]

What's the verdict on the Prisma Composite stringers? They fairly affordable and easy to install. I figure there's got to be some sort of catch or gotcha.

 

[Woodonglass]

Don't think I recall anyone on the forum who has actually used em. Maybe you'll be the first. What IS the cost???

 

[joepcdr]

Don't think I recall anyone on the forum who has actually used em. Maybe you'll be the first. What IS the cost???

After the rain here stops I need to go out and re-measure for an exact quote. But it looks like to be around $25 for a 4 foot section. Now I did ask because they didn't look like they had enough material to screw a wood deck to. Basically they came back and said you don't use screws you use something called deck putty. I've never heard of the stuff myself. But it looks to me if someone went this route they'd have to put a layer of glass on top of the plywood and tab it out to the sides of the hull to help keep in in place.

 

[ondarvr]

They work fine, but are pricy, so not many people use them.

​Deck putty, is just putty, you can make it or buy it

​You would normally glass over the plywood and tab it to the hull, nothing out of the ordinary there.

 

[isaacs]

Perhaps a different approach...

You say the stringers are bad only at the top. If that's true, perhaps you could cut off the top inch or two using a circle and reciprocating saw. This would give you a flat surface of good wood to glue and screw another piece of appropriate wood onto to bring them back to their original height. Think 1 x 2, maybe hardwood. You could then rough and clean up the sides with a belt sander and glass some plywood onto the sides for extra strength.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Perhaps a different approach...

You say the stringers are bad only at the top. If that's true, perhaps you could cut off the top inch or two using a circle and reciprocating saw. This would give you a flat surface of good wood to glue and screw another piece of appropriate wood onto to bring them back to their original height. Think 1 x 2, maybe hardwood. You could then rough and clean up the sides with a belt sander and glass some plywood onto the sides for extra strength.

The stringers might only be "bad" at the top, but if they are rotting at the top, I can almost guarantee that they are waterlogged a fair bit farther down. Glue doesn't stick well to wet wood... And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the stringer gets "bad". The solution is to get all of the compromised wood out, and replace it with something new. Most people here use all new wood, because it works well, and costs less than the other options.

 

[Redding Boater]

I am installing a new transom and stringers in a 1986 Beachcraft/ reinell cuddy cabin that i purchased last summer. A TON of work. Hardest part is demolition and sanding down the hull and bilge paint. Materials about 1K. If you love the boat, go for it!

 

[joepcdr]

The stringers might only be "bad" at the top, but if they are rotting at the top, I can almost guarantee that they are waterlogged a fair bit farther down. Glue doesn't stick well to wet wood... And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the stringer gets "bad". The solution is to get all of the compromised wood out, and replace it with something new. Most people here use all new wood, because it works well, and costs less than the other options.

I agree on your view regarding the rotted wood. The more I dig into this the more I learn. I was reading a situation to where a guy had a stringer that was partly rotted and was able to get rid of the rot and sister another stringer to it. I'm not sure how it worked in the long run. But I'm almost getting the impression that stringer replacement is somewhat flexible in terms of the materials that can be used as long as it's not a supporting structure.

Which brings me to my next question how does one identify what is and isn't a supporting stringer on a fiberglass boat?

 

[joepcdr]

They work fine, but are pricy, so not many people use them.

​Deck putty, is just putty, you can make it or buy it

​You would normally glass over the plywood and tab it to the hull, nothing out of the ordinary there.

I had a guy from the tech support email me back on my questions. I've put in a request for a sample of the material. I'd be curios to see if they honor that request. If they do I'll let you all know.

 

[joepcdr]

Perhaps a different approach...

You say the stringers are bad only at the top. If that's true, perhaps you could cut off the top inch or two using a circle and reciprocating saw. This would give you a flat surface of good wood to glue and screw another piece of appropriate wood onto to bring them back to their original height. Think 1 x 2, maybe hardwood. You could then rough and clean up the sides with a belt sander and glass some plywood onto the sides for extra strength.

I was reviewing another forum and this same idea was mentioned as well.

 

[ondarvr]

I was reviewing another forum and this same idea was mentioned as well.

Not a good plan.

 

[joepcdr]

I did find one idea that I am liking problem is I know it will add a bit more weight to the boat. I'm see where guys who have had to start over like me have gone through and added bulkheads to give more strength to the deck. This might be something I explore further.

 

[Woodonglass]

Stringers are NOT there for deck support. They are there to give the hull strength and rigidity. ALL stringers in a boat hull are structural. They ARE the backbone, ribs and cartilidge of the hull. As as previously stated, they keep the hull from flexing and breaking apart. Waves and wakes put a tremendous amount of stress on the hull. I'd highly recommend doing a standard stringer replacement and be done with it. You'll spend less time and money in the long run and have the added assurance that the boat is seaworthy.

 

[ondarvr]

I did find one idea that I am liking problem is I know it will add a bit more weight to the boat. I'm see where guys who have had to start over like me have gone through and added bulkheads to give more strength to the deck. This might be something I explore further.

​Nothing failed in the original design, even after the wood started to rot, so what are you going to gain by redesigning it.

You seem to be overthinking this project, just rebuild it the way it was and it will be fine for a few more decades.

 

[joepcdr]

​Nothing failed in the original design, even after the wood started to rot, so what are you going to gain by redesigning it.

You seem to be overthinking this project, just rebuild it the way it was and it will be fine for a few more decades.

My problem is I'm not the first person to ever to have worked on this boat. In its previous life somebody else has made attempts at replacing the deck etc. I can't even find a picture of what the original deck would of looked like. So I'm going off of what I think it should look like.

 

[ondarvr]

While the shapes of small boats vary a bit, the build methods are all about the same, so find a thread with a similar boat and use that as an example of what to do.

 

[Woodonglass]

I TOTALLY agree!!! If you'd post some pics of the current stringer system It would be SOOOOOOO much easier for the People who have done this kind of work to help guide you to the proper solution. The Hull WILL have signs of what was originally done at the factory. Those who've been there and done it will KNOW these sign.!!!

 

[Carpenter2486]

if i was you, i would take Woodonglass's advice. he has been guiding me very well threw my rebuild and the rebuild process of cutting stringers out and re fiberglass . it seems like a big job but it is very rewarding when you start to see progress and it is fairly straight forward. don't cheap out of take the "" fast way out " do it right and make it to last. or else you will have a lot of wasted money. as well i have not worked with ondarvr but his comments are very much knowledgeable also. .

 

[joepcdr]

No Title

This is a picture I took after removing the deck. I will tell you I pulled out enough crap to fill up the back of my truck and everything just had this funk to it. Kind of smelt like somebody dumped a bucket of stink bait at one point.

 

[Dimastatis]

I just did a similar job to my boat a 1972 starcraft fiberglass model runabout. The original fiberglass around the wood stringers was still in tact but the wood core was completely mulch. After further digging around my transom was rotted as well. So I went ahead and just started from scratch, since then I installed a new 1 1/2 in. wood core transom glassed with 1708biax and epoxy, installed new wood stringers with thickened epoxy and glassed with 1708biax. Poured new foam, new 3/4 in.deck glassed with 1708biax. I decided to convert this boat to a center console so I removed the cap, made new gunnels, put in a casting deck and a new splashwell with 2 side boxes on each side for batteries, etc.... it hasn't been easy and did not have any experience doing this but with the help of youtube and these forums I picked and choose the best advice and ran with it. Now I should be painting this baby soon.