1977 Procraft 18' fish and ski hull repair

[rckmowery]

Well I purchased this boat with the understanding it had been garage kept and the Mercury 115 tower of power ran like a champ. First day out on the water the Mercury basically lost all power and needed a new power pak and stator. Motor has been repaired and now runs pretty decent. Next trip to the lake , the water was a little rough and every time I would hit a wake from another boat the drivers side floor would move like a had run over a log or something. when arriving home I noticed a hump in the floor under the drivers seat. So today I cut a 2' by 4' hole under the drivers seat to inspect what was going on. Well it was obvious that the boat had spent alot of time either kept outside in the elements or had been submerged. Long story short all the stringers are shot. So I plan on rebuilding the stringers and glassing them back in along with a new deck. I know this is going to be a tough project but I do like a challenge. I would appreciate any advice from the experts on here as to what weight cloth to use and what type of resin. Have done glass work on a smaller scale but nothing this magnitude. Pictures will be uploaded soon.

 

[jigngrub]

Your transom is probably mulch too so you should plan on that as well.

Don't you just love those deceptive sellers? I think they should be keel hauled by the new owner and the boat that was sold for "water ready".

 

[studioq]

Post lots of pictures here as you get into it.. Helps everyone get a better idea of what's going on.

 

[rckmowery]

Here are some photos from the work yesterday and today. I noticed some small strips under some of the glass cloth where the stringers should have been . They were all rotted of course like everything else. Do they need to be put back in for strength?

 

[rckmowery]

More photos..

 

[rckmowery]

More ..

 

[rckmowery]

What I got accomplished thus far..

 

[Woodonglass]

Welcome to iBoats!

You've got your work cut out for you. you need to remove all remnants of the stringer channels and grind the glass down smooth to the hull. As mentioned you should check the transom too. That big ole' tower of power will put a lot of torque on it and if it's got any rot in it it'll be flexing and going out soon enuf. If it is bad you'll prolly need to decapitate your boat to install a new transom. If that's the case you should take careful measurements of everything because the hull WILL flex and you'll need to ensure that it gets pulled back into it's original dimensions at the time you re-glass everything back in. It's not that difficult just something that you need to pay attention to. We'll be here to help you all during the process. Just keep asking questions and posting pics.

 

[rckmowery]

I have a couple questions...There were narrow pieces of wood under all the stringers..they were rotted like all the other wood of course but what was the purpose of these narrow strips? Secondly do these need to be replaced by the same width strip or can I use a wider piece of wood? Last question..What should I use for stringer material? I'm trying to get all material here by the weekend to start installing stringers...

 

[Woodonglass]

Not sure what the small pieces of wood are. Pretty sure they're NOT needed.
This link will give you some good info on your stringers...

Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms

 

[rckmowery]

Read the thread about the plywood decking and the PB, PL . Have no idea what PB and PL stand for. Can someone elate to what those terms mean. As for the decking and the stringers ..Had a local fiberglass boat repair shop tell me today to use pressure treated plywood for the decking and pressure treated lumber for the stringer material. Also said I had to use epoxy resin because the poly resin wouldn't adhere to the pressure treated material. I didnt think epoxy would work with the old poly on my boat...Appreciate some input from the experts on here as to deck material, stringer material and what type of fiberglass resin and cloth to use to glass in the stringers. Thanks,,,

 

[PitaBoat22]

Hi rckmowery. Just ran across your thread. While my boat is a bit smaller than yours, we are just about neck-n-neck in terms of this whole deck-stringer-bulkhead (and maybe transom) replacement business. I am going to follow your thread as it sounds like we have similar questions - and we're both getting expert advice from Wood. You can follow my thread at http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...6195-1983-invader-floor-repair-support-needed (although I am having problems posting to the thread at the moment). Also have YouTube vids athttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNfvN-HYTGB0AlkTszgdXGg.

 

[Woodonglass]

If you mean you read this link...Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms then I suggest you go back and read it again. The text clearly explains what PB is and it's usage. There's even a Link in the text ( the letters PB highlighted in Blue) that you can click that will take you to a video of how to make Peanut Butter filler/Glue. The link also discusses the recommended types of plywood to use and Pressure Treated is NOT one of them!!!!:blue: You'll get much better and more knowledgeable advice riight here at the Boat Restoration University (iBoats) than at any Boat Shop you can go to!!! Of course that's just this Old Dumb Okies Opinion!!!

 

[Rickmerrill]

On those small strips of wood under the stringers, your picture didn't work, not sure it would help us to see them, just saying. Maybe they used them as shims and just didn't bother to take them out? Anyway, as stated previously, you don't need them.

PL is PL Premium, a polyurethane construction grade waterproof glue that comes in tube. It,s handy to apply and available and was popular here for bedding stringers and such. Turns out it takes a long time to dry (at least 72 hours) and while it's drying it's off-gassing so it didn't work so well for fillets (bubbles up) and caused some problems with PB fillets from off-gassing. Most seem to be recommending PB over PL.

Pressure treated wood comes out wet and it takes a long time to dry it yourself to the proper moisture levels - and it will be warping while it's drying. Epoxy and polyester resins won't stick to wet wood. There is a kiln dried version but not sure any DIY's can buy it. And wood is wood, if it gets wet and stays wet (which it will sandwiched between fiberglass or wet foam) mother nature will eventually win. So, most here depend on our ability to properly seal the wood we use and then take care of our boats by keeping water out of them. Covered, bow up, drain plug out. External grade ply (waterproof glue) is fine if properly sealed knots and edges, MDO or Arauco has fewer voids and more plys so you'll spend less time filling knots and edges, quality marine ply should have no voids and more plys so you shouldn't have to fill any voids. But, do you want to spend that much $$ on a $2000 boat? So, you pick your price point.

Epoxy vs poly - Epoxy will stick to poly but not the other way around. Your boat was built with polyester resin. Epoxy is a great glue and somewhat less water permeable than poly but it is over twice as expensive and takes longer to cure. Nothing wrong with using either one so again pick your price point.

 

[rckmowery]

Thanks for the good advice and redirection back to the link on PB. I watched the video and now know how to make peanut butter! Now need to find a supplier local that has in stock Aruaco . I've called a couple places and no luck so far. Even having trouble finding MDO. Also need a supplier for the other needed materials. CSM..6 oz. cloth...17 oz. cloth..6" biaxial cloth , cabosil..chopped glass..and of course polyester resin. Any help in this area would be appreciated.

 

[Woodonglass]

Where are you located?

 

[rckmowery]

Evansville, IN. Found MDO plywood at menards tonight . Same price as marine plywood. Still looking for a supplier for all the other things I need to do the project. Went by the local NAPA and they have the resin by the gallon for 40.00. Very little selection on cloth and no cabosil to make peanut butter. So if I have to order online and have it shipped ...May not get a lot done this weekend.

 

[rckmowery]

Was watching Frisco Jarrets video on you tube this evening and he recommended not attatching the stringers directly to the hull of the boat. He used small pieces of foam to shim the stringers up off the floor . Is this necessary ??? hoping to get an answer soon..Starting Saturday on the stringer work. Thanks,

 

[Rickmerrill]

Yes you want to keep stringers about 1/4" above the hull to avoid creating hard spots.

 

[studioq]

In my boat the original builders mis-cut the stringers and went way beyond the 1/4 inch mark when bedding them in...