70's Alaskan Hardtop overhaul

[Kootenay Troller]

Since this boat has supports glassed into the hull laid flat, and some of them were rotten....AND they were going up into the cuddy...... I had no choice but to pull the cuddy apart and cut the floor out up there too.....damn!!

We'll the port side stringer ended up being soft at the forward end!! So I guess it was good I did? The starboard side was nice though!

 

[Kootenay Troller]

One thing that has me scratching my head is the stringers arn't fiberglassed into the hull and in only a couple spots does it even look like they have and resin or fiberglass!! But they've lasted 33 ish years!!

The cabin foot well that I left in place seems to have foam poured underneath it and here is a small amount of foam under he stringers.

The stingers seem to be wicking up moisture from the damp foam under them.

I'm Leary to pull the footwell....but I guess I gotta!!!

 

[Kootenay Troller]

Should I gut the stringers and footwell completely and tab everything into the hull, add a second stinger, bulkheads and really beef it up or try and keep it he way the factory did it with foam as structural support and floating stingers???

 

[kcassells]

Use the basic design that was there and modify anywhere you feel requires the add'l strength. Good-Better-Best as I see it. Progress looks great!
Since your in there might as well replace and know you won't have to look back at it.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Let me know if you guys think this is a good rough water hull? Wet ride or dry? I'm liking the look of it personally!

With her wide flared bow and hard chines I think she'll be a good rough water boat. If the top of the gunnels drain overboard and there is drainage in the cockpit you'll have no problems taking breakers over the bow. Yeeha! eace:

You're really moving along! :encouragement: You're gonna need the foam in no time. :happy:

I think Kcassells is right, copy the existing placement of the stringers and beef it up where you think it needs it, if anywhere. I would bed in, tab, and completely glass over the stringers and bulkheads to the hull, but what do I know, :noidea:. This advice is based on what I've learned here on iboats by asking the same questions you are facing. Maybe some of the more knowledgeable folks will chime in helpful info.

 

[Kootenay Troller]

Thanks for the Reply Mike, I'm Leary about fiberglassing the stringers straight to the hull and creating shear points and hard spots that perhaps the hull wasn't designed for....as I mentioned the stringers have foam underneath them so that, and the fact that foam was obviously used as support for the hull lead me to believe the theory behind this boats design was to provide flexibility, movement and to absorb impact versus rigid stiff hammer! I don't know? Maybe I'm nuts.......unfortunately Reinell boats is no longer in production, company sold and a few of their new molds are being used by Campion.

Trying to find someone who use to work for Kal Kustoms back in the day!!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Well you said the PO did the transom, are you sure they or another PO didn't do the stringers at some previous date. The boat IS 40+ years old. I'm NOT a big boat guy, but it seems to me to be highly unusual to put water absorbing foam under a structural component of a 24' boat and then not to structurally tie it to the hull. Can't say as I have ever seen this done on any factory built boat. I've seen a LOT of shoddy work come from the factory but never seen a boat with all the stringers totally unattached from the hull. Most fiberglass hulls are designed NOT to flex. Flexing causes cracking and that's not a good thing. Bedding your stringers in thickened resin and then glassing them to the hull with biaxial fabric is, IMO, the optimum method for attaching your stringers to the hull. Some people like using epoxy and It does have better adhesive qualities and waterproof characteristics AND a Higher price tag. Your boat is made from polyester resin and rebuilding it with polyester resin will work just fine. VinylEster is the middle ground but any of them will work. I'd highly recommend attaching the stringers to the hull when you go back.

 

[Kootenay Troller]

OK so I removed the last bit of foam, just so happened to be the only piece of foam located on the inside surface of the stringers.....

The stringers are glassed to the hull on the inside only, and a gap that the pour foam filled, in the outside!!

The stringers are in very good shape overall and I can get a keyhole saw underneath the stringer to get the foam from underneath.... After that I can dry he small portion of the stringer that has wicked up water...

After that I'm thinking about repairing the stringer, and then bedding and sistering another identical stringer right to the existing with PL and clamps, after that is they both get glassed! I want to leave he footwell in place because I have every indication it is super solid.

I can say without a doubt that these stringers are factory original and that the transom work is the only thing done to this boat!

More pics to follow

 

[Kootenay Troller]

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Fiberglass attaching inside if stringer to hull

 

[Kootenay Troller]

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Small amount of pour foam under stringer

 

[Kootenay Troller]

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Foam dug out

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok, well in Post #22 you stated that the stringers weren't glassed to the hull but I guess you discovered that they were but only on the inside. That's kind of strange but it is what it is. It appears they intended for the foam to also do the job of supporting the hull as well as the stringer. That's ok but...If you don't totally encapsulate the wood in resin and glass and the foam becomes saturated you will have a problem. Fortunately it appears this is not the case for you. If it were me I would take the time to make PB fillets along the un-glassed side of the stringer and then tab them to the hull with a layer of 1708 if using Poly or a couple of layers of 8.5oz biax if using Epoxy and run the glass to the top of the stringer and 6" out onto the hull. Then fill er back up with 2# foam again. That's just me.

 

[Kootenay Troller]

Thanks for the input!.....Whatcha think about the sistering idea either with another 2x10 trimmed to fit or apiece of 3/4 marine plywood, I might have enough marine plywood left over from a transom I did last summer, then pack the PB under everything and tie in like you mentioned?

 

[Woodonglass]

YUP YUP YUP. It'll work just fine. Either method!!! Personally I Like the Plywood cuz it's stronger. Sister joint should extend a minimum of 18" either side of the butt joint and I'd recommend epoxy. Rough up both surfaces with 60 grit or scratch em real good with a nail so the epoxy can BITE!!! You'll be good to go!!!

 

[Kootenay Troller]

This will be a full length stringer sistered to the factory 2x10 so it should be plenty beefy.. Just gotta measure and make sure I got enough ply!

Thanks again

 

[Kootenay Troller]

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So I finished digging the foam out from under the stringers so they can dry out! I decided to cut open one of those "structural supports" that were fiberglassed on the flat..........Well they certainly weren't for rigidity.... I expected to see a disintegrated 1x4 or a piece of plywood but it ended up being parket end grain panels...........there was a sheet of mesh between the hull and the parket that wasn't adhered to the fiberglass, looks like a slip joint for flex!, Some advice on how to proced with these would be MOST appreciated!!!!!! It seems that with the lack of support the parket offers that the goal was the fiberglass channel that was formed around it! The parket is wet and soft but doesn't look rotten....the fiberglass overtop doesn't look very thick and was prett easy to cut through with an Olfa knife and keyhole saw! CPES? Leave it in place and just lay some more layers of fiberglass over top? Cut out and replace with ridged boards and re fiberglass? Thanks

 

[kcassells]

Was there a channel under that pc of parkay for water to flow back to the bilge area? Lots of boats used balsa, ply squares in the day. I would remove and redo in ply.

 

[Kootenay Troller]

No channel for the parket to drain back to the bilge!

 

[Woodonglass]

Yah, I'm thinkin that's endgrain balsa. That's typically what they used. Ifn' it was me, after you get the new "Sister Stringer" in glued and screwed in placed, I'd glass it in place like this...Are you using Poly or Epoxy? If epoxy, I'd use 2-3 layers of 8.5oz glass. This gives more bulk and better strength. Easier to work with too. NO CSM required with epoxy. If Poly NO CSM required if you use 1708 Biax. It has CSM sewn to the back of it. Instructions tell you what to do. BUT I'm a MAN so I usually don't read the instructions:faint2:

 

[Kootenay Troller]

Decided to ripp out the bilge today, there is that end grain balsa on the bottom of the hull too, oh joy joy!!
Might have to end up gutting the entire boat, I was hoping to keep the cabin step down but to do it right and get every ounce of water out of the boat.....geesh!!

On an interesting note, I ran into some end grain balsa today that must got a good coat of resin because although it was wet, it was as hard as a rock and bonded very well to the hull, unfortunately it wasn't enough to salvage!