Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

metalmanbc2000

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2009
Messages
30
I started to gut my floor today and found that I have fiberglass stringers. before i started to tackle this job i looked around on the website at floor repair and couldn't find anything like this. the stringers are completly cracked and rotten and have zero strength left in them. I was wondering if anyone has encountered this before and what the best plan would be.
 

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Fisherball

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
470
Re: Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

This should probably be in the Restoration forum. You'll find more than you can read in that forum about the fun of fixing that hull.
 

86 century

Ensign
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
986
Re: Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

My century was just like that. It's not as bad as it may seem just take your time and a lot of pics and messure every thing. Make a sketch of the layout so you will know where things go. Good luck
 

JimMH

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
361
Re: Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

Go to the restoration forum lots of threads with lots of pictures, you can get lost for hours. Ask any question and those guys can tell you what to do. Very adictive though!
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Re: Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

just hold on for a bit... a mod will move this thread to the resto forum soon
 

mrlassi1

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
97
Re: Started gutting floor. Fiberglass stringers

Think of your boat as just a plastic outer hull - you need to strip everything rotted out of the inside. To be clear - your stringers are probably wood wrapped in fiberglass (or at least partially wrapped). Get yourself some power tools like a reciprical saw (buy the best metal cutting blades you can afford) and a die grinder cutting tool. I use a dremil with a plastic cutting disc for areas where you need to cut close to the hull glass. A side grinder with an aggressive sanding disc will clean up things and "tooth" up the remaining glass so that the repairs will adhere well. Take time to measure everything so that you can rebuild it correctly. The forum has some incredible threads and great advice. I would have never known about the availability (and advantages) of using epoxy over fiberglass resin had it not been for the iboats forum. My current project is all gutted and waiting on warmer weather to proceed. Although I did cut a new stringer last weekend and tested it's fit. I plan on encapsulating the plywood (all sides) with expoy before installing the new stringers, bulkheads, and floors.

Good luck. I love this stuff - it's like therepy (and almost as economical)
 
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