1996 Chapparal 235XLC Stringers and Hull support

Jonesgw

Recruit
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
1
I purchased a 1996 Chaparral XLC last year because I needed a boat while I finished restoring my 1984 Century. It had professional work on the transom, stringers and a new 350 Magnum installed. Thought everything was redone now I found that more work is needed in the cuddy. Plywood on one side is totally rotted out along with stringer tabbed into hull. I would like to limit my demolition to this one area since everything else seems to be solid with new cushions carpet etc. Does anyone have any dimensions or information how the stringer ties in to bulkheads under dash for this boat? I'll use West System and marine grade plywood for repair.
 

gilliac

Cadet
Joined
Nov 27, 2011
Messages
22
Re: 1996 Chapparal 235XLC Stringers and Hull support

I had a 1995 2335 Chaparral which I bought from the original owner in '97. My kids grew up in the thing and we really enjoyed it. But several years ago I found the floor rotted out and started to repair it. I found it was built with untreated plywood with no epoxy. Just bare plywood assembled with carbon steel staples. I replaced the floor and removed the tank and scabbed onto the stringers in the area forward of the cross panel just forward of the engine. I knew this didn't get all the rot but I wanted to get the boat ready for the summer.

The next fall I pulled the 454 and Bravo drive and considered completely replacing the full length of the stringers and all the decking, including the cabin. After seeing how much work that would be (`500 hours and $3-4K in materials) I found an old Scarab hull on ebay and installed the 454/B1, pulled the stainless parts off the Chaparral hull and took it to the dump.

My suggestion is you do the same. Find a good new home for the 350 Magnum and stern drive and don't waste a summer rebuilding the 235. Chaparrals from the mid 90s are well designed and good running boats, but the construction was very poor: from untreated plywood to crappy wiring. It will be expensive to fix (either your time to do it or your money to have it done) and there are a lot of mid 90s hulls which were better built and more worthy of your efforts.

Others may disagree, but I have been there and I have the T-shirt.
 

greenbush future

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
1,814
Re: 1996 Chapparal 235XLC Stringers and Hull support

You may want to visit the restoration section of this website, and include several pictures of your boat overall and then in detail regarding the problem area. You can get professional advice from folks just like the first guy above. I'm sure you didn't want to hear what he suggested, but it may very well be your best bet. It really depends how big a job it is, and how well the previous work done was performed. Anything is fixable, but it may not make $$ sense. With pictures you will get good advice.
 

gilliac

Cadet
Joined
Nov 27, 2011
Messages
22
Re: 1996 Chapparal 235XLC Stringers and Hull support

Jonesgw

I lurk here MUCH more than I post as most of the other guys know a lot more than I do. In reading my post above, I may have been too negative. You can visit the restoration forums and see some of the amazing things some of these guys have done with just a bare hull. So it is possible, but as you have no emotional attachment to the boat (it was hard to see mine of sixteeen years crushed in the landfill!) I just don't think the work needed is justified. Again, I would suggest that you either find a better hull and install your engine and drive or just sell the boat as is ( to someone who needs and engine and drive!)

I loved my old 2335's looks and the way it rode and handled, but a twenty year old boat is still a twenty year old boat and another summer eating fiberglass dust instead of boating just didn't seem worth it to me. However there are days when I look at the used boats for a 2335 and think "I could fix that up" But then I look at the restoration forum and remember the time I spent fixing mine the first time and I think "I could just go fishing instead"

Whatever you decide, good luck. For what its worth I have started a new project boat, an old 25 ft Donzi cuddy, but I made sure the hull, deck, stringers and transom were in good shape before I bought it. New motor, new upholstery, new electronics BUT no fiberglass work.

Gil
 
Top