Re: 61 14' starcraft w/golden shark 40 resto
The boat I had was a major reason I gave up fiberglass boats. Since no one else is jumping in, most of us have tinnies now, I will try to use some 40 year old memories to come up with something. Mine had wood stringers in, and if yours is the same it does do. If they haven't been replaced, say in the last 20 years, they will probably need it. They still rot even encompassed in fiberglass. They will be under your false bottom, it will need a real good one over, mine was cracked in several places and needed a new one, might have to rebuild it. The stringers in my old boat, and a few other's I've seen, and helped on, are fiberglassed to the hull, usually 2x4s. They need to be something like oak. If you can cut them off the hull without damaging it that would be easiest, and best. Any chance of damaging the hull, don't. I was a chicken and used a sharp knife (couldn't afford a die grinder then) and cut the top corners clear thru, sharpening knife often. Cleaned all the rotted wood out, cleaned the hole fit an oak 2X4 to it, tight. With the wood still wet and covered with resin force it in the hole. Oh, line the hole with resin too, making sure any voids are full, you need a tight seal. Then clothe over the top. If you can cut the whole thing out, you just have to cloth around it a couple time, making sure you get all the voids out, and reglue it down. There are other ways the stringers are put in too. I used Epoxy, even back then as it isn't as brittle, and sticks better. If you are serious about doing this boat, I can maybe relay some more to you, but you are talking a lot of effort. Some fiberglass forums could probably help more. I was taught fiberglassing back in the 60's and haven't really used it in a while. As for the engine SELOC , Chilton, Haynes, or I can't think of the name of the other one I've used, and there are probably more can get you a repair manual, probably for $30 give or take 10. Well worth it.
Also epoxy will stick to polyester, but not the other way around. Epoxy is a lot more expensive, but in my book worth it. It doesn't stick to polyurathane (I think it is) . Most boats were made with polyester (I am told) and get brittle over years in the sun, and crack. I've been told every 5 or 10 years, or every so often anyway, they need refiberglassed. You can mix pigment with the resin and get your color, and then gel coat over the top. You need to seal the UV rays away from either polyester, or epoxy.
