OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

gunner1

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 13, 2006
Messages
375
So I stepped into my boat today (see above post) and went right through the floor! Is it fixable? The wood and Fibergalss underneath are very wet. Is it worth fixing at all?

DCP_1243.jpg
 

studlymandingo

Commander
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
2,716
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

I knew that was coming, I replied to your other post telling you to check for that. What kind of boat is it? It is definitely repairable, but you are very likely to have some structural (stringer) damage below. This is also repairable. It is a dirty job, but if you really love the boat, it can be very rewarding to do the job yourself. If you fix everything correctly, then you will have a boat that you can be proud of and know that it will last for many years to come. This forum is an excellent resource for these kinds of projects.

You first need to remove the rest of the decking and see what is going on with the stringers. Take photos of everything you are encountering, and others who have experienced similar repairs can help you as you go.

Good Luck with your project boat!8)
 

iron21

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
97
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

your floor isnt looking too good. how does the rest of the floor look? if only that section is wet/rotted then you could probably cut it out and glass in a new piece for now but if the majority of the floor is wet, then it should really be pulled out. make sure to check the stringers and transom too for rot..if they are rotted as well then its going to be a major project..i just did a new floor in my maxum bow rider and it wasnt too much work but luckily i didnt have to replace the stringers..
 

samsam

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
121
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Everything is fixable. Offhand, judging from what little is said and shown in your two posts, I would say this will cost you a lot more money than it's worth. A soft spot is one thing, stepping through the floor is a different level of decrepedness. Odds are the stringers and transom are bad, too. The hull itself looks to be delaminating and broken. I believe it might be more than you are capable of doing yourself, so ratchet up the cost 500% or so to pay someone else to do it. If you want to go boating, get another boat, if you want to spend a lot of time and money fixing boats, you're in luck. Poke around to get a better idea of the overall condition and post some more info and pictures to get a better idea of what your situation is. Sam
 

Boomyal

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
12,072
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Take pictures and measurements as you rip each part out. There are no manuals to tell you where to put things back together.
 

KRS

Banned
Joined
May 15, 2004
Messages
2,383
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Show a pic of the boat.
 

Realgun

Commander
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Messages
2,484
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Nope. You need to replace those piece(s).

We can help a lot!

We also like to "see" what we are helping with too. :)
 

Tail_Gunner

Admiral
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
6,237
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

8)

1. 4 1/2" electric grinder
2. Pics respreaitor
3. Pic's as advised
4. Wire wheel for your grinder
5. Tape measure
6. Chalk line
7.Paitence
8.Imagination
9. Little plywood beginslove glue maybe some wine

From there your journey begin's..........:love:
 

ted655

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 21, 2003
Messages
252
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Never read what type of boat it WAS.
If it is a midsize fiberglass production boat, then forget it. salvage the motor & fittings. That's where the value is anyway. These boats are a dime a dozen. Find another. I promise you... you will never fix this one to the point it will be issue free.
If it's wooden & you like woodworking, then have at it.
CAN it be done? Yes. Should it be done?
My bud just found a 17' bowrider for free. 3rd one this year. No motor/ trailer. He has a good motor- trailer (from a "bad" free boat). A few bucks and then we flip it. Look in a few backyards first.
 

JasonJ

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 20, 2001
Messages
4,163
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Ted, that is hideous advice. Instead of fixing one boat, he can run from crappy boat to crappy boat, wasting more time than if he just fixed the problem. Free boats are free for a reason. A person can rebuild a boat to better than new condition for a reasonable amount of money, and it will be trouble free. It has been done so many times on this site I can't even count any more. The only reason I would steer anyone away from fixing a boat is if the boat doesn't do what the owner wants it to in the first place, then I'll always recommend finding a boat that better suits their needs. In the end, you will almost always have to do a lot of work on a cheap boat, even the ones that look like great deals are usually hiding something. Flipping boats for money usually ends up with someone getting screwed, usually the one buying the crappy boat. I have seen it too many times, people buying crappy boats, putting two minutes of work in them, and selling them for more than they are worth. Don't care much for that way of doing business, it is dishonest and loathsom.
 

samsam

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
121
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Boats like that ARE a dime a dozen and what he spends fixing stringers, transom and floor plus all the time is probably not worth it unless that is something you sort of like doing. If Gunner 1 doesn't have the space or tools or ability or desire to do what he has to do to get that boat runnable, it's probably not worth it. Instead of running from crappy boat to crappy boat or putting x amount of dollars and time into this boat, he can probably spend the same x amount of dollars or a little more and buy a boat, motor and trailer that is ready to run with no work needed. Just because crappy boats exist doesn't mean people have to buy them and just because someone gets screwed and buys a crappy boat doesn't mean he has to or should fix it. Say he does put all it takes in this boat to bring it up to snuff, don't you imagine the motor is a comparable jewel? Good motors are not usually found on crappy boats. So there is another possible pile of money. From what I've seen from the two posts about this boat , it doesn't look good. But, he hasn't bothered to post any more pictures or information, so who knows. Sam
 

Purduebarry

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
378
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Gun1,

Anything is fixable, given the right amount of time and money. My only concern is this boat really seems to be in poor condition. You need to evaluate the complete package before you dive in. I think most here where suggesting that you might want to consider something in better condition to begin with. This isn't to say new as almost all boats are subject to rot and deterioration. But as far a boats go it seems you are starting from the ground up. If you are commited to a "frame off" restoration then start reading threads. Otherwise cut your losses and take on something a bit less challenging.
 

Purduebarry

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
378
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Gun1,

Anything is fixable, given the right amount of time and money. My only concern is this boat really seems to be in really poor condition. You need to evaluate the complete package before you dive in. I think most here where suggesting that you might want to consider something in better condition to begin with. This isn't to say new as almost all boats are subject to rot and deterioration. But as far a boats go it seems you are starting from the ground up. If you are commited to a "frame off" restoration then start reading threads. Otherwise cut your losses and take on something a bit less challenging.
 

cougar1985

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
1,023
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

some more pics of the boat would be nice. just finished a 15 foot thundercraft total floor replacement,lots of work but doable. the boat is just as solid as the day it was made maybe better as we added homemade glass stringers that seem to work great..
 

cobra 3.0

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Messages
1,797
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

Here's a completely different take on it. Say you don't want to get into a major gutting of the boat, or sell/flip the boat, or get a used boat and put the engine, accessoiries and drive. Now what?
Everything is a question of degree. To what degree is the rot at hand? You may just get away with cutting out the rotten part of top deck and just laying down a new section of floor. It'll probably keep you going for quite a few years longer until you are really forced to make a decision or are ready to undertake an overhaul of that magnitude.

The only downfall is that you are running with quite a bit of water in the wood and especially in the foam. That extra weight is slowing down your boat. (Kind of like having an extra fat guy on board.) No biggy if it isn't bothering you now.
 

MASTER Brian

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
738
Re: OH NO!! Is this even fixable??

I also didn't see what type or size of boat this is, but I did repair a floor similar to the pic I saw above 2 years ago and it really wasn't that bad. The boat was a 1970's 14' tri-hull. I think all in all it cost maybe $300. We bought a couple of pieces 3/4" marine grade ply, some treated lumber for the stringers, some fiberglass and a gallon or two of expandable pour foam and some spray foam for hard to reach areas. The foam and the ply were the expensive parts.

We just pulled the seats out and went to work stipping the damaged wood out and then the soaked foam. From there it's just a matter of putting it all back together. The hardest part in my opinion was gutting it.

This boat sat a good 6-8" higher out of the water when it was all said and done!

I'd say if you like the boat and have the time go for it. Gutting the boat took 3 guys and a saturday afternoon. I had everything back together within a few more evenings.
 
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