adding stringers/hard spots

My project boat did not come with any stringers but i would like to add 2. One to the left of the keel and 1 to the right. Where the keel is there was what looked like a stringer but it did not go up high enough for the deck to rest on it at all.So what was it there for? I have been reading and reading and I am confused about hard spots.What i have read says that you should set the stringer into a bed of thickened resin, but wont that dry as hard if not harder than the wood?
Also, the boat had no bilge. the entire hull under the deck was foamed. If I add a bilge, how would I go about doing it? would I leave the space between the two stringers void of any foam and just foam the sides?I guess I am kinda asking how a bilge works I would also like to have something sturdier than just the deck to attach seating to so I was thinking some frames would be good. Here is a very crude drawing of what I was thinking.
red=stringers
blue=frames
yellow=foam
OR- should I scrap the whole idea and just put ot back how Chrysler had it?

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

Hey Beerun, I'm doing my own boats stringers too, it already had two on each side like you want to do, then in the keel there is hollow tube made out of fiberglass going from stearn to bow, this then funnels the water into the bilge which is nothing more than a glassed in box up against the transom and a drain plug, also on each side left/right of the bilge there is a 1/2" hole drilled into it so any water around that area will drain into the bilge. There was foam filling the center portion to the underside of flooring. I'm planning on using that 2 part foam that you pour in and it expands. As for the stringer on hull issue, I'm still up in the air on that too, I've read the same thing you have, I've been thinking of using a foam underneat about 1/2" then laying stringer on top and glassing it all in. I would make sure that the bottom of stringer is resined and possibly fiberglassed too so it doesn't get moisture from the foam. my bracing just goes from inner side of both stringers and there are four of them. Just so you know this is my first time doing this so just take these ideas and build on them. cya

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

beerrun said:

My project boat did not come with any stringers but i would like to add 2. One to the left of the keel and 1 to the right. Where the keel is there was what looked like a stringer but it did not go up high enough for the deck to rest on it at all.So what was it there for? I have been reading and reading and I am confused about hard spots.What i have read says that you should set the stringer into a bed of thickened resin, but wont that dry as hard if not harder than the wood?
Also, the boat had no bilge. the entire hull under the deck was foamed. If I add a bilge, how would I go about doing it? would I leave the space between the two stringers void of any foam and just foam the sides?I guess I am kinda asking how a bilge works I would also like to have something sturdier than just the deck to attach seating to so I was thinking some frames would be good. Here is a very crude drawing of what I was thinking.
red=stringers
blue=frames
yellow=foam
OR- should I scrap the whole idea and just put ot back how Chrysler had it?

Click to expand...

Bond your stringer's with this http://www.itwplexus.com/home.html

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

For what it's worth I saw this at the Pursuit factory...foam strips under their stringers and bulkheads to prevent hard spots. The foam is used just to hold the wood off the bottom so the glass tabs can take all the load...there is nothing structural about the foam spacers, it was soft "junk" type strips that you could easily compress with your hand. It looked like the same stuff pool "noodles" are made of. The deal is they were using skinny azz 1/2" ply for stringers on a 24' center console.

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

Bond your stringer's with this http://www.itwplexus.com/home.html

Click to expand...

That stuff looks serious. Is it like a caulk or is it watery like super glue and which one do you use? Theres a whole bunch of different varieties. I like finding new products like that. I'm a fool in a hardware store. gimmee an aisle full of stuff like that and I could be there for hours:redface:

then in the keel there is hollow tube made out of fiberglass going from stearn to bow, this then funnels the water into the bilge which is nothing more than a glassed in box up against the transom and a drain plug,

Click to expand...

ya think I could just use a piece of PVC in place of the tube? Is it similar? I still dont understand how a solid piece of pipe up the middle of the boat is supposed to do anything. Where is it bringing water from?If my whole deck is glassed in why do I need all this stuff. Is it possible to have a bilge with a pump just for whatever water rolls off the deck into a little boxed area in the back? Maybe I am just being blonde but I still dont get it.

It looked like the same stuff pool "noodles" are made of

Click to expand...

have you ever seen the stuff that is put on top of a sill plate when ya build a house? I think its actually called sill sealer. It comes in a roll and its 8" wide generally. Its pretty thin but maybe that could be used under the stringers. easy enough to cut to size. Its alot like the pool noodles only alot thinner. Maybe I could double it up or maybe one layer of it would be enough. My stringers will be 3/4" AC leftover from the transom.
Thanks for all the Ideas. I am going to ponder and read. I will let ya know what happens. Thanks again.

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

Beerrun,
For the bilge area, all my boat had was a section of the floor cut out at the transom for access to the drain plug and just the bilge pump about 12"x 6" access hole. You can make that hole what ever size you want as long as you have room to pull the plug and change the pump when needed. The reason you should give room for water to run under the floor is just in case water gets in somehow from the bow or anywhere on the boat including from damage on the bottom of the hull. and if that were the case, you would see water in your bilge area and not traped somewhere under the floor.
I plan to leave room for water to travel in between each stringer and at the transom end of the stringer a small section of the bottom of the stinger cut out so water can move to the bilge pump, no pipes or anything just open space.hope this helps.

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

That helps alot. I didnt consider hull damage, duh. Its just not in my plans i guess(hope). I will probably do something very similar to what you are thinking. thanks.

Re: adding stringers/hard spots

I belive my fiberglass version also adds some structural support to the hull. I've heard of them using a cardboard tube and glassing around it, but I imagine you could use pvc and cut it in half, that might be kinda tricky though. The whole system doesn't seem like it would completely keep the underside dry but I guess its better than nothing. I don't have a bilge pump but i guess if you were taking on some water while boating it could help out alot. Good luck to you!