Stringer good or bad? few pics

I got the boat out today and while on the water I started thinking about that soft spot up front that I've tried so desperately to ignore due to the difficulty involved in lifting the cap on this particular Center Console. With a little help from ya'll, I'd could ace the stringers if need be, but honestly I'd rather keep it on the water till I hit the lotto and then just buy a new one. I started looking around in the bilge trying to find some rot but only found glassed stringers. Is this normal?? On my last boat every time I pulled the plug on it wood slivers would rush out of the plug hole but I never had a soft spot, ironic . Back to this boat. The bottom of the deck also appears to be glassed near the rear of the boat, so why the soft spot up front? So if I do a core sample up front and find that the stringers are glass also, can I leave them? and more importantly (to me ) how do I repair the soft spot without lifting cap or making it look like hammered s@#*? I've never glassed before and this would be difficult to match up since the deck is raised about an inch so water gets guttterd to the rear. Any advice would help even if you need to rewind me and set me straight on the foam issue Not sure it even has it, sure can't see it from the back) or anything else I may be overlooking. Thanks, Carter

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Probably a bad Butcher Idea, but- I could lift the cushion in front of the CC and cut the floor out to access the soft area between it and the solid bow storage. Fish some braces in there and screw in from the top at the side edges which currently seem solid. Seriously, please stop me now!

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Re: Stringer good or bad?

It won't cost much to do a little exploratory surgery. If you've got rotten wood it won't stop rotting. Sooner or later you'll have to decide to fix it or get rid of it. There are good reasons to do either.

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Re: Stringer good or bad?

and the glassing is easy....cross between laying carpet and painting.

we will need to see pics to tell you if there is any shortcuts....

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Re: Stringer good or bad?

When the sun comes out I'll get a couple. Thanks everyone.

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Re: Stringer good or bad?

Here is the area in question


And here is what I can see from the bilge. The gas can is in the way of the good stuff. Apparently only the stringer that runs along the keel is glassed.


I got popped hard in the face with a bungee cord getting these. I hope they help. If you need me to start drilling, let me know.