[dixieturk99]

Hello all. Looking at our old aluminum boat that we bought used. It's an 18 foot but the back 2 seats have been removed and a wood floor with pedestal seats has been installed. The bottom of the boat seems really flimsy. Can we install aluminum stringers along the bottom to stiffen it up? The boat shakes like crazy and is very loud when riding through waves. It just doesn't seem very stable.

[JB]

Sounds to me like the PO removed structural strength along with the seats, DT. The only way I know to restore the hull integrity and strength is to replace the seats or build some bulkheads the same dimensions and material where the seats were.

Some pix might help us suggest alternate solutions.

Gotta get that floor out of there. Floors don't belong in boats. Once you get her strength back you might add a raised deck to put a couple of seats on.