Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

What is the best way to approach this. I have already ripped up a good portion of the floor and most of the stringers have been eaten up by carpenter ants and rot. There is some standing water in between some of these stringers not much maybe a 2 gallon if not less. Do the stringers go all the way to the front of the boat also

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Go to project boats and do a search on "Skanky Beast". Its my 1970 Silverline tri-hull. I replaced floor, stringers, transom, and converted it to a center console. If yours is also a bowrider, you will have to seperate the upper deck from the hull to replace the floor and stringers, no way around it. It isn't as bad as it sounds, but it is not as good as it could be either....Good luck.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Ok thanks. I wonder if I could take treated 2x4x8's or x10's and run beside the stringer and drill holes and run a carriage bolt through it and and affix the 2x4's to the old stringers. Then spray some foam in a can stuff all over them then put my marine plywood on top of that and screw it down and carpet it. Let me know if you think this will work short of pulling all stringers. <br />Thanks,

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

"drill holes and run a carriage bolt through it"<br /><br />Not if you want it done right. <br /><br />*shiver* scary thought to boot!

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

You "can" do what you propose, but it will add weight, and not enough structure for the increased weight. I will recommend against it, but you are free to do as you see fit. I will say that you would be better off with 3/4 ply if you are going to do what you propose.<br /><br />When I opened my floor, I just wanted to cry. Then the rage set in. Slowly, acceptance, and finally, resolving it. I weighed the various options, and they all came up wanting compared to just buckling in and doing it as right as I knew how to. What I really wanted to do was to strip it, chainsaw it into four equal parts (as required by my landfill), and haul it to the dump. But, I had this idea, and I felt that if I tore her down and built her up from the naked shell, I would always know the condition. You go and buy a boat, it is always a guessing game. I have no guesses, no worries, and I have spent the summer thrashing this ugly thing and it took it all in stride. I say if you do not feel you are up to the full rebuild, you may want to consider another hull, otherwise you can build up a boat that is better than new. Good luck either way....

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Its all the way tore down right now i just have some remaining glass around the edges and the stringers are still incased in foam but im still debating how to do this. If I rip it all the way down im going to be spending more than the boat is even worth. But in the long run it will save me money and time. How much extra weight do you think it will add? Im wanting to keep this as light as possible so it will glide across the water faster. There is still ants in this boat I can not figure out how to get rid of them in some spots in the foam it has been eaten through all the way to the hull. Looks kind of like colonies are down there I put some stuff in there called Tero from Tractor Supply, but it doesnt seem to be working this is the third treatment I have done with this stuff. The boat had been sitting for 9 years with out being ran and without being moved. It had been sitting for so long that the lug nuts were rusted on to the stud. The motor was a 65 Merc. I went out and bought a 65 evinrude and ran it for the remaining part of the summer now here it is going into October and kind of pondering which step to make next on this floor situation. <br />Thanks,

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

I wouldn't hold much promise for the 2X4 bolted to rotten stringers approach. The stringers need to be bonded to the hull in order to get any structural strength. The only way to do that is to glass them in. If you do that do not use pressure treated wood as the glass does not adhere well to PT wood.<br /><br />Jason spelled out the way to go for you.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

I went and bought some treated wood. I would say about of the 5 stringers there is about 1 maybe 2 rotted here and there not totally rotten. I have let this thing sit outside and air out and dry out. There was apparently a lot of water under there at one time. I was beating on some of that foam just to notch it enough for a 2x4 and it was soaked. I have no clue where that water is coming from or what I can do about it. I will try it and see how it works out. I was going to foam all the stringers-2x4's in and glass them in as well as the marine plywood. Thanks,

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

You are going to have to get all that waterlogged foam out. It will never dry out, and will only add weight and damage any new wood you put in it. I still stand by my statement that if you are going to marry up material to the existing stringers, use 3/4 ply and glass it all in. The 2x4s will actually have more flex in them than the ply will, and they will be heavier. If the stringers are mostly in good shape, with a few rotted areas, you could cut the rotted sections out, and glass in the same thickness of plywood in the place of the rotted areas. You can use epoxy for more strength, but poly will get the job done if the budget is tight. I feel this will give you more strength with less weight. Sometimes the easier way can make things more difficult down the road, so if your goal is maximum lightness, you may want to rethink the plan, I don't think you will be happy with the end result. Good luck...

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Once that foam is soaked it will never dry out??? If that is the case I might just throw this thing back together then sell it and invest my money else where.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Bryan - Hate to be the bearer of bad news but I have never seen a boat that I would consider to be an investment.<br /><br />Jason has it nailed. The foam has to go if it is wet. <br /><br />Even if you fix it right I doubt that you will get your money out of it especially if you put any value on your time. 1974 tri hulls don't bring much.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Yeah, you definately should not factor any value or resale ability into the project. Instead, factor how much use you will get out of it. I knew full well when I built my boat that it would be difficult to get a return on my roughly $2000 investment, but if I get several seasons of great use out of it, and get even half of what I put into it, I will be happy. A person spending $30,000 will not get as much happiness as I do because I will not have a boat mortgage for the rest of my life.<br /><br />My advice? Build it the way you want to, and have fun with it, or put yourelf into massive debt and have that over your head while having the same fun. If you choose to rebuild, good luck and build it SAFE. Thats your family riding in that boat, always remember that.....

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Im half tempted to take off the top shell of the boat and re-do it. I think I am just going to cut all the foam i can out of it and pour concrete in it for boyancy. How many gallons of foam do you think is in there? Is there a good way to cut it out besides using a razor blade or a drywall saw or a sawzall? Thanks

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

I ended up using a large steel carpenter square. I pushed it down through, making sections that I could pop out, like big thick slices of bread. It went pretty quick, it was just one of the repetitive tasks that I love so much <br />There are plenty of ways to get that stuff out. By the time I was done tearing everything out, I had two pickup loads of floor, stringer, foam, and transom to haul to the dump.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

I like the "pour concrete in it for boyancy". Although they did make a few ships out of concrete, I'm not too sure this would work for the small pleasure boat. It would definately work as ballast though.

Re: Floor Rot 1974 Silverline Tri- Hull

Is there any wood back in the transom? There is still ants in this thing. I have bombed them with raid and used this Tero stuff it still has not rid them yet. This boat sat for 9 years with out being moved so there is probably a whole branch of the any species in the bottom of that boat. Im not real sure where they are at but dangit they are some where. There is more than I have ever seen I need to rid these ants because this is going to tear my garage up if not. They are going to make a new home in my garage. Any suggestions on how to get them out? How much water can 2 gal's of foam hold. How many gallons of foam would it take to pour this floor? How many did it take for your floor Jason?<br />Thanks,