Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

zubrick

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2013
Messages
9
My brother and I got a 16 ft 1961 fiberglass lakeboat. As you may guess it has rotten stringers. We're very new to this and have been briefed on the conventional repair of ripping everything up and doing new stringers and glass and such. We've decided this is too much work for us and are ready to pass the boat along. However, we heard a rumor that one could remove all of the rot, dry out the inner hull, and then fill the whole thing with expanding foam. This may be a recipe for disaster, or it could be credible. Either way, opinions are welcome before we get rid of the boat that we like.

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Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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70,470
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

My brother and I got a 16 ft 1961 fiberglass lakeboat. As you may guess it has rotten stringers. We're very new to this and have been briefed on the conventional repair of ripping everything up and doing new stringers and glass and such. We've decided this is too much work for us and are ready to pass the boat along. However, we heard a rumor that one could remove all of the rot, dry out the inner hull, and then fill the whole thing with expanding foam. This may be a recipe for disaster, or it could be credible. Either way, opinions are welcome before we get rid of the boat that we like.

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Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,... I believe it, no doubt Would Be,...
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

If you try that foam idea out be sure to post some picks of your swim back to shore!

The foam has no structural integrity and would not hold up at all is my bet.
 

zubrick

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2013
Messages
9
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

Thanks for the advise. I figured as much but wanted to get a few opinions before I got rid of the thing.
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

That would be a HUGE recipe for disaster!

Don't be so hasty to be intimidated by the restoration process, you could have a like new boat for a small fraction of the cost of a new one.

There are lots of folks from all different walks of life and ages that are restoring their boats on here, and if they can do it y'all can do it too.

Did I mention you get a like new boat for a small fraction of the cost of a new one?
 

GT1000000

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,916
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

That boat has some nice lines and is an excellent looking candidate for a full restoration and would repay you with an incredible amount of safe fun on the water and immense pride in ownership if you and your brother decided to tackle this project...
It is not the easiest thing in the world to restore a boat, but it isn't like building a space shuttle, either...
As has been mentioned, you'll end up with a boat that is better than new, for WAY less money than what a new one costs and you will know it from end to the other, and you will have gained a whole new skill set that could come in handy in the future...
With the amount of knowledgeable and willing to help guys on this forum, [video=youtube;-hjqrxfvJ0A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-hjqrxfvJ0A[/video]
Of course, you can go out and buy a used boat and find that it needs a full restoration, also...
Or, you can go out and buy a brand new boat and make umpteen payments for who knows how long...
Best of luck!
GT1M
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

You may not have noticed but the guys hanging around here aren't 45 - 50k new boat crowd. We're the guy's who have ambition and a thin wallet.
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

We are da fixer uppers... da repair crew... da get your hands dirty, itchy, bleeding, cuss and fuss, smoke and joke, gonna build it back better than it was when it was new kinda guys.
 

sphelps

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
11,429
Re: Rotten Stringer Repair with Expanding Foam

If you was gunna go through the trouble of cutting the tops off of the stringers and cleaning out the rotten wood to fill with foam . It wouldn't be that much more work to replace with wood . Or if your pocket book allows . You could fill with seacast or nida bond . At least that would be structural ..
btw , that sure is a cool looking old boat ! :)
 
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