1997 Bombadier Celebrity 200 Deck, Stringer and Transom Replacement

[FBCoach]

1st: This is the best site on the internet. Awesome. Thanks much.
Boat was basically a gift. Been in storage the last four years. Only 67 water hours ever.
When picked up it was quickly discovered the deck was soft. So is everything else.
Thus the second boat rebuild has begun. Did a bass boat 15 years ago.
It looks like the center portion of the transom is glassed upon the full length back portion.
Is this the case and is this how the replacement should be done? Thanks

 

[Woodonglass]

Yup, iBoats has the worlds best restoration experts. If you need anything the guys on here will be Johnny on the Spot with answers.

 

[FBCoach]

About to be to the grinding stage. Scared to grind to deep. Couple of questions:

1. How do you know when you’ve ground appropriately? Will the sides of the old stringer groves be flush to the bottom of the grove?

2. When reinstalling the stringers, is it best to follow the original outline? This boat had a lot of staggered compartments.

 

[Woodonglass]

Yup grind em flush so you have a flat surface and then grind some of the flat to cuz you'll be extending the glass out onto the hull approx. 6" on both sides of the stringer. I would try to put her back like she was but, you might be able to cut back on some of the bulkheads. Stringers should be the same

 

[FBCoach]

Yeah! Finally no more wood in the boat. Nothing like working in a heat index of 108. Its hot in SC this week!
Start grinding tomorrow. Sorry for the overkill but i need one more verification. Want to do this only once and correct. Some of the stringer grooves are almost an inch below the surface. See pics. Do i grind all of this flat. And once i re glass stringers do i need to build the corners as thick as they were? Thanks for the help.

 

[Woodonglass]

Hmmm interesting . Do the grooves inside show up as ridges on the bottom of the hull??

 

[kcassells]

Hmmm interesting . Do the grooves inside show up as ridges on the bottom of the hull??

ha ha Wood..bet ya hit on the head!

 

[FBCoach]

That's the thing. In some areas yes, in others no. Hopefully these pics show what i mean. It looks like on the starboard side the stringers are set just below the groove. The port side looks to possibly be in it.

 

[Woodonglass]

Ok the ridges on the hull are called strakes. On the inside if a stringer was mounted on top of a strake channel then I'd fill the channel with either a strip of foam (cut pieces of Pool Noodle or from a 4x8 sheet of blue foam insulation) or PB and then set the stringer on top. The stringer channels will appear to be small walls above the flatness of the hull and will need to be ground down to the flat. The stringers don't have to be in the exact spots but within an inch or so. The Engineers that designed the hull and supporting structures did it for a reason and as a rebuilder you should try and follow their plan as best you can.

 

[FBCoach]

Nothing like making snow on a 97 degree day! It all started making sense once i started grinding. Went slowly to learn exactly what i was doing. The corners between the stringers and bulkheads are extremely thick and high. The stringers are in and beside the strakes so i was careful there. Still need to hit some of those spots again. But, I’ve at least started... WOG thanks for the help. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions soon.

 

[Woodonglass]

Well that looks like some good progress. Listen, this ain't brain surgery cuz for sure if it was, I would never have been able to do it. Each step will bring you more experience and knowledge and before long you'll be teaching me and others all the best ways to "Git er Dun!!!" Keep at it and try to remember that any progress gets you that much closer to being on the water!!!

 

[Mad Props]

Looks like you're gettin it fingered out! I don't miss that part... everytime I come across some glass I need to grind out I shed a little tear... lol
Its really not that bad actually... To be honest, I kinda liked doing it if it wasn't brutally hot out.. get the tyvek on, the baby powder and all the other PPE, and crank up the headphones and get at it...!

 

[kcassells]

Same as WOG's comments!
If your strakes are next to the new stringer placement then you could fill thhe strake w/PB.
That will make glassing the stringers/bulkheads alot easier cause you rolling over a FLAT surface with tabbing vs. valley. Me included alot of guys simply fill in the strakes front to back.

 

[FBCoach]

Awesome advice - i was wondering if i could peanut butter the strakes. Slow going. Yet going none the less. Life and work keep getting in the way. Few questions as i prepare for the future and make purchases.
1. Do i resin the hull before adding the stringers. Feel like I've cut the hull thickness in half removing the old stringer fiber glass. Want to make sure i strengthen the boat not weaken it.
2. A few spots the grinder went slightly deeper than i want, do i just peanut butter here?
3. What type or resin: polyester or epoxy? Buying from US Composites. Have product # recommendations?
4. Going to gel coat the deck and sides when i finish. Do i need to use chop strand or woven for the deck covering?
Thanks so much.

 

[kcassells]

Awesome advice - i was wondering if i could peanut butter the strakes. Slow going. Yet going none the less. Life and work keep getting in the way. Few questions as i prepare for the future and make purchases.

1. Do i resin the hull before adding the stringers. Feel like I've cut the hull thickness in half removing the old stringer fiber glass. Want to make sure i strengthen the boat not weaken it.
-No waste of time and $$. Resin adds no strength at all. You can glass over the pb filled strakes if you want but more than likely they will get covered by the tabbing on the stringers and bulkheads.

2. A few spots the grinder went slightly deeper than i want, do i just peanut butter here?
-Build up with pb then some glass to level out.

3. What type or resin: polyester or epoxy? Buying from US Composites. Have product # recommendations?
-Most guys use poly with 1708/csm already on the back. Do not mix poly and eeeeeppppoooxxy. Start with 1 and finish with it.


4. Going to gel coat the deck and sides when i finish. Do i need to use chop strand or woven for the deck covering?
Thanks so much.

-Geez....let's wait about that till you get there. Don't forget the foam. Neither...of your above suggestions. Lets get to that point 1st.
-Don't forget to add some spacers under bulkhead and stringers so you don't have HARD SPOTS.

Take your time ask away....but read Woodonglass suggestions. They rule!

1961 Lonestar Flamingo - SPLASHED...Kinda!!
Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms
Paint Your Boat with Tractor Paint...Say What!!!

KC

 

[FBCoach]

Gotcha. I’m studying now for things to be done later. The other reasons i am asking for things ahead is when i get to that point, i want to have the materials on hand, not waste my random available working days waiting for them to be shipped. Basically making my order list. Thanks for the foam reminder. Thanks again for the help.

 

[FBCoach]

Two hours here, two hours there. Getting there. Any thing you can see that i need to different from the pics? Thanks.

 

[Woodonglass]

Looking good. You need to grind the sides of the hull too. You'll be tabbing the deck to them and the glass needs to be clean and fresh. I'd say it's time to start fabrication on some stringers!!

 

[Mad Props]

Looks like one more good session and you'll have a nice clean canvas there! Looks good.

 

[FBCoach]

Deck height on starboard side was .25-.5 inches higher than the port...
Question, should the deck sit in the corner of the hull and sides or be slightly elevated? The original was rotten mush, so i couldn't tell. based off of 3/4" decking it likes it sat a little above. See pics. Making sure i measure my stringer ht correctly.
Thanks.