Continue or just junk it?

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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Have cracks deep within the inside hull of boat. I am in process of rebuilding the support stringers and new deck. Boat is a 1971 trihull skiff 13ft.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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without pics cant tell

however its up to you. a 48 year old boat will need a lot of work
 

kcassells

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Oct 16, 2012
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Its a total rehab. Your so into it now keep going. Do it Only if you really like the ole critter. Do it right and lots guys here to help.
If it's not what you want to run around in for the next 20 years after you fix it right then move on. Add it to your rehabs and have multi boats.
 

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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without pics cant tell

however its up to you. a 48 year old boat will need a lot of work

Here is link:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e...-6FD8-4101-A626-DAE9D5390B97_zpshpxmbjhj.jpeg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e...-AEDF-4BE1-AB31-83511744FBA3_zpsklatxpg9.jpeg

i can press down and hear cracking. This is better part of bottom of hull. Some of the old supports debonded or delaminated from hull.

No plans for a show boat just to get on intercostal waters to fish.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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you havent even begun your demo yet. that little bit is what I would call an inspection port

get a 20 pack of 24 grit sanding discs
get a shop vac with a bag
get a multi-tool with lots of blades
get a skill saw with lots of blades
get a sawz-all with lots of blades
get a tyvek suit
get a full face respirator

start grinding all that gel out of the inside of the hull
remove everything, the floor, the boxes, etc
you dont stop grinding until you see pink fiberglass everywhere

then you start building back up.

if you need a good read, go to the DIY stickies at top of the forum page, read links 14, 18, 2, 3, 4a and 4b in that order.

you will then realize you havent done enough demo or grinding yet.

dont worry, you got this
 

dezmond

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 21, 2010
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Yep like Scott said. Get a couple of suits. I ripped into mine the first 10 minutes into the grinding. Have a couple on hand. Get rubber gloves, work gloves, a couple fans and your good to go ;) It's intimidating at the start but as you read a bunch of posts stickies, and these guys projects, it isn't really that bad. I have never gone this deep before in mine and I am having a blast. If I get stumped, I ask questions :) These guys are full of information and help when you need it. I have cut through my hull now in 4 different spots and I'm like " Meh, no worries..... If I can't figure it out, someone will show me how "

Have fun, crank the tunes and get itchy!!!! We got your back :)
 
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Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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He#... I cut thru my hull with the grinder earlier and its not the last time something like that will happen
 

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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This would be my second boat build. Don’t have plans to restore to formal glory because frankly I think it wise for such a small boat. It’s a boat to just shrimp and fish from.

What i am gathering is you guys would love to see a bare hull and start from there. Stringer is damp and not rotted out so florida sun will make quick work to dry out. Few spots of grinding of old glass from stringer to rebond and secure it would be needed. The old supports are drying out and will be glassed in.

So from what I gather I would grind and sand to interlaying fiberglass so create something for the new poly to grip onto and adhere to. I have heard from this site about grind or sand down to pink fiberglass, but I’ve yet to ever ground down to anything pink that involved glass or resin. Of course my resin is brown and glass is white so a it forms a cloudy clear look. What pink?

To salvage this hull are you saying that I would have to practically rebuild the whole have of the boat? If so I am done with this boat. If it’s matter of getting down to bonded layers and get chem bond then its a go. As far as I know there is no gel coat in this hull so I do not understand the reference unless boat makes coat inside hull with clear gel goat. I believe this boat was built in bartow Florida and the builder did a bad job with his glass layup.
 

sphelps

Supreme Mariner
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Nov 16, 2011
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It may not look pink.. Just get to clean glass whatever color it is for a good bond .
As small as the boat is it shouldn’t take much time or effort really to install new “dry” stringers ..
If they are moist at all I would not glass over it . It would just start to rot from the inside ..
What part of Fl are ya in ?
 

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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Well I went out and threw the grinder at the hull. Most the cracking sounds has went away, seems there was a lot of resin just “sitting” on top of the glass and since it was old and dried out it was with pressure cracking up or popping loose. I am fine now with the stress and will move forward with fixing up the boat.
 

sphelps

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Yeah it seems a lot of the manufacturers just dump what’s left in the bottom for some reason ..
You see that a lot ...
 

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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Yeah it seems a lot of the manufacturers just dump what’s left in the bottom for some reason ..
You see that a lot ...

yeah either to much or to little. Boat has both. My goal is to get hull sound and glass in new supports and figure out deck. Old deck was made with the thinnest of wood I’ve seen. I swear it’s 1/4 inch at best. For a deck that to me is to weak. So 1/2 sounds good but just figure the slope for drainage.
 

Scott Danforth

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all you need is 1/8" of wood and 1/4" of glass over foam.
 

Ffmedic166

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Aug 20, 2017
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all you need is 1/8" of wood and 1/4" of glass over foam.

So if I put foam in the deck you think I could delete the bilge area? Boat had no foam in it. And it would not even take I say half gal of expanding foam. Clearance under deck is minimal. The sides of the deck rested on hull.

I will look into the idea of foam. Would be very small batches with holes near stringer. Anyone close to volusia county lol?
 

sphelps

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J-Ville here .. Micky is in Palm Coast .. Buxmj is in Lake Mary
 

mickyryan

Rear Admiral
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Apr 18, 2016
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i wouldn't foam it id do stringers and def half inch plywood deck i used 3/4 on mine cause we don't grow small here in palm coast :) big thing is be sure to coat both sides of plywood and edges before you start covering it with csm or as i did 1708, i made my glass thick on floor cause once its busted its only time till its rotted. you could go 1/2 inch then 2 layers of 1708 and a layer of csm and floor would be bullet proof :)
 
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