04 280 sea ray stringer advice

[mcdc1224]

I have a friend that inherited a 2004 Sea Ray 280 that has been stored outside on a trailer its whole life. In the last year the boat was stored off center with the starboard side lower than the port, with the bottom drain plug left in and the bilge held water for some time.
The transom moisture levels check ok but the engine stringer forward are high as well as the stringer around the fuel tank.
We have drilled and checked all areas in a grid and found some darker looking wood on the lower stringer but rotten wood on the starboard stringer around the fuel tank.
The boat has been completely disassembled including the fuel tank. The stringer glass around the tank was removed and proved the wood was bad on the corner with the remaining wood dark around the staples?.Sea Rays way of laminating I guess?. and wet so it has been removed.
The plan??
Remove and replace the fuel area stringer with ply and vinylester
Remove the engine stringer cap and replace the wood with NidaBond?We know that Sea Ray uses some sort of plastic composite in the engine stringer but we are not sure how much and where at this point and really wanted to keep the original glass.
Remove the small connecting section between the engine stringer and fuel area stringer and fill with NidaBond or wood and vinylester
Re apply gel coat?..since we already have it
The question??
Will vinylester bond to the original cured vinylester glass that Sea Ray Used?..........worried that I may need to use epoxy?
Should we take a different approach?
Thanks Guys!!

 

[oops!]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

hi....welcome to iboats......this boat is under full hull warranty.....is this the first owner?

second.....as far as keeping the old glass ....why?....you will not get a good bond and the system will be weak.

the VE resin is great stuff.....and a good choice.....just make sure you prep all areas by grinding off the top waxed layer of gellcoat. so you are glass on glass.

remember...if it feels really smooth and its shiney (waxed surface) you wont bond.

 

[mcdc1224]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

hi....welcome to iboats......this boat is under full hull warranty.....is this the first owner?

second.....as far as keeping the old glass ....why?....you will not get a good bond and the system will be weak.

the VE resin is great stuff.....and a good choice.....just make sure you prep all areas by grinding off the top waxed layer of gellcoat. so you are glass on glass.

remember...if it feels really smooth and its shiney (waxed surface) you wont bond.

Thanks for the reply!! second owner and no warranty. we had planned to replace the fuel area stringer with ply and VE resin complety......just concerned if it would bond properly. Then we planned to cut the caps off the engine stringer and forwad section between the stringers and pour NidaBond so the factory glass would stiil be intact.
I would like to go epoxy but the NidaBond will not bond to epoxy and needs to be enclosed in glass .......just trying not to remove the factory.........looks like the real question is, will the VE bond to the already cured glass even when preped properly?

 

[oops!]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

the ve will bond to a properly prepped poly or ve resin.
but you must prep the surface.......glass to glass.......grind off any gellcoat (flow coat) so you are glass to glass

the rays hull material is a ve resin. i dont know if they used it in the chopped but im assuming they did, as the hull and stringers/ mounts are shot close to the same time.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

I have a friend that inherited a 2004 Sea Ray 280 that has been stored outside on a trailer its whole life. In the last year the boat was stored off center with the starboard side lower than the port, with the bottom drain plug left in and the bilge held water for some time.
The transom moisture levels check ok but the engine stringer forward are high as well as the stringer around the fuel tank.
We have drilled and checked all areas in a grid and found some darker looking wood on the lower stringer but rotten wood on the starboard stringer around the fuel tank.
The boat has been completely disassembled including the fuel tank. The stringer glass around the tank was removed and proved the wood was bad on the corner with the remaining wood dark around the staples….Sea Rays way of laminating I guess…. and wet so it has been removed.
The plan……
Remove and replace the fuel area stringer with ply and vinylester
Remove the engine stringer cap and replace the wood with NidaBond…We know that Sea Ray uses some sort of plastic composite in the engine stringer but we are not sure how much and where at this point and really wanted to keep the original glass.
Remove the small connecting section between the engine stringer and fuel area stringer and fill with NidaBond or wood and vinylester
Re apply gel coat…..since we already have it
The question…?
Will vinylester bond to the original cured vinylester glass that Sea Ray Used?..........worried that I may need to use epoxy?
Should we take a different approach?
Thanks Guys!!

I am doing a similar repair to an older Formula (Thread Link below) . . . mostly bulkhead rot, but it got into the stringers. Using VE resin . . . The fumes will knock you out. Like oops! said, you need to prep the contact areas, but it seems to be better than polyester resin. The open time is longer than poly, so you need to be sure to use enough MEKP catalyst.

I would take a good look at the fuel tank for pits and corrosion, based on your description of the water intrusion.

Single engine? . . . I filled my engine stringers with strand mat and polyester once the bulkhead was replaced. Nida bond would be fine as well, I just had some extra material lying around, so I used it up.

Post some pictures so we can all enjoy the "fun".

 

[mcdc1224]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

Thanks!! wanted to be sure the VE would bond properly.....boat yard one said to use VE and the other said to only use epoxy as the VE may not bond. Will post pics soon....lots of work!!

 

[boatnut74]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

Epoxy is very expensive and often unnecessary. VE resin should bond just fine to a properly prepared surface.

 

[mcdc1224]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

any advice on the glass to use. I was thinking about 2 layers of Stitched Bonded Double Bias ?45 chopped on the fuel area and 3 on the engine stringer?
Thanks to everyone for the help!! Great site!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

1.5 oz CSM and 1708 Biaxial Cloth are what's most commonly used.

 

[mcdc1224]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

Thanks!! Can i use a layer of CS over my 1708 to help match Sea Ray's blown CS

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

Layup is always...Coat the raw wood with resin then a layer of CSM, layer of 1708, Layer of CSM Layer of 1708 etc.. Try to keep your layers wet on wet meaning, as soon as the CSM gets tacky Lay the 1708 and wet it out. Make sure if your laying over previous glass that you scuff it well with 60 grit and wipe it down with acetone prior to laying new glass.

 

[mcdc1224]

Re: 04 280 sea ray stringer advice

will do. I paln to use two layers of 1708 Stitched Bonded Double Bias ?45 chopped backing and then top it off with another layer of CS to match the original look?