wildboater
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2012
- Messages
- 11
My boat project started when I jumped onto the deck of the boat the day before walleye opener and almost went through. I cut out a 3ft by 6 ft section to find delamination deck as far as I could reach. So, off came the fiberglass deck skin after removing chairs, bulkhead, cuddy shelves, carpet, and back seat. Had to saw out about eight feet of stringer and completely take out some cross braces.
I learned a few things about a boat I owned over 20 years. It looks like the decking was treated, not marine grade. It was stabled to the stringers, braces and hull. It was not resin coated on the down side. Foam was poured in after the deck was down, leaving voids. It looks like the stringers and braces were coated with resin, then chopped was blown at them. Someone had v-cut the deck in front of the engine, apparently to facilitate pulling the engine. The gas tank was back about 2 inches from where it needed to be because someone had cut the back cross-brace and couldn't refit a brace because they didn't clear out the fiberglass ridges where the original brace was. So, they fitted the tank and screwed through shims to attach it to the back brace.
All that's fixed at this point. Doing the first layer of cloth over the deck tomorrow. Carpet will be on order tonight. I've discovered there is no such thing as a 'little' boat project.
I learned a few things about a boat I owned over 20 years. It looks like the decking was treated, not marine grade. It was stabled to the stringers, braces and hull. It was not resin coated on the down side. Foam was poured in after the deck was down, leaving voids. It looks like the stringers and braces were coated with resin, then chopped was blown at them. Someone had v-cut the deck in front of the engine, apparently to facilitate pulling the engine. The gas tank was back about 2 inches from where it needed to be because someone had cut the back cross-brace and couldn't refit a brace because they didn't clear out the fiberglass ridges where the original brace was. So, they fitted the tank and screwed through shims to attach it to the back brace.
All that's fixed at this point. Doing the first layer of cloth over the deck tomorrow. Carpet will be on order tonight. I've discovered there is no such thing as a 'little' boat project.