Hull stringer material

[Rob4926]

Hello, I’m looking at purchasing a 2004 Sea Ray 225 weekender. I could not find any forms discussing what material the stringers are. Does anyone know what material the stringers are on this boat?

 

[Pulse186]

Wood, probably douglas fir, that is pretty common.

 

[Rob4926]

Gotcha, should I stay away from wood stringers on the ocean. I heard the saltwater rots them out very quickly.

 

[Pulse186]

Going to be hard to find a boat without wood in the stringers, it is how most are made. If the boat was well cared for, kept dry, and passes a thorough survey there is little to worry about.

I can't stress enough the "dry boat" thing. Keep water out of the cockpit and bilge and the boat will last a long time.

 

[jbcurt00]

Wood, probably douglas fir, that is pretty common.

A 2004 SeaRay? I'd bet not. More likely composite or engineered stringers.

 

[Scott06]

My 2004 Sea Ray does not have wood stringers I believe they are composite and ‘glued’ to the fiberglass hull

look around the engine mounting points there will be 1” plugs in the side of the stringer for putting foam under the floor you can easily pull one out and see the stringer construction

If I recall mine is like a composite or glass lay up built over a foam core that is essentially the mold. The insulation is blown through two holes in the stringer to the Void space outboard of the stringer so you can get good access to how it’s constructed easily

The only thing remotely resembling wood and maybe composite is well is a square piece around the motor key hole in the transom. My boat has Sponsons stick out to support the swim platform on either side of the transom so there is only a very small flat area that resembles a traditional wooden lay up transom around the keyhole

 

[Pulse186]

My 2004 Sea Ray does not have wood stringers I believe they are composite and ‘glued’ to the fiberglass hull

look around the engine mounting points there will be 1” plugs in the side of the stringer for putting foam under the floor you can easily pull one out and see the stringer construction

If I recall mine is like a composite or glass lay up built over a foam core that is essentially the mold. The insulation is blown through two holes in the stringer to the Void space outboard of the stringer so you can get good access to how it’s constructed easily

Rob4926, here you go, from someone who owns a 2004 Searay, very good info. For the record though wood is very common and what you'll find in most boats.

 

[Scott06]

Rob4926, here you go, from someone who owns a 2004 Searay, very good info. For the record though wood is very common and what you'll find in most boats.

True wood was main material used for stringers transom and deck material for many years, often nothing more than plywood tabbed in.
Around the early 2000s manufacturers started to transition to more modern materials. I suspect driven partially by ways to reduce assembly labor. If you compare how composite stringers are put in the hull vs traditional wood fiberglass layup I would suspect they are offsetting a good amount of assembly labor and improving hull to hull consistency

bottom line best place to look is the manufacturer. Sea Ray has older boat sales literature and technical specs on their website. I would suspect they would brag about it in sales literature. Also that’s where I found out they had a transferable (I believe lifetime) structural warranty. May be worth a call before making the deal

 

[racerone]

The ----WINNER ----boat brand in the 1970's did not use wood in the floor / structure of the boat.-----Amazingly they did use wood in the transom.----Replaced the wood on one for my brother many years ago.----As far as stringers go you have to determine whether the wood was part of the strength in the design.----Perhaps the wood was simply used to shape the many layers of fiberglass layup.----Then the wood rotting away does not matter.----As I have stated many times automotive safety / construction goes by many rules.----Boat design / construction seems to be a haphazard business.---No oversight by anybody at all.----Tag says ------Standards were met ---" at the time of construction " -----No thought given to what condition might be 40 years later !!-----Any many folks still think---" it's fiberglass , so how could anything be wrong with it"----

 

[Rob4926]

Thanks for all your replies! I’m very new to the boating scene so all your information was very helpful. Does anyone know how the maintenance on a sea ray is? Do you have to replace the manifold, bearing, etc... a lot due to the saltwater?

 

[Rob4926]

My 2004 Sea Ray does not have wood stringers I believe they are composite and ‘glued’ to the fiberglass hull

look around the engine mounting points there will be 1” plugs in the side of the stringer for putting foam under the floor you can easily pull one out and see the stringer construction

If I recall mine is like a composite or glass lay up built over a foam core that is essentially the mold. The insulation is blown through two holes in the stringer to the Void space outboard of the stringer so you can get good access to how it’s constructed easily

The only thing remotely resembling wood and maybe composite is well is a square piece around the motor key hole in the transom. My boat has Sponsons stick out to support the swim platform on either side of the transom so there is only a very small flat area that resembles a traditional wooden lay up transom around the keyhole

Thank you for the info! That will go along way. How is the maintenance on the searay. Do you have to replace the gimbal bearings, manifold or any other parts often? I went to look at one a few days ago and the guy told me every 2 years he replacing the bearings and manifold.

 

[jbcurt00]

Thank you for the info! That will go along way. How is the maintenance on the searay. Do you have to replace the gimbal bearings, manifold or any other parts often? I went to look at one a few days ago and the guy told me every 2 years he replacing the bearings and manifold.

Those maintenance parts are comoletely unrelated ro SeaRay. Thats all motor rated

 

[JimS123]

Gotcha, should I stay away from wood stringers on the ocean. I heard the saltwater rots them out very quickly.

Don't believe everything you heard.

Wood rots no matter where it is subjected to water, but salt water "pickles" the wood and makes it last longer. So, if you are afraid of rot, don't buy a fresh water boat.

OTOH, salt water corrodes the engine parts really fast, so if you want the boat to run well, buy a fresh water boat.

Gimble bearings and especially manifolds are salt water frequently replaceable items. Not SeaRay, per se', but any boat.

The best of all worlds is a newer boat with glass stringers and an outboard motor, that has seen only fresh water usage.

 

[racerone]

Some lumber products last longer than others.----Look up ----huon pine----For boat building.------No idea what the stuff cost but apparently ultra rot resistant.----Apparently this wood can resist rot for 1000+ years.

 

[rallyart]

My 2006 Sanger has stringers that are wood and they will not rot. In fact they have a lifetime guarantee. They are made from a structural plywood with the grain aligned differently than construction or marine plywood you would normally find. Each ply layer is individually infused with copper and other processes to prevent rot before being laminated to the rest of the layers to form the plywood.
There are many reasons to use wood rather than a foam or other synthetic material. However any stringer that is encased in epoxy and fibreglass and maintains it's waterproofing is waterproofed. Also, water is a universal solvent and can eventually delaminate almost any adhesive. Don't use 'wood' as a negative in boat buying. It's just something to be aware of, like knowing that foam for floatation or structure can become waterlogged.

Rob4926, as you'll note there are many ideas you get from the internet. Filter them with your thinking mind and you'll find the answers right for you.
Most people, especially on this site, will try to give you the best advice but they may not always have perfect knowledge.
Good luck on your boat hunt.

 

[Scott Danforth]

starting in 2001 SeaRay started re-designing the hulls to stringer tubs and engineered stringers. however the plexus that they glue it all together with only lasts about 15-20 years. Boats are only meant to last 15-20 years and be replaced.

 

[tpenfield]

2004 and thereabouts was a turning point for the boat building industry. The manufacturers who used wood and desired to stay with wood went to KDAT types of plywood . . . product names like 'Perma Panel' and 'Greenwood XL' may appear in their promotion materials. Their products are pressure treated plywood and Kiln Dried After Treatment (ie. KDAT) making them suitable for use in fiberglass boat construction. They exhibit rot resistance as regular PT lumber does.

Other manufacturers began using foam coring instead of wood for their stringers and structural components, and others began using molded fiberglass stringer 'grids'.

Many boat manufacturers are fairly vague about the details in how their boats are built . . . otherwise you would not buy them

Many boat owners do not have a good understanding of how their boat was built .

I have found that factory tour pictures and videos are a decent source of information as to how a boat was built. Additionally, you can look well into a boat's structure to get an idea. You can also find some boat review articles that mention construction methods or materials.

You can also find boat restoration threads (here on iBoats) that reveal the guts of a boat. We know for example that @Friscoboater 's 1995 Sea Ray had lots of wood in it. As to if/when that changed, some research is probably needed.

The challenge would be to find out what was used in 2004 . . . vs in the 1990's vs. what is used today.

 

[tpenfield]

Here are a couple of pictures of the engine bay of a 2004 Sea Ray 225 Weekender . . . The structural areas (stringer, battery tray, etc) look to have laid-up fiberglass based on the texture . . .


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So it would be fair to say it is not a molded fiberglass stringer grid (which would be quite smooth in appearance).

As for salt vs. fresh water. Wood cored boats tend to rot quicker in Fresh water vs. salt. Corrosion on the metal parts are a bigger issue when running in salt. Either is manageable with the corresponding maintenance.

 

[CapeMarineSurvey]

Here are a couple of pictures of the engine bay of a 2004 Sea Ray 225 Weekender . . . The structural areas (stringer, battery tray, etc) look to have laid-up fiberglass based on the texture . . .

View attachment 331211
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View attachment 331212
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So it would be fair to say it is not a molded fiberglass stringer grid (which would be quite smooth in appearance).

As for salt vs. fresh water. Wood cored boats tend to rot quicker in Fresh water vs. salt. Corrosion on the metal parts are a bigger issue when running in salt. Either is manageable with the corresponding maintenance.

You really should get some insulating rubber boots over those positive terminals.

 

[CapeMarineSurvey]

Gotcha, should I stay away from wood stringers on the ocean. I heard the saltwater rots them out very quickly.

Wood stringers are fine. They will last near forever if properly encapsulated in fiberglass. The problems happen when people drill into them and do not caulk or epoxy the holes when they drive screws in. If you are concerned about wood stringers, or wood coring material of any type, is to either hire a surveyor or simply buy a good moisture meter that is meant for cored FRP boats and see what kind of moisture meter readings you get, as well as percussion testing the stringers where accessible.