Keep up the good work man!
I bought one of these last summer in extreme rookie fashion and have since rebuilt the engine and learned way more about boats than I ever wanted to lol. The girlfriend and I just looked under the deck last week to reveal the same situation you had. Can't afford to restore it right now like you are doing, so I just scraped out all the soggy foam and will try to use git-rot or sea cast to keep stringers semi-intact and re-foam for structure and re-deck until I can finally tear it all down and start fresh like you're doing.
Thank you.
I got mine free in a package deal when my brother bought another boat. I helped build his new house and this was a payback for that.
I also learned more than I ever thought. I spent the first few months just studying hours a night. Honestly best bet is not to band aid it. Just get it started. Once it is apart you may be like me OMG I was actually going to use this thing the way it was. I can't really afford it now either with the admiral in college. But safety is first. It is her last semester and I figured it would take me that long to gut it. I am doing way better on this than I thought I would. Doing side jobs and saving my pennies.
I originally wanted to just clean it up and use it a year or so before doing this. Crazyfinn is the one who got me to check again. The hammer test isn't worth a nickle unless it is literally falling apart already mine tested solid that way. And I was told by the PO a marine mech is was okay. He lied. Or isn't as good a mech as he thinks take your pick.
It does take a few to just accept the magnitude of work that needs done. I do old cars so once I knew. I kinda was clued in this gonna be a whopper. It is a frame off situation.
Just do it take your time do it right and you wont have to deal with it again.
now back to the news. Today I going to clean the battery cables up re attach them to the bilge pump and put it away it is done. Clean the exhaust up and put it in the chevelle trunk it is done. Parts are off the work bench at that point. And i can load it up with the next stages of stuff.
Then take everything back out of the boat. Take the main stringers back out. Glue and screw the double ups at the tops of the stringers the deck mounts to. Then back to transom. Adjust the one 6 inch section the jig saw leaned cutting the gimble hole. Mark everything as far as mounting holes. For doing the dowel inserts. Then I am going to shape the center some so the glass lays better. Make my bracing from the 2X4's. Practice clamping so I got the system down and it is quick when the time comes.
I been thinking glass and seal the top halves of the main stringers before they are put in. Do it on a wood vice on the benches. Alot easier to deal with. Then once they are tabbed in they are done.
