Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

[markh28]

This is a 14' fiberglass V hull fishing boat. I have a 7.5hp outboard on it. I believe it is a Sears model but its old, probably from the '50's.

It was taking on a little water. Not a lot, but I could be out on the lake for 3-4 hours and there was maybe 2 inches accumulated back at the transom is all. Put it this way, nothing that a little bilge pump couldn't take care of.

So I decided to take up the floor and have a look see. I found some main stringer rot in a 3 foot section, see the pictures. This rot coincides with where someone attempted to use bondo on the bottom of the boat to fix a soft spot. With those visual clues, I am almost certain this is the source of my water taking-on.

The rot is such that I can poke it with a flat screwdriver and it goes in about an inch. Plus the fiberglass has pretty much eroded off of it.

So here is the questions and where I need the advice and opinions.

1. Should I do a complete stringer replacement?

2. Can I just piece in a 3ft section of stringer where the rot is and re-glass?

3. Can I just re-glass over what is there and hope it works? (I almost didnt ask this!)

4. Should I just leave it and get a bilge pump.

This isnt a junk boat, but it isnt a "cherry" either. So anything I do to it doesnt have to be pretty. Functional and Economical being the key words here.

If there is a stringer replacement project in my future, any advice is appreciated!

Some additional photos: http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm270/markh28/Boat Stringer/

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

you could band aid it. cut out the bad portion, put replacement in the a 1/2 inch plywood sister on each side of the replacement. and extended the plywood 2 feet in each direction. so you plywood pieces would be 4 ft longer than the filler. then re-glass the area. this is a band aid, not a complete fix.

proper method, would be to strip out the deck and start over. you also need to properly repair the hole.

 

[markh28]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

What would be the proper way to repair the hole? Marine tex?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

clean out all the mess, then see what needs to be done. usually patch from inside, sanding back from hole to get good bond, then several layer of glass, then you can marine tex the outside.

 

[markh28]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

OK...sounds good. That's something I know I can tackle.

One more thing, If you look at this new pic, there is a piece labeled A. In order to fix this stringer I need to cut away where you see the yellow line. Is this a huge structural piece? Its really thin and flimsy, doesnt seem like its really strong. Do I need to replace what I cut away? If so, Im thinking just some 1/4" plywood or something with liquid nails would do the trick. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[danond]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

There is no quick fix to the problems your boat has. Expect to spend a fair amount of time and money repairing it, even if you do it yourself. If you decide to fix it, ask yourself these questions:

1) Am I willing to learn everything there is to know about fiberglass construction in boats?

2) Am I willing to (potentially) miss a season of boating while my boat is under the knife?

3) Do I have the proper tools? Grinder, sawzall, woodworking tools, etc.

4) Do I have the proper space? (Somewhere covered, indoors, warm)

5) Do I plan to keep this boat for a while?

6) Am I going to try to do a safe, dependable job? Cutting corners is not safe.

If you can answer those questions with a Yes, you're ready to start reading the forums. There's so many posts on stringer repair, you'll be busy for a weekend or longer.

Welcome to the forums, fellow rot victim!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

what is that section? looks like it is in need of repair also. we need more pics of your boat. i may not be worth the repair.

 

[markh28]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

That part is up towards the bow of the boat. It has a hole in it, it is cracked and broke. It doesnt appear that this part is meant to support any weight whatsoever beings that it is only 1/4" thick at the very most. The triangle part of the floor in the second picture, the one covered with green carpet fits over top of that part of the boat. I think this was originally, at one time a closed bow boat but Im not sure.

There is another pic taken from the back looking forward. Most of the debris you see in the bottom of that boat is leaves and junk trapped in there over the years. I dont know how long its been since the floor has been out of it.

 

[markh28]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

Actually its not even 1/4" thick, its more like 1/8", and there is no structural frame underneath it. I think it would be ok just to cut out what I needed to get my stringer fixed, then replace it by gluing a sheet of 1/8 mahogany underlayment or some such material back down on it.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Opinions and advice needed on my stringers

you may want to consider buying a decent boat, with no motor on it. You can usually find a decent shell of a boat for a few hundred bucks, and just switch the motor and move the new boat to your trailer.