small job just got really big

[jif102]

I have a 1986 Larson Delta Cruiser. I have had if for about 3 yrs. Last year I put a remanufactured 350 engine in. This winter I had planned on some small items. I refinished all the wood trim on the boat. I am currently in the process of installing new carpet. This is when I found the problem. It started with a soft spot in the floor. I was going to cut it out and put in new plywood and fiberglass. After cuttnig the part out of the floor out I found the vertical members in front of and behind my gas tank were rotten. Tonight I found the 2 members that run the length of the boat on each side of my tank are also rotten. I found this by tapping with a screw driver and having it go through the glass and wood. I want to fix this and do it the right way. It brings me to a few questions.

Is it better to replace all the plywood and then glass everything? I was thinking about coating each member and then putting a cover coat on after it was installed.

I guess I need to replace the foam in the compartments I have open. Is there any specific type to use? Can I use cans of Great Stuff foam? Do I need foam? I know from a safety point it is better to have.

Will it be alright to cut all the members out before pieces it back together? My boat is currently in a large storage tent in my driveway. It is one my trailer. Do I need to worry about the hall collapsing?

Is all glass and resign the same or should I look for a specific type?

I was hoping to get my boat on the water in about a month but it does not look like it right now.

Any advice you guys can give would help.

Thanks
John

 

[Coors]

Re: small jobl just got really big

Re: small jobl just got really big

Hold on; it's gonna take a month to sort through the different opinions.
Start by using "search" in here, and read the old threads. And new threads.

 

[imported_74baja]

Re: small jobl just got really big

Re: small jobl just got really big

I know someone with the same boat and roughly the same rot. The stringer directly starboard of the tank is rotten pretty badly, i noticed this when I was helping him install a new floor, which was also rotten. I guess Larson had some stringer rot issues.

 

[Bondo]

Re: small jobl just got really big

Re: small jobl just got really big

Any advice you guys can give would help

Ayuh,...... Start Seaching in this forum,....

"Stringers" is your Key Word,.....Rotten Stringers,... Replacing Stringers,... etc.....

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: small jobl just got really big

Re: small jobl just got really big

I know someone with the same boat and roughly the same rot. The stringer directly starboard of the tank is rotten pretty badly, i noticed this when I was helping him install a new floor, which was also rotten. I guess Larson had some stringer rot issues.

What manufacturer didnt have some stringer rot issues? I mean if you got wood and water you got rot. Its like math. Wood + Water = ROT

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: small job just got really big

Hay John, the I read the can foam not that good for this !! get the pour stuff !! sounds like you should really check out all the wood , hate to see you get it tore down and pit it back together , then to have to do this agian in a few years !!! Ok keep us posted !!! John

 

[erikgreen]

Re: small job just got really big

Same thing just happened to me, in almost the same way. Putting down new vinyl flooring I found a bad bulkhead in front of my engine. Pulling out all the rotten and wet wood I ended up doing the entire deck and stringers. Check out my "Unintentional stringer job" thread for more info.

But, I hate to tell you probably you're going to lose part or all of the boating season repairing this. That said, concentrate on doing it right and not trying to do it quick and it'll go faster than you think.

Erik

 

[jif102]

Re: small job just got really big

Erik

I read your post on your work. You did a really good job. What did you use to grind / sand the old stringer and ribs out with?

I think I am going to follow your lead and start with on side of the boat.

How big was your boat? I am trying to figure out how much material I will need.

Thanks

 

[erikgreen]

Re: small job just got really big

I used a cheap harbor freight grinder with 36 grit 3m "sandblaster" flap disks.... they seem to last 3x as long as any other type I've found, and they cut like nobody's business. The down side is they cost about 6 bucks each, and you have to buy a backing disk that's another $6-$9.

I also got a few of the thin fiber cutting disks for when I could cut pieces of
glass off instead of grinding them to dust. Also recommended tools are recip saw, hammer and chisel, crowbar, and lots of trash bags. And a circular saw. Read others' posts here for more tool techniques.

My boat is a SRV-210, which Sea Ray calls a 21 footer, and I call a 20 footer (they include the outdrive in the length). For the stringers and ribs I used probably 3 sheets of 3/4" plywood total. I have a similar amount for my deck I'm getting set to cut.

Erik

 

[oops!]

Re: small job just got really big

jif.....

you are planning on doing a job called stringer and foam replacement....

i suspect the transom as well.....but that remains to be seen......

before you start with the materials list....you must rip it all apart to find out how much you have to replace!.....

do what coors suggested......search...read...search read...

erik did a gerat job and a super job of detailing it for us....

in direct answer to your questions....

1. Is it better to replace all the plywood and then glass everything?.
yes.

2...I guess I need to replace the foam in the compartments I have open. Is there any specific type to use?

if the boat is over 20 feet you dont legally need it...under..you do.
use closed cell....open cell will let water in...

3.Will it be alright to cut all the members out before pieces it back together? My boat is currently in a large storage tent in my driveway. It is one my trailer. Do I need to worry about the hall collapsing?

yes and. uasually no.

4.Is all glass and resign the same or should I look for a specific type?
no......hit search...lots of different types....you choose.

5.I was hoping to get my boat on the water in about a month but it does not look like it right now.

it can be done...if you dont have a job...and you are gung ho.....

wear safety equipment......very...very important.....no cutting corners here....you are working with very nasty stuff!....

good luck...were here for ya!

cheers
oops

 

[Coors]

Re: small jobl just got really big

Re: small jobl just got really big

What manufacturer didnt have some stringer rot issues? I mean if you got wood and water you got rot. Its like math. Wood + Water = ROT

Anymore, if I pull wood out, no wood goes back in.
I still installed douglas fir motor mounts, encapsulated in epoxy, with 4200 in the lag screw holes.
But the rest, goes, each year. Except the deck, guess I have to replace it with wood- cloth and epoxy, with over-drilled, sealed screw holes.
I even am starting to hate the teak trim, that needs maintaining each year.
But, I am lucky with having fully glassed in stringers- I just have to cut the tops off and dig the wet 1x and foam out.

 

[jif102]

Re: small job just got really big

I started looking into how much rot is in my boat. I took a couple of pieces of the deck up. It looks like it is most of the length of the stringers. I hope it does not go up in the cabin.

I posted some pics here
http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/projectThumbs,p,459,00.html

I will try to keep it up to date as work progresses.

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[Coors]

Re: small job just got really big

is that osb?

 

[jif102]

Re: small job just got really big

no, its plywood. The deck just doesn't have much glass on it. I noticed the pic of the stringer is upside down. I had my head in the hole when I took the pic.

 

[Coors]

Re: small job just got really big

I don't see any wood coated. Is it the pic throwing me off?

 

[jif102]

Re: small job just got really big

I did some more work today. The foam was full of water. I started removing the foam. I pulled some more deck off. I have updated some pics at:



http://www.shareaproject.com/manageProject.php?p=459

My work today brought up a couple of questions.

The front rib of the boat goes completely across the boat. Can I make the stringer the length of the boat?

The deck level of the cuddy cabin floor goes under the stringer. Will be ok to glue the stringer to the hull the entire length of the boat and then work the deck back in place from there?

What is the easiest way to remove the decking from the side of the boat? It looks like it is just glassed in place near the entrance to the cuddy.


Thanks for any info.

John

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: small job just got really big

Hay jif102 the line you have in your last post just took me to the welcome page ??? and getting the deck out , i used a grinder and a dremel , but most of mine i just pulled out it was that rotten !! I not sure on the stringer question ! not sure what you mean ?? john

 

[erikgreen]

Re: small job just got really big

I did some more work today. The foam was full of water. I started removing the foam. I pulled some more deck off. I have updated some pics at:



http://www.shareaproject.com/manageProject.php?p=459

My work today brought up a couple of questions.

The front rib of the boat goes completely across the boat. Can I make the stringer the length of the boat?

The deck level of the cuddy cabin floor goes under the stringer. Will be ok to glue the stringer to the hull the entire length of the boat and then work the deck back in place from there?

What is the easiest way to remove the decking from the side of the boat? It looks like it is just glassed in place near the entrance to the cuddy.


Thanks for any info.

John

You can make the stringer the length of the boat... I'll need pics to see what you mean where the deck level of the cuddy floor goes under the stringer.

What I do to remove the decking from the side of the boat is cut most of it away with a circ saw, leaving maybe a 1-2 inch tab going to the hull side. I clean out the wood from under the tab, put a piece of wood under as a pry point, then I use a crowbar to lift up under the tab, which pries it off the side... this also takes the top layer of poly and some fibers off, but I'd have to grind that out anyway.

I take the tabs out in 1-2 foot sections... you can carefully cut with a grinder/cutting disk if it doesn't break on its own.

Erik

 

[Coors]

Re: small job just got really big

The deck level of the cuddy cabin floor goes under the stringer.
impossible, we need pics.

 

[jif102]

Re: small job just got really big

My home computer's hard drive crashed last night. As soon as I get it back up and running I will update with some more pics. Work continues.