metriccrescentwrench
Commander
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2007
- Messages
- 2,598
My current boat is an '81 Bomber fish-n-ski. I'm repairing the transom, and last night determined that the wood inside both stringers was rotted (one for a distance of about 2 feet, the other for about 4 feet). On the plus side, all decking is still solid and in fact pristine, and all foam is dry.
Naturally I don't want to make a bigger job out of this than necessary, but at the same time I obviously need to make sure the boat is going to be safe both for my family and whoever I might sell it to down the road.
First question - I'm wondering about the need to do anything about the stringers, as the stringer's fiberglass is solid and the decking is solid.
Next, there's a third stringer along the keel which runs from about a foot in front of the transom and terminates at a bulkhead under the dash. This stringer is only about 3 inches high and since it has nothing to do with supporting the deck I'm assuming it's purpose in life is to add stiffness to the hull. Somewhere along the way some genius cut a hole in the bulkhead such that whatever water that collected in the bow drained into the middle of this stringer. The wood inside is soaking wet, but is not yet rotted.
Question 2a. Again, since the fiberglass is sound do I even need to be concerned about the wood core?
Question 2b. If in fact the wet wood core is of concern, is there a snowball's chance that the wood would eventually dry out if I drill holes through the fiberglass every few inches?
Naturally I don't want to make a bigger job out of this than necessary, but at the same time I obviously need to make sure the boat is going to be safe both for my family and whoever I might sell it to down the road.
First question - I'm wondering about the need to do anything about the stringers, as the stringer's fiberglass is solid and the decking is solid.
Next, there's a third stringer along the keel which runs from about a foot in front of the transom and terminates at a bulkhead under the dash. This stringer is only about 3 inches high and since it has nothing to do with supporting the deck I'm assuming it's purpose in life is to add stiffness to the hull. Somewhere along the way some genius cut a hole in the bulkhead such that whatever water that collected in the bow drained into the middle of this stringer. The wood inside is soaking wet, but is not yet rotted.
Question 2a. Again, since the fiberglass is sound do I even need to be concerned about the wood core?
Question 2b. If in fact the wet wood core is of concern, is there a snowball's chance that the wood would eventually dry out if I drill holes through the fiberglass every few inches?