Well Need some suggestions...

[MTboatguy]

I am looking for some ideas to add stringers to a boat that was actually built by the factory with out any stringers!!! Yes, no stringers, this is a good looking hull design, made by Chrysler, as I said in a post a couple of months ago, this boat has no stringers, the way Chrysler built many of their aluminum hulled boats was simply the hull, then a layer of foam and then the floor was compressed over the foam, not a bad idea, as long as they didn't get a lot of water in them.

Unfortunately, this boat sat for over 10 years through many Montana winters, lots of rain, lots of snow. Now I have finally taken out the floor and of course, the foam was in bad, bad and even worse shape, so will strip and sand blast every thing on the inside and want to put stringers in it, so I can set a new floor on top of it.

My question...how would you attach the stringers to the aluminum hull? I am thinking some type of epoxy, then fiberglass over top them and using pink foam for flotation, so I can give the floor some structure, the boat hull is VERY flexible with no structure and I really don't want to duplicate what the factory did as I am not a fan of expandable foam.

So any suggestions would be appreciated, I have never worked with aluminum hulls before, so this is a new experience.

Thanks

Dave

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Well Need some suggestions...

You can make aluminum stringers and install then yourself and replace the flotation with foam sheets from a place like home depot or use pool noodles.

based on your description.......... I would seriously consider two part foam and use the heavy duty structural stuff.......duplicate the old construction OR you will be gambling on your stringers......which need to be welded or riveted....