Advice on keeping my fiberglass hull true when re glassing stringers & floor back in.

[craigathome]

I was a little concerned about my boat being in the same shape when i re glass the stringers keel and floor back in, I have cut and ground it all out whilst the boat is still on the trailer. is there a way I can check that the hull is true before I start to refitting it out.
thank you: Craig

[SamSam]

I was a little concerned about my boat being in the same shape when i re glass the stringers keel and floor back in, I have cut and ground it all out whilst the boat is still on the trailer. is there a way I can check that the hull is true before I start to refitting it out.
thank you: Craig

You can stand back from the side and line up the two gunnels to find any obvious twist in the hull. They should be parallel. If you left the cap on the hull shouldn't have opened up. You have to check the bottom to make sure it isn't being pushed in by the rollers or bunks and that you don't have a hook or anything. You might have to sort of prop up the edges of the hull to take pressure from the rollers or bunks off. You also have to be carefull that your weight in the boat, while glassing, doesn't deform it and get built in. Sam

[jimslade]

use a long straight edge. never do structural work on a boat on a roller trailer. the best way to set the boat up is on the tworear outer edges and one on the forward keel.

[bilgeboy]

When I used to work as a carpenter, we used to square up cabinets by measuring the "box" from corner to corner. It really works well. I would guess that the same technique would work very well with the boat. Measure at the bulkhead (or anywhere) from the upper port corner to the lower starboard, and compare to the upper starboard to lower port. Shim the boat until they are exactly the same. I would be interested to hear if there is a better method.

Good Luck,

Mike

[craigathome]

I think I'll use all of these methods the more the better to make sure.

[safewalrus]

'tis not only true in carpentry bilgerat, diagonals are very useful in other work too 9is that Boston the original Boston or that place were they can't make tea properly, you know keep adding salt water to it?)

[Corpus Skipper]

they can't make tea properly, you know keep adding salt water to it?) I like my tea with salt water:P Hi Craig, meet Craig. C squared it is:p all of the above is good advise, but be careful about transferring measurements from side to side. I've found that MOST boats aren't exactly symmetrical. Your calibrated eyeball is your best guide. If it LOOKS right, it usually IS right. My tea is ready:P

[buckknekkid]

use a transit to set it up:idea:

[bilgeboy]

Boston, birthplace of modern medicine.

In this instance, early Americans discovered that tea brewed with salt water was an excellent remedy for those suffering grandiose delusions that God intended them to rule all his earthly creation!

:P


Mike

[dereksireci]

I was sitting on a branch and I cut the side closest to the tree.
How can I keep from falling?


(next time)
1. Don't do the work with the boat on the trailer. Support it better by building a cradle for it.

2. Remove and re-glass the new parts one at a time. Don't cut out everything that keeps the shape and expect it to keep the shape.

At this point I agree with the eye ball method.

Also a straight edge don't lie.

djs