Well look what I found.

[mtnrat]

I removed the floor and stringers today. What a rotten mess. Stringers were not encapsulated, and one stringer was butted together by the engine mount. This boat had new stringers and floor put in about 8 years ago. A very poor job.

[asianbandit]

I am a new boat owner and i just found the same problem on my 14ft fiberglass bass boat. I am a newbie and am looking for tips and help on the forum..yours was the first post i saw..dude i feel the same way as you, i was told that the stringers were new and they truned out to be rotten..good luck...i plan on doing the repair work this week or weekend....i will post some pictures for all to see..

[mtnrat]

Would be great to see some pics. Are you going with epoxy?

[asianbandit]

I will get some pics posted, I have them on my home computer already...Hopefully I can get them posted tonight..As far as using epoxy, dunno yet...from all the reading I have done so far..It looks like I do not need to replace all of the stringers, I think I just need to replace the stringers that are visibly rotted. There is only one stringer where the fiberglass is missing and the wood is exposed. I guess the first step is to:

1. Cut the bad wood off
2. Replace it with new fiberglass Resin treated wood
3. And glass that in
4. Lay plywood over the stringers (seal this in with epoxy and fiberglass I believe)
5. Lay carpet
6. Put her in the water

Now I just need to figure out exactly what materials I will need to accomplish this. I know I will need resin for the wood, and glass to cover it. Just need to make sure I use the right type of materials to fix it.

Have you done any more work on the boat today? Unfortunately, it is raining here and i don't have any covered storage yet.

[KnottyBuoyz]

You're not alone. Here's an ongoing project from an acquaintance on another bbs.

http://209.190.4.227/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11294

He frequents here so I'm sure he can answer any questions on materials.

Rick

[asianbandit]

Thanks for the link..that looks very helpful to my project.. I appreciate it!!

Here are some pics of my project boat...Let me know what you think...It looks like a lot of work to me...So far I have

1. Scraped & Removed all the old carpet
2. Removed all Plywood (really bad plywood job)
3. Got whatever foam was left out


Any tricks for getting the old glue off the fiberglass?
What do you think about my latest purchase? How much $ do you think it will cost to repair? Do you see any damage I don't?

I plan on taking pictures throughout the project so others can get an idea of what to expect....Could you take a look at the pictures and give me you thoughts? You thoughts would be very helpful...Thanks!

Front of Boat - Inside
http://www.utmem.edu/~szada/DSCN1175.JPG

Back of Boat - Inside
http://www.utmem.edu/~szada/DSCN1181.JPG

Rotten Stringer
http://www.utmem.edu/~szada/DSCN1176.JPG

Transom
http://www.utmem.edu/~szada/DSCN1178.JPG

Hull - Bottem and Side profile
http://www.utmem.edu/~szada/DSCN1183.JPG

[longliner45]

ok guys and girls ,,,,boats are a signifigant expence , not to mention ,your taking your family and friends out in it ,,,get a survey,, this is what surverors do ,,,they have much training to help you out ,,cant always believe what the seller says ,,,remember ,he is like a used car salesman ,,in it for profit,,,at your expence,,be safe and spend a few bucks on the survey,,,longliner,,,,,,,,,,sorry you got burned,,,,john

[mtnrat]

My boat was actually surveyed just before I got it. About 5 years ago I went to visit my mother in law and saw the survey sitting on the kitchen table. She told me she was going to get rid of the boat. I told her I might want it. She said if I took it away it was mine. It has alot of sentimental value to my wife as her dad bought her the boat when she was about 19 and has since passed away. Hence all of the work I am putting into it. Damn, actually found out I like working on boats. One of the most relaxing things I do. Takes the mind away from everything.
In this boat you cannot see into the hull space from anywhere and possibly at that time there was no indicators of the problems that were starting right under my feet.
knotty, thanks for the thread.

[mtnrat]

Here is a pic of the boat and the interior I just reupholtered this spring. I also installed a new long block 350. Seems to me I screwed up the order of execution.:D

[longliner45]

its a nice looking boat,,and yes it is relaxing to work on them ,,my boat is my sanctuary,,when im working on it I am in my own little world ,,away from work ,,the news and everything,, perhaps at the time of survey she was fine ,,,but 5 years unattended if weather was the result,, or a piss poor surveyor ,,it happens,ya got all winter ,,,roll with the punches ,, and dont let the neysayors get the last word in ,,remember ,,they will be on the dock watching you pull out to sea ,,,,longliner

[mtnrat]

I am up for the task, no problem. I worked as a carpenter and cabinet maker for 10 years so am comfortable with tools etc. I also know knowledge is important so I invested in west sytems pamphlets "Fibreglass Boat Repair and Maintenance", "Final Fairing and Finishing", "Gelcoat Blisters", and "User Manual". Also "The Epoxy Book" from system three which can be down loaded for free here. http://www.mertons.com/Epoxy/documents/epoxy_book.pdf for anyone who might be interested. As well I bought "The Fibreglass Boat Repair Manual" by Allan Vaitses. Read them all and am now going through them to finalize my plan of attack and materials estimate. I am going to hoard in my boat in my shed so I can add some heat and get going. I called my friend and guy I worked for building cabinets and homes, and enquired about stringer material. He has some kiln dried, properly stored,straight grain, knot free douglass fir that he will plane down to exactly what I need. He also has a line on okoume or meranti plywood for my floor.

[asianbandit]

Would be great to see some pics. Are you going with epoxy?

Don't believe i am going to go with Epoxy, at least not yet..after doing some reading a majority of repair shops are using polyester resin to seal the fiberglass in....at least from what i can see...You might change my mind...

I am planning on getting some outdoor untreated plywood for the construction of my boat (stringers, floor and storage).
QUESTION: When i get the plywood, should i coat it with a couple coats of Fiberglass resin to let that set it before laying the glass and polyester resin down?

[asianbandit]

ok guys and girls ,,,,boats are a signifigant expence , not to mention ,your taking your family and friends out in it ,,,get a survey,, this is what surverors do ,,,they have much training to help you out ,,cant always believe what the seller says ,,,remember ,he is like a used car salesman ,,in it for profit,,,at your expence,,be safe and spend a few bucks on the survey,,,longliner,,,,,,,,,,sorry you got burned,,,,john

Why do you think i got Burned? I knew the boat was a fixer-upper when i got it. Only paid $450.00 for the boat, trailer (new tires, winch, etc...), and seats, seat mounts. Is that a bad price? Did i still get burned? i dunno, let me know?

[mtnrat]

asian from what I have read it seems that brushing or rolling a layer of epoxy etc over the whole stringers is the way to go. I did read somewhere not to coat the underside of the floor because that traps in any moisture that is already in the wood. That makes no sense as would not the same apply to the stringers or visa versa? So far I am going to coat all wood before installation.
I would find a source for treated ply if you are going with plywood. Your local lumber store should be able to order it if they do not stock it. My boat had untreated unsealed ply in the floor and it did not last long.
I am also thinking of stragegically installing inspection covers in the floor so I can look at what is going on and blow dry air through the floor hull cavity. This has not been dicussed before and I think it would be a simple way to keep things dry. I am also going to put the ski locker back in that was removed. That will give a fair amount of access right there.

[asianbandit]

So far I am going to coat all wood before installation.
I would find a source for treated ply if you are going with plywood. Your local lumber store should be able to order it if they do not stock it. My boat had untreated unsealed ply in the floor and it did not last long.
I am also thinking of stragegically installing inspection covers in the floor so I can look at what is going on and blow dry air through the floor hull cavity. This has not been dicussed before and I think it would be a simple way to keep things dry. .

Thanks for the advise..i plan on coating the wood also...I can't believe someone would put untreated, unsealed ply on the floor of your boat...What the F where they thinking...I think the idea of installing inspection covers is a good one...BUT are you planning on putting foam in the bottem between the stringers..not sure if you would be able to see or feel the water if there was foam..Do you plan on spray foaming?

[mtnrat]

The boat never had foam, so I was not going to put any in.
The more I look the more crap I find.:eek: No fillets were used on the stringers and the resulting voids were perfect places for water to sit. Stay tuned for what is discovered next.:rolleyes:

[longliner45]

asian bandit;I dont think you got burned,,,but I do think you were misslead,,unless you knew beforhand of the water damage

[asianbandit]

asian bandit;I dont think you got burned,,,but I do think you were misslead,,unless you knew beforhand of the water damage

I knew about the damage....Did not know how extensive the labor would be...i have learned more about fiberglass in the last week than i have ever wanted to..I have also learned that painting the boat is going to require a professional to do it, if it is to be done right..i dont have a respirator or a spray gun....

[VKRUE]

Hey guys,
I'm a little late to see your thread here but, I strongly advise AGAINST using treated lumber for your projects. Treated lumber is SOFT (because of the chemicals sprayed onto the wood) and will not be a good foundation for any fastening devices such as screws. A friend of mine has already done what you are intending (or have allready) to do. He asked me to help and I was not impressed at all with the way the repairs went.

If you want to coat your "UNTREATED" wood with anything it should be CPES. Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. This will remove any unwanted moisture from the wood and seal it.

By the looks of the pictures, the reason that your wood rotted in the first place is that it WAS INCAPSILATED in glass therefore trapping in any moisture that was allready present as well as any that may have leaked in from who knows where. I have personally seen this kind of damage when I was asked to help cut up and old glass boat for junk. The keel itself ( the backbone structure ) was 14" tall and 2" wide just behind the bow and was completely rotted through. This guy was originally going to repaint this boat and put his family into it on the water :eek: untill the fella that runs the local marina refused to make a simple repair for him based on his evaluation of the condition of the fiberglass.

Longliner suggested you get the boats looked at by a surveyer. Do this ! At the very least get some professional who does know a lot more about watercraft than you guys do to look your boats over.

Personally, this is why I don't care to ever own a fiberglass boat.

Mtnrat: You might have sufficient knowledge of woodworking and the tools used when it comes to home building and cabinetry and such but believe me when I say.... that's just the begining when it comes to boats and craft designed to be put out on the water. This is a whole new territory for you. Don't let this discourage you though. With determination (which I'm sure you have) you'll learn just fine. I'm not a builder or designer, as a matter of fact I'm only working on my first boat still (for the past three years) but, I can tell you that you have only touched the tip of the iceburg here.

There is a lot to be learned here. Have you looked at the Wooden Boat Building and Restoration (http://boatdesign.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18) forum for any information?

Treated wood is really a bad idea guys. CPES ain't cheap by no means ($100.00 per gal.) but it is well worth the expense in my book.

I don't think that you can even get paint, epoxy or fiberglass resin to stick to it.

Best of luck to you both.

[mtnrat]

VKRUE, thanks for the advise, and no offense taken. Since last posting here I definitely have discovered, NEVER to use treated wood of any kind. I have also read through thousands of posts and threads in various boat forums. This has resulted in a much better understanding of what I am about to embark upon. Still getting the inside of the hull perfect to start.(It keeps snowing so I have been skiing almost everyday this winter :) )
Cheers,
Sean

[jimslade]

There is nothing wrong with pressure treated ply as long as its well dried out. Many builders use pressure treated. I've used it. But why would anyone want to use wood anymore when there are better materials that NEVER rot. Asianbandit and anyone that will listen Never Never do any work on stringers will its sitting on a roller trailer. Set the boat on either a straight bunk trailer or set it on three points. I like the outer rear transom corners and the bow section just as it starts to curve upward.

[mtnrat]

I am interested in those "other" materials. but have not received a definitive answer as to which to use for stringers and floors for my 18 footer. The previous stringers were two at 2"x12"x14' and two at 2"x4"x8". Of course trimmed to fit. Any help here would be beneficial. I am not very worried about cost.
Cheers,
Sean

[jimslade]

I personally use Nidacore. Its lightweight and will never rot. Ive used it for transoms and stringers and sole's(floor). 2 Layers of 3/4 inch will work great.I have posted pics on other posts. If you want some I could post pics and instructions here.
Where in Canada are you. I have a supplier in my are. Toronto)

[mtnrat]

I live in Fernie B.C. I am very interested. Likely a supplier in Western Canada as well. If you could post pics and instructions here or give me the link to where they are that would be great.
Sean

[SamSam]

Make sure there are no twists in the hull or mishapes due to sitting on rollers,etc. Also watch that you don't mishape it with your weight when you are inside replacing the stringers. The new stringers will lock in whatever shape is there, good or bad. While you have it all apart, make sure the transom is OK. Sam

[mtnrat]

Transom is good, replaced not long ago and checks out sound. I have the boat removed from the trailer up on blocks, very well supported. I took measurements before I removed the floor and stringers so I am good there. The rollers from the trailer did put quite a hook in the hull which I will remedy. Thanks for some of the heads up.
Sean