Need some help....new to this

[vfootballphs]

Hello, my name is Cole and a few days ago i decided to tear up some carpet to see how the deck of my boat was doing. Well......Not too good. I ended up tearing all the carpet out as well as all of the wood. There was a top fiberglass layer over a half inch wood layer laying on top of foam blocks. There are two runners going down the hull lengthwise inbetween the blocks that is a half inch wide that is rotted out also...
SO....my questions are,
1. what do I need to do to replace this deck?

2.It looks as if each board put in was encased in a fiberglass shell, so can I just use regular plywood coated with resin instead of the rediculous price for marine plywood?

3. The foam looks to be in good shape with just a few nicks on the top so could I just fill those in with great stuff or something like that?

4. How do I replace the runners going down the boat? It seems that they are contured to the hull so it would be very hard to get them right...I read about some stuff that you pour in to replace transoms in boats...would that work?

5. There are also two 2x4 pieces going down the sides of the hulls, those are also contured to the hull...any idea on how i can replace those?

Sorry for the long post, but thanks alot!

[vfootballphs]

bump....

[bobber]

well, no one else has, so ill have a stab at some of these questions.

1. depends on how it was contructed in the first place. But to replace it, as in all of it, you are going to have to rip everything out of that boat, so you just have the hull left, as any consoles, seats etc will be attached to the deck. Deck normally goes in first, then everything else goes on top of it. So to replace the entire deck is going to take some work, but without knowing how the deck was fitted, i dont know.

2. This is again, depends what these "boards" were for. But i assume you mean the deck again. In my opinion yes, you can use exterior ply, i wouldnt use any lesser grade than that, and coat it in fiberglass. if your going to use resin, you might as well use glass too, to give it some extra strength, and regidness (that a word?) However, i dont know what regulations or standards are in affect in Texas, so maybe someone else could help you there. But make sure the ply is dry before you encase it, so as not to trap moisture in. Also make sure you coat it properly, and not leave any exposed spots, as water will work its way through the wood if you do. Also remember to seal any fixings you place into these boards with marine grade sealant, to prevent water getting in via holes you drill.

3. The foam is just to support the deck i think. Depends on the hull, and how deep a V it is. some decks are supported by the stringers, some use foam. As long as they are structually sound, and not weakened in any way, then yeah, if you just want to fill some small holes, that should be fine. I dont know about great stuff. I havnt ever used it, and i dont know what its properties are.

4. replacing the runners, or stringers, is not an easy task. The are usually layed in, while the hull is wet in the mold, and fiberglassed in. Not meant to be replaced. Thats what keeps your boat in shape. I wouldnt attempt to rip them out and replace them.
Im not sure of what stuff you are refering to, that you pour in, and so can not advise on that, sounds a little bodge jobbie to me. Only thing i can suggest, without seeing it, is to try and strengthen them, using new boards, fiberglassed to the old ones. need to know for sure if they are rotten through, or just showing signs of surface rot. Either way, make sure they are completely dry before you glass over them, but without seeing them, im not sure of what would be involved.

5 is the same as 4. They are the main stringers. is this boat inboard engine or outboard? if it is inboard, they are probabaly also your engine bearers. Again, ripping them out and replacing them is not a job for the faint hearted.

about all i can tell you, without being able to see the boat and damage in question, but im sure there are people around on this board who have had to replace the items more than once and may know some tricks of the trade. I build the boats, and customise them, dont often get involved with restoration to that extreme

[bro chris]

Well, I am new at this board but could not resist helping a fellow boater.
As for question #4....you should not use the stuff for transoms. I have replaced stringers before and just like bobber says, it is hard work, but worth it if you can do it. The best way to check the stringers to see if they have water in them is to drill a small hole in one and use one of those meters that check for moisture. If you do that, you must seal the hole you just drilled.
Question #2......yes do it yourself, just like you said, use resin and coat them.
Hope this helps.
Cheers...

[vfootballphs]

I've already removed the stringers...they were completely rotted out

[vfootballphs]

big question now....how do i replace them? By the way...the boat is a 78 invader 16ft with an evinrude 115 outboard...thanks alot

[vfootballphs]

also...can you put pictures in your posts?

[Jeff]

can you put pictures in your posts?

Sure - use the blue "Post Reply" button at the top or bottom of a thread (vs. the quick reply) and then on the normal reply screen click "manage attachments" to browse and select images from your local drive.

[bobber]

if they were rotted out completely, it is probably well worth checking the fiberglass for signs of osmosis or delamination, as its possible a lot of water has been in the area. Often boat manufacturers dont worry so much about inside the hull in terms of gel coat and it is just open glass fiber. Water will ingress into this and start causing your problems. So before you go to far into laying in new stringers etc, check to make sure the hull is still sound, else you could be wasting your time. Osmosis is an expensive and long job to repair, and often can write a boat off.
Check the outside of the hull for signs of bubbles in the gel coat. Tap the hull checking for weak spots, or spots that sound hollow. Then check the inside for signs of rot or delamination.

[bobber]

Another point i forgot to add. You mentioned the stringers were contoured to the hull? It does depend on just how "contoured" they are, but you may find you need to get a lil creative to replace the stringers in the same shape. You cant bend 2x4s without steamers, not something many people have in their garage. Depends how much of a curve is involved. But you may find you need to build up your own stringers using ply and epoxy resin, which allows you to build curved stingers. Its not hard to do, but requires patience and planning.

[vfootballphs]

OK....the hull is in pretty good shape...No weak spots or anything that you were talking about. I also don't get why I couldn't use the stuff that is poured in to make transoms for the stringers....If it is strong enough to be used for that, then it HAS to be strong enough for those stringers...right??

[bobber]

i dont wanna say either way with that pour in stuff. I never used it, and i dont know just how good it is. The best thing to do there is email the company that makes it and ask them if it will be any good for that. i dont want to say yeah go ahead, and it at least, not work, at worse cause injury. EMail the company that makes the stuff and ask them if it will be strong enough. Thats the best way to know for sure. transom isnt normally subjected to high impacts like the stringers are. transom really has to bear the load of the engine and its force when in drive, which is a pretty controlled direction of force. The stringers bare the impact of hitting something like waves, or something hard, and thats what has me unsure of this stuff.

[johnsonmtz]

I will be using the Seacast product in my transom this weekend. According to their website (http://www.transomrepair.com) the material is suitable for stringer repair. I'm with Bobber, though, there are many different stresses on stringer than the transom. I would say give them a call and talk to one of their technicians.

Be advised, this material is not cheap. I bought two 5 gallon kits and it cost $411 including shipping. My overall transom thickness will be about 1 5/8" with 1 1/4" of Seacast composite in the middle. One 5 gal. kit will fill 1000 cubic inches. My transom was about 1850 cubic inches. You'll have a lot of space to fill so this stuff will cost you plenty if you use it for the stringers.

Kevin

[foca]

johnsmotz:

did you do the seacast? what was your overall opinion? how did it dry etc.

[johnsonmtz]

The Seacast worked out great. I let it cure for about 3 days before reinstalling the cap. The transom is extremely strong and supports my 140HP Evinrude just fine. My stringers were just fine since they were a hollow fiberglass construction so I can't really comment on the use of Seacast a support material for that use. However, I am completely satisfied with it's performance as a transom core.