Boat lean 87 Ski Supreme

[PAR]

Typically, once you cut out the sole, you find the stringers have been sitting in a moist environment for too long and they need to be repaired/replaced and often the bottom of the transom is also shot, for the same reason. Leave a healthy flange around the perimeter of the sole, so you have a nice fat ledge to rest the new piece on, or feather back to make the new sole flush. If you do sit the patch on top, you'll need to shim up any sole support stringers to the new height (thickness of the old sole).

[Stumble]

Dream,

Sadly I think you really need to decide if it is worth saving this boat. To remove, replace, and rebuild it to a reasonable spec could very likely be more than the cost to buy a comparable boat in better shape. In addition your current boat has a lot of valuable parts that could be sold off to help fund a new buy.

You also might want to contact your insurance company and make a claim arguing that the failure was due to some accident that led to the totaling of the boat.

I just don't see how it is economically justified to fix a boat that would be worth 5k or so in good condition (which this one isn't), when a repair job could easily be close to that much, assuming that you don't find more structural problems ( very likely given water retention problems).

[PAR]

I don't think this boat will be a 5k fix, but you can run up your costs pretty quickly with these sort of repairs. Stumble is correct in that honest answers must be made in regard to the "worth" of this project. In today's market, you can by good, solid hulls with worn out engines for next to nothing. Transferring all the equipment and accessories, is a lot easier then itching your butt off for a few weeks doing a repair.

[dreamgirl]

I have investigated the condition of the foam and drilled 2 inch holes in each cavity in the floor to find the starboard side full of water and the other is dry .... hence the lean to the right. the hull is compartmental it appears with four compartments that make up the floor on that side. Considering taking a 4 inch by 10 inch rectangle out of the back of the boat and accessing all of the compartments on that side. Then removing all the foam from that access from the back rather than remove the floor. My question has anyone seen a ski supreme floor?? Do the stringers run all the way to the front with out any cross piece in between them. If so then I should be able to remove all the foam on those compartments from the back... Anyone had a good look at a sub floor of a Supreme before the lay the actual flooring down??

[PAR]

I have worked on your model and the stringers run longitudinally from transom to about where the dashboard is and yes they are subdivided, into compartments with athwartship sole support stiffeners. The problem with these, like most boats of that era, is they have no drain, access nor weep holes in the sole support structure. This tends to trap moisture from condensation and from above. The moisture eventually fills the foam and compartments and if left unaddressed, the stringers, transom and sole supports rot out.

You idea of access holes is a good one, though I suspect you'll find "soft spots" in the stringers and possably other issues. Might I recommend you cut a 6" round hole instead of a rectangular one. This way you can just install a 6" deck plate in the hole, instead of having to seal the darn thing back up with 'glass. Of course this assumes you're going to get lucky and just have wet foam and no structural issues.

[Wakeboarderwski]

Hello dreamgirl. I was wondering how you did with your repair and if you took any photos. I have an 87 Ski Supreme with the very same condition but with only a slight lean of 1". I was thinking of opening up the area under the fuel tank also to see what is hidden under the floor. The boat is still in great condition and worth the repair.

What did you find out about the compartments and how they are formed?

On the replacement foam, I have seen on another site for Nautiques, swimming noodles used to replace the damaged foam with great results. Cheap and they never absorb the moisture. They allow moisture to drain to the rear of the boat if positioned North and South.