Project keeps growing!

Hi everybody.
I'll start with a little history. I used to have a nice boat until a divorce. (That was the first time she really loved that boat) So later I had my eyes open for a fix er upper. I found an 18' Avanti fish and ski for what seemed like a decent price. I was not boat literate. (I'm not much smarter now, but a little.)
So once I got the boat in water, it was taking on water fairly fast and that led to a boot replacement. After that I still had water bubbling out of the transom at the boot hole. I knew this wasn't good. Besides that, I started to notice things that made me think that the boat was sunk, or at least partially.
The fact that the engine smoked alot may have been another indicator.
So this year I decided to get the engine out and rebuild and that would also be a good time to repair or replace the transom. I like doing things myself if I can. (and yes, sometimes I wind up spending more!) . Well the more I get into this the bigger it gets! There are 2 horizontal ledges on each side of the boat (gas tank, batteries sit there) that go right up to the transom that have to come out to get to the whole transom. Then there's a vertical wall on each side that runs fore to aft and butts up against the transom at its outer edges. At least one of the glassed in motor mounts is rotten. (This is a stringer mount I/O) This leads to my first question. Should I sink this thing?
Just kidding. The question is about stringers. The motor mounts were glassed in right next to a stringer which had the consistency of mashed potatoes. Am I going to have to remove the entire floor and replace the stringers in their entirety? This might lead to me having to separate the upper hull to get at the front.

 

You might want to have a read through this thread on the bateau.com forums. It will provide a lot of insight into what you may be getting yourself into.

http://forums.bateau2.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11294

Only you can make the decision to repair/replace the boat.

 

Well, I've begun removing the old and thought I'd ask you experts a question. What's the best way to cut out this old fiberglass? So far I've used a cutoff tool and a grinder. It's a slow process. I just wondered if there were different tools or tips to make this easier. Oh and the itching from the dust! I love it!

 

A decent abrasive cutting wheel on an angle grinder does a pretty decent job.
If your stringers are shot in one place, you may as well do the repair completely and correctly while you have the chance. You're in for a big project. Search "stringer replacement" on this board, this subject comes up a lot.
Don't forget to keep us posted on your progress And best of luck.

 

Thanks, I'll check into a wheel with a little more bite or at least a new one with it's full diameter. I'll do some more research on the stringers, but I already know all the decking has to come out. I plan to get some photos posted soon to show progress and clarify future questions. Some good news: If this boat doesn't see the water this summer, I still have a canoe!

 

Ok finally got some work done and some pics.
A 4 inch grinder with a cut off wheel works well to cut out the old material. Here's a couple pics of before. The second shows the state of my motor mounts. Next is as far as I've gotten so far, and the last raises a question. It appears that the forward piece of the transom was originally notched to accept the end of the stringer. Is this a common construction method and do I need to rebuild like that or can the stringer butt up against the transom? I was hoping to do the whole transom and then start the stringers. I'll be back with more questions after a little more reading on transoms and materials. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Ok I'm not sure if the lack of response indicates a plain old stupid question or nobody has seen the transom notched to accept the stringer. I apologise for my stupid questions, but I am new to this type of work.
I have been doing my homework, reading up on transom replacements but there may be some basics and details I still need help with.

I'm planning on using double 3/4 plywood for the transom construction. (I've seen different views on marine vs exterior. ) I plan to use epoxy resins.

Is it best to build the whole "sandwich" outside the boat and then put it in, rather than put in one layer at a time?

Also can anyone recommend a good source for my education on the various types and weights of fiberglass cloth mat and uses and compatibility of epoxy resin? I'm not yet clear on what type to use where. ie between the ply layers vs transom to the hull etc.

 

Did you follow up KB's suggestion?
http://forums.bateau2.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11294

Supplies and advice are available there.

http://www.boatplans-online.com/about.php

Pericles

 

Thanks for the reply Pericles,
Yes I had originally gone there and looked at the referenced transom repair, but have since gone back and dug deeper. Lots of information there for people like me without alot of experience. The how to section is great.