stringers

i have a 1988 21.5 glasstron cuddy water has been getting traped top side of the stringers where the motor mounts. I can see where the stringers are starting to rot. They are rotting right where the floor starts in front of the motor. Mounts and all look strong.how can i stop the rot & fix without completly removing the stringers. I think this was a poor desin . the water has no place to go. or maybe its rotting there & those were the port holes.anyone know glasstron boats thats had this problem? Someone help me jobbie nooner june 24th i need to start work now hold off until fall.Has anyone used this seacast solution ?could it be mine?

 

Sea Cast isn't the choice for this application, it's a pour in core material, not a substitute for a structural longitudinal stringer.

There's no easy way to put this, you have to replace the stringer. It's a common issue with many of the lesser quality production boats, particularly from the "dark years" which ran the length of the 80's. During this era, many of these production manufactures closed their doors. Before doing so, they tried to save costs, by using less resin in the layup, less costly resin (inferior) and other stop gap measures to help the corporate bottom line. The results often produced less then satisfactory coatings, with irregular materials, poor workmanship, etc.

If you can see a little rot, you likely have considerably more, yet to be discovered. The nature of rot is that most of it is well inside wood, out of sight, so it may be a literal can of worms, once you start disassembly.

Common issues with your boat would include: rotting soles (the places you walk inside the boat), rotting sole supports, soft stringers, rotten transom and interior furniture cleats, supports, etc.

You are correct in that it was a poor design. Under the sole, there is a grid of supporting stringers, some hold up the sole, others absorb and transfer bottom loads to the rest of the hull. It's a bit like a big egg crate, but no "weep" holes were provided to permit water to drain aft, nor was a well, sump or other way provide to get this moisture out of the boat. To top it all off, there will likely be a bunch of water/fuel soaked floatation foam down there too, which contributes to the rot issues.

The quick test is to stomp around inside the boat and see if any of the soles feel soft or sponge like. This is a sure sign the sole is rotten and the support/stringers are probably too.

There's a lot of information regarding repair and replacement of these common issues on this site. Try a search for stringer replacement, sole repair, etc.

 

thanks par for the info, its not what i wanted but, i knew it was comming the boat is so nice its a shame that a big job right before summer & like you said most likey a can of worms.if i do this should i make my own weep holes.thanks for setting me stright on the name of those holes. "weep" thats what im doing over here "weeping"

 

yes man,,,,,make ya own weep holes,,,and while making them,,remember why your doing this job,,heh,, im pretty sure you'll come up with ya own "design" on where and how big they should be,

 

man im back & forth with doing this myself. it really is a nice boat.

 

man,,,,wtf,,,im back and forth from this thread to ya OTHER thread asking same thing,,,well BASICALLY same thing

 

Minimum size for a weep should be a 3/4" diameter hole.

 

How to repair your stingers

Hi, If you have rot in your stringers do not be scared of it. The basic boatbuilding and repairs still apply. The key is to make sure that you use a 12:1 scarf ratio on all repairs. This applies to both wood and fiberglass. It is a common misconception that stringers have to be replaced when rotten and or fractured. You only have to replace the bad stuff. Just remember that you use the same (or better) lamination schedule when re-glassing.

It is good practice to use and epoxy resin (west system) for you wood repairs and vinylester for your glass work. Special attention to detail of shape, reinforcement and dimensional location should be noted so as to keep your engine position identical (with in reason). Good luck on your project.

Cheers
Knautcal

 

o.k.,,,,not me this time,,,1 of you others, i know i cant do it "diplomatically" hehe