Replacing Stringers, floor & maybe Transom

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by minib78, Apr 28, 2012.

  1. minib78
    Joined: Apr 2012
    Posts: 2
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: kingston, ON

    minib78 New Member

    I have a 1975 Caravelle 22' with a Mercruiser I/O 888(ford 302)

    The floor is rotten, the stringers well basically nothing left,
    probably won't be able to use them to trace.
    the stringers are plywood and measure at 7/8" thick x 7 3/4" high ,
    the floor is 3/4" thick plywood, will replace with 3/4" plywood
    I don't know about the transom yet, still have to remove the engine.

    Motor mounts are attach to just the fiberglass. Wood has fallen and bouncing around

    I will be using epoxy, it is easier to use & seals the wood better, from what I hear.

    I'm wonder for the stringers if I would be able to use 1"x8"x whatever length that I need them at.
    Or is it wiser to replace with plywood again?
    And what Fiberglass should be used? Cloth, mat, woven roving, biaxial and what oz's 4,6,12?

    any help would greatly appreciated
    Thanks
    Brian
     

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  2. mydauphin
    Joined: Apr 2007
    Posts: 2,161
    Likes: 53, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 575
    Location: Florida

    mydauphin Senior Member

    I will be nice, but I will tell you what others are thinking but are too nice to tell you. By the time you finish fixing this boat, you will spend far more money than it is worth. Does the motor run?
     
  3. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
    Posts: 1,103
    Likes: 254, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 512
    Location: New York

    missinginaction Senior Member

    Mydauphin is nice mini. When I got home from working on the boat this afternoon I read your post and sighed. It's going to be costly and time consuming. How is that 302? How's the drive?

    MIA
     
  4. minib78
    Joined: Apr 2012
    Posts: 2
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    Location: kingston, ON

    minib78 New Member

    motor runs great,;) I have another motor as well just sitting here :D. the drive seems to be ok. no grinding or anything out of the normal. had it out a few times last year before noticing the floor in the back corner, when my GF went through it :mad:.. I know it will cost more then the boat, but its a solid boat.. I'm in store for a big job, just want to do it right thats all.

    Thanks Mydauphin and MIA
    Minib
     

  5. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
    Posts: 1,103
    Likes: 254, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 512
    Location: New York

    missinginaction Senior Member

    Well, you don't have to start spending money yet. I'd suggest that you get familiar with fiberglassing techniques in your spare time.

    Something that I found absolutely critical is to make sure that you take a lot of photos and make notes as to how things were built originally. Before you remove the engine/drive make sure that you design some type of jig or structure that you can mount in the boat as you repair it. When the hull is gutted you have an empty shell. You need to know where to build new engine mounts so that 302 goes back into the boat in the same location it came out of the boat. I took some time to build a jig out of scrap. If you look at the photos you'll see how the engine was originally installed and how the jig was designed to straddle the engine stringers so that I would know where to install the engine mounts when I was working in an empty bay after the new stringers were completed.

    Photos, left to right.....

    1. Hey, that looks a bit like your 302 Ford in there. I really like how the previous owner chose his starter cable colors. Hmmmm......

    2. New stringers going in . But how am I going to know exactly where the engine goes in that big empty space?

    3. My approach was a jig. Notice how those vertical pieces of plywood land right on the inside edges of the engine mounts. I notched the jig and marked the outside stringers so that I'd know where to put the jig back in. Zoom in on the left front or right rear mount and you'll get the idea.

    4. PAR (a sage here) gave me a great tip to get those old stringers out. Use a Sawszall and a long blade. Bend the blade a bit to match the angle of the inside of the hull. You can then run the blade carefully right under the old stringer and it cuts out easily and quickly.

    5. Lot's of work building and installing and glassing those stringers. Once I put my little jig back in mounting those new engine beds was a snap.

    You might want to go to the System Three web site. www.systemthree.com and download the epoxy book. It has a lot of good information about epoxy and fiberglassing techniques.

    I know you have a sterndrive so my approach might not suit your needs exactly. My hope is to get you thinking ahead. If you're going to do this forward thinking is essential.

    Regards,

    MIA
     

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