Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

[drewpster]

I been avoiding it like the plague but I started a little investigation on my stringers today. You guessed it, they are wet. I have been doing a little research and I have seen several methods for replacing them. I am not very keen on using seacast for this considering the length of the stringers and the fact that the engine mounts to them using lag bolts in the top of the stringers. In all my searching so far I have yet to find a supplier for the wood. Can a local lumber store get me what I need?
Also I am not clear on what method to use. My stringers pass under the cabin of the boat. The floor is solid in there but I am trying to be realistic. I am sure there is some rot under the floor. I am hoping I can replace the stringers from the main bulkhead back instead of tearing the cabin apart. (lots of finished Mahogany in there) Ever hear of doing it that way?

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

I been avoiding it like the plague but I started a little investigation on my stringers today. You guessed it, they are wet. I have been doing a little research and I have seen several methods for replacing them. I am not very keen on using seacast for this considering the length of the stringers and the fact that the engine mounts to them using lag bolts in the top of the stringers. In all my searching so far I have yet to find a supplier for the wood. Can a local lumber store get me what I need?
Also I am not clear on what method to use. My stringers pass under the cabin of the boat. The floor is solid in there but I am trying to be realistic. I am sure there is some rot under the floor. I am hoping I can replace the stringers from the main bulkhead back instead of tearing the cabin apart. (lots of finished Mahogany in there) Ever hear of doing it that way?

Get a angle grinder out and see how far it run's, Gessh dew i just got them dam vid's up on you tube and now you go and do this... There should be no reason you cant tie into the existing stringer's, let's see what the expert's have to say....

 

[salty87]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

i just started on mine. i have a large open bow and don't want to split the top off either.

the answer to your questions really lies under your old floor. if the stringers up front are bad, you may not have much choice. i'm hoping that my stringers will be solid up front. if so, i'll connect new stringers to old. i haven't dug them out yet though.

i'm kind of hoping i can use seacast for my stringers. mine are in terrible shape. using the old fiberglass coating as a form would be easier than resining plywood, etc (in my mind). plus seacast won't rot.

a local lumber yard can get you want you need but if the wood is soaked, it needs to dry out first.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

Mine were virgin just in front of the front seats, the floor as well. You only need to go as far as you absolutely have to. If you find a good cut off point, you can scab in new stringers by applying 3/4 ply on each side of the joint.

You can check out my floor replacement project. Fortunately my stringers were mahogany and although soaking wet there was only minor deterioration.

http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,92,00.html

 

[seafrog]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

I was in the same situation as you. I stopped short of the cabin area regardless of how far the rot went. I simply wasn't prepared to remove the front end of the boat etc. As a stop-gap measure, I drilled numerous holes along the stringers forward of the bulkhead and injected lots of CPES epoxy sealer and resin afterwards. This should buy me at least several years of time before I decide whether to get a new boat. I did the same to the engine area stringers, thought the wood there looked ok.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

I sistered the new keel into the old keel on my first 15-footer doing as Boomyal suggested and running a buttblock on either side of the joint. I cut the old keel at a 45-degree angle to increase the surface area of the butt joint. Worked well and the boat has seen five years of service since!
- Scott

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: Yet another Stringer thread...Help?

about the stringers under the engine, replaced mine with fir then glassed them in but had tons of wood around my place.
I thought if you get a hold of a pallet that might give you some perfect 4X4s free.
maybe oak is better than fir? mine are doing fine 6 years later.

For the stringers under the floor I built up the sides with 5 layers of glass
made two rails to hold the floor
small bulkheads with the bottom cut out for drainage and placed them every 12 inches
1\2'' ply over that
mahogany strips (from an old 1950 basement wall) and sqrewed it down
tapped in wood plugs.
(left a gap )and squeezed in this black caulking that is made for wood decks. sanded the whole floor and it turned out nice