Need some advice

[David44]

Just purchased a 17' 1996 Starcraft bowrider. Has anyone one this site ever replaced the fFloors, transom and stringers of this style boat. I have read volumes of articles and threads on repairs similar to this but none exactly like mine. Unfortunately, one of them has stuck in my mind and is scaring me. The article I am referring to, talked about supporting the boat so that it does not go out of shape when the transom, floor and stringers are removed. My trailer is a bunk style. Should I be worried? Do I need to support it some other way? and if so how? If I have to replace stringers is it recommended that I do one at a time or can I clean them all out at once? Not planning on taking the top cap off of the boat....to do the repairs. It looks like I can do the transom from inside. My thinking is the boat should be less likely to change shape if the top mold is left on....correct? Any advice to an excited new boat owner with a big project ahead of him will be greatly appreciated. On a side note... I am confident I will complete this project. I am mechanically inclined, have fiberglassing experience just not with boat construction and good access and understanding of how things work. I just don't want to miss anything....I figured I would ask some experts.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Need some advice

Any advice to an excited new boat owner with a big project ahead of him will be greatly appreciated.

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,...
My advice is to Read,Read, Read... It's all been covered here before....

Btw,.. I prefer a Bunk style trailer for that kinda work...

 

[timfives]

Re: Need some advice

Welcome to the forum. I assume your bowrider is a fiberglass boat. Of all the reading i've done i've only seen issues with them coming out of shape if the topcap is removed, even then you just need to realize that there isn't much structure.

Just my two cents, as i just wanted to relay what i've read. As for the trailer, i think that will be fine. Good luck and post some pictures, we all love to see the works in progress.

Tim

 

[drewpster]

Re: Need some advice

I spent some time on the platform that my tri-hull rests in. My main concern was not warping do to lack of support necessarily. Once stripped of the cap and all the cores the bare hull was quite light and ridged enough to hold shape on its own. My main concern was the hull changing shape as new cores were glassed back in place. As you add parts back in and they cure they are frozen in whatever shape you glass them in. I wanted to insure as I put it back together the new parts and glass would not "freeze" in the wrong way, possibly pulling it out of shape. Also when the cap is removed the hull sides tend to splay out slightly. They can be held back to the correct shape easily. (I pulled mine in with masking tap strung across the top) The danger is not pulling them in correctly and glassing a part in that "freezes" the hull sides out in their splayed condition. Bulkheads or wings added to the stringers can also cause the hull to twist slightly as they cure. The point is to maintain the hull's shape as much as you can. A bunk trailer that supports at least half the hull is fine. I would avoid doing it on a roller-only type trailer. After cracking my knee a few times on the tongue and fenders, I decided a platform was a good idea.
The platform also served to support the hull as I walked my over-weight hind end around in it.

 

[David44]

Re: Need some advice

thanks for all the tips. This forum is awesome. I will post some pics as soon as I get back out to the garage.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: Need some advice

Welcome David44,
The people here are great, There are a lot of us currently in the same boat.
Pun intended.
We do like pic's too. Lots and lots of pic's.
I'm still in the destruction phase on my boat, it is on a bunk style trailer too and I have not seen any change in it's shape yet and I have been taking measurements at several different locations around the boat.
Again welcome and have fun.
Bob