95 Sea Ray 230 Sundancer stringer repair

tpenfield

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It's not too late to make this project an outboard conversion. :unsure: :LOL:
 

gmach

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It's not too late to make this project an outboard conversion. :unsure: :LOL:
I thought about that too but, I bought a big ol swim platform to hang off the back though thats been sitting in the shipping crate this whole time. Plus this boat has a bad tendency to wander at low speed; do you think putting an outboard further out might make it worse?
 

gmach

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Well it's been consistently in the 90's temperature wise here in California and so I have to work early in the morning or late in the evening...... until now.
 

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gmach

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Since the cabin is now air conditioned, I figured I would takle the rotten balsa core in the fore deck while enjoying the cool a/c.
 

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gmach

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I finally got around to glassing the transom. I really misjudged the radius I made for the steps on the transom. I figured a quater 1/4 inch round over would have worked but the 1708 did not agree and I spent a way to much time trying to get it stuck down and then watch it pop back up 15 minutes later. So instead of fighting it I just let it cure.
 

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gmach

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I ended up grinding out the delaminated corners and this time applying a generous fillet and laying down some new glass. The transom is 4 layers of 1708 and 5 layers of tabbing for a finished thickness of 2-1/4 inches and when I bang on the transom it has that beautiful solid high pitch ring!🙂
 

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gmach

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Here I am fitting the stringers in place. The Coosa is really easy to work with maybe even easier than wood. Because it is a dense type of foam, it can be sanded and cut very fast. One big drawback I found with it though is the dust it generates. I find that it irritates the skin way worse than normal fiberglass and it can work its way through thin clothing like a t shirt easily. I'm assuming this is due to the fact that it's less dense than normal fiberglass and the dust it creates is more coarse (bigger glass slivers).
 

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tpenfield

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Looks good. Keep in mind that Coosa is not as strong as plywood, so you will want to double up on the glassing of those stringers.
 
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