99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

[ocimad27]

Here is the quick synopsis. Last summer...got the boat itch...had some extra cash...bought my first boat. Here is what she looked like when I brought her home and cleaned her up. I hope everyone enjoys the pics.

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

Here is what she looked like after sitting this winter with the cover on!!! The pictures don't do it justice. The wood is soft and the carpet is moldy. Apparently my cover was just for looks and didn't actually keep any rain out, just really good at trapping it in there.

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

Well, one thing leads to another and here is where I am today

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

So here are where my questions begin:

1. Is it really possible that I don't have anything in my stringers except for foam? I've looked at the historical data on Larson's website and it seems to suggest that in the literature. I have a couple of cores in the stringers and all I find is foam. The only wood I find is in the motor mounts for an inboard and it is solid. If it is true that I have no wood...suggestions for reattaching the new floor?

2. The floor I removed was pressure treated that was stapled to the stringers. Of course the staples were all rusted. I am a little confused by the pink looking fiberglass that is on the white stringers. Do you think it was installed when the pt floor was put in. It doesn't seem logical that the factory would make nice finished looking stringers and then have unfinished looking work partially over top of it?

3. I want to do this right...so do I have to sand or grind down all of the pink off the white stringers and then rough up the white stringers to accept new fiberglass?

4. After hours of reading and re-reading, I think I am leaning towards polyester resin. Will this attach/bond to the roughed up stringers and last?

Lastly...what is going on with my transom? It looks like a repair was made with something that resembles plaster of paris to me. It is super hard and I have it marked with the blue arrows. The red arrows are all soft rotten areas.
On the exterior I have noticed a crack and some swelling. I don't know if this was pre-repair or has happened post repair and if I should be concerned. Well of course I am concerned I just don't know if I can tackle removing the motor and repairing the transom without removing the whole top of the boat. Guidance is greatly needed.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[daymienrules]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

it's true, no wood in those stringers. That boat should be a sister to the wellcraft 186ss.

" made from hand-laid fibreglass, a foam-filled fibreglass encapsulated stringer system, and prominent strakes reinforced and filled with microballoon putty and biaxial fabric. Hence the five-year transferable structural warranty.'

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

Thanks for the confirmation. Do you have any idea how the floor was originally attached?

 

[daymienrules]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

i don't, sorry. Your pics are the first time I've seen the deck removed, so I thank you for that.

How difficult was it to get the deck out from under the molded bow?

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

No harder than the rest of the floor. I just reached up in there as far as I could with a little grinder with a cutting wheel and then chiseled away

 

[ocimad27]

Re: 99 Larson 186 SEi floor and possible transom replacement

Anyone have any thoughts on what I should use to glue the floor to the fiberglass stringers. I am planning on putting a coat of epoxy resin on the underside of the board. So I will be attaching fiberglass to resin. Mark at US composites recommended two part epoxy, but I am having trouble finding that in tubes. The salesman at West Marine recommended 5200 adhesive. Lastly, people seem to use PL on here a lot for stringers to hull applications. I've sanded the surface to roughen it up. I just need to decide what to attach with. All insight is appreciated. As a reminder, screws are of no value because my stringers are injected with foam.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Bob D.]

Is it possible to gain access to replace structure under the fibreglass floor of the bow without splitting the bow ?