Any reason stringers are off center?

[drryan]

As I tear down my 1988 Starcraft Medalist 1601 to replace the transom and deck I've found that the stringer are off center by about 3/4 inch. I noticed the engine mounts were off to the starboard about 3/4" however I didn't think anything about until I started removing foam and noticed that the port main stringer is deeper in a spline (or whatever you call them) than the corresponding starboard stringer. Please tell me this is not a design feature. As I put this back together I think I am going to straigten things out a bit.

Just because I haven't found any I will try to post some pics of the stringer lay out before I completely demolish things.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jones01m]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

It does not seem reasonable that your stingers would be asymmetric. For your engine mounts to also be off center appears to be quite curious. I presume this is an I/O? Is the hole (bolt pattern) in your transom off center too?

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

Its very possible that someone has come in behind the factory work and done a not-so-precise job of setting the stringers and mounts...

Take a few pics.... I'd be interested in what some of our more experienced guys have to say about this.

 

[drryan]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

Thanks for the replies. I took a bunch of pics yesterday and we are getting hit with those east coast storms today (inside all day) so I'll try and post them. The hole patterns and the cut-out in the transom for the OMC sterndrive appears centered. I will put up some pics. As stated earlier wanted to put up some pics of the stringer pattern anyway because when I was researching I could not find any.
Thanks again.

 

[drryan]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

Here are some of the pictures.

As you can see from looking back at the transom the stringers were put in to the starboard and they tried to make up for this by moving the engine mounts.I am not sure if this was done at the factory or someone did it years ago in trying to fix the boat. I do not think anyone has taken the stringers out ever.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

At that time stringers and such were just set in place and glassed over, exact placement was optional, and not that critical.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Any reason stringers are off center?

If they Are off to the Right They are Republican Stringers and if they are off to the Left the were installed by Democrats!!!! That's kinda what I'm figurin'''':facepalm: