Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

So I'm thinking about the stringers.....they aren't very big.....they are recessed into the hull as longitudinal ribs and only project about 1" above the hull. They have a round profile to fit the concave hull rib pocket. Unfortunately the existing ones came out as shredded mush....but I do have some pieces....so hopefully I can make the profile up ......just not going to be easy???

I have a bunch of 1" mahogany in long lengths left over from one of my boat projects that I'm thinking I can use for the stringers. To make the nominal 2"x2" stock needed before shaping, I would rip up some 2" and laminate (2) 1 x 2 together. Then I guess I would use my portable block planer to do the rough shaping....then sand.

Here's a sketch of what I have in mind.

Tried to turn pic around...but all I got was a another one!

And here's a pic of the stringers/ ribs pulled out.....I think they are also mahogany or a clear Doug Fir?

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

A rain today.....probably not much Boat work .....but I did order my epoxy and glass! I need to pull out my mahogany wood and see what I have for laminating the stringers up.


http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/suntracker20/media/image_zps90cf87e0.jpg.html?sort=3&o=23

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Set up my Photobucket.....for this build.....

And a compilation of my boats

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Did some more grinding for a couple hrs this afternoon. Hope to get more time tomorrow and get most of the ridges down where stringers and bulkhead were located....and give the hull interior a once over, ready to take some resin!

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

So I'm thinking the "denial stage" is over and the Transom will have to go......I drilled a lot of holes and pretty much got wet wood throughout.....some rot in the corners and where the stringers tied in.....so any repair & epoxy saturation would be just as much work as a rip out, since I would be tabbing & re-glassing it all either way....and then I also will know it is solid and will outlast the boat! The outer skin will need some attention too......I plan to put a new 30 or 40hp E-Tec on her....so it's got to be solid.

Pretty much have all the grinding done to allow installing stringers and new floor.....but first the transom rip out, then rebuild new transom and then laminate some stringers in mahogany.

Hope I can get the old transom out easy......?????

Ok....spent hour on it so far........looks like i made the right decision since all wood seems to be wet and some rot here& there.....basically i cut grid into wood just about through....but leaving 1/4" for strength while I bang away with the chisel .....then I'll take my Roto Zip into corners and edges .....then support the outer skin with back plate of plywood and chisel out the remaining 1/4" .

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

yeah, probably best to just rip out all the old wood and start fresh. I would save the mahogany for a different/better job. It would be a shame to hide wood that nice under fiberglass. Many of these old runabouts used little more than glassed-over cardboard tubes as stringers. Any sort of quality plywood should work just as well. I'm sure some of the glass pros will have some more specific material recommendations.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Yeah, I'd use either 3/4" Ext. Grade Plywood or 2x Douglas Fir dimensional lumber for the stringers. Once it's encapsulated in the glass it will last for decades. I would not use mahogany unless it was a wooden boat. Use a circular saw with the blade depth set just shy of the depth of the transom and cut a series of cuts into the transom. A 2" grid pattern will make it easy to use a chisel to remove the wood. They make a scraper blade now for a sawzall that really works well.

Amazon.com: Spyder 00134 Reciprocating Saw Scraper Blade Assortment 3 Pack: Home Improvement

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Yup, that's where I'm at now....cutting grid and chiseling away at transom! I thought a would use up the mahogany since I have a bunch sitting around from my last wood boat work.....Doug Fir would be fine and save me laminating the 1x mahogany, but can't get it around here local in NY last time i tried..... But I'll check again.....

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Woodonglass, what do you think of cedar for the stringers.....I can get 2x4 red cedar clear easy at local lumber outlet.....it would also be easy to shape the bottom radius to for the hull.....also very rot resistant.....????

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Clear cedar will be knot free, but will it be straight grained like DougFir tends to be?

Since you're using epoxy, I'd use the ACX exterior plywood w/ little to no worry about water intrusion, unless you can't find it...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

If it's clear red cedar then I think it would be a good choice. A bit on the soft side but with epoxy and two layers of 8.5 oz glass on a 14 ft boat I think more than adequate.

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Thanks for the input JB & Woodonglass ..... I'm on the search for 2x clear red cedar or Doug fir! Because of the significant shaping required to fit the concave hull ribs and the tapering to bow & stern, I think either of these in 2" stock will be the best for me!

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Been working away on the transom rip out.....wish it would have been worst off...like more rot.....would have come out much better.......it has been a tough slow chipping away but now it's mostly complete except for some chisel work in the corners and bottom.....Yea!

Found a source for clear red cedar 2" stock for stringers and also clear DF, but only in 1" & 5/4 stock.....so I will go with the cedar to save me laminating a built up 2" in the DF.....I think the cedar will be fine within the complete epoxy laminated floor/stringer system.

Time to go get that 3/4" BC ext fir ply I saw at HD the other day....for the transom.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

It appears you need to do some grinding on that transom skin to get down to good fresh glass.

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

It appears you need to do some grinding on that transom skin to get down to good fresh glass.

Yep, that remnant woodgrain overlay needs to come on out...

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Ok, spent last 2 hrs chiseling out the edges of the transom....so I think we are done with demo/rip outs....! Let the boat building begin!

I count grinding & sanding as boat building!

Ya, I will be going over that transom with flapper to get rid of the residual wood on the surface and still need to grind out around the perimeter and areas for tabbing in with fg tape. Tomorrow I will get the transom & stringer wood.

My plan is to laminate up the 1 1/2" transom....seal edges and transom mating side with epoxy, coat both transom skin & wood with epoxy PB and set with 2x3 clamps/thru bolts rig.....finish with PB fillet. I won't do the 8" 9oz tape to tab it all in or the glass on the inside of the transom until I get my stringers in because they run up under the bottom edge of transom.....but I want to get the transom set first to put back some stiffness to the stern before climbing around inside working on stringers.

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Been a few days....other activities and rain.......Picked up some transom plywood and found some DF for the stringers......washed the boat out completely.....today I will try to start the fabrication process for transom and stringers! Ordered a new full length temporary shelter for the boat build since the leaves will start to fall soon!!!

Made a template of old transom before I ripped it out....used it to fabricate new transom.... I am raising the transom to 20" to take long shaft outboards....since the rear deck will be flush with and cover the transom i am planning to install a manual jack plate to receive the outboard.

 

[Fcdave]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

Help! Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!!!

Getting ready to fabricate stringers.....thinking about how to build.....maybe a little different than the original???

As you can see in photo, The middle stringer was flush with the hull, as all stringers sit in a concave rib formed into hull. Side stringers sit in ribs about 3/4" and raised 1" above hull. Apparently, this middle stringer only added stiffness to the hull....but did not support the 1/2 ply floor.

I'm thinking I would cut the middle stringer to be floor height too so it would bond with floor and add more support to middle of floor.....the original span is a good 22", which seems excessive for 1/2" ply. What do you think???

There is also a cross frame at mid hull, slightly forward....and similar stiffener at the rear which formed a shallow bilge....As stringers are only about 1/2" above hull at stern. These only had the one hole for drainage in the middle..it's about 2" half elliptical cutout at the mid hull ..plenty big....but I'm thinking of adding a drain hole near the outside stringers too....not as big, just 1/2".....not sure it's necessary since hull slopes to center anyways??? The cross frame at rear had just a small hole to drain the hull to the bilge area...again, I'm thinking to add at sides too??? I'm assuming that it is necessary to provide these holes at stern to drain from under floor....even though these holes will allow water in from bilge??? Or Should this floor all be sealed 100% with hull and eliminate all drain holes under floor and at bilge so water can not get in under floor???

I would also like to raise the floor slightly ....by about 1/2" or so to make room for 1 1/2" rigid blue Dow foam board(waterproof) under most of the floor.....the original had no floatations and space was 1". The raised floor would also give me a better rear bilge area, as original was only 1/2" lower than main floor. What do you think???

Any advice appreciated!!!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

I really see no problems with any of your design modifications other than I always think it's a good idea to allow for drainage to the bilge. If you did get a puncture to the outside of the hull, you would want the water to be able to flow to the bilge and be able to be seen and pumped out. That's my opinion anyway.

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: Convert 14' runabout into fishing boat for the SW FL flats

You could probably live without the middle stringer coming up to deck height if you were using pour in foam (which would support the deck across that 22" span). However, since you are using the blue sheets I think the middle stringer might be a good idea. The more drainage to the bilge the better. Just consider where you are putting your fuel tank... Not sure you have enough clearance to put the fuel tank under the deck but if you are considering that you could use a couple of bulkheads (lateral supports) on either side of the fuel cell instead of a longitudinal keel stringer.

Good work so far... I love flats boats so I am following along for the duration...