The floor in the 76 Speedliner (16' tri-hull w/ a 1975 Evinrude 135) has been feeling spongy, but if you ignore something long enough it'll go away, right? Right, it went away...
We were out 4th of July & the battery fell through the floor, probably a sign that I should do something. The first thing was to decide if we WANTED to put the time, money and effort into a 30 year old boat with a 30 y/o engine. They have both been lots of fun for us, and the engine has started with the turn of a key since day one, so we decided to do it. OK, "We" decided that "I" would do it...
Spent a month or so reading, scratching my head, and planning my attack, and am now to the point that I need to ask some questions instead of just winging it.
There is an ongoing web album of the project at http://picasaweb.google.com/mckevin32/BoatProject
From this point on, I would have to ask that you assume you are dealing with someone who doesn't know much about boats, and absolutely nothing about fiberglass. (anyone still with me?)
As you can see, the floor is out, the stringers are about half out, and the foam is all but gone. For the foam I chopped what I could out with a flat blade shovel, and went after the rest tonight with a weed eater, which worked pretty well but used an amazing amount of line! Lessons learned so far, If you are going to use the weedeater method, eye protection is a MUST (ask me how I know).
Anyway...
Is it desirable to leave the fiberglass "walls" that held up the old stringers? Is there a good way to use them in the placement of the new ones? Or will I not get it to stick & seal?
Where the top & bottom halves of the boat meet under the rub rail, the "lips" were stapled together with LOTS of staples. There were (steel) screws through both parts into 1/2" plywood inside the boat, and the rub rail was pop riveted on to both halves.
I don't have a staple gun, and I don't think the rub rail has enough room to bolt them together. How do i (or do I) fasten the parts back together when this is all done (assuming it ever DOES get done)?
Am I correct that douglas fir is the preferred wood for stringers? I don't have ready access to marine plywood, nor any good way to dry ACQ.
Going to pour the transom with Seacast, I know there is some disent about this, but I feel comfortable that I can do it, and I can't say the same about my comfort level with building a wood one yet. Besides, the money is already spent & I need to feel good about my decision
Last, having read through many of the posts of the last several months (especiallly the ones that contained "transom" or "stringer") I have to say that the helpfullness and patience you guys show to the multitudes of strangers who show up here asking the same questions over & over is amazing (shameless sucking-up), and the sole reason that I don't sound like even more of an idiot that I do!
'preciat it!!!
(edit spelling & readability)
We were out 4th of July & the battery fell through the floor, probably a sign that I should do something. The first thing was to decide if we WANTED to put the time, money and effort into a 30 year old boat with a 30 y/o engine. They have both been lots of fun for us, and the engine has started with the turn of a key since day one, so we decided to do it. OK, "We" decided that "I" would do it...
Spent a month or so reading, scratching my head, and planning my attack, and am now to the point that I need to ask some questions instead of just winging it.
There is an ongoing web album of the project at http://picasaweb.google.com/mckevin32/BoatProject
From this point on, I would have to ask that you assume you are dealing with someone who doesn't know much about boats, and absolutely nothing about fiberglass. (anyone still with me?)
As you can see, the floor is out, the stringers are about half out, and the foam is all but gone. For the foam I chopped what I could out with a flat blade shovel, and went after the rest tonight with a weed eater, which worked pretty well but used an amazing amount of line! Lessons learned so far, If you are going to use the weedeater method, eye protection is a MUST (ask me how I know).
Anyway...
Is it desirable to leave the fiberglass "walls" that held up the old stringers? Is there a good way to use them in the placement of the new ones? Or will I not get it to stick & seal?
Where the top & bottom halves of the boat meet under the rub rail, the "lips" were stapled together with LOTS of staples. There were (steel) screws through both parts into 1/2" plywood inside the boat, and the rub rail was pop riveted on to both halves.
I don't have a staple gun, and I don't think the rub rail has enough room to bolt them together. How do i (or do I) fasten the parts back together when this is all done (assuming it ever DOES get done)?
Am I correct that douglas fir is the preferred wood for stringers? I don't have ready access to marine plywood, nor any good way to dry ACQ.
Going to pour the transom with Seacast, I know there is some disent about this, but I feel comfortable that I can do it, and I can't say the same about my comfort level with building a wood one yet. Besides, the money is already spent & I need to feel good about my decision
Last, having read through many of the posts of the last several months (especiallly the ones that contained "transom" or "stringer") I have to say that the helpfullness and patience you guys show to the multitudes of strangers who show up here asking the same questions over & over is amazing (shameless sucking-up), and the sole reason that I don't sound like even more of an idiot that I do!
'preciat it!!!
(edit spelling & readability)
