Re: newbie transom question...
oops... most of my floor was not fiberglassed in, and I only had three pieces of plywood for the entire floor. They were laid directly on top of the stringers, and screwed into them with wood screws. Then they had puttied around the wood at the raw fiberglass, and added fiberglass over the putty and about 6 inches onto the plywood. The bow section was glassed back to the foot rest for the front passenger and driver, but then the glass ended.
The stringers, all five of em, consisted of the following.
The center stringer, running from bow to stern, was a 1x ?? with a minimum height at the front of 0 inches. and a max height almost at the stern of about 6 inches.
Then there are two 1/2 x 1 inch stringers, that were bedded, and then covered with fiberglass, that don't go to the floor. They just rest in the floor for "support"? One of them is rotted to nothing, and flaking, and the other looks like it was covered with about 10 gallons of some sort of hard putty, and resin. The latter is cracked pretty bad.
Then there are some 1x2's for outer stringers, that the floor was resting on. These are bedded, and fiberglass covered, mostly. I say mostly, because they were covered at the top, and then there's a gap, and then they are bedded. There was wood exposed in between.
Then there were some side to side stringers, three I believe, that were 1x1's, running from the outside stringers, through the center stringer. These were fiberglassed on top, and the sides, but left open on the bottom as well, and not bedded to the bottom of the boat. I guess to let water underneath?
I did some "testing" when I'd first gotten the boat, by floating it, and seeing where I saw water, and there was plenty coming in through various screw holes and such. As the previous owner had used LONG wood screws next to the sides of the boat, that went all the way through the hull.
Anyway, with this "testing" I did, I basically lifted the boat on the trailer, and hosed the inside to help clean out 20 some years of leaves and mud and crud, while leaving the rear drain open, and cleaning it out religiously, to help aid in the cleaning efforts. Well.. in doing so, I realized a BIG problem. The center stringer, was NOT fully bedded, because junk was floating back and forth under it.
Then... I noticed that the middle stringers, that don't touch the floor, were providing a nice dam to water exiting at the bilge area. But it the water quickly rose high enough to flow over these stringers, leaving about 1 inch of water on the outside, to sit, and rot the wood I'm sure.
And.. I noticed that any water that actually got outside the outer stringers, that did go to the floor, had to flow back to the BOW of the boat, and then down the center of the boat back to the bilge area.
So... my plans for the new center stringer, include fully bedding it to the hull for one, and making it out of a nice 2x6, as the center of the bow has a gap plenty wide enough for a 2 by. There was putty in one side of this gap, and I'd rather fill it with WOOD.
Then... for the "middle" stringers, that didn't touch the floor, I'd like to add some 1 by's that DO go the floor, Bed them properly, and cut to size. However, I think I'll include some drain holes, to lead to the bottom of the hull, at three or four locations, to avoid pooling.
Then, for the outer stringers, same thing 1 by's. All the way to the floor, and again, with several drain's, to lead to the center of the hull and back to the bilge area.
As for the side to side stringers, I'm thinking some 1x1's, fully epoxied, and glassed. I like the idea of them not going all the way down to the hull, to allow water to flow under them, as they will only help aid the support of the floor.
As to the floor itself, I'm debating using diamond plate, or cabinet plywood. If I go diamond plate, I can get a single piece large enough, and have it cut to fit, but then the problem is getting it to fit. If I get it in two pieces, front and rear, or left and right, I have to worry about the joint. Same of course for plywood. I know I can't get one piece of plywood big enough, but I'm then in a quandry with 4x8 plywood sheets. Do I go with four sheets, and center the seam at the center of the boat, and then again at the foot rest area for the front? or do I try to use the majority of a sheet, and then have a thin strip on one side.
I'll probably draw a photo to explain the plywood idea.
Anyway, my only other idea was to use nice flooring wood, in the 1/2 by 2 inch variety, and use side to side strips, kinda like laying regular flooring in a home, but in a boat. I'd seal it first of course, and then lay a few coats of some sort of varnish down before using it. The only reason I wouldn't do that, would be cost. I'd love a georgious wood floor, but who wouldn't.
As to the HP rating... the transom plate says it was rated for 100hp. Dunno how.. it's only a lil 15 footer, but I know it only had a 50 on it when I got it, and I was told it would do ~40 knots with that. So I'm hoping for at least 25-30 knots with a 35hp.
And I've read the entire post on the hull extension, twice now. There are still lots of ideas buzzing through my head. I'll probably look at least one more time before I get started on stringers and floor and transom.
JoeCrow... I wish I had the funds for a different motor. And as to the shaft extension kit, I'm not sure I can find one for a 59 lark. I'll keep my eyes open though. I'm thinking I'll probably manufacture something for a lowering jack plate and add that to my transom replacement project. Heck, for the little toting around I might have time to do this summer, I may just try to add my weight to the rear, and take it slow. I just wanna go fishing somewhere other than the dock before summer's out, and take the family out for a picnic, without having to paddle the canoe
Also... as to Redeye 1962, from what I've read... treated wood and aluminum aren't a great mix. As to drying wood, I'd opt to not put it in the sun, and I'd be willing to bet, that the sun is part of why it's warping, as one side is getting hot, and drying quickly, while the other side is NOT, and just like a thermostats bimetalic strip, you're gonna get a nice curve to your board. I'd put your wood in a garage, or at a minumum under a tarp, or in the shade. Let it dry for at least 30 days without getting wet, in the heat is fine, in the humidity is not. But I'd say not in the sun.
