Re: Restoration Pics
I think you are talking about the little "well" aroungd the drain plug that was fiberglassed to the floor? If I cut it out witha grinder as I saw no logic in it being built the way it was. There were two holes in it, but they were an inch off the floor, meaning there had to be an inch of water in the bilge at some angle to drain. I'm sure there was a purpose for it, just not sure what it was. My version... I'll be installing 2 manual switched 500gph bilge pumps, each with irs own thru-hull. I'll probably mount 1 in front of the drain plug, and the other will likely be onn to one side. Overkill? - maybe, but at ~$10 each, it's cheap insurance. I also will likely not fiberglass the gas tank floor back in. It'll be there, but held down by screws so I can access the pumps. I added an extra couple braces to the stringers under the floor to cover any possible loss of strength.<br /><br />Unfortunately, every time I worked on the stringers, I ended up covered in sticky resin from head to toe and didn't think about pics. I meant to snap a couple before laying the foam and floor in, but forgot when I went out and remembered about two minutes after I finished putting in the screws...<br /><br />I used plywood as it seemed to be the most recommended material, and it was readily available at my local Lowes. Each stringer is two strips of 17/32 ply glues with waterproof glue and stapled together with galvanized pneumatic staples. I then soaked them in resin and let them dry before installing. Those things are solid. I then glasse dthem in with a couple layers of heavy mat. You couldn't move them witha sledge hammer. Really wish I had gotten those pics though so you could get an idea of the extra bracing and drainage I put in. When you pull the floor, you will likely find one factory brace running across the boat. I built 3 of them out of double 3/4 ply, stapled together, soaked in resin and mat. I then notched all stringers at the location of the original and about 1/3 of the way from the ends. I screwed the braces to the stringers with stainless screws then heavily glassed the joints with the stringers. I was careful to cit the length of the braces to fit a bit short of touching the hull and then lightly glassed the ends to the floor. It seemed to tie the boat together much better and add support to the floor, which I used thinner wood for to save some weight, I then used some duct tape to create a hollow area on each side of the center stringer to give stray water some where to gom and then installed a 1/2" pvc pipe on each side. I ran it from the front bulkhead to the end of the stringer. The ends are sealed so that water entering from the bow should flow down the pvc to the bilge. I then poured foam to the top of the stringers in the two center bulge areas.<br /><br />Ask all the questions you need/want. I'm happy to share what I know/have done. Gives me something to do while I'm sitting around healing. The back is doing well. I'm able to do mast light stuff as long as I don't bend or lean much. I stll have some loss of feeling in my hip and foot, but it is slowly returning. The surgery seems to have gotten rid of 90% of the leg pain. As it heals, I think I will get closer to 99%. I wouldn't wish back pain on anyone. I hope your goes well. The surgery itself wasn't bad, but the discomfort afterward of waking up on my back, on a hard flat table with an icepack under my back on the incision was rough. Didn't hurt, but had to stay that way for 3 hours while waking up. Don't know that I've ever been that uncomfortable before and they wouldn't let me move to get comfortable...... Granted, this was the fist time I have ever had surgery and the first time I have had general anesthetic. I think it just made me cranky
