OK, I'm working on a runabout restomod into a baby bass boat. I have an idea for the flotation foam that I would like to run past everyone.
For some background it started out with a 196-something runabout. The deck was shot and the transom rotten. The stringers were hollow fiberglass, no wood, no foam, no problem. One had broken away from the hull skin in a few spots but that has been taken care of.
All 3 stringers have been capped in a layer of 1708 that extends down the sides and out 3-4 inches onto the hull skin. It's stronger now than it ever was.
The transom has been replaced with the standard 2 layers of 3/4 exterior ply bonded together with hairy peanut butter, wrapped in CSM, filleted with more PB, then tabbed in with 2 layers of 1708. overall height was extended 5" to bring it up even with the tops of the gunwales and make it work better with 20" shaft motors. Again, probably stronger now than it was new.
Now is where it gets fun, since I'm more interested in fishing than cruising I have decided to abandon the runabout styling and create more of a baby bass boat out of my Now solid hull.
I started by capping the stringers with a 2" wide strip of 3/4 ply, again wrapped in CSM before installation, bonded down with hairy PB and wrapped with a layer of csm extending down onto the stringers.
Next I built 2 support "boxes" approximately 10" high that will hold the rear deck up out of 1/2 inch ply, assembled with PL Premium and wrapped everything in a layer of CSM. I glued these in with PL, then filleted with PL and tabbed to the transom and stringers with 1708. The front piece has a storage compartment, space between the boxes is where the fuel tank will be, and the rear section has the new splash well worked into it. With all the structure forming a grid pattern and tied to the transom and stringers, strong would be an understatement.
Since there was no foam in the original boat, it's safe to say it's not needed to support anything. There is no wood anywhere below the tops of the stringers except for the base of the transom. I would like to keep any foam off of hull skin to further help prevent rot and avoid any drainage problems.
Here's what I was thinking, I could make a "floor" in the cells of my grid that I plan on foam filling out of some standard blue foam from home depot. Then pour my foam on top of that and let it rise to the point of being even with my deck supports. That should give me a foam filled cell that sit even with the top of the stringers and a 2-3" air gap below for drainage and air circulation. I do plan on glassing in drain tubes (maybe 1" PVC cut in half) near the rear of the stringers to allow any water trapped below the foam to drain into the center bilge area and out through the plug hole or bilge pump.
Sound like a reasonable idea?
For some background it started out with a 196-something runabout. The deck was shot and the transom rotten. The stringers were hollow fiberglass, no wood, no foam, no problem. One had broken away from the hull skin in a few spots but that has been taken care of.
All 3 stringers have been capped in a layer of 1708 that extends down the sides and out 3-4 inches onto the hull skin. It's stronger now than it ever was.
The transom has been replaced with the standard 2 layers of 3/4 exterior ply bonded together with hairy peanut butter, wrapped in CSM, filleted with more PB, then tabbed in with 2 layers of 1708. overall height was extended 5" to bring it up even with the tops of the gunwales and make it work better with 20" shaft motors. Again, probably stronger now than it was new.
Now is where it gets fun, since I'm more interested in fishing than cruising I have decided to abandon the runabout styling and create more of a baby bass boat out of my Now solid hull.
I started by capping the stringers with a 2" wide strip of 3/4 ply, again wrapped in CSM before installation, bonded down with hairy PB and wrapped with a layer of csm extending down onto the stringers.
Next I built 2 support "boxes" approximately 10" high that will hold the rear deck up out of 1/2 inch ply, assembled with PL Premium and wrapped everything in a layer of CSM. I glued these in with PL, then filleted with PL and tabbed to the transom and stringers with 1708. The front piece has a storage compartment, space between the boxes is where the fuel tank will be, and the rear section has the new splash well worked into it. With all the structure forming a grid pattern and tied to the transom and stringers, strong would be an understatement.
Since there was no foam in the original boat, it's safe to say it's not needed to support anything. There is no wood anywhere below the tops of the stringers except for the base of the transom. I would like to keep any foam off of hull skin to further help prevent rot and avoid any drainage problems.
Here's what I was thinking, I could make a "floor" in the cells of my grid that I plan on foam filling out of some standard blue foam from home depot. Then pour my foam on top of that and let it rise to the point of being even with my deck supports. That should give me a foam filled cell that sit even with the top of the stringers and a 2-3" air gap below for drainage and air circulation. I do plan on glassing in drain tubes (maybe 1" PVC cut in half) near the rear of the stringers to allow any water trapped below the foam to drain into the center bilge area and out through the plug hole or bilge pump.
Sound like a reasonable idea?
