Stringers in larger boats

[F14CRAZY]

I'm not certain if this is the best place to post this but it seems relevant.

I've been thinking of upgrading to a 25-29 ft vessel of fiberglass construction from the 70s-80s. Not totally certain but maybe a Bayliner Ciera, maybe a Chris Craft Catalina.

With larger boats do you still have to worry about most of them out there having rotten stringers? Ive replace mine in my 19' Capri and I'm not looking to do it again..once is enough for me . I'm intending to get a survey before I buy but is the construction the same pretty much? Can the wood underneath a washdown fiberglass deck get rotten? Transom?

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

To add to this:

Since I've replaced my stringers, deck, and transom I've taken the advice from here and always keep the bow up and the plug out after use or having it outside, but how do you keep things dry when the vessel's kept in the water all season?

 

[arks]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

To answer your first question, YES- decks, transoms, stringers- you name it. The lumber is bigger but it can still get wet and rot out. Any good surveyor will know how to check.

As far as keeping it in a wet slip, the best answer is diligence. Full covers are a must if you care about the boat at all. I keep my boat in a slip year-round and it's not a big deal. I've added no-drip GFO shaft packing (inboards) and, of course, make sure the pumps are in good working order. I sometimes get a little rainwater in the aft bilge but suck it out before it gets anywhere near the limber holes. THAT'S where the exposed wood is located in a lot of the older boats.

 

[oops!]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

sorry f-14.....

yep.

cc will be better than the b-liner

do a good survey.

as far as a water slip......scour the boat for leaks......big time ! remember a dry boat usually does not have rotten strings.

you are knowledgeable enough to be able to find the right hull. you know the signs.....i have faith in you bud.

did a 28 this year with twins....bad transom......the owner got lucky and the strings were still good....but had to cut them back 12 inches from the transom because thier was no barrier between the strings and the transom....
the rot started....annnd just kept going

you are gonna love your new boat ....what ever it is

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

To answer your first question, YES- decks, transoms, stringers- you name it. The lumber is bigger but it can still get wet and rot out. Any good surveyor will know how to check.

As far as keeping it in a wet slip, the best answer is diligence. Full covers are a must if you care about the boat at all. I keep my boat in a slip year-round and it's not a big deal. I've added no-drip GFO shaft packing (inboards) and, of course, make sure the pumps are in good working order. I sometimes get a little rainwater in the aft bilge but suck it out before it gets anywhere near the limber holes. THAT'S where the exposed wood is located in a lot of the older boats.

Am I correct that packing usually seeps? I'm definitely considering a 28' Catalina (I like their styling and all that cabin space) so it'd have one or two inboards.

It would seem like limber holes would be sealed up, at least with some 5200, but I understand that keeping the bilge as dry as possible is always good to keep the wood and everything else down there dry.

sorry f-14.....

yep.

cc will be better than the b-liner

do a good survey.

as far as a water slip......scour the boat for leaks......big time ! remember a dry boat usually does not have rotten strings.

you are knowledgeable enough to be able to find the right hull. you know the signs.....i have faith in you bud.

did a 28 this year with twins....bad transom......the owner got lucky and the strings were still good....but had to cut them back 12 inches from the transom because thier was no barrier between the strings and the transom....
the rot started....annnd just kept going

you are gonna love your new boat ....what ever it is

I thought Chris Craft was owned by OMC back then

And thanks for the confidence. I believe I can tell if a boat is for sure rotten. No sense in paying for a survey on a rotten boat.

My gf and I think it'd be cool to keep it in a slip and kinda live on it during the summer which is where the idea of upgrading in size came from. I don't think I could get rid of my Capri though; there's a bond (pun intended) when you replace your own stringers

 

[arks]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

Standard flax packing requires water for lubrication and when properly adjusted should drip slightly (1 drop every 30- 45 seconds) as the propshaft spins. It should not drip at all when at rest.
OTOH, the GFO packing is designed to be self-lubricating. Zero water inside the hull. I've had it for 4 years and it's still drip-free with no adjustment. Well worth the extra cost.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

heh I always wondered how inboard prop shaft seals work until I saw the packing housing (or whatever it should be called) in the hull of a Catalina we looked at. Being a plumber (formerly) I figured out it works like the packing on a gate valve

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

Packing is actually the old style method. Nowadays larger boats use a shaft seal or rotating mechanical seal. Lower friction, no seepage, and no packing to replace.

Erik

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

thanks for the info guys. I cant wait till I'm ready to go boat shopping

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

I remember posting this thread that long ago...

I've since found out that these "classic" Chris Craft cruisers used NO wood below decks. Stringers and bulkheads are tabbed in, boxed fiberglass. They're huge and there's no rot to worry about. Same goes for their earlier fiberglass runabouts and cuddies. The sterndrive equipped ones had wood transoms and seat bases/boxes were glass over plywood but again no wood in the stringers

The original 38' Commanders could have AN INCH of glass in some parts of their hulls. They were way overbuilt, actually tested to withstand 3 times the stress of going full throttle in 8' seas.

I'm surprised they aren't talked up as much as they should be on this forum

 

[ShellBack89]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

Did you ever find your new boat or are you still shopping? Post pics when or if you got it. Love looking at live aboards (ahhhh, one day!).

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

I remember posting this thread that long ago...

I've since found out that these "classic" Chris Craft cruisers used NO wood below decks. Stringers and bulkheads are tabbed in, boxed fiberglass. They're huge and there's no rot to worry about. Same goes for their earlier fiberglass runabouts and cuddies. The sterndrive equipped ones had wood transoms and seat bases/boxes were glass over plywood but again no wood in the stringers

The original 38' Commanders could have AN INCH of glass in some parts of their hulls. They were way overbuilt, actually tested to withstand 3 times the stress of going full throttle in 8' seas.

I'm surprised they aren't talked up as much as they should be on this forum

not sure where your getting your "wrong" information from, But if you are referring to the catalina line from Chris Craft you will indeed find wood below decks. Alot of it. The stringers were all fir incapsulated with fiberglass. Just like many manufactureres back then, they did not seal things well all the time, like where drain holes were cut. this allowed water to seem into stringers.

You will find that with larger boats , the possibility of stringer and transom rott is just as much of a possibility as smaller vessels. The reason being, most larger vessels stay in the water most of the year or year round. When a boat sits in the water, it will deteriorate faster than one properly stored on a trailer.

Alot, I will say most boats that stay in the water get some sort of neglect just because the owner has to travell to the boat to do maintenance. It is a shame, but I see millions of dollars worth of boats around here that are not used and just deteriorate over time.

The catalinas are timeless pieces but require alot of maintenance. Keep that in mind if your looking to buy one. There are a few links you should check out if you are looking to buy a Chris Craft.

http://marinersmuseum.org/library/chris-craft
http://www.chris-craft.org/index.php
http://www.commanderclub.com/
http://www.chriscraft.com/

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

My '71 Catalina Coho Sedan doesn't have wood in the stringers...

Same for the '66+ Commanders

I follow the chriscraftcommander.com board quite a bit since it seemed to be the most active fiberglass CC forum

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

My fathers last boat was a 1973 Chris craft Catalina. I have no idea but thought it had wood stringers. I'm sure it would have been mentioned if they weren't. The boat is still docked our boat club.

With that said, yes stringers and bulkheads are still a big part of a larger boat structure. Yes corners are usually cut in production boats when making holes and screwing things to them. With each of my boats I have gone through, taken all the screws out and repealed them with 3m 4200.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

Looking down at the keel in the salon. Stringers are like a foot tall. Hollow fiberglass. There's a pair of outer stringers so 4 stringers along with a heavy keel

bulkhead-type box near a muffler (factory installed upside down from the factory). Again, hollow fiberglass. Not from a chopper gun or hand laid fabric but premade glass tabbed to the hull.

 

[oops!]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

hi f14.......how ya doin bud ? havent connected with ya for a while.


note to mods......old thread kept open at OP's post

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

eh not too bad. Bayliner's been holding up aside from its OMC drive on its way out. I've kind of been looking for a donor Volvo Penta equipped boat or a complete system. It'll keep going for at least another season until my Coho is ready for action. I've been working on it as much as I can

 

[oops!]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

can you go SEI conversion?

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Stringers in larger boats

can you go SEI conversion?

naw not with a Series 400