drewpster
Commander
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 2,059
I am just about ready to begin inspection, and the probable removal, of the main stringers of my old tug. The boat has an inboard V8 with a velvet drive transmission. The boat has a main bulkhead amidships that separates the step down cabin from the bilge. The bilge is open from the bulkhead all the way aft to the transom. There are deck hatches in the cockpit that can be removed to access the bilge exposing the entire inside of the hull aft of the bulkhead.
In other words, all of the internal supports and ribbing can be accessed in the bilge area easily. All the supports under the deck inside the cabin can not! The cabin floor is solid and I have not found any soft spots or signs of rot.
I have however found wet wood in the cores of the engine stringers. These stringers run the length of the hull and extend under the cabin floor. I am hoping, beyond hope, that I can get away with replacing the engine stringers without having to get under the cabin floor. (fingers crossed)
In either case I am concerned about properly supporting the hull when I cut the stringer tops and remove the wet cores. This boat is big and heavy.
I plan to cut the tops off the stringers and remove the wet wood just as you would a wet transom leaving the fiberglass sides of the stringers in tact. Then replace the cores with new wood using resin to "glue" them back into the stringer slots, cap the stringers with new glass and fillet and re-glass the stringers all the way out.
What is the best way of supporting the hull to prevent sagging or movement with the stringers removed? It is likely I will have to replace other members as the work goes along. Can I rip out all of the old and go back with new? Or should I do each piece at a time to prevent removing too much structure? I have at least 100 other questions but this thread is too long as it is. More is sure to follow. (help?):redface:
In other words, all of the internal supports and ribbing can be accessed in the bilge area easily. All the supports under the deck inside the cabin can not! The cabin floor is solid and I have not found any soft spots or signs of rot.
I have however found wet wood in the cores of the engine stringers. These stringers run the length of the hull and extend under the cabin floor. I am hoping, beyond hope, that I can get away with replacing the engine stringers without having to get under the cabin floor. (fingers crossed)
In either case I am concerned about properly supporting the hull when I cut the stringer tops and remove the wet cores. This boat is big and heavy.
I plan to cut the tops off the stringers and remove the wet wood just as you would a wet transom leaving the fiberglass sides of the stringers in tact. Then replace the cores with new wood using resin to "glue" them back into the stringer slots, cap the stringers with new glass and fillet and re-glass the stringers all the way out.
What is the best way of supporting the hull to prevent sagging or movement with the stringers removed? It is likely I will have to replace other members as the work goes along. Can I rip out all of the old and go back with new? Or should I do each piece at a time to prevent removing too much structure? I have at least 100 other questions but this thread is too long as it is. More is sure to follow. (help?):redface: