To Wood or Not to Wood?

[keelbolts]

Hi Gents,
I have just acquired a 1960 MFG Oxford hull that will need everything. They came with an aluminum C-channel keelson and stringers. Mine still has the keelson, but the stringers are gone. There is also a wooden "keel," running down the outside of the hull, that is probably bad on mine. I am kicking around the idea of going in with wood rather than trying to locate the proper aluminum channels to replace those that are missing.

I have 25 years of experience with sailboats, mostly wooden, but I'm in, for me, uncharted waters here. I have a few options that I'd like your input on:

Stringers cut from 2x's in place of the original three aluminum members. I'm already going to be into wood working on the bottom & the transom. Jim Anderson, in his book Runabout Renovation, recommends using pressure treated wood. In traditional wooden boat construction, PT wood is almost never used. It sounds like a fine idea, but are there problems with getting fiberglass/epoxy to bond to PT wood?

Another idea is to lay in a, sort of, egg-crate system in plywood or 1x's. That would certainly stiffen her up a good deal, but is it overkill. It's a 15' boat that I plan to use leisurely cruising rivers. It was rated at about a 15 to 25 or 30 HP engine and I have a tendency to over design stuff.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Bondo]

Re: To Wood or Not to Wood?

Hi Gents,
I have just acquired a 1960 MFG Oxford hull that will need everything. They came with an aluminum C-channel keelson and stringers. Mine still has the keelson, but the stringers are gone. There is also a wooden "keel," running down the outside of the hull, that is probably bad on mine. I am kicking around the idea of going in with wood rather than trying to locate the proper aluminum channels to replace those that are missing.

I have 25 years of experience with sailboats, mostly wooden, but I'm in, for me, uncharted waters here. I have a few options that I'd like your input on:

Stringers cut from 2x's in place of the original three aluminum members. I'm already going to be into wood working on the bottom & the transom. Jim Anderson, in his book Runabout Renovation, recommends using pressure treated wood. In traditional wooden boat construction, PT wood is almost never used. It sounds like a fine idea, but are there problems with getting fiberglass/epoxy to bond to PT wood?

Another idea is to lay in a, sort of, egg-crate system in plywood or 1x's. That would certainly stiffen her up a good deal, but is it overkill. It's a 15' boat that I plan to use leisurely cruising rivers. It was rated at about a 15 to 25 or 30 HP engine and I have a tendency to over design stuff.

Thanks for your help.

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,... Yer in Good company here, 'n it sounds like yer comfortable with the task, 'n materials....

Epoxy bonds to P/T wood, without problem, So long as the wood is Dry...
Much/ most P/T, Ain't....

'n I agree with ya, a couple of simple wood stringers makes more sense than a modular egg crate system...
In this case, the Quick, 'n Easy beats out the Over-designed, hands down....

 

[jigngrub]

Re: To Wood or Not to Wood?

I agree with Bond-o, all the PT wood you'll find at lumber yards and home centers will be too wet for any type of resin application.

There is a kiln dried CCA pressure treated plywood manufactured specifically for marine applications, you can probably find it through a new boat dealer near you. They use it for pontoon decks and some aluminum boats as well as other marine applications.