What are these grooves in stringers for??

[Dan Schmidt]

I'm mid-way through my floor replacement in my 1992 Bayliner Capri. After removing the floor, foam, and cleaning everything out, I noticed these grooves in the top of the stringers on either side of the fuel tank. I'm fairly certain they were filled with foam, but intuitively they don't seem like a good idea.

The fuel tank cavity drains into the bildge, but it seems as though these grooves are a path for the foam to get wet (and I'm a bit sensitive as you might guess).

Do I need these, or should I seal (epoxy) them shut and flush to top of stringers? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[gcboat]

Re: What are these grooves in stringers for??

I'm thinking that you should backtrack in your thoughts and try to remember what all of that looked like. Seems too obvious for it to be a screw up from the manufacturing point of view. There has to be a reason for them but it stumps me.

 

[dvan1901]

Re: What are these grooves in stringers for??

Those grooves are in the top of the stringers right? Not sure much water would get in there. They could be some kind of vent for the gas tank to allow some air in and out to keep vapors from building up in the floor.

 

[cprince]

Re: What are these grooves in stringers for??

Perhaps to pass wires under the floor from one section to the other?

 

[Dan Schmidt]

Re: What are these grooves in stringers for??

Thanks for your comments so far. I attached a few more pictures below, which I took as I was cutting out the floor. The first picture shows what it looked like just after removing the plywood top. The second picture shows the same after some of the foam was removed.

There were no wires or anthing else running through these notches. It's possible, however, Bayliner was protecting for this (other models).

The notches have resin sealing all surfaces, and they are about a 2" diameter semi-circle cut out of the TOP of the stringer.

 

[gallavantin]

Re: What are these grooves in stringers for??

My Glastron spin off has the same notches. I think they are for some kind of floor support that has rotted away.. Further forward on my stringers there are the same notches where a vertical support is.

Maybe, maybe not