Boat Resto Question - Mariah / Bravura

[SquamInboards]

I am looking into replacing the stringers / floor on my 1989 Bravura. I have done the work before on other boats, and I have read restoration threads extensively, however there is one piece of information I cannot find about my particular boat. I know the Mariah and Bravura are the same except for the open / closed bow aspect. What I am wondering is how the back seat is designed.

It appears to me that the back seat frame is part of the cap, and unless you remove the cap you basically cannot work on the floor under the back seat. Can anyone confirm or disprove that? When I replaced my rudder I tried, not very hard, to take out the whole back seat and it looked nearly impossible, being that it's fiberglass and apparently attached to the cap. Every other boat I've seen, the back seat is a separate assembly and comes right out.

The reason I'm asking is that my floor is not soft, anywhere. Zero flex and zero soft spots anywhere in the boat. However, my stringers are not the best. You can turn some of the motor mount bolts, especially the rears, without ever getting them completely tight. So I was thinking that before the whole floor is rotten, and/or before it becomes a safety issue, I should replace the stringers where they need work, and inevitably I will have to take out some of the floor to remove wet foam. If I don't have to take the whole cap off, that would save, as many of you know, countless hours of work. But I don't know about accessing the floor under the back seat, which is the most likely area to have wet foam.

Anyone done a complete resto on a Mariah or Bravura out there?

[haugy]

I was able to remove the backseat to my Mariah the same way for the bigger boats. Remove the back-hatch storage compartment above the fuel-tank. Then you should be able to access the screws holding the back on.

Then turn yourself into a monkey with really long arms, remove the speakers from the rear and reach in and remove the remaining side bolts. That should allow the back/side armrests to pull straight out. The floor frame is all wood.

Mine came out after about an hour of getting all the screws loose. Just when I'd think I had them all out, one more would grab.

[Bravura88]

Squamin if you are referring to the seat brackets/bases that support the cushions then yes they are attached to the top cap. In my 88 bravura back seats they were molded into the top cap everything esle with the upholstery came out except the seat bases.

[haugy]

Squamin if you are referring to the seat brackets/bases that support the cushions then yes they are attached to the top cap. In my 88 bravura back seats they were molded into the top cap everything esle with the upholstery came out except the seat bases.

Ohhh that does make more sense. I mis-read. Yes that is only for the seats themselves. Not the support structure, my bad. But my bases on my mariah could be removed (wood). While it would be a destructive removal, you could do it, especially if they are already damaged.

[Bravura88]

X2 on what haugy said could be cut out then glasses back in and a little gel coat for cosmetics and you would be good!

[SquamInboards]

Yeah I think they may have to be cut out. I'm taking it to a fiberglass shop since I've done the work on a few other boats and don't wish to do it again. So the extra work of cutting and repairing can't be that much. I've had the back seats out pretty recently and I'm not looking forward to doing it again! But to save some money, I fully intend to take out the interior, engine, etc. all the easy stuff and make access as simple as possible for the shop. I'm pretty confident it won't be a full stringer job, but hopefully limited to the cockpit area outside of the closed bow area. I'm not stupid enough to think it will just be the stringers around the engine, but that would be awfully nice. I know how rot spreads, though, and hopefully I'm getting it before it becomes a massive undertaking. In a perfect world, I won't have to worry about the floor under the back seat. I'm not holding my breath.