Stgringers

[86Pirata454]

Lookin at a boat and the guy replaced the stringers himself. has no pics of the job. well he tells me he used doug fir on the inside and treated 4x8 on the outside. On the inside he said he resined it then coated with corbon fiber? is this good? how can i tell if he really did it?

[mapleleaf]

unless his work is flawless there should be evidence in the bilge valley, or where the floor meets the stringer's, maybe pull out the removeable section of floor behind the motor and look there......

[86Pirata454]

how would i know if it was shotty work? or not properly done? could it twist the boat?

[jasonba1]

man that is a really good question I would take the removable panel out and look as mapleleaf said I would probably look around behind the bilge area real close , call Jim at viper 865-388-4096 maybe he can tell you where else to look or what to look for, I cant think of anything else right off the top of my head since the floor is in . Let us know what you find or what Jim tells you to look for.

[Salty87]

leaf nailed it. unless he was super uptight about grinding, there's usually a line running parallel the stringers where the new glass overlays the original. it should be at least 6" away from the stringer toward the middle of the bilge. the further away, the better.

what kind of boat? the engine area can be tough, esp saltares (any 454 i bet). the angles are hard to glass and a DIY job should be evident.

carbon fiber?...no way

shoddy work would be stringers that touch the hull or delaminate from the hull, fiberglass that doesn't adhere to the wood...all sort of things that you can't really see.

smells a bit fishy to me. carbon fiber would have cost a ton. some novice re-builder isn't going splurge for it. no pics too? is this a side business? if he doesn't know the difference between carbon fiber and fiberglass, i have to wonder what else he thinks he knows but doesn't. maybe it was slip of the tongue and he meant woven roving or heavy cloth....maybe he was trying to sell you.

i'd ask more...did he split the topcap off? remove the engine? poly resin or epoxy? did he pour flotation foam back in? make any modifications?...i can't imagine not making any improvements if it was his personal boat.

could it twist the boat?....it's possible but these are some really strong hulls.

[86Pirata454]

Salty
Well he said he was working with a guy that works on racing boats so im not sure. I will shoot him an email tonight. He pulled the foam.

[86Pirata454]

"I did not split the top half off the boat I cut the floor out and all the stringers. With the boat sill intact as a hole. I did take the engine out so I could replace the stringers that the motor sits on. I use professional resin from a top sail boat company called melges boat works located 5 min from me and a friend that works there helped me with all of the repairs. The main engine stringers have two layers of fiber glass and two layers of carbon fiber on them the old stringers were 3/4 ply wood now they are 2x6 to 2x8 solid wood also the main stringers are made from a solid doug fir. All coated with resin first then put in and I covered it with two or three layers of glass. The floor is 3/4 ply wood coated on both sides with resin and screwed down with 2'' screws then re carpeted with marine carpet. I hope I answered your questions if not let me know or call me thanks" thats what he said

[mapleleaf]

I don't know what to think about this guys resto, you'll never know what the stringer's are made out of now that they're covered and fiberglass and carbon fiber sure will look the same once they're painted...
I like to use an Aussie accent when saying carbon fiber, it's way more fun.....
pics
pics
pics.....

[Salty87]

you can't do all of the stringers or all of the floor or even all of the foam with the bow still in place. granted, things usually rot in the stern more. the carbon fiber seems like a waste but maybe his friend had it so they used it?

not sure what to make of them using lumber for stringers. i would think that someone working for a sailboat shop would know that plywood is stronger and lighter, esp if you're going to the trouble of wrapping in carbon fiber. i don't think it's much of a problem, just makes me wonder.

the floor should be glassed on both sides, not just resined if he used ploy resin, 'professional resin'?....sounds like he doesn't know. poly resin will peel off pretty quickly if there's no strands of glass holding everything together.

hopefully they used SS screws and used sealant too. as the screw goes through the floor and into the stringer, you want sealant on the screw threads to help seal the underside of the wood, then glass over everything. also, pressure treated wood is hard on screws and fasteners, the chemicals eat at the metal.

the guy sounds like a bit of a hack. maybe his friend did all of the work? i hope the price isn't too high, you can't get your money back on a rebuild esp if you're paying someone's labor.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

LOL maple that is more fun to say

86Pirata going by the description alone it sounds like a good job and more sturdy components than the original.

[86Pirata454]

OK so i will have him bring it to my lake next weekend. will take pics of everything about the stringers possible. Will this help. Honestly i dont want to buy it and have he stuck in my garage next winter doing a stringer job i just have no time esp in the winter because i have to plow a few lots including our shop.

[Okie Boarder]

Sounds to me like he probably did an OK job and a partial replacement. I can tell you I am finding rot up near the driver area on mine so far and haven't pulled the top cap. He may have strengthened it some, but I'm sure the front will need some attention...it will just be a matter of time.