24 year old stringers unreasonable?

[mathp]

I have an '86 Sunsport with original stringers. My mechanic says he thinks they are fine but he is just checking the bolts I think. I replaced the floor around 2000-2001 and was told they were fine then. I have kept my boat outside with just the cover mostly for it's entire life.

Is this just a train wreck waiting to happen or can I reasonably hope they will continue to hold up?

Thanks for your comments and experiences.

[saltare inverts]

So many factors too consider. Did hull ever hold water? Has rain gotten in boat. Did bilge ever quit and leave alot of water in the Bilge. Possible there ok but good chance they are not.

[dshaff24]

my boat looked fine and worked out fine. The only real reason I went for the stringer job was because it was in the back of my head since I read about it! lol I probally could have gone another 3-4 years before I noticed something but Its done and over with so no worrys and thats the way I like it

My boat looked fine. bolts was semi tight but once the stringers was yanked they was nasty just not as nasty as others Ive seen on here

[csuggs]

Do you have supertrapps on your exhaust? Holes in your cover? I noticed you said you replaced your floor in the past. Chances are you have "some" rot in the stringers and my opinion is that on these boats it's just a matter of time before you replace them. In some ways it's a gamble leaving them alone.
First, check your engine mount bolts that go through the stringers. Remove them and see if any water comes out of the holes. Also inspect the threads of the lag bolts when you remove them. Is there any sign of wetness or rot? That's a good place to start. Also, do you have any water that just seems to "appear" in the bilge and you don't know where it's coming from? These are all signs.
Just do thorough inspections and use your best judgement. I suppose you could have good stringers and hope that you do.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Personally I would not recommend you ever turn the bolts on your stringers. You can check to see that they are snug and will NOT turn, but to tighten or losen them is to risk stripping the hole of any solid wood for the bolt to grip. Instead drill a small test hole with an electric drill. You can check the color/quality of the sawdust that comes out as well as see if there is any water coming out. Do it low on the stringer near the hull. Then you can patch the hole with marine epoxy. This would be how a boat dealer would test the integrity of your stringers. Some people have them tested before they try to sell an older boat.

[csuggs]

Personally I would not recommend you ever turn the bolts on your stringers. You can check to see that they are snug and will NOT turn, but to tighten or losen them is to risk stripping the hole of any solid wood for the bolt to grip. Instead drill a small test hole with an electric drill. You can check the color/quality of the sawdust that comes out as well as see if there is any water coming out. Do it low on the stringer near the hull. Then you can patch the hole with marine epoxy. This would be how a boat dealer would test the integrity of your stringers. Some people have them tested before they try to sell an older boat.

I would also not try to tighten the bolts, just check to see that they are snug. But taking them out carefully for inspection should not be a problem. If the "threads" in the wood get messed up just taking the lag bolts out, then the stringers definitely need to be replaced.

[jet]

To test the bolts all you have to do is tap on them, a solid sound means they are still good, a high pitched sound means they are weak. Its so easy a cave man can do it. lol. believe me, you will know. Jet

[Salty87]

you can also open a hole in the floor under the spotter's seat or even under the driver's seat. use a hole saw, remove the plug of wood and dig out the foam (a piece of PVC with some serrations in the end will pull a plug of foam out). if all's good, epoxy the plug back into place and cover back up with the seat. you also want to bed any screws you remove from the floor with 3m 5200 or some other marine quality sealant when you put them back...NOT silicone.