got rot? 85 comp stringer and floor project

[c43amg]

HI all
new member here and would like to share some pics of the project i just started on my 85 comp
also thanks to member rickr for all the helpful info he posted from his stringer and floor project.
I got the boat a few weeks ago from a guy that had it sitting in a barn for the past 15 or so years. his son got hurt and ended up passing away, thats why he put it away for so long. he sitll thought it was in great shape when he advertised it for sale but when I looked at it i showed him it had rot issues with the floor and stringers, so he sold it to me for a discounted price. but besides that the interior is about perfect along with the rest of the boat. It has 320 hours on it and the motor runs strong.
Im going to try and have this done in the next couple of weeks if I dont get to busy working on everyone elses boats lol.

[mapleleaf]

Wow, that thing sat in barn for 15 years and was still that rotten???? I don't want to know what my boat looks like.....I'm gonna have to do the stringers at some point......
Welcome to the board....lotsa great people here.....

[tres0422]

Not to jack your thread but how could you tell it had stringer rot? What are some good tests. I know the try and tighten the engine mount bolts and if they grab you are cool in that area at least. What are some others? I am looking at a 91 sunsport and would like to be able to tell if it has stringer floor rot. Also did you just sheer off the top with a body saw or is there a rivited edge? Can you post a little more info on pulling the top off.
THanks,
Tres

[mapleleaf]

+e f

Not to jack your thread but how could you tell it had stringer rot? What are some good tests. I know the try and tighten the engine mount bolts and if they grab you are cool in that area at least. What are some others? I am looking at a 91 sunsport and would like to be able to tell if it has stringer floor rot. Also did you just sheer off the top with a body saw or is there a rivited edge? Can you post a little more info on pulling the top off.
THanks,
Tres

with the carpet out and the rubrail removed the top deck seperation becomes obvious.....no body saw.....rivet drill'in though
get the removable floor piece out behind the engine and stick a flash light down in the bilge...look for cracks in the stringer's......

[c43amg]

Wow, that thing sat in barn for 15 years and was still that rotten???? I don't want to know what my boat looks like.....I'm gonna have to do the stringers at some point......
Welcome to the board....lotsa great people here.....

thanks,
my guess and what it looks like to me is it took on a little water for what ever reason and was put away wet. every inch of the stringers and floor was rotted to dust lol, but was bone dry. not even a ounce of water in any of the wood or foam. so i guess it sat so long the water did its job and moved on.
broke the dudes heart when i showed him how bad the wood was.

[c43amg]

Not to jack your thread but how could you tell it had stringer rot? What are some good tests. I know the try and tighten the engine mount bolts and if they grab you are cool in that area at least. What are some others? I am looking at a 91 sunsport and would like to be able to tell if it has stringer floor rot. Also did you just sheer off the top with a body saw or is there a rivited edge? Can you post a little more info on pulling the top off.
THanks,
Tres

another way i check for rot is to tap on the fiberglass that coats the transom or stringers. if it makes a hollow sound its bad. along with that if u can push on the fiberglass and it moves its bad. you can also take a small drill bit and drill into it and see what comes out, and how much pressure u had to use to drill into the wood. a sign that its bad is damp wood left on your bit, or even a dark color like the color of rotted wood

[c43amg]

pic from today

[mapleleaf]

Hey the pic's are great, please don't stop...The thing that gets me about these restoration's is all the original measurments for engine alignment or even the ski pole in your pic..
I assume you'd take the measurement's off the old stringer's before gutting????

[c43amg]

Hey the pic's are great, please don't stop...The thing that gets me about these restoration's is all the original measurments for engine alignment or even the ski pole in your pic..
I assume you'd take the measurement's off the old stringer's before gutting????

I left one side in and just coppied it to the other and the ski pole bolts to studs that come up from the hull so it can only fit in the correct position ( I hope). im pretty much using the ski pole as a guide for the entire build. and u can still kinda see where all the old wood was because i did not grind the fiberglass flat that was used by the factory to coat the original stringers. it helps as a guide.

[tres0422]

Project looks like it is coming right along. The work looks good. Thanks for answering my questions.
Thanks,

Tres