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#1
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Stringer problems??
If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though).
I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! |
#2
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I have seen where the glass was not well applied to stringers and it
appeared "bowed" at the top. Glass does not bow a lot before it cracks. Anything as old as your boat is going to have wet wood. Fiberglass is not waterproof so water will eventually make it's way through the galss and into the wood. There are alot of good articles on the net about water and fiberglass. That does not mean you have rot. You need to drill some core samples to see. Also part of the strength is the twin layers of hull and floor separated by the stringers. Removing the floor materially weakens the whole structure so your bounce test is not completely accurate. Is your boat poorly constructed, maybe. Do you need to replace stringers and floor, maybe not. Just about everyone with an old fiberglass and encapsulated wood boat is in the same situation. If you do start replacing things try to find composite substitutes for the wood and use epoxy instead of polyester resin. "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though). I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! |
#3
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At the bottom of the stringers I'm pretty sure I do have rot. Do you think
it is at all possible that these stringers were never meant to provide structural strength. There are 8 stringers and the other 6 don't show the same characteristics. I am still really puzzled by the fact that the stringer appears to be correct height yet there is so much play in the glass on the sides. If that much slack in the glass (I said an inch but it's at least an inch) was from the stringer settling, they would have to have been a lot higher than they are now. The glass is not cracked. I can push it back against the stringer and it doesn't crack. The floor would have to have been very high in the centre if teh stringers dropped that much. I suppose it is possible that the cloth/resin was incorrectly applied to the two centre stringers but properly on teh other 3 sets. Just to clarify, when I do the "bounce test" the hull doesn't give at all. It is very solid for about 4 feet each side of centre. ----- Original Message ----- From: "JamesgangNC" Newsgroups: rec.boats Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 4:48 PM Subject: Stringer problems?? I have seen where the glass was not well applied to stringers and it appeared "bowed" at the top. Glass does not bow a lot before it cracks. Anything as old as your boat is going to have wet wood. Fiberglass is not waterproof so water will eventually make it's way through the galss and into the wood. There are alot of good articles on the net about water and fiberglass. That does not mean you have rot. You need to drill some core samples to see. Also part of the strength is the twin layers of hull and floor separated by the stringers. Removing the floor materially weakens the whole structure so your bounce test is not completely accurate. Is your boat poorly constructed, maybe. Do you need to replace stringers and floor, maybe not. Just about everyone with an old fiberglass and encapsulated wood boat is in the same situation. If you do start replacing things try to find composite substitutes for the wood and use epoxy instead of polyester resin. "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though). I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! "JamesgangNC" wrote in message link.net... I have seen where the glass was not well applied to stringers and it appeared "bowed" at the top. Glass does not bow a lot before it cracks. Anything as old as your boat is going to have wet wood. Fiberglass is not waterproof so water will eventually make it's way through the galss and into the wood. There are alot of good articles on the net about water and fiberglass. That does not mean you have rot. You need to drill some core samples to see. Also part of the strength is the twin layers of hull and floor separated by the stringers. Removing the floor materially weakens the whole structure so your bounce test is not completely accurate. Is your boat poorly constructed, maybe. Do you need to replace stringers and floor, maybe not. Just about everyone with an old fiberglass and encapsulated wood boat is in the same situation. If you do start replacing things try to find composite substitutes for the wood and use epoxy instead of polyester resin. "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though). I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! |
#4
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I had a problem with the engine mounts on my boat. When I attempte to tighten
them, the bolts spun. What happened is that when the boat was outfitted, they didn' caulk the holes. Moisture went from the mounts to the stringer and the rot propagated 15 ft. down the length of the stringer. It's like a bacteria that eats up the wood. My floorboards also had a similar problem (no caulking). The solution was to pull up the floorboards and to strip the stringer out. I had it done by a professional boat builder. The total cost was about 7.5K to do the job. Essentially, every piece of wood was removed and reglassed in to the hull. Not fun to do on your own and a friend of mine did it. I saw what it involved and decided to throw money at the problem instead (his material cost was about 1.5K and about 70 hours of labor). b. |
#5
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I have transom problems also. Also from previous owners not realizing water
and wood don't live well together. I think I am going to do the work myself. I can't see putting that much money into something I can do myself. As far as the labor - it's all a labour of love isn't it? wrote in message roups.com... I had a problem with the engine mounts on my boat. When I attempte to tighten them, the bolts spun. What happened is that when the boat was outfitted, they didn' caulk the holes. Moisture went from the mounts to the stringer and the rot propagated 15 ft. down the length of the stringer. It's like a bacteria that eats up the wood. My floorboards also had a similar problem (no caulking). The solution was to pull up the floorboards and to strip the stringer out. I had it done by a professional boat builder. The total cost was about 7.5K to do the job. Essentially, every piece of wood was removed and reglassed in to the hull. Not fun to do on your own and a friend of mine did it. I saw what it involved and decided to throw money at the problem instead (his material cost was about 1.5K and about 70 hours of labor). b. |
#6
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I did my transom, and after all done, I'd say it wasn't as hard as some may
make it out to be. If you're good with your hands that is. The key is getting easy access to everything. If you have to squeeze into a spot, then it'll make things so hard you'll wish you never did anything. "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . I have transom problems also. Also from previous owners not realizing water and wood don't live well together. I think I am going to do the work myself. I can't see putting that much money into something I can do myself. As far as the labor - it's all a labour of love isn't it? wrote in message roups.com... I had a problem with the engine mounts on my boat. When I attempte to tighten them, the bolts spun. What happened is that when the boat was outfitted, they didn' caulk the holes. Moisture went from the mounts to the stringer and the rot propagated 15 ft. down the length of the stringer. It's like a bacteria that eats up the wood. My floorboards also had a similar problem (no caulking). The solution was to pull up the floorboards and to strip the stringer out. I had it done by a professional boat builder. The total cost was about 7.5K to do the job. Essentially, every piece of wood was removed and reglassed in to the hull. Not fun to do on your own and a friend of mine did it. I saw what it involved and decided to throw money at the problem instead (his material cost was about 1.5K and about 70 hours of labor). b. |
#7
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1,000,000% true!!!!
The key is getting easy access to everything. If you have to squeeze into a spot, then it'll make things so hard you'll wish you never did anything. |
#8
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Thanks. I was rambling around in the engine compartment enough to know what
you mean. I couldn't imagine having to do anything back there. I will take your point quite seriously and figure out how to make the transom even more accessible. More demolition/repair! "Chris" wrote in message .. . I did my transom, and after all done, I'd say it wasn't as hard as some may make it out to be. If you're good with your hands that is. The key is getting easy access to everything. If you have to squeeze into a spot, then it'll make things so hard you'll wish you never did anything. "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . I have transom problems also. Also from previous owners not realizing water and wood don't live well together. I think I am going to do the work myself. I can't see putting that much money into something I can do myself. As far as the labor - it's all a labour of love isn't it? wrote in message roups.com... I had a problem with the engine mounts on my boat. When I attempte to tighten them, the bolts spun. What happened is that when the boat was outfitted, they didn' caulk the holes. Moisture went from the mounts to the stringer and the rot propagated 15 ft. down the length of the stringer. It's like a bacteria that eats up the wood. My floorboards also had a similar problem (no caulking). The solution was to pull up the floorboards and to strip the stringer out. I had it done by a professional boat builder. The total cost was about 7.5K to do the job. Essentially, every piece of wood was removed and reglassed in to the hull. Not fun to do on your own and a friend of mine did it. I saw what it involved and decided to throw money at the problem instead (his material cost was about 1.5K and about 70 hours of labor). b. |
#9
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Check with the manufacturer if you can. I had "sludge" that used to be wood
for my stringers but I was told by Wellcraft that in this particular model and year boat, the wood was just a "form" for the fiberglass. I removed all transom wood from the top and poured a chopped glass/mineral/foam/polyester resin mix to replace it. When I was removing the transom wood I eventually noticed voids, about 1 1/2 x 6" running perpendicular to the transom (which used to be the wood stringers). I filled the space with "Great Stuff" exp urethane foam to keep from filling that area. When I drilled through the hull, about 6" forward of the stern and 6" down from the top for a 1 1/8" ID, 2000gph bilge pump fitting I discovered that the fiberglass there was 1" thick! Good luck on yours. LD "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though). I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! |
#10
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Thanks LD. Unfortunately the manufacturer closed up shop in the mid to late
70s. I am trying to locate Drift-R-Cruz houseboat owners to get more info on the construction of these boats. Geez I love a challenge. "LD" wrote in message ... Check with the manufacturer if you can. I had "sludge" that used to be wood for my stringers but I was told by Wellcraft that in this particular model and year boat, the wood was just a "form" for the fiberglass. I removed all transom wood from the top and poured a chopped glass/mineral/foam/polyester resin mix to replace it. When I was removing the transom wood I eventually noticed voids, about 1 1/2 x 6" running perpendicular to the transom (which used to be the wood stringers). I filled the space with "Great Stuff" exp urethane foam to keep from filling that area. When I drilled through the hull, about 6" forward of the stern and 6" down from the top for a 1 1/8" ID, 2000gph bilge pump fitting I discovered that the fiberglass there was 1" thick! Good luck on yours. LD "Steve Lortie" wrote in message .. . If anyone has any comments on this, please fire away (with blanks though). I have a 40 ft 1969 Drifter. The two main stringers (16" deep) running off centre the length of the boat, certainly appear to have problems. The glass applied to the stringer is buldged out from the stringer a good inch, both sides! This would imply that the stringers have dropped but they are the same height as the next set of stringers parallel to them providing a level floor. After removing the floor the give in the stringers is quite obvious - a good half an inch of vertical movement when you bounce on them. The hull is pretty thick and there doesn't "appear" to be any sagging, cracking etc. The stringers are very wet along the bottom which also implies rotting. The stringer is merely covered with one layer of what I believe is a roven material which to me is just covering it and not bonding it to the hull for extra strength. Repair books show layering of the cloth to build in strength "transfer". Am I looking too deep into this: level floor (was it originally??) but buldging fiberglass implies the stringer has dropped (the floor was sitting right down on the stringer). Bouncy stringer. Doesn't even look like it was put in there for strength. Is that possible? Should I just rip em out and replace or leave them? Any one else with a Drift-R-Cruz that has looked under their floor and discovered something similar? Thanks! |
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