On 1, I agree and would suspect that the hull is not in it's original shape.
When they build boats the common practice is to install the stringers and
floor while the hull is still in the mold. This keeps the hull in the
proper shape. Often the floor also serves to hold the sides at a certain
position. Also check for the transom sagging down and developing a hook at
the bottom of the hull. If your trailer has rollers it would be even more
likely that it was out of shape. Trailers with bunks are better for keeping
the bottom of the hull flat. You may be able to build a wooden cradle for
the boat hull that will get it back into shape. It won't be trivial.

On 2, yes stringers are usually glassed into place. Better boats used
enough glass mat so that even if the wood rotted there was still enough
strength in the glass it's self. Wood will eventually get wet. If you can
use a synthetuc material instead that would be better. Some builders no
longer use wood for the floor, stringers, or transom. But that raises the
price a lot and you probably will be happy with another 10-15 years out of
this boat so you will have to decide that. If you use wood try to get
something other than pine as pine really rots fast once it is wet. I would
also recomend that you seal the wood with epoxy before putting any glass on
it. Use a lot of coats on the edges as this is where wood soaks up the most
water. Epoxy is much much better that polyester resin so you are making the
right choice there. I recomend US Composites, they have good products at a
fraction of the price of people like West Marine. Epoxy is made by big
chemical companies like Dupont so when you buy West Marine you are just
paying for the name.

You didn't mention the transom. Does it have a wood transom as well? You
should check it too if it does.

"Bill" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all - first time lurker, first time poster..

I bought a 14' 65 horse runabout knowing that the floor was completely
rotten. I removed the floor and the stringers. I bought a sheet of 3/4
marine ply and began replacing the stringers. I have two questions:

1) there is a section in the middle of the boat where the floor "dips".
It looks like it's designed this way, but it will call for some
creative sawing on the replacement stringers. Unfortunately the
stringers I removed were total mush and I couldn't use them for
templates. Is it possible that sitting on the trailer with rotten
stringers has caused the boat to sag? There are no chips or cracks on
the bottom. It COULD be that it's designed this way, but it seems like
water would collect there.

2) I was planning on wrapping the stringer in glass mat and epoxying
before placing the stringer into the channel - is this the right way to
do it?


Thanks for any help.

Bill