rotten stringers
 

Just purchased a 1979 V20 with the stringer outdrive. Have purchased a rebuilt outdrive only to find that the main stringers of the boat are rotted / hollow! The engine stringers seem to have been re-done and are quite solid. The rotten stringers are comprised of dry fragmented wood in the fiberglass stringer enclosures. I am contemplating removing the floor, chopping the top of the stringers off, removing the rotten wood, matting the good wood ends with glass/resin and then pouring seacast into the hollow stringers and re-capping....

Any opinions, advice, seacast info would be greatly appreciated!

thanks - John C.

Re: rotten stringers
 

Welcome to the site!!

There have been many stringer repairs here, Lots of talk about Seacast but know one has used it as of yet.

If I had to do it I aways said Seacast is the way to go, So I for one would like to see you use it and give a detailed report on how things go!!

Lots of pictures as you go, and if you need help posting said pictures, Just ask!

Good Luck!

Re: rotten stringers
 

thanks for the reply - pics to follow.....

Re: rotten stringers
 

I priced seacast and though it's good stuff, I can't afford it. Hope it works out well for you, I'm redoing mine with 3/4 ply and 1x cleats as nailers.

Re: rotten stringers
 

Just an observation, the stringers, refering to those two main bow to stern structural members require the ability to flex and still provide unity to the whole ideally should be made of one solid piece or at least a well bonded intragual repair. They do not solely provide compression strength from weight above as say a short section of floor support might.
They are the actual backbone of the hull to which all other supports and bulkheads connect.
Therefore any repair you should do should be able to be bonded directly and permanantly to the good sections in front and behind.
How does Sea Cast bond with the wood, or for that matter how does it bond to the glass encasing it?
If it does not I would never use it for stringers. Maybe a section of floor support like we get on the side of tank or something.
JMO

Re: rotten stringers
 

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...ngers_and_ribs


http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...ot_the_rot_out


http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...uel_line_chase

Re: rotten stringers
 

It is a good thing galleries don't get deleted. ;) ;) ;D

Re: rotten stringers
 

Post pics. of your project. ;)

Re: rotten stringers
 

In the pics above, vic was going to use seacast, but found it to be to costly, he just glassed in new wood. i'll see if he will get online and give some details