not for the weak at heart

This is my baby the Chesapeake Dreamer a work in progress that was left neglect for too long.

Notice the empty string glass

and the holes cut into her

here it should say Triumph vee 18

did I mention some bulkheads look bad too?

[tsubaki]

Keep em comming.
My grandfather (the original owner of the V I got) was from Brunswick. Owned a few businesses there also.
Good part is, you almost got a clean canvas to work on.
Do most anything you want.

She has her fair share of dents and dings but, I did salvage the original seats


and these are two of my new friends



heres just before I started surgery. That's a cowling that someone built out of 1/4 pluwood and glass cover a 30 gl fuel tank that well I'll show ya

sure the tanks seen better days a new one is on the list but the seats did clean up nicely.
Now, anyone got any advise on how to redo the stringers? And I sea a lot of starboard in my future

[Airslot]

I don't know about starboard, but I see a grinder in your future. How are the stringers? Any rot, mostly rot, or are they solid?

if you look closely in the pics you will see the glass is empty!!! I found sawdust and slithers of wood. The stringers are totally gone. Someone cut through them and ran cabeling at one point and never reglassed them. Either that or they didn't seal the screw holes from replacing the decking. In anycase, new stringers all around and two maybe three bulkheads. I too see a grinder in my future, the force must be strong with this one. the good news is, the transom, solid as a rock, THANK YOU GOD, and the hull is tight. The boat was also stored at an angle so the bow stringers are good. From the console back, it's a different story.

[Airslot]

Let me start by saying that I'm no 'glass pro...

I think what I'd do is leave all that glass intact. Cut new stringers out of 3/4 ply and glass them to the existing glass and box in what you got. She'll be stronger than new when done. You'll have to scuff the old glass pretty good, clean it up, and the you should be able to get a good bond. There will be other ideas along shortly...

I considered that but, being there is no wood where the stringers were and just empty glass tubes, I'm worried it wouldn't be strong enough. My plan here and if I'm wrong somebody please stop me before I spend money I don't have, is to cut out the old glass cut new stringers and girders and bulkheads and glass them all back in. The original stringers where or looked to have been 2by's and the girders 1 by's can I replace it with a couple of pieces of ply? Like tsubaki said, I have a pretty clean slate and am drawing and thinking before I go grinding away. I do thank all of you for all and any help.

[tsubaki]

I'm no big fan of replaceing wood where wood had rotted. What ever you do, do not use pressure treated plywood, it will seperate and be spongey.
Two great tools for cutting fiberglass like you are fixing to do. Battery powered circular saw and a air powered cutoff wheel, both of them kick up little dust compared to anything else.

[randlemanboater]

I think someone on here cut the top off of the stringer, got the rotten wood out, and put new wood into the old shell that was left. They slathered the new wood w/ resin when they put it in, then glassed over the top that they had cut off.

Or maybe that was a dream I had after sniffing too much 5200.

[reelapeelin]

Dreamer, I LUV yer boat...when I was lookin' at one, I WANTED it SO bad ... on those stringers...how 'bout ya cut the top of 'em off where rotted, clean junk out and pour Seacast in there...has anybody ever done that ... someone made the point just the other day, the glass is the strength ... the 18 I's lookin' at was in about the same shape ;) ...


Skools or anybody that knows...Dreamers 90...can it be bumped to 140 w/ carb swap?...I had '84 140 Rude and someone told me that??...