I got stringer problems!

Vic - it's hard to visualize your problem. What was cut for the fuel line - the bulkhead or a stringer?? Is the bulkhead rotten too?? Were both stringers cut?? If only one - then how did the other one get soaked and rotten?? Before you can fix your problem you must understand how it was caused. How long is the rotted parts of the stringers?? Do you have access to all of the rotten parts?? When you ground off the glass - did you take off just the glass on the top side of the stringers, or did you take off the glass on the sides too??

It is good that the transom is sound. My guess would have been that was where your water entered and then spread from transom wood to stringer wood.

[Vic]

SK- both stringers were rotten about 50" forward from the transom. They got that way because the previous owner glassed over the original scupper through holes that were through the transom. Instead of running hoses to the bilge from the floor they cut off the through hole fitting behind the back of the deck. So since 1992 all of the water that has crossed the deck has ran into the ouside of the stringers. They cut holes through the bottom of the stringers about 1" holes I'd say so that water could run from outside the stringer to the bilge.

So I began taking out mud wood with a clay consistency Saturday. I'm working from inside of the stringers with the deck on basicly because I did not want to lift the cap. That would be too easy. I have reached the end of the rotted wood by grinding the inside skin of fobeerglass off with a 4" grinder. I think I'm gonna get the rot doctor stuff for the rest for good measure and repack with new 3/4" plywood cut to fit and glass them back in. My digital camera is on the blink so I cant get any pics to sho you sorry but my transom looks just like Fillets, except there is a 175 lookin at you.

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

The previous owner should go to jail for V20 abuse.

But you are still lucky the transom is sound, and you caught the stringer problem before it spread too far to get at it to repair. I think I would have taken the glass off the tops of the stringers, removed the rot, then glassed the good ends of the stringers with a layer of matt, filled the void with seacast, and then reglassed the top of the stringers with matt and woven roven.

[CT_V-20]

Oh man, I don't like hearing about this Sea Drive and deck draining to the bilge and stringer rot. Now I've gotta look at my stringers when the shrinkwrap comes off.

[reelapeelin]

Glassed the scuppers?... ...I think his rear end oughta be glassed up and see what happens over time... ::) ::) :o

[Vic]

Thanks guys. One good thing is this a great learning experience. Now every time I see a hull for sale. I'm thinking about restoring it. Usedboats.com has a 20' Seacraft hull for 250.00 needs transom work the guy says come get it in Largo Fl. I think those are good ones. If anybodies interested. This weekend I'm gonna get down on this glass work and get her ready for the spanish that will be here by Easter. I'll get some pics on here soon.

[Franco]

I am a survivor of V20 stringer repair. Mine is a 1983 V20
steplift with a Volvo Penta i/o. The cockpit drains are outside the stringers. whatever water gets in the boat drain and sit in that cavity. When mine was built Wellcraft never put any sealer or bedding compound under the motor mounts. Water eventually seeped in and got soaked up by the stringers. I pulled out the motor and took it to a glass repair shop. He ground off the fiberglass pulled out the rotten wood. The transom was fine and the damaged stopped short of the first bulkhead forward of the transom. the new stringer was butt jointed to the transom and scarfed to the good section of the original. It was weeted in and epoxied down. Then the top side was wetted down and covered with fiberglass cloth bonding it to the deck. Check out the west system books on completing this repair. We add a 1 inch hole at the bottom of the stringer to let the water escape to the bilge. As far as having the rod holders drain, get some clear plastic tubing and some heat shrink tubing big enough to fit over the rod holder tubes. It should shrink down enough to attach itself to the clear palstic tubing. Use the kind with epoxy inside. Route the plastic tubing to the bilge area. Franco

[Vic]

Man I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I am seeing exactly what you said about the holes in the stringers. Thinking about putting in pieces of pvc for drain tubes before I pour in the seacast stuff.