many questions about repairing/replacing stringers

[carboncow]

Originally Posted by Liam

While you are in the bilge area,providing you transom is good you may want to cut a mousehole and fill with resin and 1/4 chopped strand around the garboard plug,then redrill for a new garboard plug,leave the outer layer of the transom glass in place and fill from the inside,this will increase the life of you transom.

Man you got the best info! I'm following your solid to the "mouse hold discussion".

A surveyor on site when we picked up the old boat give our transom a "solid" rating...but that is about all we found solid. Should we clean up where the transom meets the hull and re-tab that out too as well as the drain comment from you?

[carboncow]

Where were these boats primarily made, what location?

Can one assume that other Wellcrafts (scarabs for example) have this terrible glasswork below the deck? I got a few buddies with 80s scarabs, one's a beautiful center console...I wonder how scared he'll be when he sees my photos!

[phatdaddy]

most were made in the sarasota plant. gotta remember, these hulls are 20 to 30 years old, plus the materials & techniques were still evolving.
when i cut out & replaced my deck, i bonded a 1/2 wooden tab to the underside of the lip like a shelf around the cavity. i then cut out a piece of 1/2 ply to fit the hole, then glassed over & faired to the original edge. this left the everything flush on the deck.

[bradford]

More great posts! Like the idea about the garboard drain and Phatdaddy's idea about filling the edge of the deck.

I think a lot of the quality issues come down to Wellcrafts being a mass production boat. Having an '85 and breifly an '86 there were differences in quality of hardware. Some stainless parts on my '85 were the chrome zamak pot metal on the '86. The company I'm sure was shopping prices on things to keep costs down and I'm sure this carried over to glass work as well.

I like chevy/GMC trucks. Not too many 85 models that don't need some work,have had shoddy repairs from several previous owners, or would benefit from newer technology out there. Once in a great while you run across a low mileage, garage kept, and owned by an old man cream puff.

[phatdaddy]

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/...aintenance.pdf

look through this book its short and has a lot of great ideas and techniques. you can pick up a hard copy for easy reference. it tends to promote west brand materials, but the ideas are universall

[bradford]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/...aintenance.pdf

look through this book its short and has a lot of great ideas and techniques. you can pick up a hard copy for easy reference. it tends to promote west brand materials, but the ideas are universall

I copied to the Links section.

I like the fact that it's somewhat short and sweet. I have a few books on fiberglass repair and some can get a little wordy.

A great book that keeps it simple is Runabout Renovation by Jim Anderson. Got it at the library first before I bought it off Ebay for less than 10 bucks with shipping.

[carboncow]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/...aintenance.pdf

look through this book its short and has a lot of great ideas and techniques. you can pick up a hard copy for easy reference. it tends to promote west brand materials, but the ideas are universall

Oh this is great!!

[phatdaddy]

i kept mine flush with the existing deck.

one trick i did learn, after you get your lip around the cavity, make a template out of thin strips of 2x4 cut edgewise (maybe 1/8 " thick) and fastened together with a hot glue gun. you can get a very exact fit and it transfers to your ply very easily. this will cut down on the voids between old deck & new

[carboncow]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

most were made in the sarasota plant. gotta remember, these hulls are 20 to 30 years old, plus the materials & techniques were still evolving.
when i cut out & replaced my deck, i bonded a 1/2 wooden tab to the underside of the lip like a shelf around the cavity. i then cut out a piece of 1/2 ply to fit the hole, then glassed over & faired to the original edge. this left the everything flush on the deck.

Thanks for the info. I'm not questing the technique (ok may be the foam!) but when you are a DIY (like me) you can spot shoddy work, and I'm seeing some obvious corner cutting production and/or inexperience. I'd like to think by 1988 Wellcraft knew how to make a boat and especially this one!

One question on your deck technique. I think you are suggesting what we are going todo. We are discussing putting a lip around the civility of the sole too so the new sole sits in like a hatch. It appears th eold wood is 1/2 and we are going to go 5/8 or 3/4 and thus have it raised...and basically have a water channel around the permitter as we have cut back around the entire deck to 1.5" from the wall. Is this what you are explaining to other then a flush deck?

We have a leaning post, centerconsole and t-top and want more thickness in our wood. Do you think we are overkilling on thickness or does it sound like increasing makes sense with our deck variables?

[Liam]

Originally Posted by carboncow

We have a leaning post, centerconsole and t-top and want more thickness in our wood. Do you think we are overkilling on thickness or does it sound like increasing makes sense with our deck variables?

You can also add 3/4 ply to the underside of the deck in any area you will be putting a seat,console etc,anywhere you need to screw into.