Graham Nash Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 well .... my idea of cutting some hatches into the floor of my project has uncovered some pretty grotty stringers. So the floor is coming up and 2 new stringers are to be fitted. Now i'm no chippy so i am thinking of making a template out of hardboard (or cardboard) first then cutting round the template onto some nice marine ply and fibreglassing them into place. 2 questions spring to mind .... 1: can I put these stringers close to the original ones, thereby I dont need to cut all the fibreglass around the old ones (or do they have to go exactly where they are for structural calculations etc). 2: Do i make a small hole in the bottom of each one so any water ingress into one can travel through to the stern so one bilge pump will suffice (the obvious problem here would be if a hole occured in one "chamber" the water would fill the boat up through those same holes) or do I put a bilge pump in each, thus making each chamber completely seperate from each other? I'm basically starting from scratch here so any modifications will be easier done now rather than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coddy Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Hi Graham First off I would use foam as the stringers capped off with wood, these are lighter and when glassed in will be just as strong. I would glass in a plastic tube for any liquid to drain from each compartment. Again when glassed in this will stop any ingress, 22mm pipe should do ok. If you are having empty cavities with no access I would fill them with plastic play balls which will add boyancy should the worse happen. I personally would remove all the old stringers and replace them in the same place but it depends on the state of the existing grp. I assume you will be making the deck a sealed floor. Have fun Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 No Dave, I wont be making it sealed. Its cavernous under there and intended on putting floor hatches in so I can store stuff under there like many of the modern boats do. This "foam" stringers ... whats this then? what is this foam and where do I get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mw Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Grayham if you read that wsf wilson 23 build its long but it has all the answers to most questions I have a wilson 24 which i bought to refit i wish that tread was there a couple of years ago. mark w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Thanks mark. I will read it. Ive just found something on the web by "boat building central" that was very interesting. Prevented me making immediate mistakes already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 (edited) can anyone explain what is the difference between ribs & stringers? The bits that are rotten in mine are ribs ....... I think This picture is a "BEFORE" ... the big boxes are covering inspection/storage holes into the hull. Once I removed them and their supports I noticed the floor was spongy so i started prodding with a screwdriver and ended up with this so far Im going to remove the whole floor and replace all of those ribs/stringers ..... I'm just hoping the transom is ok coz its gonna have a 115hp Suzuki bolted to it Edited December 24, 2011 by Graham Nash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Sea Angler magazine - last month and this month are showing how to do this probably worth a look! Neal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niggle Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Flippin heck Graham,you've got you're work cut out! Save all these photos as people won't believe it's the same boat when you're finished.........new name possibly........... Second Chance?.......Reserected...?....looking at the pics think second one Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Good luck with the project Graham Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Sea Angler magazine - last month and this month are showing how to do this probably worth a look! Neal I will be straight to WHSmiths as soon as they open. If I cant get last months copy does anyone have a copy that I can scan please? Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coddy Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Hi Graham Looks like you have your work cut out. Stringers Stringer, longitudinal internal member in boat and shipbuilding that adds stiffness and may facilitate the mounting of further internal structures This link may be useful to you http://westsystem.com/ss/assets/HowTo-Publ...Maintenance.pdf Also seen a great idea is to use inverted gutter pipe along the keel to allow fluids to transfer from one end to the other. It would of course need to be glassed in. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 Thanks again Dave. Ive drilled into one of the stringers (that are fully enclosed in fibre galss) and it seems to be prefectly solid so its just the "ribs" that go across the hull that are rotten . . . . . so far Still not checked the transome yet . . . I will do that tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lofty Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 I worked at Sunseekers for 11 years, in the days that saw me frowned upon for being a shop fitter instead of a boatbuilder, ( you wouldn't find a boatbuilder there now!) and a good chum of mine, Spocky, a proper boatbuilder, is now a freelance boat repairer under his proper name Graham Banyard. He used to groan at some of the shortcuts taken by Sunseekers and would tell me the correct way things should be done. I know he advertises in some of the tide table books. I'm sure he'd be interested in taking on some of the work , and Im happy to do day work for you when you get going on the refit. Exciting times ahead Graham Lofty Ps. The Sunseekers had foam stringers glassed in with the tubes for drainage in the Chines as the previous post said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 (edited) Lofty ..... you star I would certainly be interested in talking with your mate and I know your handy work is first class. Maybe we need to have a chat too I've just googled Graham Banyard and it brings up washing machine repairs & someone in Harrowgate. I'll have a look in a tide table book if I can find one. Edited December 25, 2011 by Graham Nash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dicky Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 little sal if you can't get hold of last months sea dangler pm me your addy and i will post it to you. Dicky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2011 that is very kind of you Dicky, thank you very much for the offer. I will be having a look for it today and will let you know if i need it. Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyb. Posted December 26, 2011 Report Share Posted December 26, 2011 Good luck with the project Graham.With the amount of entheusiasm your showing Im sure your going to get a lot of advice and help.keep on posting .theres a lot of interest ,and a lot of us would love to have a go at what your doing.your a great inspiration. Happy New year to everyone Johnnyb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2011 Ha Ha Johnny ... dunno about enthusiasm, more like stuck with more work than I thought Fortunately I have room in my yard so its not costing anything for the storage, I have another boat so theres no real rush and after Christmas my work generally dies so I should have plenty of time (although without work, the money dries up quickly). I have visitors today so weather permitting I will cut the whole floor out tomorrow so I can get to everything. I will keep posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2011 So after a day of removing the existing floor and cutting back all the rotten wood it doesnt look as bad as it first seemed (still pretty grotty, but I think do-able) There are/were 6 ribs, one had already been completely removed, 3 are fine and the 2 middle ones are rotten. They are in 3 sections and the middle section of each is gone, the outside sections are perfectly solid. So it looks like I could just replace the middle bits but Im going to do that AND add a complete rib alongside the existing one bolting it into the solid bits. I will then glass it all together and it should be twice as solid as the original. The existing outboard engine fixings were rusted solid so after much pulling, pushing, prizing, hammering and every other type of effort we ended up cutting a bit of the transom top away to get the engine off. This revealed a very solid transom top PHEW!!. I then checked the existing engine well, which was full of expanding foam, sealant, rubber and just about everything else that could trap water and found it was soaking wet with lots of rot so that too was cut away. This revealed the inside of the transom so I took the opportunity to cut some of the internal glass away to check the integrity of the transom wood and once again it looked good So after a day of cutting out rotten wood i think i'm happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotu2uk Posted December 28, 2011 Report Share Posted December 28, 2011 the blue foam used for cores in glassed-over structures is usually blue polystyrene, closed-cell foam. closed-cell foam cannot waterlog, in the event of glassfibre skin failure, and blue foam has a fairly high density (small bubbles) giving greater strength to the core John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted December 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2011 This was good old fashioned yellow and orange domestic expanding foam John. It was everywhere on the back end filling up the engine well. Someone had cut holes into the well to bolt the engine on and they had filled their holes with mastic then filled the whole lot with this expanding foam. It had to come out because it looked terrible and was trapping an awful lot of water which was rotting everything. I think we may have this closed cell foam inside the stringers so i'm leaving them alone Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Right ..... after many happy hours working in the freezing cold and wind I have made some progress. The rotten floor and ribs were completely cut away and the ribs were reinforced as required. A new floor of 18mm ply was cut and fitted then 2 layers of fibreglass was put on the whole floor, tying it all into the hull. This bit was done in freezing conditions and unfortunately freezing conditions, fibreglass and inexperience ended up taking MUCH longer than anticipated and the end result was not as good as I had hoped but it is water tight and functional so its better than when I started . The electrics has been started in the cabin but I am visiting Little Sal tomorrow to remove all of her electronics and I will carry on with that in the coming weeks. The floor was painted again in freezing conditions .... so cold it took 5 days for it to dry!!!! A phone call to Charlie during the week put me in touch with " a friend of the club" who gave me some discount on the required paints and a hatch (that I bought as a sample). Thanks for that Charlie. Today we have fitted the hatch, painted the cabin inside and outside, painted the hull and most of the woodwork. The dashboard and the stern is the only bit that still needs structural work as we had to cut some of it away today to get to the 2 fuel tanks. So its just the engine well and the fuel tanks, remainder of the electrics and fit the engine and steering and then we ARE OFF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Looks good Graham! What are the 3 'wheel arch things on either side of the deck? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Nash Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) They are large "tanks" Rob. One will be a live bait well and the other will be my anchor store. I hope this explains better than me Edited February 25, 2012 by Graham Nash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niggle Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Looking good mate.....are you enjoying it now or regretting it still? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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