Hello:
I have 1978 Tom-boy 14 foot fiberglass boat. (model S5W) The bilge has two inlet tubes that come from between the floor and the bottom of the boat. One of the tubes is damaged and as a result, it feed water from the bilge directly onto the floatation foam. It is VERY heavy as a result. When I bought the damage to the tube was not obvious and the boat floated correctly. Now the starboard stern is very low in the water. I have managed to drain some water out of the foam area but I am almost certain that the problem will return. As a result, I am considering it as a winter project. The "floor" consists of a thin layer of fiberglass (from a factory mold) with at least some sort of flooring under the glass. There lengthwise channels under the top glass layer. The top layer of glass is glassed to the outer hull all around. I also have a glassed in fish-well glassed on top of the fiberglass floor.
The boat also has a minor soft spot in the transom. I am planning on attaching a sheet of 10 Gauge aluminum (1/8" thick) across the entire transom to make sure it does not spread.
Question 1:
I think that I should cut around the edge of the floor with a circular saw set to minimun depth. I will then put in a replacement floor of some sort of plywood. Probably 4-by-8 sheet of 1/2 inch thick. What type of plywood should I use? (Marine or treated or ??) Do I coat the plywood with epoxy or epoxy/glass or what? How much resin should I plan on to coat whatever? Should I try to put down the old fiberglass floor on top of the plywood?
Question 2:
Floatation foam? Yes or No? Does this stuff self level?
Question 3:
What is the difference between epoxy vs. other resins?
Question 4:
What is the cheapest way to get this stuff (foam, epoxy, etc.)
Thanks,
Terry
I have 1978 Tom-boy 14 foot fiberglass boat. (model S5W) The bilge has two inlet tubes that come from between the floor and the bottom of the boat. One of the tubes is damaged and as a result, it feed water from the bilge directly onto the floatation foam. It is VERY heavy as a result. When I bought the damage to the tube was not obvious and the boat floated correctly. Now the starboard stern is very low in the water. I have managed to drain some water out of the foam area but I am almost certain that the problem will return. As a result, I am considering it as a winter project. The "floor" consists of a thin layer of fiberglass (from a factory mold) with at least some sort of flooring under the glass. There lengthwise channels under the top glass layer. The top layer of glass is glassed to the outer hull all around. I also have a glassed in fish-well glassed on top of the fiberglass floor.
The boat also has a minor soft spot in the transom. I am planning on attaching a sheet of 10 Gauge aluminum (1/8" thick) across the entire transom to make sure it does not spread.
Question 1:
I think that I should cut around the edge of the floor with a circular saw set to minimun depth. I will then put in a replacement floor of some sort of plywood. Probably 4-by-8 sheet of 1/2 inch thick. What type of plywood should I use? (Marine or treated or ??) Do I coat the plywood with epoxy or epoxy/glass or what? How much resin should I plan on to coat whatever? Should I try to put down the old fiberglass floor on top of the plywood?
Question 2:
Floatation foam? Yes or No? Does this stuff self level?
Question 3:
What is the difference between epoxy vs. other resins?
Question 4:
What is the cheapest way to get this stuff (foam, epoxy, etc.)
Thanks,
Terry
