Repairing floor & stringers - 1978 Sunray SW150

[banks99]

Hello everyone! This is my first time posting and I would like to ask for your assistance with the following:

Me and a group of friends picked up at 1978 Sunray SW-150 with a 90HP Mercury Outboard (working) and trailer over this weekend. It was a great deal that we did not want to pass up.

The boat had been sitting for the last 10 years without a cover so the interior was in ruins and unsurprisingly, the floors were carpeted & rotted. I pulled up as much of the rotted wood and carpet as I could and I found that the hollow fiberglass stringers were cracked in multiple areas. There is one in the middle that is missing sections completely. Please see the attached pictures. The sides of the interior are also partially rotted and would need to be replaced.

We are willing to put the time and money into this, but want to confirm if this is indeed repairable. If so, what would your suggestions be on approaching this repair? Could I cut a section of the hollow stringer out to slide in a wood beam to add support and fill with epoxy and then patch with fiberglass?







Thank you!!

 

[todhunter]

Dig out the foam, cut out the old stringers, transom, bulkheads, deck, and any other wood, replace with new wood and fiberglass, reinstall foam, reupholster, and fix the rest of the issues.

Post some overall pics of the boat.

 

[jbcurt00]

To add to all of that ^^^, build a cradle to support the hull so it wont go out of shape while ya do all of that^^^

 

[banks99]

Dig out the foam, cut out the old stringers, transom, bulkheads, deck, and any other wood, replace with new wood and fiberglass, reinstall foam, reupholster, and fix the rest of the issues.

Post some overall pics of the boat.

Thanks! I have a few rainy days coming up and will post more pictures once I have everything cleaned up.

The transom has a metal cap. Is there any way to check the condition without removing the motor and cap?

 

[todhunter]

The transom has a metal cap. Is there any way to check the condition without removing the motor and cap?

Yes. Take a 1/4" drill bit and (from the inside) drill a hole through the inner fiberglass layer, into the wood (but not into the outer fiberglass layer). Drill the hole as low on the transom as possible - ideally ~1 or 2 inches up from the bottom of the hull, near the drain plug. What you want to see is light colored dry wood shavings that smell like fresh cut sawdust. What you're almost guaranteed to see will range from dry grey wood shavings with no smell all the way up to black smelly muck that doesn't resemble wood at all. Anything other than light/dry/pleasant smelling wood shavings means the transom wood has been wet and rot has either begun or has already completed, and the transom needs to be replaced. If for some magical reason you find good wood in the transom, go buy a lottery ticket, then go buy some 3M 5200 and plug the hole you drilled.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks! I have a few rainy days coming up and will post more pictures once I have everything cleaned up.

The transom has a metal cap. Is there any way to check the condition without removing the motor and cap?

based on the photos, you should assume the transom is rotten

 

[GSPLures]

Welcome, with enough time, money, and knowledge everything is repairable. You provide the time and money, the forum can provide the knowledge .

As others have stated it looks like a complete gut of all wood. Read the pinned threads at the top of the forum and also watch some videos on youtube (friscoboater has lots of good videos showing a restoration). Then its up to you to decide if the boat will be worth it to you. Just a heads up more than likely you will not get the money back that you put in. Although with how the markets and economy are going who knows anymore.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If you want to make a small fortune restoring boats, start with a large fortune

 

[todhunter]

If you want to make a small fortune restoring boats, start with a large fortune

Do it for the love of the restoration process...or the disdain of money.