Starting a 1974 Tri-Hull Restoration, it's a Stryker Mark IV model. Need help with any information or an owners manual.

Pvaughan23

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Starting on Wiring, Rivets and steering so I'm moving along much more quickly than anticipated or expected. I believe she'll be water test ready by September then first voyage next spring with the final cosmetics and fun things added.
 

Scott Danforth

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I didnt see where the floor was tabbed and fiberglassed in place
 

tpenfield

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Following along . . .

Additional comments:

> The boat looks chopper gun made, so expect to do a lot of repairs below deck

> Wood structure? Stringers, transom, bulkheads? These things may need replacing

>Looks like much of the gelcoat has 'burnt off' from sun and weather exposure. So you will probably be gelcoating the boat once you main fiberglass work is done

> Google as many pictures as you can of what the boat (Brand/model) originally looked like fro reference purposes as you proceed.

> Be careful of "I was told" comments regarding the motor . . . those almost never go the way you were told. So, plan on a fair amount of work on the engine as well.

> This will be a labor of love, but you may want to estimate Time & Money and consider options before you get too deep.
 

Pvaughan23

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I'm having difficulty posting any more pics, but I resined the flooring in place before placing the carpet down and finished with the wiring. Everything on the outside is sealed up and I'm starting on the final transom work for my own piece of mind. This Sunday is the floatation test so I'm hoping to be able to post up pictures and things if it's all successful. Since I have the bilge pump and all the wiring done, I'll take a temp battery on board just for the pump and see how it sits in the water.
 

Pvaughan23

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I've double checked everything and made sure that whatever I did would be stable and or sealed from damage. But if I need to replace the floor in a few years I have no qualms with that because I could do it a bit tighter next time with the cap still on it but it's solid as a foam rock now
 

tpenfield

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The pictures posting is temporarily not working. We are trying to get that fixed. It happened a year or 2 ago. Bear with us.
 

Pvaughan23

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I used the laminating resin as a base layer, laid the fiberglass then a sealing layer and put in the floor. After that I poured in a final layer of polyester resin after I set in the floor to seal everything up except my drain hole in the back
 

MikeSchinlaub

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I used the laminating resin as a base layer, laid the fiberglass then a sealing layer and put in the floor.
What? This can't be right, it reads as open hull, resin, glass, resin, lay wood in, then pour resin over everything.

Unless you mean you glassed the floor outside of the boat, then laid it in the hull and sealed with resin.

Either way is wrong. It should be as follows.

1. Dry fit all floor sections at the same time. Set two screws in each piece for alignment later, they can shift after you take them out.

2. Seal the bottom and edges of each piece. A single layer of glass should do. Of course, this is impractical for the edges, so just resin them as thoroughly as you can.

3. Screw floor in place. Some people set the pieces in thickened resin. Up to you, but you're racing the clock there.

4. Glass floor in. Each seam should have glass on 6 inches of either side. We usually use byply for it. This also depends on your choice of covering. A thick carpet will hide the high spots pretty well, but if you use thinner material then you will need an even surface over the whole floor. So you might need to glass the entire surface.
 

Pvaughan23

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I mean I pretty much did it that way, I just didn't add that final layer of fiberglass connecting everything because I couldn't find any detailed pictures or information on how the floor originally looked, so I was basically guessing while following the basic rules my grandfather told me.
 

Scott Danforth

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without tabbing the floor to the sides, basically, the floor and hull are two separate pieces, not one wholistic fiberglass structure.
 

Pvaughan23

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The floor is connected to the cap, and the stringers so it's all one piece and the rivets are in on the outside, the only place it's not connected is by the console because it looks like it was previously cut out, plus I needed it open to run my wires
 

Pvaughan23

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The floor is connected to the cap, and the stringers so it's all one piece and the rivets are in on the outside, the only place it's not connected is by the console because it looks like it was previously cut out, plus I needed it open to run my wires
And steering cable
 

MikeSchinlaub

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It needs to be glassed to the hull, the cap just sits on top of it. Without glassing to the hull, the sides will have way more flex and likely crack and bust.
 

Pvaughan23

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No, I'm saying I've done the flooring in a bit more unorthodox method with setting the cap on the hull and stringers so it sits flush, then I cut a new piece of flooring, set it, took it back out, made adjustments and then set it in, screwed it in where I made my pilot holes, then screwed it in and made sure it was all secure. There was one part that needed some extra bracing but any piece of wood put in/on was sealed with 2 coats of laminating and polyester resin.
 

redneck joe

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I'm not following. If you want to email me pics I'll hot link and post them for you. Message me if that is what you want and I'll give you my email addy
 
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