Need stringer help

[Texasthb]

I bought an 87 sea ray s21 260. Found out after having it about a month that the floor was really bad. Started with just a little weak spot then turned into a lot more spots that just got bigger. Tore the deck off and found the stringers were pretty much gone. Started taking everything apart and ran into a problem. I have the deck, stringers and foam taken out from the transom all the way to the dash. Can't figure out how to get past that. Also if I can get any help with how much fiberglass cloth, resin and foam I'm going to need that would be helpful.

 

[alldodge]

I bought an 87 sea ray s21 260. Found out after having it about a month that the floor was really bad. Started with just a little weak spot then turned into a lot more spots that just got bigger. Tore the deck off and found the stringers were pretty much gone. Started taking everything apart and ran into a problem. I have the deck, stringers and foam taken out from the transom all the way to the dash. Can't figure out how to get past that. Also if I can get any help with how much fiberglass cloth, resin and foam I'm going to need that would be helpful.

:welcome: to iboats

While doing things your self is a great thing, but sometimes you need to cut your losses unless you really want to do the job. There are more folks here with plenty of experience then me, but my guess is we are going to need pics of what you have.

 

[Woodonglass]

Welcome to iBoats! Pics always help us to help you. This is a Typical sounding rebuild and you'll find hundreds of them here on the Forum! This link should help get you started...Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms

 

[Texasthb]

I bought the boat for me and my two boys who are young. I dont mind doing the work and it will help me teach my boys a few things. I thought i posted a pic but ill repost.

 

[Woodonglass]

As previously stated, if you search the forum you'll find a lot of similar rebuilds to yours. You'll also see where it may or may not be necessary for you to cut away the floor/deck area show in your pics to gain access to the bow section of the boat and to remove the foam and stingers.

 

[Texasthb]

I looked up other posts. Great advise and help from everyone on here. I'm new to this boat building and could use direct help. Like what type of wood and size for the stringers and deck without breaking the bank. On a budget so saving is a must but don't want to go so cheap that the wood falls apart. Going to glass everything in and I also have to redo the transom. One side has a lot of rot and the other side is perfect but would rather just do it all and get it over with. And also how to I replace the plastic looking floor and sides upfront if I cut it out to replace the floor under there. It's all apart of the floor and seats

 

[Corjen1]

Check out Friscoboaters sea-ray build, its not the same year/modle, but should give you some good ideas...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...ck-and-stringer-restoration-splashed?t=454460

 

[Woodonglass]

the Link I provided has Lot of the info you need, but...the best thing you can do is READ, and Read a LOT!!! All the questions you are asking have been answered "Up close and Personal" hundreds of times here on the forum and have been documented extremely well with pics and videos and excellent written documentation. The one Corjen just posted is one of the best. It will take you several hours to read and study but it will be an education. There are Lots of others. That's NOT plastic it's fiberglass and you'll be learning a LOT about it and how to use it. If you keep postin pics and specific questions you won't have any problems getting the help you need. This IS the Best Boat Restoration Site any where on the internet and you won't find a more helpful bunch of guys ANYWHERE!!!! You're looking at approx. $2,000 of materials and 200 man hours of work. The list I provided will be a good start for you. Make sure and pay attention to the PPE portion. It's VERY important and if your kids will be helping they need to be protected as well.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you will need to pull the cap which will include the consoles and front bow area. pull the rub strip rubber, and remove all the screws. then get a few buddies to help remove it.

 

[Woodonglass]

It may NOT be necessary to pull the cap on this boat. There have been several others here on the forum that have successfully replaced their stringers on similar boats without popping the cap.

 

[Scott Danforth]

WOG, I look at leaving the cap on like leaving the motor and drive in. yes you can do it, however for the hour of work, you save yourself days of work-arounds. If it was my boat, the cap would be pulled, hanging from the rafters with ratchet straps

 

[52FordF2]

You may try doing something like I'm doing. Not pulling cap, going to put wood under bow area then tab places in. Then put stringers and scab support in. Will have to lay on back to do under side of wood.

 

[Texasthb]

Thanks for the advise. I'd rather not have to pull the cap. I'll try to work around it and see how that goes. It's to cold to do any glass work but I want to get everything ready to go for when it warms up. Buying all the material to have ready next week. The original owner redid the deck but didn't glass anything in and didn't put the outside stringers in. You can see where the glue is but no stringer is there on either side. So going to have to figure out a stringer diagram if anyone knows where I can get one at. It's an 87 sea ray s-21 260 with the 5.7

 

[Woodonglass]

WOG, I look at leaving the cap on like leaving the motor and drive in. yes you can do it, however for the hour of work, you save yourself days of work-arounds. If it was my boat, the cap would be pulled, hanging from the rafters with ratchet straps

SD, IMHO As long as you can get to all of the areas that need to be addressed and do the work, needing to be done, I see no reason to de-capitate any boat during the restoration. There are Soooo many benefits of NOT doing it. For most I/O boats the cap is not removed but do to the splash well configuration on Outboard boats it is necessary to, at the very least, cut away the splashwell portion of the cap to get to the transom and or remove the entire top cap. It's almost impossible to keep the hulls shape during the restoration process no matter what you do to prevent it from becoming mis-shapen it will happen and I've seen some pretty bad problems occur especially when the person didn't take adequate precautions. I'd always recommend leaving it on whenever possible. But Hey, Everybody KNOWS I'm just an Old Dumb Okie, so any advice from me should always be taken with a grain of Salt!!!!

 

[52FordF2]

Since you have some rambunctious boys, once you remove the area under the front bow. SUPPORT it!!

I have three, and they would walk or jump on things after I tell them not to. Do not let them into the attic, they like to walk in the insulation that's on top of the drywall ceiling.:facepalm::faint2: Even though they are 18, 21, 24 now, they still don't get it until after the fact..

So as they help you, they will walk up and on the bow area. :facepalm: With no support, it will crack.

Good luck

 

[rickryder]

WOW this looks very familiar.....did a cap on resto too! Only thing different I had a solid transom ...that can be a little rough with the cap on....Did you support your hull to prevent hull flex /twist during the renovation process?

 

[rickryder]

Thanks for the advise. I'd rather not have to pull the cap. I'll try to work around it and see how that goes. It's to cold to do any glass work but I want to get everything ready to go for when it warms up. Buying all the material to have ready next week. The original owner redid the deck but didn't glass anything in and didn't put the outside stringers in. You can see where the glue is but no stringer is there on either side. So going to have to figure out a stringer diagram if anyone knows where I can get one at. It's an 87 sea ray s-21 260 with the 5.7

It's fairly easy to fab a stringer....you run a mason string from bow to stern at the bottom height of the deck and above/along the stringer location....mark the line with a sharpie marker every 12"...now measure down at a 90 degree angle to the hull at each mark...record those measurements...transfer those marks to your new plywood stringer material...connect the marks and you will have a template for the stringer... I like to make the stringer about an inch or so taller so if I need to trim or shape it . Once it's fitted you can trim off the excess from the straight edge to get to your deck height.. hope that helps