drip n wet
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2008
- Messages
- 8
Hi guys. I posted a thread a few days ago about restoring my 23' Raven and got a few replies within a few hours. I have had this boat for about ten years and decided that we needed to replace the soft floor a week ago. Got the floor up and the stringers are rotting. Started in on the stringers and the transom is "wicked" with water. My wife and I are determined to make the boat better than it was when it was new and it's a nasty, time consuming job but we can handle it with some advice. The way I look at this, there are two (maybe three) ways to do this job. I'm not sure what's best so I thought I would post my thoughts on it and see what everyone thinks. Here is what I think.
Senario #1: All the stringers are pretty much rotten and the ones that aren't are wet. The transom is also wet because the didn't get the whole thing glassed when the boat was assembled so any time there was water standing inside the bilge, a 4"X8" piece of transom was soaking in river water. The rest of it seems like it may be shot to so I'm going to replace the whole transom. Anyway, I say cut the stringers at the bottom where they meet the inside of the hull and reconstruct them with new top notch marine grade wood and glass them back in to the hull making sure they are completely sealed. I would replace the transome first of course by cutting the glass on the inside, removing the old wood. Replace the wood and glass it back in again. It's an odd shaped transome so splitting the top and bottom and digging it out doesn't seem like it will work
Senario two: Cut the tops of the stringers and dig out the rotted and/or wet wood, cut what needs to be cut at the rear in order to replace the transom. Then slide new marine grade wood cut to fit into the old glass stringer molds that are still originaly fastened to the bottom of the hull and re-rap in glass to seal and strengthen everything before I put the new floor in. I figure if I where to add reinforcing side stringers that overlap the pieces that I cut and replaced and fasten them with stainless screws, then glass over the new wood for strength and to seal everything, that would probably also work.
I think cutting the old stringers out flush at the floor, then rebuild them with all new materials is best for the long run but will be the most work. I had planned on posting some pics and maybe even making a diagram but to be honest, It's been a long day and I'm ready for a drink right now (it's Friday) but I have been reading a lot of posts and everyone here seems very helpfull and "has a handle" on the more serious boat repairs. I have no idea what would be best and both methods would probably work but I would like to see what everyones thoughts are. Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to any replies. I hope I didn't ramble on too long.
Senario #1: All the stringers are pretty much rotten and the ones that aren't are wet. The transom is also wet because the didn't get the whole thing glassed when the boat was assembled so any time there was water standing inside the bilge, a 4"X8" piece of transom was soaking in river water. The rest of it seems like it may be shot to so I'm going to replace the whole transom. Anyway, I say cut the stringers at the bottom where they meet the inside of the hull and reconstruct them with new top notch marine grade wood and glass them back in to the hull making sure they are completely sealed. I would replace the transome first of course by cutting the glass on the inside, removing the old wood. Replace the wood and glass it back in again. It's an odd shaped transome so splitting the top and bottom and digging it out doesn't seem like it will work
Senario two: Cut the tops of the stringers and dig out the rotted and/or wet wood, cut what needs to be cut at the rear in order to replace the transom. Then slide new marine grade wood cut to fit into the old glass stringer molds that are still originaly fastened to the bottom of the hull and re-rap in glass to seal and strengthen everything before I put the new floor in. I figure if I where to add reinforcing side stringers that overlap the pieces that I cut and replaced and fasten them with stainless screws, then glass over the new wood for strength and to seal everything, that would probably also work.
I think cutting the old stringers out flush at the floor, then rebuild them with all new materials is best for the long run but will be the most work. I had planned on posting some pics and maybe even making a diagram but to be honest, It's been a long day and I'm ready for a drink right now (it's Friday) but I have been reading a lot of posts and everyone here seems very helpfull and "has a handle" on the more serious boat repairs. I have no idea what would be best and both methods would probably work but I would like to see what everyones thoughts are. Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to any replies. I hope I didn't ramble on too long.
