Rotted stringers 😞

[Dlt98815]

So I bought my first boat... when I bought it I knew there was a soft spot in the floor and thought it was an easy fix but after reading on here learned about stringers and I checked and of course they are bad... so the boat is a 1985 baretta with a mercruser 120 stern drive... the transom doesn't seem all that bad I did the check with a hammer and stood and bounced on it and it seemed to be ok from what I've read.. with the age of the boat I don't really think it is worth putting the money in.. my question is what are the possible things that could happen if i use it for this Season while I save up the money to buy something better? Keep in mind this boat would only be being used at a small state park that has speed limits of 35-40 mph it will never be in a river or ocean.. maybe pulling a small tube or some fishing..

 

[CrazyFinn]

No idea what you paid for the boat, but at this point, it doesn't matter. You already spent the money, and you have the boat. Since you're talking about saving money for a "better" boat, you obviously aren't scared away from owning a boat, and you anticipate having more money to put into a boat.

So... if you like the boat (other than the rot), it's worth fixing. The purchase money is gone - so forget about that for now. The cost of materials to re-build it will be considerably less than the purchase price of a boat that is new enough to be guaranteed to have no rot. As long as you're not afraid of the actual labour involved (and you don't put a $ amount on your own labour), it is worth re-building .

At the end, you will have a boat that you KNOW is solid, dry, and completely free of rot. And you will have the pride of ownership of driving a boat that you re-built yourself.

As to your question about using it as-is... That's up to you, it might survive, it might not. The worst is that it could sink, hopefully not taking anybody down with it - and then you would have no boat to re-build. Or, it might flex and crack, making it more work for you to re-build later. Or, nothing bad would happen - but it's impossible to predict. How bad are the stringers? They could range from wet and waterlogged to complete mush inside.

My transom checked out just fine with all of the exterior tests as you have done, but when I drilled into the inside, the lower outer corners were soggy. At least half of the wood inside was mush... You need drill core samples from the inside of the boat. My guess is that it won't be as solid as you think (or hope).

 

[Dlt98815]

i only have 250 in the boat and trailer.. i might take it out for a day and see how it does the lake that ill be going to i just found out has a no wake speed limit

 

[Woodonglass]

Make sure and wear you PFD. If you hit any rough water there's no telling what might happen

 

[Dlt98815]

Does it make any difference that the stringers aren't "mush"? They are really just wet and a little soft in some places

 

[Baylinerchuck]

My guess is you'll be ok, for now. Most boaters, (myself included), either owned or own boats with rot and were either oblivious, or in denial. Older boats from the 80's and 90's and even ones not cared for properly in the 2000's started to rot below deck. I've been told boats rot from the bottom up, and I believe that. By the time the floor gets soft, the stringers and transom were most likely long gone. So the real question is, now that you know, can you enjoy running it? Will there be that little voice saying "what if"? If you read my thread a little, you'll see I was in a bit of denial. As I dug in the more rot I discovered. Mine was a garage kept boat born in 1990. Now she's getting a complete make over. As far as value, it's in the eye of the beholder. You'll never get out of it what you put into it. It's truly a labor of love for boating!

Chuck.

 

[Dlt98815]

I think what I'm going to do is take it out to the lake and try it see how I like it and decide if it's worth it to me to do the work in the winter I'm not super worried about it because where I'm going I will never be more than 100yrds from the shore

 

[Dlt98815]

Random question... when a lake says "no wake speed limit"
How fast is that?

 

[jbcurt00]

It means whatever speed your boat goes but doesnt make any wake... think idle speed......

Might be about as fast as me walking a regular pace on the dock along your route +/-


A boat w rotten stringers is likely to be heavier then it was originally when it left the factory. Will require more throttle for any given speed then it did before. If its heavier, it'll throw a different wake then it did before. Thats why wake boats have bladders to add weight and generate a better wakeboarding wake.

Knowningly using a boat that is compromised isnt wise, no matter where or how you use it. It breeds false confidence in an unsafe vessel.

Boat safely, wear a PFD

 

[JASinIL2006]

And be sure to warn any passengers before you go out.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Does it make any difference that the stringers aren't "mush"? They are really just wet and a little soft in some places

nope, rotten stringers are rotten stringers

 

[Scott Danforth]

I think what I'm going to do is take it out to the lake and try it see how I like it and decide if it's worth it to me to do the work in the winter I'm not super worried about it because where I'm going I will never be more than 100yrds from the shore

as long as you can swim the 100 yards in freezing cold water with a potential injury.....wear your PFD