Rebuilding Stringers and Floor

During the previous phases of work, we pulled out most of the stringers and floor (or ribs). One entire stringer was free of any rot, while another stringer only had portions of rotten wood. All the rest were cut out and disposed of. Of course careful measurements were taken before they were cut out. In this phase you can see the boat taking shape again.

First we cut the wood and did a dry fit. During this step we had to make some adjustments to ensure it would all fit together before we started glassing them in place.

Before glassing the floor in, we had to replace the rotten board that was on the topside of the keel. In the photo below on the right, you may notice a pink piece at the front the board. That is a piece of pink insulation foam we shaped to match the contour of the bow. It was very easy to work with and filled in the gap that was previously left there which held water. Now that the foam has been glassed in place, there is no way for water to accumulate there. In the same photo you can see a few words of wisdom we engraved in the wood before fiberglassing. Just having a lot of fun with this project.

Next we begin the process of glassing the pieces to to the hull and reinforcing the joints.

Then we capped the top of the boards with fiberglass and coated the entire board with epoxy resin.

Here you can see a photo of the results.

We then cut a hole in the bottom of the stringers at specific locations to allow water to drain down into the center of the boat and where it could then drain out of the drain hole. When we were taking out the old foam, we noticed water accumulated in each compartment and was not able to drain out. It's a bit difficult to see but if you look in the bottom aft portion of the stringers here you can see the hole that is 1" in diameter. We glassed this with small strips of fiberglass and coated it with resin to prevent water from penetrating into the wood.

Ok, now the stringers and floor are complete.

Next step is to put the foam in and screw the sole to the framework we just finished.