After just purchasing my boat I discovered a small problem with the suction side on one fuel tank. Upon removing the deck lids, I found full on rot of the stringers and bulkheads. My question is, how hard is it to remove the topsides of this boat to accomadate the repair and is the topside and the floor come out as 1 peice. Or should I try to do the repair by cutting out some of the floor and them rebond it back in after? I have access to overhead cranes and all the equipment I may need to lift off the top of the boat.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
trophy pro 25 stringer problems
- Thread starter Wayne
- Start date
blackgrady
Well-Known Member
if its just in the fuel tank area, is there any chance it can be cut out out, pieced and sistered then reglassed? sounds like the fuel covers werent sealed good or possibly one of the drains was leaking in the fishboxes and in turn ran into that compartment. post some pictures and let some of the experts on here take a gander.
cheers,
steve
trophy pro
cheers,
steve
trophy pro
Yes ,the hatches were not sealed well but at this point the stringers and the 4 crossing bulkheads are completely satuarted , delaminated and rotten. They all must be replaced. I have talked to several repair shops and have gotten largley ranging quotes. I hope to remove the topside and floor tub myself to save that labor cost. My question is, what is the procedure in steps from removing the rub rail and attaching screws right through to where the floor tub is attached etc.
seabob4
Well-Known Member
Wayne,
Undecking a boat is not an easy task, even with the right equipment AND experience. The easiest part is removing the rubrail and separating the bond between the hull and deck joint. Driving a small pry bar in between the hull and deck will separate the 5200.
The problem lies in the bonding surfaces that you can't get to. When a new boat is in the decking (some call it capping) process, polyester adhesive "bonding" putty is applied on top of the stringers and b/heads, enough so that when the deck is lowered there is quite a bit of squeeze-out, hence a fairly large bonding area. Now if the stringer/deck surfaces were sanded (prepped) properly, that putty will have a death grip on the surfaces it is adhered to. Virtually impossible to separate without serious mechanical means. Usually when we have a hull replacement warranty boat, and we want to save the deck, we will cut very large holes in the hullsides to allow us access to the inboard stringers to first cut through the putty as best as possible with a sawsall (bunch of blades!), then put some upward pressure on the deck with the hoist and get the 6' prybar and 20 lb. sledge out to finish the job...and you do this the length of the boat!
I think you would be better of trying to cut out the portion of the sole where the repair is, then glass it back in...
Undecking a boat is not an easy task, even with the right equipment AND experience. The easiest part is removing the rubrail and separating the bond between the hull and deck joint. Driving a small pry bar in between the hull and deck will separate the 5200.
The problem lies in the bonding surfaces that you can't get to. When a new boat is in the decking (some call it capping) process, polyester adhesive "bonding" putty is applied on top of the stringers and b/heads, enough so that when the deck is lowered there is quite a bit of squeeze-out, hence a fairly large bonding area. Now if the stringer/deck surfaces were sanded (prepped) properly, that putty will have a death grip on the surfaces it is adhered to. Virtually impossible to separate without serious mechanical means. Usually when we have a hull replacement warranty boat, and we want to save the deck, we will cut very large holes in the hullsides to allow us access to the inboard stringers to first cut through the putty as best as possible with a sawsall (bunch of blades!), then put some upward pressure on the deck with the hoist and get the 6' prybar and 20 lb. sledge out to finish the job...and you do this the length of the boat!
I think you would be better of trying to cut out the portion of the sole where the repair is, then glass it back in...
Thank you for your reply Seabob4. I understand what your saying and as a rule I would asume all boats would have construction as you describe. It seems that my model Grady is slightly different. The 2 longitudinal stringers(1 inch ply) seem to only have had a rudimentary one layer glass job to the transom and hull and have no seal at the top.At least none that is left. As far as I can tell, the topside will lift off after the rub rail and screws are removed and then I will to have investigate further to see what holds the deck tub down to the hull. I can allready see that at the transom it appears to be 4 large bolts and a couple of screws holding the tub but there must be more fasteners forward underneath the topside.
Further to the stringer part of this discussion. The size and quality of attachment suggests to me that they are more seperation bulkheads as apposed to physical hull strength. Anybody have any comments on that?
Further to the stringer part of this discussion. The size and quality of attachment suggests to me that they are more seperation bulkheads as apposed to physical hull strength. Anybody have any comments on that?
richie rich
Well-Known Member
Wayne, that 25 footer will have more than one pair of stringers.....you have the 2 to 3 inch wide stringers/supports just under the tanks themselves, then the 1st set of 3/4 ply and glass stringers that make up the fuel tank compartment that run front to back and tied into your 3 bulkheads, then another set of 3/4 ply and glass front to back midway between set 1 and the gunwale under the sole. You can get at the first set after removing the tanks as well as the bulkheads....but the 2nd set under the sole is a major PITA unless you cut and remove the sole......GW glassed the plywood stringers to the hull then layed a thick layer of matt and resin on top as a space filler and dropped the sole on top to bond it all together......you will not pry that up.....it must be sawzalled......its a tough job