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The Old Boat
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I always took a look at this boat when I had a chance and wondered how it would be for a flats boat. The floors were soft, and the transom was suspect. The hull was in great shape. Evenually, I was given th OK to make the boat my special project. Thanks Dad!
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After changing the trailer tires and babying the boat home, it was washed and backed into her new garage as I pondered the best way to remove the deck and repair the floors.
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The Old Boat at Home
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Making the first cut
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The first hole was drilled inside a hatch area to get an idea of the materials and methods used to constuct the boat. The wood was so saturated that water was actually running down the wall as I cut out the hole. I was treated to another suprise when the drill fell and uncovered the hole you see at the bottom of the hatch area. These first to holes gave me the indication that I was on the right path.
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I made the first cut into the soft spot of the floor to see the damage. I was surprised to see water still in the bilge after drying out for a few weeks. Again, the floor was so saturated that water oozed from the cut while I was drilling!
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Second Cut
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Motor Off
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The outboard was taken off and placed on a motor stand. I used scrap lumber to make a variation of a stand I saw on this site.
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This is the first good look at the transom. From this angle, it looks like the entire top area is rotted. My plan at this point is to pull out and replace the floor, and save the transom for later.
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Transom Issues
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Another view of the transom
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Here are pieces of the transom the fell onto the floor when I removed the outboard.
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Factory Bench
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Front Bench Removed
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I have removed the front bench thatwas here. You can still see the wood that creates the front hatch. I am planning on extending the front deck to the edge of the bench area, and reframing the front hatch area.
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I used a sawsall to remove the deck and expose the stringers. All of the core material was rotted. Parts of the stringer ad rotted away. Almost a foot of the stringer was completely missing from one end. I used a wood chisel to remove the stringer from the channel in the hull. This is a picture of the stringer showing some of the missing areas.
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Stringer View
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Another View of the Stringer Removed
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In this view, you can see that all of the old stringer has been removed from the channel. The replacement stringer is laying next to the channel for a rough measurement.
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The stringer has been set in a mixture of milled fiber and epoxy, with fillets along the edges. I used a piece of 2x4 to brace the stringer, and set weights on the stringer while it cured.
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New Stringer Set
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Stringer Glassed In
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The stringer has been glassed in with 7 oz cloth and epoxy resin. I had a hard time getting the cloth to stay on the upper edges of the stringer. When the first coat of resin had cured, I grounded out all of the small areas that did not bond and refilled the area with a putty mixture of resin and milled fiber, hence the color variations on the stringer.
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I am using marine grade plywood for the floors. have glassed the top of the floor with two layers of 7 oz cloth and epoxy resin. After the top side cured, I coated the underside with resin. I thought it would be easier to glass in the floor sections outside of the boat. Because I glassed the floor in sections, I had to fill in the gaps/seams with epoxy putty and fair it out.
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Prepping the floor
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Bow Floor
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This is the floor of the bow. It will also serve as the bottom of the front hatch. I did not glass this piece, but I did coat it with two coats of epoxy. I also added a white tint to all of the epoxy used on the floor sections.
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Old Repair
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Time to get a closer look at the transom
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another view of the transom
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Old wood removed from transom
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