smugglers blues

I recently purchased a 1984 scarab III. My first issue is that the upper part of the cabin hatch is missing, therefore I have no "template" for any plastic shop to make a new one. My second issue is that I found some termites in the stringers where someone has drilled into them. Should I be concerned about strength or is all the strength actually in the fiberglass? I would appreciate any help I can get.

Trevor

Scarab3DMC

I have one you can use as a templet...where are you located?.... TERMITES !!!!!!!!......BETTER CHECK THAT OUT !!

fund razor

The hatch is the least of your problems bro.

You should absolutely be concerned about termites eating the stringers. In fact... you quite possibly need a full or partial stringer job. Termites eat the wood and leave a clump of poo in it's place. You might literally have fiberglass enclosed termite poo for stringers.

I would have a competent marine mechanic/surveyor check those stringers for density and water content, and begin to figure out how extensive the damage is.

The strength is mostly in the wood. The fiberglass is to protect the wood from water intrusion and rot. It adds strength but that strength is meaningless if the wood that was originally glassed over is in effect, hollow.

Hopefully the damage is limited to a small area. A stringer can be partially replaced, although I haven't done it.

fund razor

Most termites and guys named Trevor live in the south.

I have 50 bucks on Texas.

fund razor

One more thing.

Call an exterminator asap.

See what they can do short of chemical injection... because the normal method for killing termites is a liquid injection.

(Not what we want for our stringers....)

MitchStellin

On the bugs, it is still out whether the glass is the strength or not. My buddy repairs boats and had 6 military boats, all ran and all were beat on every day, he found that the wood inside the stringer was dust but there was no sign of stress to the glass. Now adays they use foam but also use more glass to give strength. A clasic sign is spider webbing at the helm, windscreen or companion way. Also hull sides can form these if the boat is flexing beyond it's limits. I know this because I spent a year rebuilding a Donzi that was full of these cracks. Maybe a filler or epoxy can be injected back in to shore it up. In any case you better drill holes until you run out of bugs.

fund razor

Forgot about epoxy injection... that could work.

My guess is that the mil spec boats were pretty stout compared to an 84 scarab?

MitchStellin

Yea, they were heavy as stone but it was a surprise to say the least. Those old Scarabs were pretty stout too. I cannot figure how a termite could get in there and find this small hole but I live in MI and we kill all the bugs from Oct to March. I replaced all the stringers and bulkheads in the Donzi, it was a horrible job and next time I would split the deck to make it easier. The floor was soaked with oil from the bilge, the only thing still solid was the transom. This is what you get for storing a boat for years outside with a cheap torn cover, leaving the plug in with the bow down on the outside cradle. The water went up one foot from the floor as seen by the carpet stains. I sued the dealer, bankrupted them and then he died so in the end I won. Not really, I still have fiberglass in my skin from 5 years ago.

fund razor

Yuck.

I remember that Audiofn had a great thread about the process with his Formula. What a job.

I am guessing that this boat is pretty far south to have termites with that kind of enthusiasm.

gotime34

Did a complete Transom and Stringer Replacement on a 36' Cat this winter...Itch every day...every fuking day. They said about 30 hours...Yeah, Times Four.