Rotten bulkhead HELP!
 

SOOO.... I was excitedly installing our new Stainless Marine exhaust systems in our 1995 Fountain 32 Fever which is not a fun job as far as access goes. As you can imagine I was all wadded up down in the bilge my body painfully contorted in different spots etc. when all of a sudden I hear a "cracking" sound by my foot! I extracted my body from it's current position and low and behold I found my foot had went through the damn bulkhead! (FRONT or bow side of engine bay not transom)

Yes I did REPEATEDLY scream the F word among other things then almost started crying...

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Obviously this will need repairs! To make matters worse upon further inspection, the main center stringer from the bulkhead back I can push on the sides and it is soft (meaning I can see it move) near all the way back to where the engines mount. UGH!!! This boat was in great condition, always garage kept and maintained when we bought it this last July. I would have never guessed this to be an issue with how the previous owner treated it (or so claimed) and all I have read about how Fountain boats are heartily constructed. I guess my ignorance has bitten me in the ass on this one so please save me the "should have gotten a survey blah, blah, blah" comments. I did not know a thing about boats when I bought it and didn't even know there were such a thing as surveys for boats so I guess this is what I get for being excited COMPLETLY RETARDED and jumping headfirst into performance boating without all the knowledge I obviously needed.... ANYWAYS...

My question is, what is behind this bulkhead where my foot went through (besides stupid rotten wood)!? Has anyone else had this issue? Is there anything back there that is most likely and guaranteed to be rotten and needing replaced as well? Should I cut my losses and get out of this thing and just sell it? I am not familiar with what is behind or have seen how it is constructed behind this bulkhead so I have NO idea what this repair entails. What will I be looking at as far as replacement costs with my rotten center stringer and this rotten bulkhead? HELP and thanks in advance! LOL! :(

I hate to say it but If the center stringer is soft it's sure to have spread to other places. I went thru the same thing on my scarab. Found a few soft spots, ended up with a full transom and stringer replacement.

I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear right now, but the boat will need to be de-rigged, all the rot ground out and all new wood/glass installed where the rot is found.

Hopefully, it's not too bad and can be repaired.

My experience tells me if your main stringer and bulkhead are rotten, your transom is probably the first one that had rot, then after the other. Might not, but chances are good...

Sell it right now for close to 10 k less, or jump in, have it fixed for... 5 k maybe, and keep it!

How s the transom? Did you check it?

The center stringer is solid near the transom so hopefully the transom is ok... lol

Yes I figured the engines need to come out at least for the center stringer. I think I may tackle removal of the engines myself and take it somewhere for the stringer and bulkhead replacement however.

I pulled one of the exhaust tips (since the exhaust is out already) and it looks ok where it goes through the transom. Since this is a 32 Fountain and they sit low in the back I figured they would be for sure be a great point of entry for water but to my surprise it was dry and in great shape. Obviously this is at the top of the transom and there could be things below rotten... I may need to pull a drive to check to make sure. Can I check from the inside of the transom somehow to see without doing that?

Typically transoms are glassed fully, and then the stringers and bulkheads are put in. Meaning there is no glass to separate the wood from the bulkhead and stringer, but there is at the transom. It's a lot of work but not the end of the world. I've fixed it on formulas, donzi's, cigarettes, etc. later fountains were not built for longevity. Seems like they were done good enough to get them out the door.

Well that's encouraging to know the transom may be ok if it was built like you say. Do you have any idea what is behind the bulkhead that may be rotten also?

Your gas tank is on the other side. Remove the fuel sender access cover inside the rear seat storage and see if you can gather any more info.

Hmmmmmmm
I can tell you about this. Send me a email at [email protected].

As for the bulkhead mine was only rotted a little close to where yours is,,,,, that was the good news. If you keep it you will have to Derig it. You will find more, take a mallet and tap around on the transom from the drive side, mine didn't have glass between the transom and stringers,,,,, go figure.