another Formula with a rotten stringer
 

Hi Guys

A sad day for me, I discovered today tha my stringer is
pretty rotten.

How did I find out?
Well I had a leak so I took tha boat out of the water for innspection. I saw that the trim plan was loose,
so was the left transport hook, the one under the silent thunder platform, there are two one on each side of the stern, just under the waterline when the boat are lying still.
I am more or less sure that the leak come from there. I took out the screws and discoverd the poor condition of the wood inside the stringer. Wet and not very solid, more like rotten.

I need to replace and fix this from ground, but i would like to do this next winter. I would like to know how I could "fix it "
or "secure" it for this summer, and go to do the heavy work when the season is over.
There are no wisable craks or damage out or inside of the stern.
Noe crakcs or leaks around the drive.

So what do I do?

Leave it untill winterstorage?

Or is there a temperary way of fixing it?

The boat is a 1988 242 SS appart from stringer/stern seems
to be in nice condition. The engine is a 1997 454 330 hp in good condition.

So please give some tip how to deal with this situation

Unfortunately, there's no quick and easy cure for rotten support structures. There are products on the market to kind of stop rot propagation like Git Rot. However, these are not structural repairs. Bad stringers can lead to even more damage to the hull if left unattended - or worse - you could go swimming when you least expect it.

My opinion is the one you don't want to hear, fix it now and be glad you found it before you and your crew have a bad day.

You mean the transom right.
If the transom is that bad you DON'T want to use the boat.
If you do make sure you wear a life jacket.

You're right, Monaco was describing transom problems but saying "stringer". If the damage is limited to the bottom corner of the transom and that can be verified, I'd say it wouldn't be too hazardous to run it. However, with nothing but goo to screw into, the tabs won't stay put for long.

I'd still fix it now. I couldn't enjoy cruising knowing my boat was compromised by rot. I don't care if it's July 4th, if I found rot, I'd fix it then and there.

Yes I mean the transom, or stern.

Thanks for the input

Rotten Stringers on Formulas
 

I bought a 1988 272 with rotten stringers and transom back 10 years ago. Big mistake but the surveyor missed it.The whole transom and stringers under engines needed to be rebuilt and was a big ticket item but there is no easy way to fix .I know another Formula owner who had a 357 with problems also.Improper work on the transom or trim tabs could cause this especially if the boat is left in water for extended time.

Seems like lots of those 80s Formulas are full of rot.

If you REALLY want to run it this summer then I would hire a good surveyor to take a look at the boat and give you his best idea on the extent of the damage. It could be restricted to a small area or it could be all over the place. If it is just the area then pull off the tabs and enjoy for the reast of the season. I would pull the tabs just to make sure that they do not rip off.