That was me that posted and I am not going to lie I am a bit scared right now! I am going to start ripping foam this evening!

Just catching up on this thread . . . nice work and a great thread.

That PL adhesive stuff is a lot more trouble than it is worth . . . takes a long time to cure, and even then it is uncertain if it will hold up to the resin chemicals. Similar horror stories on the iBoats restoration forum.

I had some bulkhead and stringer rot going on with my 1991 242, but I caught it in the earlier stages. I did replace the fuel tank as it had some deep pitting at the butt end of the tank. The foam below the tank was fairly well saturated.

I'm not sure if you have the boat back together at this point, but I wanted to share a couple of thoughts.

I noticed that you did not fill the stringer boxes with expanding foam (???) The foam that was there was both structural and flotation (at least it is supposed to be, but from your demolition photos, it looks like they did not use enough foam). So, if you do not have the deck installed yet, you might want to consider drilling a few access holes and pouring in the expanding foam (4 lb/cu ft).

The fuel tanks were (and still are) foamed in for structural support of the tank as well as strength of the boat. I know lots of folks do not foam their tanks in upon rebuild, due to the water retention issue. But that requires a significant amount of other support for the tank. On a 'lake' boat, not as big a deal as a boat that sees more ocean or large wave conditions.

I foamed in my replacement tank, and consulted with the Formula boats tech support group in the process. They recommended foaming the tank in for maximum strength and support of the tank. But, they also told me that I could add a drain hole (with a plug) in the fuel bay bulkhead as a means of preventing water buildup at the base of the fuel bay. So, you may want to consider those factors.

Anyway, good work, I am sure that the boat will last a good 20+ years once it is all back together.

Just read through this rebuild you are doing an awesome job! It was good for me to know where all the stringers were in the boat so I can check for that before I dump 10-15grand into a formula. Would like to see the finishing touches!

Billy, I see you have a Mirage 232 now. What did you ever do with the twin 242?

Hey befu!
Sorry been its been awhile, had an unexpected job change that ended with me relocating to Arizona. The Formula couldn't make the trip with me so I ended up selling it dirt cheap to a guy in Ohio looking for a project.

After I settled in, I eventually bought the Mirage from a friend who had already replaced the transom and stringers, so all the hard stuff was done. Over the winter I had it painted, rigged it, and she now sits in my new Marina on Lake Pleasant.

I do wish I could have finished the Formula. Was a super fun project that I would have liked to seen through, but sometimes life happens.

Billy

Damn it man. I read the whole thread, learning alot the whole way....just to have an anti-climatic end. What a bust of an ending. lol.