Fountain Stringers
 

Seen a lot of rotten Fountain stringers photos,since i have a used Fountain myself i am not happy about this.
Is it because of bad maintenance ,sinking or whatever?
Or construction?
Any production years to be aware of?

Its any old boat. Fountain, Formula, Cigarette, Scarab, etc. Some boats more prone than others. I have a 1990 38, and only place I found any wood rot was the cockpit seat plywood seat backing. Ive drilled into my transom and bilge stringers for mounting things in the last year or two, and good fresh sawdust came out.

Rot
 

Yes, problems with old boats .But it is a sad sight.Especially on Facebook.I checked my stringers and they are ok.Fountain 47 LT,1997.
Guess this is the natural start point,to check rot when you update or buy.
Happy for your boat and it is fun to keep them alive!

Any boat with wood in it has the potential for rot. Thats one of the reasons we went to composite materials.

I can understand old boats having rot problems, but not a newer boat that was maintained by one of the most meticulous owners I've ever met, indoor stored during winter, lift stored under a roof all summer. Help explain that one...

All newer boats have composite material that doesnt rot.

What years have composites? 07 and up? Just wondering

What some people don't realize is that fresh water rots wood,saltwater does not.Most boats that have rot in the transom stringers comes from rain water or washing the bilge or boat.Can also be from fresh water lakes if boat takes on water or has a small leak around the gimble ect.It wicks in thru holes in the fiberglass usually thru holes were screws used to be and the holes were never filled.But also thu screw and bolt holes that are in those area's that are not sealed also around the big transom cut out.Water gets into the wood never dries and thus ROT.How many people you see have super clean bildge's but are always cleaning them with a garden hose. Think about it.If you don't have rot now make sure all the exposed holes ect are sealed.Lot's of scupper holes in the stringers ect are put on after the glass work is done but never sealed.Just my 2 cents JOHN SR

My motors are out and i will check all stringers again for old screw holes etc and seal them if needed.Have a friend who bought a 99 42 LT and all the stringers are rotten from beak to transom.Composit stringers are the answer?From what year have Fountain composit stringers?

Gelcoat cracks around the stringers and water/moisture seeps in. Then the pain begins.

i think the reason that you see so many fountains w/rot is because they made so many of them compared to other boats.alot has to do w/how they are taken careof.my 10meter had serious rot in the cabin.three bulk heads,all of the stringers and a floor later.this was caused by a leaking hatch.the rest of the boat is sound.

I have owned three Fountains age 91, 93, and 97. Never had any rot

I would also like to know when composites started.

It's a secret......

My '05 Donzi is all composites.

Lol

I didn't mean like that ,,,,,, on fountains when did they stop using wood.

My 92 is all apart right now and has leaked as long as I have had it 11 years and Its solid as a rock. I have seen plenty of boats with rot . Alot of were cigs. I think its a luck of the draw.

Be sure to check around the 2 drain holes in the transom along the rear outsides that drain the side swim platform cavities. Those are just drilled and not sealed. Especially with the 32's and alike that are known to leak along the rear rub rail.

Thanks for replies and advices.
It is kind of sad what economy we have now.Old boats will be fewer and hardly no newbuilds.Number of ads is less.Gas price high and everything shall be green and environmental correct.We work and suffer for this boats and keep them nice.Always a new idea and some maintenance.Wish Reggie and RF
could do a comeback on new builds and make some show and new designs and kill some cats

I've had 4, 95,2000,97,97 never a problem.
FOUNTAIN's boats that others wish they had and were..... Just sayin'

If you search FOUNTAIN ROT,you will get a lot of replies here.And it seems to me that composit stringers are a secret,what year it was implemented.And what happens with composit stringers if they are not sealed properly?

First of 05 is when the composite stringers were used. Composite stringers will not rot.

Thank you, Reggie Jr. Can they absorb water or do they have any drawbacks?

They will not rot & are extremely strong.

Did you stay with wood transoms?

I heard you use COOSA but specifically what line or series do you use?

Ok,thanks.So you have a lot of advantages:waterabsorption,stiffer,easier to use,weight etc.

Question:When i bought my boat it has outward prop rotation.This is rare.It had triple 502 MPI `s.
Should i change it to inward?
Now it has new supercharged 700 hp motors and new drives with shorties and 1:36.It is a 47 LT.

saw an 06 45 plus feet with a totally rotten transom last year. boat was stored hi and dry when not in use in texas and florida... I could not believe such a ''recent'' boat could be in such a bad condition...

go figure why or how this can happen so fast... and no, was not a flooded boat.

I see this problem a lot on every different type of boat "water intrusion" thru the mechanical fasteners...One of the main problems is the bedding compound is only good for about 5 years and most manufactures are using silicon or a marine grade silicone and are doing a poor job bedding the hardware...The other problem is the holes for the mechanical fasteners are not de cored and repacked with a vinyl ester or epoxy filler,,,if they were then the water would have a more difficult time penetrating the core or wood in between the laminate...Using a polyurethane sealant like 3m's 4000 uv or 4200 or even 5200 ( wouldn't recommend the 5200 bcs of the higher tensile strength ) or equivalent will buy you a bit more time and it will also adhere better to the different substrates better then the silicone products...I inform every single one of my new customers about what happens with their boats hardware and the bedding compound underneath of it and what needs to be done if they want to save their investment ,most have no idea about it...

Make sence.
Thanks for advice!

Ok, there's a reason why my screen name includes the word Rookie. Lol...

What's the best way to check for stringer rot in a Fountain and most important places to look except the obvious stringers in the engine compartment? Now I have to go look. Nope, didn't do it before I purchased the old girl. Had no clue.

Lets see how much work I'm about to have! Might be the excuse I need for a full re-rig now that the trailer just got fully rebuilt :D

you can only have rot if you look for it. Don't poke the bear. :)

Lol... probably great advice that I'm too stupid to take :D

So is everyone too afraid for me and what I might find to tell me how and where to look for rot?
It's ok, I'm already bracing myself. You won't spoil my week, I know I didn't buy a $100k boat and knew I'd always be working on it.

Next question will probably be "How do I fix it?" Haaa!!

Maybe I should start a new thread? I didn't think this was a hi-jack and was relevant, but maybe I'm wrong and being rude.

What i have seen is rot in transom and longitudestringers.You can drill some small holes in the stringers and see if they are wet.Hope you will not find any rot.Good luck

why not do an ultra sound or humidity test, isn't that what boat surveyors do, and dealers do it too.