Can somebody please tell me what Encapsulated Stringers means. I am currently looking for a Fountain Lightning to purchase and I come across this term quite often. How do you encapsulate stringers? Hopefully this doesn't mean covering up rotten wood!

In super simple terms, it means that the wood (or other material) stringer is covered in fiberglass. Sounds like a no brainer for moisture abatement, BUT, if the ends of the stringer and any holes cut into them aren't sealed, then problems occur.

Moisture readings by a pro or drilling into the stringer are the only way to truly know what's going on in there.

Right, so aren't all stringers technically encapsulated. I have never seen a bare wood stringer!

Some have just bare wood, paint, resin, or epoxy. Fiberglass is the most labor intensive.

I have seen that on cruisers a lot.

I believe that Fountain switched to foam encapsulated stringers in 2005. Perhaps someone can confirm if this is true and if all models were affected.

Reggie Jr. stated on this forum that they started composite stringers in 2005 like you said.