ok .. now that the motors are out and prepairing to rerig the Engine room .....found some rot ...need some advice ..
main Stringer that runs from Transom between the motors up to the bulkhead that is between Engine room and Fuel tank. There is a notch cut out of the stringer. About 10" high x12" wide .. Viewing from Starboard side it is lower right corner of the stringer. The notch is where the bilge pump is located. Looking at the notch ...the left side (transome side) has rot from the bilge up to where ther notch ends. In the pic's you can see one area where I can stick a screw driver in all the way.

Now the bulkhead running from Starboard to port ....It sounded hollow so I cut some holes ....rot ....however it seems like 2 pieces of plywood ..the piece closest to the transome is pretty much gone ... but you scrape out the 1/2" or so of rotten wood and the other side seems solid . I know i gota fix it ... and it's got to be done right but wonder if I could cut out the fiberglass on the engine room side and replace the rooten plywood and then reglass ? Trying to aviod removing the Fuel tank .... Thanks ....Mike

Took the Boat to a Fiberglass shop today. They agree with me that the bulkhead can probably be repaired inside the engine room. Seems only one layer of plywood has rot but until the glass is removed it will be hard to tell. The stringer ( from Transome to Bulkhead) has Rot but only in areas in pics (we think). He suggested replacing the whole stringer. Maybe with High Density foam. Sez it will be Stonger,lighter than wood and never Rot. but I have doubts it is really necessary. I have thought about cutting out existing Rot filling with Plywood Then Glass over ...Also could then add Deckplate to both sides of the Stringer and Thru Bolt.

These guys know what they are doing. This 30 footer was totaled and owner bought it back from the insurance Co. They fixed it ...

Sundeck owner came in a little hot to the dock ...

If your motors are out and your having the bulkhead fixed and the stringer has rot... replace it. If you have it fixed now while they are in there cutting it will cost you less then when you have to have it fixed later.

I agree .. but at what point do you replace the whole stringer ? But i get your point ...do it all now and it's done

Replacing the stringer will not take any more time then trying to section something in and wondering about the rest of it. You can probably have that thing cut out and ready to go back together in a day or so.

Jon

Jon ... your right ... Electric Chain saw ?

The shop guys showed me some of the High Density foam yesterday ...wonder if it would be worth trying to use that ? The sheets he showed me were 1" thick . he said it would not have to be as wide or high and even be stronger but it seems to get the Motor mounts back in the same place it would almost have to be the same ...

You can go with the foam if you want. I was going to go the Foam rout but then I thought that re-engineering it was not worth it. What density foam were they talking about? You need a think a 12 pound foam to hold a screw and not compress. What I did on my Hydrostream what to foam in the entire floor then cut out were the foot throttles and gas tank and so on bolted in. Couple extra steps.... I would just go all wood. Make sure that you have glass through were the cut outs are. That is why the rotted out. Formula back then did not glass those areas in. After a few years of water on them you see what happens. Just make the hole a little bigger and you will have no problem pulling glass back around. PS put plasic over EVERYTHING you do not want dust on and I would pull out the entire interior in the cabin. That glass goes all over when the grinding starts and you do not want to bring the ladie down into the stabin cabin and have her get all itchy. You will not know if it is from a VD or the glass

ok guys .. gota see this ..

http://media.putfile.com/rot