Stringer question 23' InBoard Potter built

GetReel · #1 03-03-2006, 10:51 PM

Pulled my deck up and removed gas tanks to re-coat with airplane epoxy and was poking around. I noticed that the aft weep holes near the hull joint in the 2 main stringers on the outboard side of the tanks seems mushy, but limited to the interior core of the weep hole...the glass is in great shape, I know there are many threads on this but,

can anyone verify the construction of the stringers and transom circa 1975, glassed in fir, plywood?

any chance of any other material?

I'm thinkin that I'll core drill the area out and see if it gets dryer, then seal with resin.

thanks.

thedink9 · #2 03-04-2006, 11:21 AM

Unless the Inboards stringer system was constructed differently, the mushy stuff you were touching was most likely polyurethane closed cell foam. It comes in various densities and in two parts. You mix equal amounts of the two parts together and pour it into a hole at the top of the stringer.

A few questions: Was the foam wet? If so you may want to add an additional hole of two and try drying with a fan. I did and it took a few weeks to dry out. I also had a number of voids where the foam should of been. I added foam in those places and now have solid stringers. You can test for voids by taping with a rubber hammer. Hope this helps. Rich

GetReel · #3 03-04-2006, 04:41 PM

Thanks for that info, I thought it felt like old foam, seemed mushy. Not sure what value it has. I'll try and dry it out.

Finster · #4 03-04-2006, 05:13 PM

Hey Jeff, that's pretty standard issue. Try and get the bow up high and maybe add an additional hole on each side and let it sit and drip.
I have my doubts you can ever get them thoroughly dried. The closest I've ever come was to drill hole's threw the bottom of the boat into the stringers and let it drain from there. Still it never got 100% dry.

It's debatable how much water actually accumulates in the stringers. My feeling is it's not as much as you might think.