Keep it simple. Rebuilding a 20 into a no frills fishing/work boat.

[Basketcase]

Slow and steady wins the race but there is progress! I only have a few hours a week to work on it with work and school but I finally have all 4 stringers done. to fill the gaps between the extensions and existing stringers and the hull I build some dams with plywood and poured in some foam. Once it was cured I shaped it by hand until it was what I needed. Then I glassed over it and the tops of my stringer extensions and there it is!

I did have an issue with some of the glass I was using. I thought it was me but I blame the glass. The 6 and 12 inch width 1708 I got from US composites has some spots that NEVER turn clear. They stay white no matter what. I thought I wasnt getting a good enough wet out but that is impossible. The larger roll of 1708 that I used for other parts does not do this and gives me a perfect looking lamination. Visual inspection shows the two cloths are a bit different. It seems like the stitching on the small widths is what is not "wetting" properly. I still say its a good lamination but it just doesnt look as nice as the regular cloth. Has anyone experienced this?

[Basketcase]

I also got the scupper holes filled in. I have 5 layers inside and 5 outside in the form of progressively larger circles. This was the good cloth and wet out perfectly. Thanks to fishstretcher for the extra gallon of vinyl. I would have been slightly short if you didnt have that!

[Basketcase]

next on the list is the center stringer. One of the first things I did to this boat was run a piece of 6" 1708 down the middle after getting out the old center stringer. This is a very poor lamination, it was hot out and the resin kicked fast. Plus it was polyester. I think I'm going to grind out the piece I put in and re-do it. The reason for it was because there was a leak somewhere in the center. There is an old repair to deal with that was poorly done from underneath. I knew it was leaking because water was dripping out when the hull had some rainwater in it when I first got it. I think I'll put in an 8" piece of the 2408 I have down after I grind out that polyester crap. Then bed the piece of wood in vinyl/milled fibers and put 2 layers of glass over the wood. Does that sound like a good plan?

[thehermit]

If there is a crack....get more than one layer over it. Now is the time. Your wide open and clean. I would build out 4 layers over the damage. Then re-skin the center if you want.

There are some real glassin experts on here. I hope they chime in.

[Basketcase]

I don't know if there is a crack. Its not obvious. In the front area it looks like erosion from repeated beaching but water was dripping slowly about 3 feet from the transom right at the keel. There is a piece of 2 inch really light cloth tape covering an area about 3 feet long. Your probably right in that I should add more. I do plan on adding 2 layers from the outside all the way front to back using epoxy. Would 2 layers inside and 2 outside be good? I've read some of the threads about cracks in this spot. I actually just almost bought a 2002 angler 20 footer with a crack in the keel for $1500 knowing I could fix it but I just don't have the space or time for it.

[seacraftks]

Good luck

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by Basketcase

I don't know if there is a crack. Its not obvious. In the front area it looks like erosion from repeated beaching but water was dripping slowly about 3 feet from the transom right at the keel...

I think you should investigate the leak and make sure you know what you're dealing with. If it's a screw hole that didn't get patched correctly, that's one thing. If it's a crack that goes entirely through the keel, that's a whole different animal. If it's a through-crack, you want to grind most of the way through the laminate and then build it back to the original thickness. If it's a crack, you'll probably be able to see it as a dark line once you grind through the surface of the laminate.

thehermit is right. Now's the time to do it. Make sure you know what you've got, and don't put a bandaid on it that you'll regret later.
Dave

[thehermit]

Originally Posted by Basketcase

I don't know if there is a crack. Its not obvious. In the front area it looks like erosion from repeated beaching but water was dripping slowly about 3 feet from the transom right at the keel. There is a piece of 2 inch really light cloth tape covering an area about 3 feet long. Your probably right in that I should add more. I do plan on adding 2 layers from the outside all the way front to back using epoxy. Would 2 layers inside and 2 outside be good? I've read some of the threads about cracks in this spot. I actually just almost bought a 2002 angler 20 footer with a crack in the keel for $1500 knowing I could fix it but I just don't have the space or time for it.

Take a load off your weary feet. Lay on your back and grind out the weepy spot on your keel . Grind off bottom paint and gel coat to see if you have glass damage in that spot.

[Basketcase]

That sounds like good advice. I had planned to grind the whole keel anyway and lay some glass on it so perhaps I should do it before I attack the inside. I did already grind the inside before I laid that piece of glass and did not notice anything major but perhaps the underside will tell more. I have to grind off that old repair anyway. I will do so and report back with pictures. Any damage to the keel will get repaired with epoxy for a worry free repair. Im using vinyl ester everywhere else but I think the keel is worthy of the strongest materials possible. Even though this boat will never see seas over a foot while in my care. Lol.

[martin]

Put a teak steering pod on the back and it will free up a lot of space..that would make a nice console. I built my own console from scratch. Good luck and keeps the pics coming