Stringers on a 1976 23 SeaCraft

[Scott]

Does anyone have pictures of the hull with the deck removed/stringers in a 1976 (or there about) 23 SeaCraft. Ken/Fellow-Ship did you take any pictures of your hull when the deck was removed?? Would like to see where they are, the stringers, and if any space is available under the deck. What is the construction of these stringers....I think its foam wrapped in glass..

Any info /pictures would be appreciated.

Thanks, Scott

[FELLOW-SHIP]

HA SCOTT
I DO HAVE SOME PICTURES THAT I WILL E-MAIL IN A FEW DAYS. I WAS GOING TO DROP OFF SOME FILM TO GET DEVELOPED AND PUT ON DISK THIS WEEKEND BUT GOT SIDE TRACKED AND ONLY WORKED ON THE BOAT SATURDAY.
AS FOR THE STRINGERS THEY ARE FIBERGLASS FOAM FILLED. PRETTY THICK GLASS AND THERE ABOUT 4” WIDE THE HEIGHT VARIES DEPENDING ON WHERE IN THE BOAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT DUE TO THE VARIABLE DEAD RISE. THEY MAKE A TURN ABOUT 3 ‘ FROM THE
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STERN THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS_____|

I REMOVED THE TOP LAYER OF THE DECK FIBERGLASS AND THE INNER LAMINATION OF CORK BUT I LEFT THE BOTTOM LAYER OF GLASS ALONE EXCEPT FOR ADDING ANOTHER LAYER OF GLASS AND EPOXY TO IT TO BEEF IT UP A LITTLE THEN I PUT ½ “ MARINE PLY AND TWO LAYERS OF GLASS OVER THE TOP THEN FAIRING COMPOUND. I DID NOT GO THROUGH THE DECK FROM THE STRINGERS OUTWARD ALL THOUGH IN WORD WHERE THE GAS TANK SITS I WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BARE HULL AND CENTER STRINGER. I DID DRILL SOME HOLES IN THE STRINGER TO CHECK FOR WATER LOGGED FOAM AND HAPPY TO SAY I DIDN’T FIND ANY.
IF YOU ARE THINKING OF ADDING SOME UNDER THE DECK COMPARTMENTS IT WOULD BE (IN MY OPINION) A LOT OF WORK FOR A LITTLE COMPARTMENT DUE TO THE VARIABLE DEAD RISE OF THE HULL ITSELF. YOU ALSO HAVE THE WIRING HARNESS THAT OCCUPY SOME OF THAT SPACE.
HOPE THAT HELPS YA FOR NOW.
FELLOW-SHIP

[FELLOW-SHIP]

WELL THE DIAGRAM DID LOOK GOOD UNTIL IT WAS POSTED.
FELLOW-SHIP

[Scott]

Thanks FELLOW-SHIP
Cant wait to see the pictures. Good point about the room thats available on the outboard side of the stringers ... and the fact that those two wire races are there would complicate things...Its great that you were dry in the stringers.... I have a feeling that I'm not....Where and how many holes did you use to assess that situation??

Nows the time for me to do that as I have just pulled out the old gas tank..I need to glass in a new platform for the new tank .... So I guess I'll put a few holes in the stringer [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Dont worry about the diagram I know what you mean Thats back where the batteries use to sit.

Thanks again
looking forward to the Pics!!
Scott

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I DRILLED OUT 2 HOLES ON THE LONG STRINGER PART AND THEN I DRILLED OUT ANOTHER AT THE RIGHT ANGLE THERE WAS ONE ALREADY AT THE BACK OF THE STRINGER AND WHEN I DID THE TRANSOM THE WHOLE END OF THE STRINGER WAS EXPOSED. ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND WHEN I REMOVED THE TANK WAS THAT THE BOTTOM PART OF THE DECK IN SOME AREAS WERE BROKEN OFF THE STRINGER TOP. CHECK THAT AREA OUT I INJECTED EPOXY MIX WITH WEST #406 TO BUILD BACK UP AND STICK TOGETHER AGAIN. THE T-TOP THAT WAS ON THE BOAT MUST HAVE SWAYED AND CAUSED PROBLEMS.
I USED A ¾ LAMINATED PLYWOOD DECK THAT MY NEW 120 GAS TANK REST UPON. I SHOULD HAVE ONLY GONE WITH A ½ SHEET LAMINATED INSTEAD OF THE ¾” SHEET. THAT WAS A LITTLE OVERKILL THAT CAUSED ME TO HAVE A CLOSE FIT FOR THE NEW TANK AND THE REMOVABLE DECK ON TOP. IF YOU HAVE A NEW TANK BUILT MAKE SURE THAT THE GAS FILL LINE IS LOW TO THE TANK YOU WILL NEED THE ROOM.
ON MY BOAT THEY HAD BATTERIES IN THE BILGE AREA WHERE THE STRINGERS TAKE THE 90 DEGREE TURN. THOSE BATTERIES SIT ON A GLASS LAMINATED PLYWOOD DECK THAT WERE ALL ROTTEN OUT I CUT OUT MINE WHEN I DID THE TRANSOM I BET YOURS ARE SHOT YOU BETTER CHECK THAT OUT WHILE YOU ARE IN THERE.
FELLOW-SHIP