1989 grady 19' tournament stringer rebuild

[crabbydad]

I purchased 1989 grady white 19' tounament this past summer knowing it had a bad stringer. What i didn't know was the tank was bad as well as almost all the stringers/bulkheads. I started deconstruction a couple weeks ago. the tank and floor are out. i had to remove 1 bulkhead to get the tank out thru the access opening. i removed the other 2 forward bulkheads because the starboard side stringers were wet all the way up under the bow. i didn't pop the cap. i can crawl under the bow to acces. i will have to get a little creative to tab the farside in. i do have a small access cover. i have approximately 50' of stringer/bulkhead to tab in, completely encase. also, the front half of the floor, approximatelt 4' x 6' has a small area that needs to be relaced. i am going to remove from the bottom and glass the plywood back to the existing fiberglass sole with the diamond pattern and access opening in it. I had figured on buying (2) 50 yard rolls of the 6" biaxil tape, 10 yrds of cloth, 6 gallons of epoxy resin and at least 5# of wood flour. I was thingof using a couple of the existing outside skins for the inner stringer. i was going to grind clean and laminate a few layers to the and using thickened resin to glue the to them. then tabing the nearside. After coating all stringers/bulkheads with epoxy, i am going to wrap them with cloth. Does this sound like a good idea? how much tape,cloth,epoxy, wood flour do you think i need?
A little of the foam was saturated at the bottom. I am checking different areas to decide if i need to replace all of the foam.
I haven't drilled any holes in the transom, but it seems solid. i removed a few screws and it was dry and felt solid when i checked with a pointed scribe, although given the history of these boats the chances are good it is wet and will end up replacing that also.
Hoping to start putting it back together next weekend
I can post some pictures when i get home.

[jacquesmm]

I know that boat quite well.
First, your estimate of materials is correct to start. You may need a third roll of biaxial tape, 2 may not be enough.

If I was you, I would open it more.
If I remember well, in 1989, the Grady White was a 3 part boat: hull, sole with liner and the cap with gunwale as a third part.
The sole with liner was "mudded" to parts of the stringers and floor frames.
Did you remove that sole? Pictures would help. I don't see how you would work on the stringers with the sole part in place . .
To remove it must have been a struggle.
If you didn't, get an air chisel to break the polyester mud.

Foam was injected in places under that sole, probably around the tank too. That is what killed the tank.
Show us some pictures, I am not certain that I understand how far you are in the demolition part.

[crabbydad]

the floor is up except, for the bow area. when i get home i will post pics. the tank wasn't foamed in, but all the holes are where the neoprene strips contactend the tank trapping water, also the drain tube that was supposed to drain the water from the front of the boat to the bilge was broke.

[jacquesmm]

Good news about the floor being removed. I"l wait for the pictures.

[crabbydad]

http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userp ... al_009.jpg[/img]

[crabbydad]

I have to replace all the stringers except the outer starboard. I removed the forward bulkhead in the tank coffin and the bulkhead at the opening to the bow and the one forward of that 13". I'm not sure about the rear bulkhead. I think it may be a little wet. If so. I may go and replace that also in case I have to replace the transom. then i'll have the transom stringers tied into a solid bulkhead. easier to do it now, although I will have to remove the 2 small floor areas under the rear seats to gain complete access. Which cloth should I get to wrap the stingers? I will use the 120z biaxil tape to tab them in.
First I plan to rebuild the area under the bow. looks like everything on the starboard side is good up there. I plan to do 1 stringer at a time, removing and replacing as I go

[jacquesmm]

Thanks for the pictures, it's much easier to discuss the repair that way.
Yes, it's a 3 part boat and there is no need to remove the cap. You have good access except close to the transom.
That thick glass along the stringers is 24 oz. roving or 2415. There should be 2 layers = 80 oz. each side but in polyester.
It will peel off.
Rebuild with 12 oz. biaxial 45/45 or 1708 for a total of about 50 oz. minimum each side. That means 4 layers of tape or 2 layer of 1708. More layers are better.
I would use the tape.
At least one of those layers should cover the stringers all the way to the top. No need to wrap around the top.
Cleat along the top, sole "mudded" (glued) to the cleats.
Everything 100% coated with epoxy resin.
As discussed earlier, get minimum 3 rolls of biaxial tape 12 oz. and 6 gallons of resin to start plus 5 lbs of woodflour.

[crabbydad]

for the area of the floor where i have to replace the plywood, the blackened area around the fish box access. i may just do the bad are, not the whole piece(haven't decided yet) what kind of cloth should i cover that with? how far on to the hull should my tabs go? 4"? i know i alternate where they start and finish. 6" wide tape? how far up the stringer sould the 4 layers of tape go. is it ok to leave 1 side of the roving from the old stringers? i would grind them clean,laminate a layer or so of biaxil, then thickend resin and press the stringer into it, the tab in the other side

[jacquesmm]

for the area of the floor where i have to replace the plywood, the blackened area around the fish box access. i may just do the bad are, not the whole piece(haven't decided yet)

Does that mean leave some plywood in?

what kind of cloth should i cover that with? how far on to the hull should my tabs go? 4"? i know i alternate where they start and finish. 6" wide tape? how far up the stringer sould the 4 layers of tape go.

It is 6" tape. 3" on stringers,3" on hull, next 4" on stringer, 2" on hull, next 2" on stringer, 4 on hull etc.
Start with a 1st layer that goes all over the stringer. That will require more than one width of tape.

is it ok to leave 1 side of the roving from the old stringers? i would grind them clean,laminate a layer or so of biaxil, then thickend resin and press the stringer into it, the tab in the other side

I don't like to leave anything in. There is probably a secondary bond problem there. Polyester has major problems with secondary bonds. If the hull was skinned on a Friday and stringer sput in on Monday, you don't have a good bond.
That problem does not exist with epoxy.
That old tabbing may fail, why take a chance when you invest so much in labor and materials?

[crabbydad]

yes, leave some plywood in. i'm not sure if i'll replace the whole underside of the sole with the bad area or remove the whole bottom of the sole. i"m only referring to the half of the sole with the fish box access cover. in the front under the bow, i won't be able to fully access the farside of the outer stringer. i will only be able to tab 1 side, do think this will be ok for this small area?