1988 Shoalwater 176 Rebuild

[fallguy1000]

Looks good. Throw that red sharpie in the bin. That friggin red bleeds through primer and topcoat. Don't ask me why, but it shows thru everything. I don't make the rules, but I did cry a little after 3 coats of primer and I could still see red writing. It finally fades somewhere around 5 layers of paint.. yikes

Oh, man! Thanks for the heads up! Sorry about your project, what's your favorite pen for marking up fiberglass cloth?

Black sharpies. They will still show thru a primer coat or two, but nothin like the red. It is evil.

[redfishjim]

Progress has been slow but got the bottom glassed, and got the stringers put back together and trimmed up. Now on to rigging tube(s) in starboard stringer, then get the stringers tabbed and skinned with 1708, foam fill, top them with 3/4" ply, and cover the ply and top half the stringers with 17 oz biaxial. Next update should be in a couple weeks.

[fallguy1000]

Make sure to tab the stringers to the engine box. I'm guessing you know, but seeing it not done makes me anxious! Load transfer is from the box into the hull only and it would stress crack overtime without a connection to stringer. The load transfer is supposed to go through the stringers.

Work looks really good, btw.

[redfishjim]

Make sure to tab the stringers to the engine box. I'm guessing you know, but seeing it not done makes me anxious! Load transfer is from the box into the hull only and it would stress crack overtime without a connection to stringer. The load transfer is supposed to go through the stringers.

Work looks really good, btw.

Thanks Fallguy for the reminder and the complement. Important information for sure. It'll get done.

On a seperate note, I've pretty much decided I want to cut off the rolldown gunwales from the boat and create more a flats boat look with walkable(step) gunwales, extending the deck out a couple inches from the hull. I have enough information to feel good about supporting the gunwales from inside the hull along the cockpit, but on the outside - I'm going around in circles in my head. I plan on making the deck out of 1/2" ply and covering with 17 oz biaxial. Any suggestions on where to look or what to do to create an extended gunwale that is strong enough and thick enough to screw in a rub rail? And on rub rails, any recommendations on type or brand?

[fallguy1000]

Not sure why you'd cut down a structural element versus raising the sole.

Draw something up. Maybe it'll help.

The nicest rubrails are sold by Alan Ray of rubrails.com outta Florida. The profiles can be purchased to fit over a piece of wood if you are worried about screwing into the existing...but not sure I understand..

[redfishjim]

Not sure why you'd cut down a structural element versus raising the sole.

Draw something up. Maybe it'll help.

The nicest rubrails are sold by Alan Ray of rubrails.com outta Florida. The profiles can be purchased to fit over a piece of wood if you are worried about screwing into the existing...but not sure I understand..

Understood, the current gunwales aren't level, they slope downward and bother me... Reason I'm suggesting to cut them off rather than build to them, or over them, is because theyre sloping downward. Here's the look I'd like to accomplish with the top deck, side gunwales, and rear deck.

Thanks for the rub rail link, I'll check them out.

[fallguy1000]

So, by the looks of it; there are no transverse members or gunwhale frames on the original boat.

This means the doubled gunwhale provides the boat with rigidity. Think of them like upside down ceiling joists. Remove them to the sole and the boat would sag if upside down, or the ends will flex up too easily.

What do you do with a laminated beam if you want to reduce the depth? Well, you widen it.

So, depending upon how much you want to cut them down; you need to widen them or stiffen them. But the cap is structural because the cap of the gunnel (sp) combines the two sides and keeps them from flexing like two separate skinny joists.

Feel defeated? Don't, But understand; you can't cut them down and glue a board on or the boat will flex and eventually crack midships athwart,

In order to modify them; you'll need to cut them down and then build them back stronger. This means you'll need to return them to a uniform piece and a single structure.

I would recommend you consider just widening them. If you cut them down; you'll want to grind the outside of the hull to an allowable amount or you'll need to glass and cover the tabbing with the new rubrail. Then; you'd need to add the inside vertical piece. But it might be easier to not cut them down and build them up to even; maintaining the original structure that supports the hullsides and keeps them from flopping out.

[redfishjim]

So, by the looks of it; there are no transverse members or gunwhale frames on the original boat.

This means the doubled gunwhale provides the boat with rigidity. Think of them like upside down ceiling joists. Remove them to the sole and the boat would sag if upside down, or the ends will flex up too easily.

What do you do with a laminated beam if you want to reduce the depth? Well, you widen it.

So, depending upon how much you want to cut them down; you need to widen them or stiffen them. But the cap is structural because the cap of the gunnel (sp) combines the two sides and keeps them from flexing like two separate skinny joists.

Feel defeated? Don't, But understand; you can't cut them down and glue a board on or the boat will flex and eventually crack midships athwart,

In order to modify them; you'll need to cut them down and then build them back stronger. This means you'll need to return them to a uniform piece and a single structure.

I would recommend you consider just widening them. If you cut them down; you'll want to grind the outside of the hull to an allowable amount or you'll need to glass and cover the tabbing with the new rubrail. Then; you'd need to add the inside vertical piece. But it might be easier to not cut them down and build them up to even; maintaining the original structure that supports the hullsides and keeps them from flopping out.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm pretty clear what your telling me. I like the idea of using the orginal structure and build the inside section of the gunwales up to even. Raises a new question, what would be the easiest way to level the existing doubled gunwhale? This picture kinda shows what I'd like to do if we could level out the existing doubled gunwale, courtesy of Chris Morejohn.

[fallguy1000]

Need to know how much you need to do to make it level.

The easiest way is to use a solid core...something like 12-20 pounds per cubic foot...core lite board would work nice and is rigid enough to hold its shape. Then you glass over it..

The 1.5 oz mat is not strong enough for that joint. The top gets a minimum of 12 oz biax, can't read the drawing..

If you are not supporting the extended inwhale vertically; then you'll need to glass the bottom and top with 1708 and heavy 1708 tabbing

Sorry, but the drawing is too blurry.

To build it level; we assume the sole has not changed and dwl is same as original? Then use a laser and draw a laser line all the way around the inside of the boat, or build blocks of corelite board to get the heights.

Oh, shit. I just realized the outwhale will be wonky as f this way.

Hmmm.

Okay, I did not realize the gunwhale was open on the outside. You can cut it, but you need to replace it. So cut it to a reasonable dimension, and then rebuild it using core. You will really like corelite.

The hull to deck interface will be easier to do. I can draw a detail.

[fallguy1000]

Use as a discussion point.