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Ralph Savarese
01-25-2003, 08:00 PM
Does any one know if the lower strakes on a 66 2+3 have wood in them. If so please let me know I have a continuing problem with cracking where they meet the hull. I was wondering if it was due to stringer movement above them . I was going to install bulk heads on either side of the engine mounts to try and solve the problem .
Ralph

Scott Pearson
01-25-2003, 08:04 PM
Ralph,
The answer to your question is no. They are glass.

(NJ)Scott

Ralph Savarese
01-25-2003, 08:07 PM
Scott,
The reason why I asked is that when I drilled in the back to install the spedo pickup they appeared hollow

oldLenny
01-25-2003, 08:14 PM
Check to see, (yes they are glass) if you have the balsa core there. They core the rear part of the hull forward from the transom about 50" on the outside of the stringers...Your problem could lie in the material above the fiberglass...(coring) or in the stringer itself flexing (due to rot or being "punky") I would remove the coring, fix stringers if this is even the case, fill in the strake depression with Micro-balloons or Cabo-sil and resin level with hull and then re-core it.

This is just a hunch...

Ralph Savarese
01-25-2003, 09:08 PM
The stringers are new and doubled up to the bulk head in front of the batt. These cracks were repaired with the hull upside down and have returned after one year.I am feeling the need of bulkheads extending out to the sides from the motor mounts to stop flexing?

Scott Pearson
01-26-2003, 04:50 AM
Ralph,
There are alot of "Voids" alone the strakes. This is where the glass and gel bridged the sharp bend. I had to do some repair on mine also. I would guess that flex in the stringers would also cause this problem to worsen.

(NJ)Scott

Gearhead99
01-26-2003, 06:48 AM
Have seen several with Gel coat cracks there. Don't remember any wood there when I did some repairs on one many moons ago.

The last 18 I had had small triangle shaped supports from the stringers toward the chime. They were spaced about center on the engine. Talked to an "older" boat guy back then and he told me they were added cause of engine weight causing the stringers to flex too much when the boat aired and landed. He also said the strake cracks were aggavated by too narrow a bunk on the trailer.

I know that I had to reglass the supports twice where they met the bottom. Kept seperating. Finnally got enough mat and adhesion to stop it.

My $.02

Ralph Savarese
01-26-2003, 07:47 PM
Scott and Dave,
That was great info. and I planned in the spring to run bunks out to the chines in the spring. Scott what did you have to do externally?
I was just going to V them out with a dremel and refill with dura glass or marine tex.
Any suggestions?
Ralph

Scott Pearson
01-26-2003, 09:34 PM
Ralph,
Thats all I did. There is really nothing else you can do to correct the problem.

(NJ)Scott

HOTFOOT
01-27-2003, 03:24 PM
Ralph, The '67 I am restoring had the same problem. By the time I had routed to the bottom of the cracks I was through the hull so I ground back the fibreglass and built it back up on the outside. Then when I was replacing and doubling the stringers I reinforced the inside of the hull and made sure the stringers were well bonded to the hull. I believe the problem is caused by the stringers concentrating the load of the engine on too narrow an area of the hull . By adding wider and thicker fibreglass tabbing between stringers and hull and adding stiffeners, I am hoping the problem will be fixed.
If the cracks are much deeper than the gelcoat
I believe just routing and filling will be only a temporary fix. My boat is a long way from getting back in the water ,so this is all theoretical.

Ralph Savarese
01-27-2003, 06:42 PM
Thanks guys for your help,
I will try to dremel them out in the spring and reinforce the stringers with bulk heads out to the chines . If it required more than that I don't know what I would do!

mphatc
01-27-2003, 07:18 PM
Ralph,

Looking at the picture of your boat it looks like it sits on a roller trailer.
I have seen similar damage on many boats of older vintage (ie 60s-70s) that spend most of their storage time on rollers. Possibly your hard use wink and the combination of rollers causes this?

You might consider converting your trailer to bunks , two each side after this round of repairs to avoid any reappearance of the cracks.

Mario L.

Ralph Savarese
01-27-2003, 07:36 PM
That is true what you are saying but i have to say those cracks originated long before the restoration or it ever being trailered.

Scott Pearson
01-27-2003, 09:32 PM
Here is a picture of my motor compartment. I braced the stringers off like you want to do Ralph.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/spearstring.jpg

(NJ)Scott

Ralph Savarese
01-28-2003, 09:32 AM
Thanks Scott,
That is exactly what I intended on doing In the spring. Have you had any cracks return.
Ralph

Scott Pearson
01-28-2003, 12:08 PM
Ralph,
So far I have none. I hope it stays that way.

(NJ)Scott

Ralph Savarese
01-28-2003, 12:11 PM
Scott,
while I have you on line were you able to dig up that taco part number for the dash molding?
Thanks Ralph

Scott Pearson
01-28-2003, 01:47 PM
Ralph,
I thought I sent you a link to it? I will have to dig it up and resend.

(NJ)Scott

Ralph Savarese
01-28-2003, 06:22 PM
Scott,
You did send me a link but you were going to dig up the part # because I was confused as to which one was rite.
Ralph