Bass Relief- A Seafari 25 rehab

[FishStretcher]

I haven't been in the bilges of enough 20-25 foot glass boats to speak to this, but that was my impression. Without really thinking about the boat as a whole structurally, just the parts I can easily see, and do math on, I purchased 1/2" and 3/4" divinycel H80. So the tank decks will be structural with 1/2" H80 and glass to support a poly tank or two. I will likely run a layer of 1708 up to the stringers to reinforce that tabbing. The under cockpit sole bulkheead will be doubled with 3/4" H80 sandwich core (and glass). I will leave the plywood in place, partly to hold hull shape while I put in the sandwich core bulkhead doubler but likely will remove the bottom 4-6" as it got wet once. Then I can remove the ply at my leisure. Then I hope to put a deck forward of there out of 1/2" sandwich core again to better support the area where the slamming loads are higher. Until I can fit another bulkhead under the vee berth.

The tank deck will be glassed/ tabbed to the hull on the top surface, and tacked to the keelson with 5200 adhesive. Or that's my plan.

Oh yeah, the bulkhead from the tanks to the engine bay need replacing, too.

I like sanding...

[FishStretcher]

Oh yeah, in the plus column, I got the electronics bench wired today. Radar, structure scan, GPS. And sanded the radar mount for one more layer of gel coat.

It SNOWED yesterday. Can you say cabin fever?

[cdavisdb]

before you start working on the tank supports, pull that bulk head. Such a joy, you will really have a good time. In mine the small stringers that support the tank go through the bulkhead and end in a mess, just beyond it. You may have to redo those stringers.

[FishStretcher]

I think I posted pics of my short stringers in your "odd crack on a 25 seafari" thread. I think they are ok. I think, I think.

I am terrified of pulling that bulkhead and hooking the hull, so I think I have to stick with doubling it, then removing the ply from the hatch in the cockpit sole, then finishing the tabbing. That just means I won't bond the sandwich core panel to the existing ply bulkhead. I think.

I will probably leave both bulkheads in when i run this summer, and finish pulling the ply bulkhead in the fall. Otherwise I will be too far behind before vacation.

[cdavisdb]

Know what you mean. I was one very happy(and relieved) man when mine went back together with no glitches after I was forced to remove all of the bulkheads with one very bad stringer.

Your strategy should work, but it is going to be one hell of a painful trip to remove that bulkhead without being able to get all the way under the deck. I cut a big access in the cabin sole almost back to the forward tank bulkhead. That way I could get all the way in the hole, which was bad enough.

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by FishStretcher

I am terrified of pulling that bulkhead and hooking the hull, so I think I have to stick with doubling it, then removing the ply from the hatch in the cockpit sole, then finishing the tabbing...

I think your concerns are unfounded. If you support the keel at the transom and forward of the CG, as long as the deck is intact I don't think you need to worry about introducing a hook. The outer hull is very stiff, and the stringers and keel provide plenty of longitudinal stiffness. I removed most of that bulkhead below the deck and had no issues.

Dave

[cdavisdb]

I think Dave is right. The main stringers are massive. I had no trouble, but the keel was very well supported.

Things to consider: Does the trailer it sits on give the keel good support over a big area? Is the keelson rotted out. i.e. just a fiberglass shell? Are the rest of the structural pieces intact and well stuck together, bulkheads, deck, stringers, tabbing?

If all that is good, I wouldn't worry about it.

[FishStretcher]

I spent Saturday hunched over the fuel tank hatch with a belt sander removing the sins of prior repairpersons unknown.

Sunday I siphoned maybe 30 gallons off the tarp on the bow of the 25. Coiling up the garden hose, I stood up and threw my back out. Of all the damn things. Discs are ok, but holy cow, the past 72 hours have been uncomfortable. Even with muscle relaxers and decent level pain meds. Sanding fiberglass is a young man's game.

[Billpotter]

Fish,
I feel your pain: I just make it look easy: NO BACK STRAINS, or I'll pay: I keep Advil in all of my environments-

[FishStretcher]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

before you start working on the tank supports, pull that bulk head. Such a joy, you will really have a good time. In mine the small stringers that support the tank go through the bulkhead and end in a mess, just beyond it. You may have to redo those stringers.

It appears that my tank support stringers end right at the bulkhead of interest (under the cockpit sole). So that will be easier. My tank deck will be lower than those- just about touching the keelson with the 1/2" H80 sandwich core.

Ultimately once I get the under cockpit bulkhead sorted, I think in 2015, I will extend a tank deck like surface above the keelson forward to the next bulkhead in lieu of addition of another proper bulkhead.

With a thrown out back, I won't do much this weekend but send props out for a tune-up, maybe. And I will hire some help for trailer mods and sanding the planing surface dead true. I have a goal of 50MPH, if not 50 knots. If chine walk doesn't get me first. But I need low, low slip numbers to get there. 3-4% Even with a bravo 3, it probably won't happen, but it is nice to dream.