Stringer Placement??

[apollo18]

I bought a 1973 Apollo 18 footer resto project that needs a floor. It has 1 stringer going down the center and 1 on each side of that. The stringers that are in the boat are not the original. How do i know if they are in the correct location (for strength) or if i should put them in difrent locations?
I noticed that some boats only have two and none in the center. What is the correct way to replace a floor?
Thanks for your suggestions and help.

[BigBlockBaja]

I bought a 1973 Apollo 18 footer resto project that needs a floor. It has 1 stringer going down the center and 1 on each side of that. The stringers that are in the boat are not the original. How do i know if they are in the correct location (for strength) or if i should put them in difrent locations?
I noticed that some boats only have two and none in the center. What is the correct way to replace a floor?
Thanks for your suggestions and help.
Apollo18, not to jack your thread, but My sister lives in Kunkletown. We are going to be boating in Beltsville this summer. Ya know where that is?

[apollo18]

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/beltzville.aspx
Bad News i just found this on the web page for Beltzville.
Beltzville Lake has a maximum boating speed of 45 miles per hour. It is unlawful to operate a boat equipped with inboard engines with out-of-the-transom or straight stack type exhausts, wet or dry.
Its not far from my house but it looks like are kind is not welcome :) I live in the stroudsburg area . I was going to come to your neck of the woods.
Also in PA is Lake Walanpalpak (spelling ??) up north, about an hour and a half or so for you. I think that lake is bigger and does alow jet boats.

[BigBlockBaja]

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/beltzville.aspx
Bad News i just found this on the web page for Beltzville.
Beltzville Lake has a maximum boating speed of 45 miles per hour. It is unlawful to operate a boat equipped with inboard engines with out-of-the-transom or straight stack type exhausts, wet or dry.
Its not far from my house but it looks like are kind is not welcome :) I live in the stroudsburg area . I was going to come to your neck of the woods.
Also in PA is Lake Walanpalpak (spelling ??) up north, about an hour and a half or so for you. I think that lake is bigger and does alow jet boats.
Look over in hot spots east... Lets get back to your stringers

[apollo18]

Im getting ready to do stringer, just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

[Nucking futs]

Some boats don't use full length stringers. Your stringers are probablly in the correct position. The way you described the center support with the 2 outer supports sounds about right. Alot of boats with out full length stringers use the center support and just bond the floor straight to the hull around the outside. If you have a raised outer support that the floor attatches to , just cut the new floor and install. The most important thing to remember is make sure that the area you are going to reglass is ground really well so it will bond real good. The floor is used to basically supprt the boat so it will not flex itself to death. I can't tell you the "best" way as many peoples opinons are different, but the way I do it when I replace floors is to lay a stip of glass down were the floor is going to rest and then screw the floor in place down the center. If you have enough material to screw the outsides down I would do that as well. if not anything to screw to on the outside , just grind and glass and make sure you weight it down so it will bond. After your screwed (ha ha) go ahead and glass it in. I also like to seal both sides of the wood to prevent moisture from getting at your new floor. you can seal it with a very light coat of resin if you have enough, if not use a good wood sealer.
Good luck and have fun with the itchy scratchy dance.

[ratso]

I would also remove the boat from the trailer and support and block it up on a good flat level surface, every few feet, mainly to be sure that it doesn't get a twist or anything in it when you glass it all back together. If it is a fairly shallow floor, you can get by with a stringer in the middle, although I prefer two, normally seated in the chine areas. On most jets or speedboats this size, we normally go with a marine grade 1/2" plywood, and double layer where any screws such as for seats etc may be going through the floor. Encase your stringers with fiberglass mat, resin the underneath of the floor, and mat the entire top side when you glass it in. It's good to wet the tops of the stringers and mat them too when you screw the floor down to them. After that, you are ready for carpet, or as in some instances, you can gelcoat and web it. Almost forgot... we use brushes to lay up the stringers, but when you do the larger floor area, use a paint tray and rollers (like you paint walls with) and you will get a lot slicker finish when you roll the mat out... saves a lot of extra grinding.