1986 22-2 Osprey DIY

[mshugg]

Bottom line, your build- your rules.  If it were me, i'd try to support tank coffin all the way around directly to stringers. 

As for water absorption and rot in the poplar.  It won't happen right away, but you're placing a natural material that will expand and contract with temperature and humidity below decks.  Eventually the vinylester will develop cracks, too small to even see at first, but they will allow water in.  Eventually, you'll get rot.  You only need to look at the varnished teak and mahogany on an older boat.  Eventually it looks like crap and needs to be redone.  Vinylester may not be varnish, but without glass reinforcement, its more like it than you'd think.  Your coosa is a lifetime material, properly installed.  Poplar, something less.

As I said your boat, your rules.  Good luck with your build.

[RickK]

Update:

I am going different route with my project and wanted to provide a update. I was having a hard time getting my coffin box where i needed it to be and really figuring out what i wanted to do with the floor. My plan is it encapsulate all the poplar wood in vinylester epoxy then pad up the remaining voids atop the stringers with coosa. My new coosa deck will set atop the perimeter of the existing deck affixed with thickened epoxy. This was a quicker route for me instead of building all new bulkheads/stringer replacement. Keep in mind i will run this boat for a while fishing/crabbing with the intent to buy a bigger boat in a few years down the road. Any input here? Constructive criticism is a good thing. Does anyone see an issue with the poplar holding the stock 75/80 gal tank? I will also provide 4 blocks attached to the sides of the stringers in the 4 corners of the box for added support. As it stands now all connections are epoxied together.

Thanks

You're not the first nor will you be the last to put wood back in your boat.  On my first floor replacement in '98 I left a lip around the perimeter and built up the gap on the stringers with 1x4 pine glued down with construction adhesive and screws. I think I resin coated them but don't remember for sure.  I used 5/8" plywood for the floor with glass on top, resin coated on the bottom (my tank was above floor at the time) and when I decided to rebuild the boat in late 2012 the pine was still like I installed it and the plywood was too except for the front 6" that was the reason for my rebuild. Bottom line is anything will work if sealed and floors fail because of the holes you drill into them without sealing the holes. 
As for your rebuild, you'll need to grind up the liner sides and on top and over the lip of the tank well to tie everything together with glass.  You need to tie everything together as the cap, liner sides and floor are all an integral part of the boat that make it solid.
There is no right or wrong here (well I guess there is a possibility of wrong in a rebuild, but not what I see you're doing), seal it well, tie it together well and then cover it with gelcoat or paint.  It'll last a long time.  If the wood does rot out in 20 years, the coosa, if laminated into the hull correctly, will hold it together.
My $.02

[Nfratino]

Rick,

My thoughts exactly moving forward. If i had more time and if my stringers were trash i would liked to build new bulkheads and a new tank box but the stringers are dry as a bone and i really dont want to cut into my fishing time if possible. My plan is to grind the coffin box lip and perimeter liner wall so my 1708 floor glass will wrap up the side. The entire deck will be re-coated in kiwigrip. The transom is a intresting story. The core was damp but is rock solid but the two pieces of 3/4" ply are pulled away from eachother. I plan to inject some thickened epoxy down in the void then clamp and maybe runsome stainless screws along the top edge then re glass the cap. The core has had about a month at 65 degrees to dry out.

[Nfratino]

I havent posted in a while but am making so progress. Here are some shots of my build along the way.

[Nfratino]

Floatation foam finished and sealed. Glassing of the underside of the coosa. A 30 Year old fill hose.

[Nfratino]

Installing the new deck pieces in place. I used thickened vinylester resin for the gaps around the perimeter. Being my first time doing any glass work the 1708 gave me a little trouble wetting out 100% but i was very happy with the results.

[Nfratino]

You can see some of the discoloration in the 1708. I injected some resin in a few of the high spots but she is rock solid. I was able to use my coffin box lid which is now cored and re glassed. I was hoping to use the stock 80 gallon tank but found a decent amount of pitting the strap locations. I bit the bullet and have one on the way from alloy metal works in NY. I will post the dimensions of my old tank.

[Nfratino]

Moving on with a lot of sanding and my first prime coat!

[Nfratino]

As she stands right now. I will finish the paint this week and the floor will be done in kiwigrip wrapping 6" up the sides.

[RickK]

Moving right along 

[Nfratino]

Bringing her home, still have minor touchup and the console to wire but i should be able to catch the tail end of striper season!

[RickK]

Congrats

[Nfratino]

Its been a long road but SHE IS FLOATING! FV MISS KAYLI