1986 22-2 Osprey DIY

[Nfratino]

Is the majority going to poly?

[Capt. Bob]

Just a follow up to BA's advice (which is mine also), pressure test with the tank removed. You will find corrosion under those mounting straps at the very least. Often times that will become apparent when the tank is full and shifts even slightly in a rough sea. You will then smell fuel so...

Remove the tank, clean the outside and post up a pic. Also, measure the tank and post up the dimensions for future use by other members. As to poly, sure if you can find one that will fit your coffin and give you the capacity you need. Many here go aluminum (myself included) for the ability to get both the size (fit) and gallon amounts they desire. Properly installed, aluminum will last a long time.

Good luck.

[Nfratino]

When i remove and clean i will be sure to post. Sooooooooo in better news....i took the transom cap off last night in hopes to find a dry core. The two 3/4" pieces of plywood have pulled away from one another and i can pinch them back together with my hand. The core is not trash but it is wet. I can rack the motor back and forth with no flex. I am guessing my next move is to remove the motor and cut/re core from the outside. My stringers are dry for the most part and look clean at the transom location. This is becoming more and more of a project unfortunately. I dont anticipate pulling all the core out from above because some of the wood is still solid. Would the cut/recore be my best bet here?

[mshugg]

Pressure test, a good visual inspection, really dig and poke at any spots of corrosion,, especially under and around the neoprene strips.  If it passes this, it may be worth keeping.  You're keeping the tank coffin and lid right?  At least then, a future tank replacement won't require taking a saw to the deck.

[Nfratino]

Transom updates. Any thoughts here?

[Blue Agave]

What's your plan for the boat?  Do you plan to fish her for 3-4 years and sell or do you plan to keep her many years?  If the later, I recommend a new transom core.  You mentioned that the core is wet, wet means fungus, fungus means rotten transom.  If you plan to keep the existing core you will need to treat that wood to kill the fungus, look for a product called copper-tox wood treatment.  As I stated before regarding your fuel tank, the transom is 30+ years old and if it were me I'd recore.  And since you already have the deck out, I'd recore from the inside and leave the outside skin intact.  You should also consider adding an inch and a half of core to your stringer tops.  This will raise your deck an inch and a half and keep your feet dry when crabbing and fishing.  Boats are budget busters, they all go over budget.  Good Luck with your project.   

[Nfratino]

My plan is to hang on to the boat for a while and have it for my kids to run/crab around our river once i get a bigger boat. My stringers look/feel very solid so I rather not cut into the transom from behind. I have also kept the back motor well in tack because that area is rock solid. Does anyone have a link to someone removing the skin from the outside and re coring then reattaching? I have thought about seacast as well but i dont like the idea of only being able to clean from above.

[Nfratino]

IM going back and fourth on the transom. Yesterday i got the motor off and the core is very solid just damp. Has any one drilled a grid and pumped git rot or somthing simillar in this situation. I hate to cut the back out if i can get a few more seasons out of this since there is no transom flex. The 2 pieces of 3/4" have separated from eachother but show little sign of delamination. I can easily clamp them together. Am i just prolonging a issue here?

[Nfratino]

T-top blocking. I have a question regarding the new floor going in and blocking. The t-top sits atop of the main stringers which are foam filled and seem to be about 1/8" thick. I would not like to rely on the Coosa for all the holding power. Does anyone have something that has worked in the past? I would like to put a backing plate in but the stringer is in the same plane and i do not want to elevate the floor. My plan was to cut out holes in the 3/4" Coosa to match the t-top legs and inststall 3/4" ply before i glass the top. I could also mount aluminum plate and tap into that i was just hoping for some advice. Thanks

[Capt. Bob]

Start here.

http://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=11210.0

[Nfratino]

Thanks for the thread. Ive decided to raise the deck high and go on top of the perimeter tabs and pad up thr stringers. Is the common theme here to pad and glass over? I have heard of some old school guys using hard woods such as poplar during constrution. Is there a material i could epoxy to the stringers and the new coosa deck that would not require a new glass cap on top of the stringers? I hate to put wood back into the boat but i am building on a budget not trying to make a show piece. Any info wouls be great. I will post dimensions of the stock tank soon.

[mshugg]

You can make the pads out of Coosa or whatever composite material you want.  I used material left over from my transom to raise my stringers.  I would be concerned about the bond between deck and stringers if you don't encapsulate the pads with glass.  If you do cover with glass the pads become part of the stringers.

[Nfratino]

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

[mshugg]

You may wish to reconsider a couple of things.  First. By useing the poplar flat and spanning across the stringers, you're not gaining much strength.  You can demonstrate this by supporting one of your strips at each end and standing in the center.  The wood will flex a lot.  If you encapsulate with glass and resin, you'll be creating a bit of an I beam, but still not as strong as if the wood were vertical.  If I understand you correctly and you're only sealing with resin, you're adding weight but not much strength.  It would actually be better to use only your Coosa on the stringer tops.  That's the way your deck came supported from the factory.

As for your tank coffin, everywhere the wood supports the coffin creates a hard spot, everywhere else soft.  This creates stress points that will fail.  It would be better to run your support along the length of the stringers.  It would be better to run full length supports along the stringers.

Poplar may not be the best material either.  It's heavy and not particularly rot resistant.  Useing  it takes away the benefit of coosa as a deck.  The poplar will rot before the coosa, especially if you're only coating it with resin.   Given your goal of running the boat for only a few years, you may be better going with marine ply for the deck.  It's much cheaper, and plenty strong.

You've got a great start, but this may be a case where it's better not to reinvent the wheel.

[Nfratino]

Thank you for the feedback. My issue was getting the factory coffin box back to the height i wanted while trying to keep some tab to bite too. The existing floor was complete trash. All of the connections at the perimeter tabs and coffin box have been set in thickened epoxy and screwed. I will pad up the stringers to the same level and will have structural flotation foam butting up to the deck height between the hull and the stringer. I walked on the grid last night and it was very firm even though this is not where the structure is going to come from, keep in mind i am bearing the new deck on the 3" of existing deck that remains and that will but into the coffin box lip. The load of the tank will be spread out across various points which equate to about 50lbs per point so i think it should hold. Im not sure i understand how the wood will rot if it is encased in vinyl ester including the end-grains.