What are stringers

tn_guy212000 · Soul Rider Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 268

What are stringers and how do you check to see if they are rotten or not. i havbe heard lots of people talk about them but now that i am getting ready to go check out boats i want to know exactly what they are. Question

skicrave · Criminal Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 76 City: Portland

Stringers play the most crucial role in providing strength and rigidity to your boat. Think of the frame your car is built on. Stringers serve the same purpose in boats. Depending on the arangement and construction, there are usually 2 or 4 beams (or beam like structures in all composite boats) that run the length of the boat. The rest of the boat is built off of that platform.

You can usually gain access to the stringers near the motor mounts in older boats. Try pushing a screwdriver into the wood itself to test for dry rot. If the wood is soft and the screwdriver goes right in, there is substantial rot. You can also test the structure of the boat by just walking around. It should be solid with little or no give or cushion.

What year range of boats are you considering?

tn_guy212000 · Soul Rider Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 268

well i was looking at a couple of nautique 2001's and some barefoots.....one interior is completely ruined i can get a goo price on it and it has low hours just the interior is crap..that was the main inspiration of my question about stringers...

boomerzuma · Criminal Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 95 City: Wichita

tn guy, one way to test if stringers are rotten is to attempt to tighten the motor mount bolts that go into the stringers. If the bolts snug up nicely then you're okay, there's likely little, if any rot. If one or more of the bolts fail to snug up & they just turn with ease then you should assume the stringers are rotten. If you're in the market for a 1980's inboard make sure the stringers are solid before you buy or you just might get taken. As a general rule of thumb remeber that up until 1993 all inboard manufacturers (except Mastercraft they stopped in 1984) put wood stringers in their boats. Tige & Gekko continue to use wood stringers today. I think you and I talked about my 1984 Centurion a week or so ago, it has new strigers & it's for sale. If you want me to email you some pics send your email address to jvcatfan@yahoo.com L

tn_guy212000 · Soul Rider Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 268

is it hard to replace the stringers iff they are bad....also is it expensive to replace them????

jdrei · Newbie Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 1

tn guy,
where are you located in TN? I bought an 81 Nautique a few years back and have been through everything you are now looking. Stringers can be replaced, but it is a project if you are doing it yourself or expensive, depending on severity, if you have someone else doing it. I'm in Knoxville. If this is something you buy and need to do and I can point you in some directions.