Ski Boat Forum
General Category => General American Skier Discussions => Topic started by: delbert on December 22, 2009, 03:17:54 PM
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Anyone have information on when American Skier went away from wood in their boats? I am mainly interested in the stringers and floor.
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I'd love to know if anyone has heard of any stringer rot? I have an 84, everything seems ok, but I'd like to hear about any problems or tell tale signs.
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I can tell you a little about what I know. If a wood stringer boat is well taken care of and not left uncovered all it's life the stringers can last damn near a life time. It's the people who don't put them under shore stations and never let the boat dry out who create the problems. I have an 82' and the stringers are still solid and the glass looks good.
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I have a 87 and am currently removing the wet foam due to water coming in from the swim platform bracket thru bolts. the flooring is fiberglass, but it belly's from 23 years of use.
I removed the wood in the transom which was wet and punky. Also at the exhaust fittings, wet wood. Again at the strut bolts, wet wood. I would think that anybody with an older boat would have this problem because the caulk eventually breaks down.
Stringers are fine.
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Floors were the first to be phased in from plywood to molded fiberglass & that started in the Ocoee Plant in 1984 (85 models) with the Advance models. There may have been a few shipped with wood but they are east to identify by lifting the rear center floors, if they were supported by a gelcoated, molded floor "ledge" its a fiberglass floor, if the center floors sit on a piece of wood screwed to the stringers its a wood floor. Clear Douglass Fir was used for stringers through 1990. I'm not sure what WESMAR did from 1990-95 Although I know they were using a honeycomb plastic board near the end. 1996 Models through 2002 models were 100% composite using various density aircraft foam. The fir used back in the day was far superior to what other builders were using back then and when encapsulated in fiberglass it became very resistant to rot as the resins were brushed into the wood prior to laminating. The Plywood floors, and backer plates such as in the transom however were more susceptable to rot if moisture had a way in. I replace the old plywood floors with laminated high density foam sheets today.
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I replace the old plywood floors with laminated high density foam sheets today.
WHere does one find this product and can it be used in a 1980 AS nstead of marine ply and resin? DOUG
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The foam sheets are becoming available in more areas of the country, it was more difficult to get 15 years ago since the only industry using it was aerospace. I don't know where you are but any fiberglass laminating plant probably is using some form of the product. I have made panels for customers but the shipping gets to be an issue. Also there are a few do's & dont's when working with it. If you are very comfortable working and understanding fiberglass it's no problem, if not, you will want to have it done for you.