As far as stringer wood, I used Douglas Fir because it was recommended by Gerald Gangle (the boat builder). It's denser than Hem fir which most construction wood is. I added a 1 1/2 oz mat and woven roving in the hull before the stringers and core. This gave a good base for the stringers to lay on With a good radius on the top corners of the stringer and the bottom "fillet", adding proper fiberglass over the stringer and onto the hull will spread the "shear" line wayyyy out. Then, after the core is bedded in, another "fillet" radius is added where the core meets the stringer and glass over the core and over the stringer.
Since I knew where the bottom of the floor sat on each side, I was able to put a straight edge across and measure down to the pad. I had around 4". I knew a 2x4 was 3 1/2" so I needed 1/2" of glass. After the mat and roving overlapped in the pad and the stringer was test fit again, I re-measured and now was 1/4" below the floor line. When all done, I was level across.
Sorry for the rambling but if overlooked, you'll have a messed up floor.

I believe the air bladder top skin help hold the bow hull from spreading outward. Like the bottom cord of a roof truss. Imagine an up-side-down truss. Cut the bottom cord out and pull down on the tails.......You get the idea.

I put in several bulkheads and left the top open. My personal preference.

More leg room, yes! There was a fiberglass ridge and deck under the bow. I'm putting it back in and extending the floor some for more leg rm. For some reason the floor was stopped short about 10" short from where it would lay in the deck going under the bow. It does sound like all personal prefrence. like it was said these where built like crap from factory and held together so any improvement can't hurt.

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I did the same. removed the glass and added a bulkhead and moved it forward a few inches for extra legroom. Bill

Mine had a glass bulkhead also. I think it was also for part of the air tank and I am not putting an air tank deal back in but I will be putting a bulkhead back in for structural reasons. I'm guessing even though it was just glass, it was there for a reason so I am putting one back in. I will be moving mine forward just a bit though as being 6'2" I could use the extra leg room.



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My Viper has a bulk head but all it is is acouple layers of glass .I well take some pics before I cut it out .I think it it was more to make it flat in the bow for storage more then anything else. It won't be going back in. Pics well be on my recore thread.

alaskastreamin wrote:I was told that a properly glassed in stringer has more compression strength than the core. Stringer in first and core around it.

Ron, I was thinking the same thing but couldn't it be a bad thing as in creating a shear line at the point where the core meets the stringer in the pad. I have a feeling we are over thinking this but that was one concern, that and both mine were on the core.

Steve, a couple bulkheads wouldn't hurt but they didn't have them from the factory.

Thanks for all the input. I still have to finish grinding so I have time to think about it. With all the input I have a new question. When I tore out the floor there was no bulkheads installed.shouldn't there be 1 up front and 1 torward the back? I looked in a boat I bought for the motor and jack plate . The floor has been pulled out and that one doesn't have any either. Its a bad habbit of mine to keep looking ahead and think about how and what to do. Although on the plus side it keeps me motavated to git r done! Lol!

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Ron you used fir for your stringers why wouldn't cypress work it's light and highly rot resistant, just thinking of other materials

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Something to think about if you wanted to put the stringer on the core. The stringer would have to get cut down to fit under the floor by at least 1/2". The stringer is like the web in an I beam. You want that web to be as tall as possible for strength. I dunno,.....sounds good in theory right?

That is how the Viper I'm doing now is stringer with core between and on each side and the previous boats I've done were the same .