78 Mr Ed Daycruiser (same as Tarva Custom Boats) hull and stringer repairs

[79youngblood]

Hello, I have had the boat for the last 6 years. It is a 22' jet boat. It is the exact boat the my dad had while I was growing up. I got it back from the guy my dad sold it to... Well, I decided to strip it and take it down south to Shell Knob Mo to have the intake machined for a shoe and ride plate and to have the pump set back to have room to put a ratchet on. So the stringers are rotten and they didn't want to replace the stringers because of the plywood cored hull also has some bad spots from previous shitty fiberglass repairs that were made. So, the core is also no good. Right now I have the boat flipped over on saw horses so I can make a cradle to hold the shape of the hull and flip it back over and cut out stringers and top layer of fiberglass to remove the wet core. Instead of putting another core in the hull, I was wondering if I could just lay the hull up a little thicker and put in 4 stringers like the spectra 20 has? I have been reading a lot about the coosa board. I am going to use the coosa for the stringers and transom and anywhere for building seat bases or anything else. I don't want to mess with the wood. I use the boat and don't want to worry about keeping the water out and I don't want to do all the work again.... So I guess my question for the experts is if I would be ok laying the hull out with another layer or two of fiberglass and put four stringers in the boat like the spectra 20's have? I understand the reasoning of the cored hull but also know the spectras and other boats do not use the cored hull. The main layer is thicker than 3/16 thick as is already. Then the layer of plywood, then thin layer of glass over the plywoodI also plan on using epoxy resin in boat to do the floors

 

[lenmann]

I have taken similar journey with my Schiada RC.

1979 Schiada RC, The Boss

After a solid couple of years searching, finding a few, missing deals on a couple, I finally acquired a Schiada River Cruiser. As noted in a thread sparked by a CL ad earlier this summer the boat is a little rough and hasn?t had a lot of love for some time...

www.riverdavesplace.com

Mine's a v-drive but I have tackled some the same challenges you have ahead. Schiada's are 4 stringer boats and sometimes have balsa core in between the stringers but not always. One of the key questions you need to ask and answer is how fast do you want to go? The answer to that question will help you plan the right structural repairs, material choices, lamination schedules, etc. I like your idea about using Coosa, although its expensive. Keep in mind the wood in your boat held up for 42 years, and I am guessing some of that time the boat didn't get the best of care. Anyway, 42 years is far beyond the intended design life of a wood and plastic boat. If you could get another 42 years out of wood, would you be happy?

Having said all that, cleaning out all the existing rotted wood, laying down a couple of layers of biax glass and then 4 stringers sounds like a pretty good start. Remember using epoxy means you cant use gelcoat as a top finish. Gelcoat doesn't like to stick to epoxy, something about amines.

Happy to answer any questions you have along the way. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jmeads]

Lenmann, I have been meaning to ask you why you choose vinyl ester resin vs polyester resign for your Schiada. Where did you buy most of your supplies from. I have a project I will be taking on shortly. Thanks Jon

 

[79youngblood]

I have taken similar journey with my Schiada RC.

1979 Schiada RC, The Boss

After a solid couple of years searching, finding a few, missing deals on a couple, I finally acquired a Schiada River Cruiser. As noted in a thread sparked by a CL ad earlier this summer the boat is a little rough and hasn?t had a lot of love for some time...

www.riverdavesplace.com

Mine's a v-drive but I have tackled some the same challenges you have ahead. Schiada's are 4 stringer boats and sometimes have balsa core in between the stringers but not always. One of the key questions you need to ask and answer is how fast do you want to go? The answer to that question will help you plan the right structural repairs, material choices, lamination schedules, etc. I like your idea about using Coosa, although its expensive. Keep in mind the wood in your boat held up for 42 years, and I am guessing some of that time the boat didn't get the best of care. Anyway, 42 years is far beyond the intended design life of a wood and plastic boat. If you could get another 42 years out of wood, would you be happy?

Having said all that, cleaning out all the existing rotted wood, laying down a couple of layers of biax glass and then 4 stringers sounds like a pretty good start. Remember using epoxy means you cant use gelcoat as a top finish. Gelcoat doesn't like to stick to epoxy, something about amines.

Happy to answer any questions you have along the way. Good luck and keep us posted.

Lenmann, Thank you for the reply. I understand the wood will most likely out last me if I used it again but I also like the idea of the coosa board being lighter too. So on the Schiada's when you said they sometimes have balsa wood between the stringers, do you mean just in the very center of the boat? Not on the outer side of the main stringers? I ask because I would consider doing that with some composite honey cone stuff for in between the center two main stringers for the extra support. Boat ran 75 gps last year and I am building another motor, always wanting more. I want mid 80s to 90 out of it eventually. I work alot, so I will not be fast with the progress and updates but I will be reporting progress as I have learned alot from reading other peoples threads.

thanks for the help!

 

[lenmann]

Lenmann, I have been meaning to ask you why you choose vinyl ester resin vs polyester resign for your Schiada. Where did you buy most of your supplies from. I have a project I will be taking on shortly. Thanks Jon

Hey Jon,

All of the glass work on my RC was done with Vinyl Ester resin because it has better adhesion and strength properties than polyester resin. At 41 years old the hull needs all the help it can get, on top of that I am shooting for a 100+ mph boat so a little extra safety seemed worth the extra 2-3x in cost.

On the glass supplies side I use a couple of different suppliers depending on what and when I need it.

If you were still in CA I would recommend SherFab in Ontario and RevChem in Bloomington. Now that you are in the Southeast I would recommend Express Composites up in Minneapolis. Their prices are great, they are very DIY friendly, and have great support staff.

Home Page

Default Description

www.expresscomposites.com

If you need more info don't hesitate to ask, I'm happy to help any way I can.

 

[lenmann]

Lenmann, Thank you for the reply. I understand the wood will most likely out last me if I used it again but I also like the idea of the coosa board being lighter too. So on the Schiada's when you said they sometimes have balsa wood between the stringers, do you mean just in the very center of the boat? Not on the outer side of the main stringers? I ask because I would consider doing that with some composite honey cone stuff for in between the center two main stringers for the extra support. Boat ran 75 gps last year and I am building another motor, always wanting more. I want mid 80s to 90 out of it eventually. I work alot, so I will not be fast with the progress and updates but I will be reporting progress as I have learned alot from reading other peoples threads.

thanks for the help!

Alright, so weight management her cousin speed are objectives. Good to know. It is important because structural integrity of the hull matters more the faster you go. 80's, 90's and sneaking up on a 100 mph are way beyond what the original structure and lamination schedule of your hull were intended for. On top of that, your hull is 41 years old, rode hard and put up wet. I believe your plan to go to a four stringer set-up is the right direction safety wise, but keep in mind my experience is limited to one Schiada v-drive. There are lots of expert jet boat resources here on RDP and in SoCal that you should to reach out to for expert guidance.

Names like Greg Shoemaker at GS Marine and @jetboatperformance here on RDP come to mind. I am sure there are others, you may want to consider posting in the "Just Jets" section here on RDP to get some more relevant input.

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, Ca Your Performance Boat Headquarters

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, California Your Performance Boat Headquarters / Greg Shoemaker / Kurtis Kraft Boats

gsmarine.us

On the balsa coring subject, on Schiada's depending on the floor layout, the balsa can be used in the area between the main stringers, between the inner and outer stringers, and between the outboard stringers and the chine. When laminating core material, be it plywood as in your original hull, balsa, Divinycell foam, or honeycomb, the core structure with glass and resin on both sides, adds substantial stiffness to the hull in a very weight efficient manner. On top of the structural benefit, balsa coring has a very "classic" look that fits well with boats like minean maybe yours depending on what aesthetic you are after.

Here is a pic of partial open stringer Schiada hull with balsa in all three open areas and on the floors.

 

[jmeads]

Hey Jon,

All of the glass work on my RC was done with Vinyl Ester resin because it has better adhesion and strength properties than polyester resin. At 41 years old the hull needs all the help it can get, on top of that I am shooting for a 100+ mph boat so a little extra safety seemed worth the extra 2-3x in cost.

On the glass supplies side I use a couple of different suppliers depending on what and when I need it.

If you were still in CA I would recommend SherFab in Ontario and RevChem in Bloomington. Now that you are in the Southeast I would recommend Express Composites up in Minneapolis. Their prices are great, they are very DIY friendly, and have great support staff.

Home Page

Default Description

www.expresscomposites.com

If you need more info don't hesitate to ask, I'm happy to help any way I can.

Thank you Sir, just the information I was looking for !

 

[jetboatperformance]

Alright, so weight management her cousin speed are objectives. Good to know. It is important because structural integrity of the hull matters more the faster you go. 80's, 90's and sneaking up on a 100 mph are way beyond what the original structure and lamination schedule of your hull were intended for. On top of that, your hull is 41 years old, rode hard and put up wet. I believe your plan to go to a four stringer set-up is the right direction safety wise, but keep in mind my experience is limited to one Schiada v-drive. There are lots of expert jet boat resources here on RDP and in SoCal that you should to reach out to for expert guidance.

Names like Greg Shoemaker at GS Marine and @jetboatperformance here on RDP come to mind. I am sure there are others, you may want to consider posting in the "Just Jets" section here on RDP to get some more relevant input.

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, Ca Your Performance Boat Headquarters

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, California Your Performance Boat Headquarters / Greg Shoemaker / Kurtis Kraft Boats

gsmarine.us

On the balsa coring subject, on Schiada's depending on the floor layout, the balsa can be used in the area between the main stringers, between the inner and outer stringers, and between the outboard stringers and the chine. When laminating core material, be it plywood as in your original hull, balsa, Divinycell foam, or honeycomb, the core structure with glass and resin on both sides, adds substantial stiffness to the hull in a very weight efficient manner. On top of the structural benefit, balsa coring has a very "classic" look that fits well with boats like minean maybe yours depending on what aesthetic you are after.

Here is a pic of partial open stringer Schiada hull with balsa in all three open areas and on the floors.

View attachment 915358

THAT FLOOR IT BEAUTIFUL !!!

 

[lenmann]

THAT FLOOR IT BEAUTIFUL !!!

Not my boat by the way, but I hope mine ends up that nice.

IIRC it is a pic of @FrznJim 's RC

 

[todsme]

i have a friend with a 21ft. Mr Ed. Ford 460 packajet. Berkeley(obviously) pump. Same hull design as a Spectra .way up in Clearlake,Ca. Finishing my restore on my 79' Eliminator. Can't buy another toy.

Alright, so weight management her cousin speed are objectives. Good to know. It is important because structural integrity of the hull matters more the faster you go. 80's, 90's and sneaking up on a 100 mph are way beyond what the original structure and lamination schedule of your hull were intended for. On top of that, your hull is 41 years old, rode hard and put up wet. I believe your plan to go to a four stringer set-up is the right direction safety wise, but keep in mind my experience is limited to one Schiada v-drive. There are lots of expert jet boat resources here on RDP and in SoCal that you should to reach out to for expert guidance.

Names like Greg Shoemaker at GS Marine and @jetboatperformance here on RDP come to mind. I am sure there are others, you may want to consider posting in the "Just Jets" section here on RDP to get some more relevant input.

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, Ca Your Performance Boat Headquarters

G.S. Marine Inc Norco, California Your Performance Boat Headquarters / Greg Shoemaker / Kurtis Kraft Boats

gsmarine.us

On the balsa coring subject, on Schiada's depending on the floor layout, the balsa can be used in the area between the main stringers, between the inner and outer stringers, and between the outboard stringers and the chine. When laminating core material, be it plywood as in your original hull, balsa, Divinycell foam, or honeycomb, the core structure with glass and resin on both sides, adds substantial stiffness to the hull in a very weight efficient manner. On top of the structural benefit, balsa coring has a very "classic" look that fits well with boats like minean maybe yours depending on what aesthetic you are after.

Here is a pic of partial open stringer Schiada hull with balsa in all three open areas and on the floors.

View attachment 915358

water skis. Suzanne Somers.