dlb88 Posted January 4, 2017 Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hi all. I am looking for some advice/suggestions as I contemplate cutting the floor out of my 1999 Pathfinder 15t to repair the blown-out stringers. It seems that stringer failure in all of these boats (the 15t and 17t) were very common in models prior to 2000. I am comfortable with cutting the floor out and re-building the stringers. My main question is, once the stringers have been rebuilt/replaced, what will be the best way to re-install the floor? As it seems now, the floor (cockpit sole) in these boats floats above the stringers - it doesn't come into contact with them. Once the floor is cut out from the 1-piece cap, though, it will need to have something to support it underneath when it's re-installed (i.e. the stringers will need to be re-built higher). I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to go about this project. I welcome any and all advice/guidance/suggestions, hopefully some of you out there have first-hand experience with these tunnel hulls. Also, if anyone knows what MBG did to correct the 15t and 17t stringer failure issue, it'd be great to know so I can try and duplicate it Thanks so much all, and regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 Don't know anything about the 15T but will follow your project because I like this kind of stuff. Got some questions; how high or tall are the stringers? What kind of stringer failure are we talking about? Did the stringers separate from the hull or did the stringers just fracture like breaking a bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 I suggest you contact Bob @ Inshoremarine in Pompano...he's rebuilt several "T"'s and can help you with ideas. dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlb88 Posted January 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 13 hours ago, SCFD rtrd. said: Don't know anything about the 15T but will follow your project because I like this kind of stuff. Got some questions; how high or tall are the stringers? What kind of stringer failure are we talking about? Did the stringers separate from the hull or did the stringers just fracture like breaking a bone. I haven't don't any measurements yet (delaying cutting out the floor... I like fishing on my boat a lot more than I like working on it), but the outboard stringers are taller than the central 'stringer' which is really more of a hull stiffener (it conforms to the curve of the tunnel in the hull bottom). I'll attach some pics for reference. The pics are NOT of my boat, but is the exact situation I'm dealing with, and the same model boat. The outboard stringers are maybe (off the top of my head) 8" tall, and there is a several inch gap between the tops of the stringers and the underside of the deck. This is what's presenting the problem when I go to re-install the deck - I'll have to build the new stringers taller so that the deck can rest on them when I put it back in. As far as the failure, the stringers that are in there completely blew out - fractures from top to bottom like a broken bone, lateral splintering, etc. The bond to the hull actually looks to be fairly well intact. It's just the laminate on the stringers themselves that failed. Makes you wonder if the whole thing was a supply issue - to my knowledge Pathfinder used the Prisma pre-form foam core stringers in these boats. Not sure if they're used in any other MBG boats. Could have even been a defective batch of resin... who knows. Thanks for the replies guys. Here's a link to another forum on my project, which goes into a little more design detail. http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/811375-advice-suggestions-pathfinder-15t-stringer-rebuild.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted January 5, 2017 Report Share Posted January 5, 2017 One of the guys in the THT post had a great idea of how to support the floor. He says, "glass in marine plywood to the lip of the floor that is left after cutting the center part of the floor out". I'm not a glass guy, but it makes since. If you cut a strip of plywood wide enough to secure to the outside edge or perimeter of the floor and leave about 2" overhanging to support the part of the floor you removed. He suggest using clamps to hold the material and then screw through the floor into the plywood. After the glassing-in part is done, remove the screws. Then do your magic to blend the floor joints together and that hides the screw holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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