12' Lone star semi-V with broken ribs....repair???s

[thacyko]

Hi!
I'm new to the Forums but not new to boating. I have a 12' Landau flat bottom boat. I power it with a Tohatsu 9.8. I recently acquired a 12' Lone star Little Fisherman. I plan on restoring the boat. The problem is that two of the stringers or keels are broken (see pictures). I think this was caused by the previous owner who put a 20hp outboard on the back. I am debating on what to do to fix this. One thought is to cut the transom out and move it 6" forward, This is a last resort since i think it'll me the biggest PIA. Second thought is to get some angle aluminum and reinforce all three and run the pieces about 3' up the bottom. and the third thought is to find a welding school and see if i can get a student to just weld them back together. Other then that the boat is in pretty good condition. I have removed the original wood from the transom, and am going to replace it with either wood, or starboard ( I noticed homedepot sells starboard now). Sand all the old paint off and give it a new white and red paint job. Thank you for your time and any input

 

[Skiffing]

It looks like you're missing one strake completely.

There should be four?

Hard to tell what caused this. Can you post more pictures showing the whole boat - in and out?

I would think if the cause was a 20 hp the cracks and bending would in the other direction - up into the hull - not the other way as the pictures show.

 

[thacyko]

No there are only 3.

 

[Johnny]

I have been looking over your issue here . . . . .

and trying to see what " I " would do if it were mine.
I think if I were doing it, I would remove the back damaged part of the strakes completely.
I have some 1/4" aluminum plate that I would cut to about 2 or 3" x 12" and rivet
or bolt that to the INSIDE of the hull (rounding over the sharp edges) and seal with a lot of 3M-5200 sealant.
Then, hammer down the amputated ends of the strakes just for cosmetics.
It is a small boat. Will not be under a lot of stress with a big outboard.
and you may or may not add a wood floor in the future that would provide more stability.
So I think that is how I myself would address the problem.

Then, after amputating the two broken strakes at the same points, just so they look good,
get your metal working tools and hammer out all those dimples and to make the bottom more
smooth and flat. On another thought, add the same piece of 1/4" plate to the middle strake
on the inside using the same rivet holes not only for cosmetics on the inside but to lend more
structure and support to the bottom.
If you can not find any thick aluminum, go to your Big Box Store to see what they have in their
metal bin. Last choice would be to buy a 4 foot aluminum yard stick and cut it to your desired length.
If you think one piece is not enough, double it up.

Jus my dos centavos

 

[thacyko]

Barefoot,

Thanks for the input, I didn't even think of putting ribs on the inside to reinforce the bottom.

A couple more questions: Are the original strakes watertight? Would i have to seal the repairs? is it critical to keep water out? and if so should i fill them with foam? Also did the original boat have calking or sealer on the riveted seams?

I think i may try to add some to the existing strakes first before cutting them and adding the ones inside.

Also i am removing all the added calk that a previous owner put on the seams, I might add G-flex epoxy to the seams to watertight them before painting. So far from reading through it looks like the wetlander paint is high recommended. Does it also help seal the seams? and would it work better then a traditional bottom hull paint.

THANKS,
David

 

[Johnny]

First of all - - - :WELCOME: to Tin Boats.

Before you get too crazy on your boat, I would suggest putting it on some
concrete blocks or very strong and sturdy saw horses and fill it with water to your estimated water line.
The obvious leaks can be temporarily sealed with Duct Tape on the inside and fixed later.
Put the boat up high enough so you can get your arm under it to mark the leaking rivets.
Then, with a helper, try to reset them, fill with water again - repeat as necessary until you are satisfied with results.
This will give you a starting point in your thought process to obtain the water tightness that we all like.
Good Luck !!

Attached photo is of my wife's 1236 V-Nosed flat bottom Jon. The strakes are pressed into the metal.
They are not separate pieces riveted on. Matter of fact, the only rivets were to hold the seats in place. Rest is welded.
I removed the seats and installed the 1-1/4 x 1-1/4" square tubing for the floor stiffeners and support the plywood floor.
This is when it was filled with water. I replaced over a hundred rivets and used a tube of 3M-5200 and have zero leaks.

 

[thacyko]

First of all - - - :WELCOME: to Tin Boats.

Before you get too crazy on your boat, I would suggest putting it on some
concrete blocks or very strong and sturdy saw horses and fill it with water to your estimated water line.
The obvious leaks can be temporarily sealed with Duct Tape on the inside and fixed later.
Put the boat up high enough so you can get your arm under it to mark the leaking rivets.
Then, with a helper, try to reset them, fill with water again - repeat as necessary until you are satisfied with results.
This will give you a starting point in your thought process to obtain the water tightness that we all like.
Good Luck !!

Thanks for the Welcome.

I do intent on filling it with water and fixing the leaks, but before i do that i wanted to fix the strakes. My other jon boat the strakes are also pressed in. So are the strakes on this lone star water tight? do you think it matters if water is in them? (I guess it does if i use it in saltwater)

The order im planning on doing
1.Fix the strakes (in the planning phase)
2.replace transom (havent decided on starboard or plywood)
3.fix leaks (Thinking the gflex on the seems and 5200 after)
4.paint the exterior two tone (either Alumi-koat or wetlander)
5. paint interior (alumi-koat with sand on the floor)
6. Make or buy a trailer
7. enjoy

 

[BloodStone]

..and the third thought is to find a welding school and see if i can get a student to just weld them back together.

This is the option I'd go with & have him (or her) reinforce the damaged areas with additional aluminum wherever & whenever possible (see if the welding instructor for the welding class could add his/her 2 cents in). No bolts/rivets, no goop & no leaking (IF it's welded correctly). Hard to beat welding for permanence.
Good luck!

 

[Johnny]

The strakes themselves are not designed to be water tight..... for reinforcement only.

On my 1959 Crestliner, it has the similar strakes as yours with a 1/4" hole drilled into
the back end of the strake to allow water to drain out.
Which makes sense if you ever use your boat in salt water. You sure don't want any
salt trapped inside the strake !!!!!

Document your progress with photos. Come back and share how your Emergency Room fixes go.