DIY Boat Stringers

Stringers provide the structural integrity of a boat, functioning similarly to the trusses of a roof. If a stinger is damaged, oftentimes it is more simple and effective to simply replace the entire stringer rather than attempt to repair a portion of the existing one. This is particularly true if the core of the stringer is cracked or broken. Doing this yourself is a matter of building a core, affixing it to the hull and covering it with fiberglass. The entire process takes a few hours over the course of a couple of days.

Things You'll Need

  • 3/4-inch plywood board
  • Portable circular saw
  • Tape measure
  • Chalk line
  • Sander
  • 2 cinder blocks per stringer
  • Scissors
  • Fiberglass cloth
  • Fiberglass hardener and resin
  • Bucket
  • Stir stick
  • 4-inch foam paintbrush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the width of the hull 3 feet in front of the end of the stern. Record the measurement and take another measurement 3 feet in front of the first. Take a measurement every 3 feet until you reach the bow.

    • 2

      Cut strips of plywood 2 inches high and one equal to each of your measurements, using a chalk line and a portable circular saw. Round and soften the two edges of one side of each of the strips, with a sander.

    • 3

      Lay the stringers in the hull of the boat. Place them all on their unsanded edges in the bottom of the boat. Cut two strips of fiberglass cloth equal to the length of each of the stringers, every strip 9 inches wide.

    • 4

      Lay one strip of fiberglass over the top of each stringer. Center the cloth over the top of the stringer, so 2 inches rest on the hull of the boat on each side of the stringer. Place a cinder block on each side of each stringer to hold them in place. Mix the fiberglass hardener and resin in a bucket, according to the manufacturer's ratio specifications, and mix it with a stir stick.

    • 5

      Saturate the paintbrush with the resin and hardener mix. Dab the cloth of each stringer with the brush. Do not wipe the cloth or it with the brush, or it will bunch or tear. Simply touch the cloth with the brush until it becomes saturated. Allow the first layer or fiberglass cloth to cure for 12 hours.

    • 6

      Place a second layer of fiberglass cloth over each stringer and repeat the resin and hardener process.