How to Replace Boat Floor Supports

Changing out boat floor supports -- deck supports -- called stringers or transverse beams, may seem as if it requires a second person as grunt labor to support the support as it's being removed. If you can avoid that, though, there's no need to trouble your neighbor on the weekend to help you with the project. You simply need a way to cradle the beam as you remove it, one end at a time.

Things You'll Need

  • Screwdriver
  • 3/4-inch-by-4-inch-by-8 foot planks
  • Stove bolts and nuts
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Drill
  • 1/4-inch bit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the screws that hold the deck panels in place over the stringers you wish to remove, using a screwdriver. Move the deck panels off the boat.

    • 2

      Measure the height of the space below deck, from the floor to the top of the stringers and to the bottom of the stringers, with a measuring tape Cut one plank to each length, using a jigsaw. Drill three holes, equally spaced in through both, using a drill and 1/4-inch bit. Bolt the two planks together with stove bolts, using an adjustable wrench, to form a "stringer crutch."

    • 3

      Cut a third piece of wood, 10 inches long. Place this piece of wood so that one end is even with the end of the longer plank on the crutch. Drill a hole through all three planks and bolt the three together loosely so the short plank can be rotated around the bolt.

    • 4

      Place the stringer crutch under the center of the stringer you plan to remove. Twist the short plank up to lock the stringer in the crutch. Tighten the bolt. Remove the bolts from the ends of the stringer you wish to remove, using the crutch to support the stringer. Move the stringer off the boat.

    • 5

      Move the new stringer into the boat. Use the crutch to balance the new stringer as you bolt one end and then the other in place. Set the deck panels in place and secure.