NWVintage
New Member
- May 29, 2020
- 2
- Boat Info
- 1988 Seville Cuddy "Sea Squirrel"
2018 Colorado Crew Cab Z71 D-max
- Engines
- 4.3 Mercruiser
Original 2bbl top
Newer Vortec block
Alpha One
Ahoy!
New here but not new to boating nor fixing old boats. As the title suggests, I have a 1988 Seville 21CC and I discovered some rot. Well, I knew about most of it but I've become more concerned about it. It has some weird patterns to it - like it's in some places but not in others where I'd expect it - so, I have some questions about where these boats have a tendency to rot/collect water and where I should look to determine whether I can get this season out of it safely and dig in this fall.
First, where are the characteristic places that these things rot? There's some softness and slight separation around the bottom 1/4 of the transom hole but it it'll be fine for this year - plenty of good wood. What has started to concern me is that there is pretty significant rot all along the edge of the sole where the gas tank cover screws in. In fact, that whole edge along the gas tank is pretty rotten and the glass was done VERY poorly along this whole edge. I wasn't too concerned about that until I found out that the stringers are apparently wood...? Why would they do that in the late 80's ?!! I had assumed that a brand with a rep like Sea Ray would have been 90% glass by that point (my '78 GlasPly has glass/foam stringers...). Anyway, I also tore out that stupid cooler-under-the-seat thing because I put a wrench through it while I was unbolting the starboard engine mount and found out how unintelligently that was constructed as well and the floor is pretty rotten under there as well. Another weird thing I found is that there's full foam under the sole under the cooler thing but there doesn't appear to be any in front of the bulkhead that's just aft of the gas tank - the sole has separated enough that I can slip a hand under there and it appears to be hollow...?
I'm concerned about the overall structural integrity of the boat.
What are the stringers made out of? How are they arranged? What density foam was used? Why the heck is wood involved? How did Sea Ray get such a great rep with such cut-corner fiberglass work?
I watched some of a rebuild vlog the other day of a 1995 and he had his out of all plywood. Sort of a stringer/bulkhead matrix of 1/2" plywood, then plywood over the top, foam through holes, glass over top. Here's the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqz13HCBRHihm2L883-7UlA. If that's all they are, I'll likely just dig in. But also, if that's all they are, isn't the glass alone likely structural support enough even if the wood is 40% rotten?
Before, I get this response - yes, I've started my research on here and I'm aware that these questions are all likely answered elsewhere. However, links to some of the better threads would be great and I intend to keep this thread going throughout the process. I'll also answer my own questions as I find them. And I'll post photos in a bit. I
I'd put a link here to my build thread from my last boat but the boat was from a smaller manufacturer and someone allowed us to lose the domain where the forum was hosted for a short time and all was lost...
New here but not new to boating nor fixing old boats. As the title suggests, I have a 1988 Seville 21CC and I discovered some rot. Well, I knew about most of it but I've become more concerned about it. It has some weird patterns to it - like it's in some places but not in others where I'd expect it - so, I have some questions about where these boats have a tendency to rot/collect water and where I should look to determine whether I can get this season out of it safely and dig in this fall.
First, where are the characteristic places that these things rot? There's some softness and slight separation around the bottom 1/4 of the transom hole but it it'll be fine for this year - plenty of good wood. What has started to concern me is that there is pretty significant rot all along the edge of the sole where the gas tank cover screws in. In fact, that whole edge along the gas tank is pretty rotten and the glass was done VERY poorly along this whole edge. I wasn't too concerned about that until I found out that the stringers are apparently wood...? Why would they do that in the late 80's ?!! I had assumed that a brand with a rep like Sea Ray would have been 90% glass by that point (my '78 GlasPly has glass/foam stringers...). Anyway, I also tore out that stupid cooler-under-the-seat thing because I put a wrench through it while I was unbolting the starboard engine mount and found out how unintelligently that was constructed as well and the floor is pretty rotten under there as well. Another weird thing I found is that there's full foam under the sole under the cooler thing but there doesn't appear to be any in front of the bulkhead that's just aft of the gas tank - the sole has separated enough that I can slip a hand under there and it appears to be hollow...?
I'm concerned about the overall structural integrity of the boat.
What are the stringers made out of? How are they arranged? What density foam was used? Why the heck is wood involved? How did Sea Ray get such a great rep with such cut-corner fiberglass work?
I watched some of a rebuild vlog the other day of a 1995 and he had his out of all plywood. Sort of a stringer/bulkhead matrix of 1/2" plywood, then plywood over the top, foam through holes, glass over top. Here's the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqz13HCBRHihm2L883-7UlA. If that's all they are, I'll likely just dig in. But also, if that's all they are, isn't the glass alone likely structural support enough even if the wood is 40% rotten?
Before, I get this response - yes, I've started my research on here and I'm aware that these questions are all likely answered elsewhere. However, links to some of the better threads would be great and I intend to keep this thread going throughout the process. I'll also answer my own questions as I find them. And I'll post photos in a bit. I
I'd put a link here to my build thread from my last boat but the boat was from a smaller manufacturer and someone allowed us to lose the domain where the forum was hosted for a short time and all was lost...
