Sleekcraft SST Project: Turning a $500 POS into Gold, Video Build Series

**ADDvanced** · 05-23-2021, 12:02 PM

So I picked up this SST last year...

Second vid just dropped a few minutes ago:

I have an aggressive goal to help spur progress, aiming for July.

Terrible news:

**ADDvanced** · 05-24-2021, 09:34 AM

Got a comment to not use wood for the stringer, and use a composite. Started researching and found coosa... but it looks like they only sell 4x8 sheets. Is there a company that makes composite stringers in longer lengths?

**Pulse186** · 05-24-2021, 01:20 PM

Wood is fine imho, if it is fully encapsulated and the boat is kept dry it will last as long as the boat will.

The wood floor in my checkmate is exposed underneath but the boat was stored indoors and kept dry when being used so the floor is still solid. It is a 1992 so not bad for 29 years.

**ADDvanced** · 05-24-2021, 09:37 PM

Eh, I abandoned that idea, found out a 4x4' sheet of 1.5" coosa is $250 or so. Pass. I have a giant 12' 2x8 that's been drying on my wood rack for the past year that'll be perfect for this.

**ADDvanced** · 05-25-2021, 10:10 AM

Purpleheart

**282** · 05-25-2021, 11:05 AM

Great looking boat, nice to see it getting restored.

**ADDvanced** · 05-25-2021, 04:25 PM

So my plan was to use a pressure treated 2x8, 12' long. I bought it last july, and it's been on my wood rack in my garage, with a dehumdifier that runs pretty much 24-7 and keeps it at 30 humidity. Plan was to cut a piece off an test it with a moisture meter. I could also start dragging it outside and leave in the sun to see if that helps. Last time I used normal lumber, but I figured if I dried it out enough it'd be okay. Thoughts?

**Riverratt** · 05-25-2021, 05:01 PM

I was always told not to use pressure treated because they say glass does not bond to it properly but you might be fine with it since it is dry and not water soaked off the shelf.

**CUDA** · 05-26-2021, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by Forkin' Crazy

Don't bother. He is a MORON that won't listen to anyone. Let him carry on with his stupidity!!! He's good at it! He already deleted posts where I was trying to help him...

Diminishing returns is what I call him.

Typical Paul...back to grade school.

**ADDvanced** · 05-26-2021, 09:58 AM

Yeah from what I've read the biggest issue with pressure treating is the moisture content... that said I'm not 100% sold on using the pressure treated lumber, especially since it is heavy. The idea of doing a lightweight stringer is appealing if it can take the abuse.

I found a place that sells 4x8 sheets of divinycell foam... which can be used for stringers, but I need about 12' of stringer, not 8'. I'm not sure how you'd make a solid 12' stringer out of a sheet 8' long. Ideas? Have to make decisions soon.

**CUDA** · 05-26-2021, 11:25 AM

The REAL strength comes from the 1208 or 1708 you cover them with not the foam itself

so splices are not a Issue
I had two light weight SST MVP race boats I bought from factory 600lb to 400lb are the race boats weight and I'll show you a picture of the way the hull was made for them.
That hull has so many angles It gives it great strength no need for over kill.

**ADDvanced** · 05-26-2021, 06:37 PM

Wow, that is a lot different than mine. You have so many steps, what year is that one? Also, you have wood on the tunnels?! Does it not have a floor?

**CUDA** · 05-26-2021, 09:27 PM

The old picture cut up was my old 400 lb race boat that I changed around to make my own version, the boat was the same color gel that yours is, I only showed you the hull layup because I copied what Sleekcraft did, to make a 400lb boat with strips of 1/2 Okoume plywood on floor and braces the transom was not finished (knee braces)
The race boat flipped and hit transom first and the only damage was a split in the bow because a large amount of water gushed under the deck when It landed, I did bare chest break the dash and a few ribs but the hull was in remarkable condition otherwise.
My nemesis back then had a built 350ci Chevy V drive In a local custom built V hull that was all Balsa cored It met a similar fate but when he crashed the boat disintegrated the guy who built it said my boat flexed where he said his was brittle ?

**ADDvanced** · 05-26-2021, 09:38 PM

So I finished gutting the rest of the stringer and floor, and decided to evaluate the transom a bit more closely this evening.

Because the splashwell is so deep, I'm thinking I need to separate the cap from the hull.

**Riverratt** · 05-27-2021, 08:17 PM

The person that redid my old Sleekcraft deleted the splashwell when they did the transom so they did not have to separate it. It looked good.

Originally Posted by ADDvanced

So I finished gutting the rest of the stringer and floor, and decided to evaluate the transom a bit more closely this evening.

Because the splashwell is so deep, I'm thinking I need to separate the cap from the hull.