Boat sitting low in the water..

[winstonwilliams]

I have a '82 S&S that I bought a few years ago and love it! Last year I was getting the boat ready for the season and noticed that the floor was soft behind the drivers seat. I took the seat out pulled the carpet back and cut a small section of the rotten floor out.. I did notice that there was a fair about of old stagnant water under the floor. I guess these compartments were designed to be airtight and filled with foam. I sucked the water up in my shop vac and filled the rest of the opening with spray in foam. Then I laid new plywood and epoxied over the entire thing. Then I put the carpet back down and remounted the seat and went out skiing for the season!

But over the winter I have been thinking that if all the "closed compartments" under the floor are full of water that might be why my boat is sitting a little low in the water.. I was gonna pull back the carpet and drill a two inch hole in each "closed compartment" just to check if there is anymore water under the floor and then glass over each hole and lay the carpet back down. But I am unsure of where the stringer are under the floor. I can find them but I was hoping someone had a picture of an open floor of a 82 or had the measurements of the stringers. Thanks for your help

[Bellinghamster]

I don't think there were any change between 78 and 82 S&S's, although it sounds like maybe more foam in yours.
My '78 S&S outboard stringers were 1/2 way between inboard stringers and the inside of the hull sides.
The only foam under the floor in was a foam 4x4 (2 2x4's) glassed to the outboard sides of my outboard stringers as can be seen in the "before" pic.

[winstonwilliams]

Looks like quite project! Thanks for the pictures... But I think the stringers must have been different from the 78 to the 82 because when I cut that small section of floor out there were stringers going the other direction too (In other words perpendicular to the ones that you have on your boat). Thanks again but does anyone have pictures from a 82 or any other close years

[BrandonKTM]

I have an old MC brochure from like 1983 and it shows solid foam under floorbaords either side of bilge cavity. If I recall correctly, my 84 S & S "floorboards" are really fiberglas encapsulating the foam on either side of the bilge, and you can't get into that area short of cutting the 'glas. That feature was used as a selling point, kind of like a Boston Whaler, that you can cut up into pieces, and the pieces don't sink.

[454Prostar190]

I don't think there were any change between 78 and 82 S&S's, although it sounds like maybe more foam in yours.
My '78 S&S outboard stringers were 1/2 way between inboard stringers and the inside of the hull sides.
The only foam under the floor in was a foam 4x4 (2 2x4's) glassed to the outboard sides of my outboard stringers as can be seen in the "before" pic.

There's no access to underneath the bow in this boat? My '82 is open underneath the bow and has fresh air ducting for the motor box. The after pictures look great!

[Twista]

I am having a similer issue with my 82. It sits low on the right side. I have softs spots as well. I think I am going to have it rewooded and fiberglassed on both sides. I was told never to mess with the foam it is very expensive. I will do some before and after pics.