TO: Oldhouseboater

you had answered my post on the transom rot repair I posted on 09/01/05. One of the things you had mentioned was that perhaps the stringer could be "jacked back down". Would you please e-mail me with a way or type of method to do this. The stringer is raised only in the center of the boat on the galley side. I inspected the stringer along the entire length and it is pretty much solid and not rotted. (drilled small holes and punched around) All of the fiberglass is intact and not detached from the hull except in the front where the bulkhead is. The stringer in the engine area is solid and not detatched and the prop shaft does not wobble or run out of center. The floor in the rear of the cabin is not lifted and the floor in the front of the cabin near the stairs and refrigerator is actually level. The floor is only raised in front of the galley sink /oven cabinets. The stringer is definitely broken away from the front bulkhead which was not totally rotten but as far as I can see some solid & unrotted wood is broken (re-read my post of 09/01 concerning the damages) and there is some rotted wood. I would like to make an attempt at repairing this myself. This boat is in open mooring and actually will be in the water all this winter as I can not find anyone willing to pull her out now. (I have my own private dock) I do state the condition when asking for this service. I will have a 40ft trailer at my disposal in the spring with rungs the entire length and I will use it to pull the boat. Thanks in advance for your advice.

The bulkhead is a support to hold the stringer in position (down). I assume the lower portion of bulkhead rotted away allowing the stringer to raise out of position. Are you sure the stringer is solid? If so you may be able to bridge the area with 2 or 3 2X10s across the cabin and jack the stringer down and then replace the bulk head. This is probably best done out of the water with no upward pressure on that portion of the hull. It may be possible to do it in the water if you go slow.

Keep us informed.

That is the way, after reading your post more carfully I see that the bulkhead is gone but the sringer is not. That is unusual as it seems that particular stringer always raises due to rot. Yours is in reverse order. Take it out of the water it would make it much easier.