New Owner, Soft Spots vs Normal Wear

I recently aquired a 1995 Hydrodyne with 900 hours. The boat is in great condition! A little TLC and I had it running and have put 13 hours on it. Its solid. I do have a few soft spots around the drivers seat and observor seat. I checked the stringers with a screwdriver and it was solid, couldnt even get the screw driver out in the few areas where I tapped it in! I am thinking maybe normal wear and tear from heavy use areas where the floor is soft? Is this common?

One spot in the stringer on the drivers side back appears to have some rot around the blower port that the blower hose runs into, thats really the only bad spot I can find. How big of a problem is this? Am I looking at a complete stringer job? The floor is a lot softer in this area and the bracket that holds the floor panel is loose only on this side. Below are a few pics of the problem areas. I have read and searched and I think I may be ok for awhile, but am not 100% sure. The engine area has a metal frame attached around the stringers and all of those bolts are solid and tight.

You are asking a question that is hard at best to answer. If you are seeing areas of rot, then it is nearly certain it is going to require a stringer job at some point. It also sounds like you jammed a screwdriver into the wood. I would recommend putting something on that to keep it from being a water intrusion location. After that it comes down to how much risk you are willing to take. It might last a couple more seasons & it might shift and screw up alignment next time out. I certainly can't say for sure. Based on your description with mostly solid stringers and what sounds like an engine frame, it should last a little while longer. I wouldn't push it, though. Plan on working on it soon.

What is the pvc pipe in the picture?

Lol yes the PVC is exhaust, it works, it was like that when I got it. I paid 1200 for the boat with trailer, so I have a little to work with , someone broke a tracking fin off. I have done a fair share of glass work dealing with stand ups and fixed it right up. :) I have checked the stringers in every spot I can and that is the only bad area I can find.

BWalt302 wrote: What do you mean alignment? Do you mean stringers separating from the hull? Should I keep an eye on the shaft? The shaft is center in the tunnel right now. Are there any other symptoms I should watch out for when taking it out? Thanks for the quick response.

Brandon,
The shaft being centered is not an indication that the strut, shaft, log and engine are aligned. Considering the soft spots in the stringers, I highly recommend you check the alignment before getting it out on the water.

dwouncmd wrote: With PVC under the water line, if it fails, you will probably sink the boat; .

BWalt302 wrote: I paid 1200 for the boat with trailer,

It wouldn't be that bad of a loss!

Oh stop scaring the kid.

PVC was used almost exclusively by centurion on all their budget boats for a very long time. Good chance what he is looking at is factory from Hydrodyne

Even seen CC install 4" to 3" PVC reducers on a 454HO for a customer that wanted it to be on the quiet side for early morning runs.

That said, The PVC tubes do sound awful, like blue man group on meth. And less tolerant of being without water. And PVC burns pretty good.

Corrugated hoses with or without fiberglass mufflers (recommended) sound much better and I concur, less sketchy and more industry standard.

Regarding floor rot, cutting out the bad stuff should be a priority to get back to good wood, as it accelerates very fast. Coat the good raw wood now exposed, with epoxy. If your a good wood smith, the floor and the patch can be made with 45 degree bevels with a router, seams that overlap each other. , full coat of epoxy to seal edges, and if it truly is just a spot, you can halt its demise and be very solid for many years.

Keep your boat dry as possible with a quality cover

Motor mount lags solid and don't spin endlessly? good sign.

Can you turn the propshaft easlily by hand? If not the engine is misaligned, and after correcting, if your chasing the alignment every month, could be an indicator of things going soft.

Alignment is the engine precisely centered and linear with the propshaft. A few thousanths of angular misalignment at the transmission/propshaft flanges, can cause the boat to shake and stress the output shaft bearing and fatigue the propshaft...

Once set right, things go smooth as silk.

Welcome to boating with a better quality boat than most, you're still a one percenter.
We all had to start somewhere, and we've all put time into boats that others would say are too far gone, much beyond yours, and made them suit our needs and economics for quite a spell, and applaud your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn from us.