When damaged or weakened stringers compromise your boat’s structure, we rebuild the foundation beneath your deck. Expert fiberglass stringer repair throughout Tampa Bay.
Stringers are the longitudinal structural members that run through the hull, supporting your deck, floors, engines and overall load. When stringers are damaged by water intrusion, rot, or stress, it can affect your boat’s performance and safety.
Moisture can break down wood or foam cores over time.
Layers can separate from impact, flex or age.
A spongy feeling can indicate failing stringers.
Repeated loads can cause cracks and structural fatigue.
Old or improper repairs can lose strength.
We fix and improve past repairs done the wrong way.
Stringers are the longitudinal members that run along the bottom of the hull from the transom to the forward bulkhead. They stiffen the hull and the transom, they carry the sole (the cockpit floor or lower deck), and on an inboard-powered boat the main engines sit on them. A stringer is a core wrapped in fiberglass. The core is what varies from builder to builder, and it is the core that fails first once water gets in.
From small repairs to full stringer replacement, we tailor the repair to your boat, its construction, and how you use it.
Thorough inspection to identify damage, moisture and structural concerns.
Most of a stringer is hidden under the deck, so we inspect by sound and feel as much as by sight. We tap along the hull and the stringer tops, take moisture readings, check for flex and stress cracks along the stringer lines and look into every accessible area, then explain what we found and the repair we recommend.
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Repair localized damage and restore strength.
When the damage is limited to one section and the core on either side is dry and sound, the whole stringer doesn’t need to come out. We open only as much deck as the repair needs, cut out the bad section, scarf in new core, and relaminate it so it ties back into the existing stringer and the hull.
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Complete removal and replacement of damaged stringers.
When rot has spread along the length of a stringer, replacing it is the stronger and more cost-effective repair. We remove the deck and the old stringer, grind and prepare the hull, then bond in new core and glass it to the hull with marine-grade fiberglass and resin. Major rebuilds like this are usually done at our Largo yard.
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Rebuild stringers that support engine and transmission loads.
On inboard boats the engines sit right on the stringers, so a rotted or cracked engine bed shows up as mounts that won’t stay aligned, extra vibration or flex. We support or remove the engine as needed, cut out the failed sections, and rebuild the beds with new core and laminate sized for the engine and transmission loads they carry.
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Replace rotted wood core or foam with marine-grade materials.
A stringer is a core wrapped in fiberglass, and the core is what fails first once water gets in. We open the glass, remove the rotted wood or failed foam, and replace it with marine-grade core, or upgrade to a rot-proof option such as high-density polyurethane board or a pourable structural compound, before glassing it back in.
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Rebuild and laminate with high-strength fiberglass and marine resin.
The fiberglass wrapped around a stringer is what ties it to the hull and carries the load, so it has to be laid up properly. We grind and clean the hull for a strong bond, then build up layers of fiberglass over the new core and onto the hull, matched to the load the stringer carries, before sealing the bay.
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Our team carefully inspects your boat’s structure to determine the extent of damage and the best repair method. We use a combination of visual inspection, tapping and listening, checking for flex, and inspecting all accessible areas.
We inspect the hull, stringers and surrounding structure.
Identify soft spots, moisture and delamination.
We recommend the right repair based on your boat and its construction.
You’ll get a clear explanation of the repair and next steps.
We follow proven fiberglass repair techniques and use high-quality, marine-grade materials to ensure a durable, long-lasting repair.
Remove the deck and damaged stringer material to expose solid structure.
Grind, clean and prepare the surface. Replace wood or foam core as needed.
Apply marine-grade fiberglass, resin and core materials to rebuild the stringer.
Fair the repair, seal the surfaces and prepare for reassembly.
You cannot see most of a stringer, so you listen to it. This is the check Captain Dave has done under hulls for decades, and you can do a rough version of it yourself with the boat on a trailer or on stands.
Tap the hull bottom firmly and listen. Where a stringer is bonded to the hull the tap sounds solid; between stringers it sounds different. The change in sound tells you where the stringers run.
Start at the transom and tap your way to the bow along each stringer. A hollow or dull thud over a stringer means the bond has let go or the core is wet, and that section needs repair.
While you tap, watch the hull. Any flexing, and any stress cracks in the gelcoat along the stringer lines, point to structure that is no longer doing its job.
Wherever a stringer is reachable from inside the boat, tap along its top and sides with the handle of a screwdriver and listen for the same change in sound. Hollow means repair.
If the hull is tight as a drum, with no serious deflection and no stress cracks in the gelcoat, the stringers are sound. If you hear or see anything in between, send us photos or bring the boat to the yard and we’ll check it properly.
Take a look at real fiberglass stringer repairs from boats we’ve worked on in Tampa Bay.
Before
During Repair
New Stringers
AfterOver 50 years of fiberglass repair experience. We handle structural fiberglass work from localized repairs to major rebuilds and proudly serve Tampa Bay, Largo, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and all of Pinellas County.
Stringers are the long structural beams that run fore and aft inside the hull. They stiffen the bottom, carry the deck and floor, and spread engine and wave loads across the hull. On most production boats they are wood or foam cores wrapped in fiberglass.
Common signs are a soft or flexing deck, cracks in the gelcoat along the floor or hull, water that keeps turning up in the bilge, engine mounts that won’t stay aligned, and a boat that pounds or flexes more than it used to. Moisture readings and a tap test during an inspection confirm it.
Often, yes. When damage is localized and the surrounding core is dry and sound, we cut out the bad section, scarf in new material and relaminate it. When rot has spread along the length of the stringer, full replacement is the stronger and more cost-effective repair. The inspection tells us which one you need.
It depends on how much of the deck has to come up and how far the damage runs. A localized repair can take days; a full stringer replacement on a larger boat can take several weeks. We give you a timeline with the repair plan, before any work starts.
Yes. We only open up as much of the deck as the repair needs, and access through hatches or inspection ports wherever we can. The rest of the boat stays as it is.
Both. We replace rotted wood with marine-grade core or upgrade to rot-proof composite or foam cores, then glass them in with marine resin and fiberglass matched to the load the stringer carries.
We come to you for inspections and many repairs across Largo, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and the rest of Pinellas County. Major stringer rebuilds are usually done at our Largo boat yard, where the boat can be supported and the work kept dry.
Based in Largo, Florida, we proudly serve boaters throughout Pinellas County, Tampa Bay and surrounding areas.
Send us photos of the damage or schedule an inspection and we’ll help determine the next step.
Have a soft or flexing deck, a stringer you’re worried about, need a quote, or ready to schedule? Fill out the form or give us a call — we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Your boat deserves the best, and we’re here to make it happen.
Tell us about your boat and the damage. We’ll get back to you quickly.
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