Why Nautique stopped using wood...

(lukeduke95) · (lukeduke95) **Join Date: May 2002** 04-02-2005, 1:11 PM

Cause they were too lazy to seal it correctly in the first place. (my boats an '88 2001)

So after cutting out the floor in the boat, I have been working on replacing the air tubes from those cheasy palstic/metal spiral ones with some good flexible plastic tubing. The way I figure it is any time water gets in the tubes, the way they route it up and down, it just ends up filling it up casue there is noway for the water to get out. Unless the tubes are cracked, which most likely they are cause they get pretty brittle in their old age.

So I have been digging the foam out, and where the foot rest is on the 2001's I found the official stop sealing the stingers line on the boat. Now I found a whole bunch of very damp and soft wood up there. Turns out, the bilge is sealed from the front to back just under the passenger seat area. this ends up trapping a lot of water in front of that area. even more when that seal leaks at a higher point than the low spot on the hull.

Now my project just got a whole lot bigger!!

Will post pics later.

(Message edited by lukeduke95 on April 02, 2005)

(luchog) · (luchog) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 04-02-2005, 2:33 PM

keep it updated, i'm interested!

(lukeduke95) · (lukeduke95) **Join Date: May 2002** 04-02-2005, 2:43 PM

Turns out, that the stingers dont go much farther, but for some reason there is no resin or glass on on the drivers side past a certain point. The pass side has it. Seems pretty odd. I wonder if it was a result of the bilge water eating away at the glass?

The main bilge is painted with some sort of gray paint, but past the "seal" it doesn't have anything and it turns out that the glass isn't looking all that great in that area. Seems like resin topcoat has been eaten away.

(luchog) · (luchog) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 04-03-2005, 7:20 AM

pics!! post pics!!
anyway I feel I have to say this... wood, aluminion, composites or wathever they put on boats... "at any appreciated marine craft water should be kept outside"

(swab791) · (swab791) **Join Date: Mar 2005** 04-03-2005, 7:27 AM

Welcome to the WORLD of Older Correct Crafts. Nice to find hidden stuff you did not know about. ALWAYS EXPLORE where you do not belong in the purchase of a boat.

(hillbilly) · (hillbilly) **Join Date: Aug 2002** 04-04-2005, 3:46 AM

Luke sorry to hear about your dilema. I fear I might be in your shoes as well. I have a soft spot by the passenger seat. When I pulled up the carpet it looks like the glass is lifting off of the wood? Mine is an 86 they should have similar floors correct? Thanks and good luck