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Man. this is what you call getting into your boat.
gddaven I just took a look at your pictures and I am very impressed. What a job you have undertook. That new transom saver is something else. Did you have it made or did you do it yourself? It sure looks like it will do the job without any problems. I have seen the SS stringer under the tank before and know what kind of problems it can cause. I have also seen the t top tubing split due to freezing. I have seen the upper tubes freez and crack from where water had got into them where holes have been drilled for antenna mounts and other things. Most of the older t top tube connections are just butt welded and will trap water. Any holes should be sealed when mounting anything on t tops.
Be sure to chack, if you haven't all ready, the two void areas that your gas tank sets on for water. If you have ever seen water coming out of the SS stringer bolt / gob areas then you have water in them. There is a void area on each side of the stringer. They will hold a lot more water than you think. I drilled a 1 3/8" hole on each side of the stringer just aft of the gas tank and vacuumed out about 40 gallons of water. The water got in through the stringer/bolt/gob area. I used spin weld plugs to seal the holes back. This water will not come out through a inner hull drain.
You had mentioned installing new type of plugs in your through hull fish box drains. If you do, look up through them and see if you can see any foam. These drains have caused people a lot of problems by allowing water to get into the inner hull. I have welded tubes in several boat that people had drilled into the foam area.
Just one more thing about the gas smell in the boat. Check the fill nozzle and hose connections in the gunnel, where you put the gas in when you fill up. I have seen leaks at the hose connections. Is the chain still on the gas cap? If not, check and see if the screw that anchors the chain to the fill nozzle is still screwed in. If it is not in place the screw hole can let gas get into the gunnel and the plastic sleeve that the hoses are wraped in while filling the boat on some early model boats.
Keep up the good work and keep us informed about how things are going. I think that your pictures are going to help so many people have a better understanding about their boats and what can be done to fix and make things better. Great Job and best of luck, Bob
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