www.iFourWinns.com

Hi, I have an 85 Santara 235 and the "cradle" that holds the gas tank is rotted as well as other sections of the deck. How long do you think it would take a skilled person (not me) to: rebuild cradle, re-install gas tank, and lay a new floor over the old with proper bracing and attachment? Anybody have experience with Okoume marine plywood? Thanks, sorry if too vague, but my boatyard quoted me MANY MANY hours to do this and I'm trying to get a ballpark $.

A rotted deck in a wood cored fiberglass boat, is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. If the deck and the framing around around the gas tank is rotted, there is a very good chance the stringers that run from the transom to the bow are rotted too. This becomes a very big job, ripping out the deck, removing the engine, gas tank, etc, all the floatation foam. I had to do something similar, cut the deck out from the engine compartment forward to in front of the helm seats. I ripped out all the foam myself and had a 'glass shop do the stringers. I replaced the foam, installed a new deck and made new mounts for the gas tank out of mahogany. I had the 'glass shop glass in the new deck and coat it in non skid gelcoat. Even doing some of it myself it took a while and cost a fair bit. But the boat was built stronger than it was new and it was a worthwhile project, if not in financial terms but the satisfaction of doing part of it yourself.
This job could easily top $5000 if all that needs to be done. If you want to do it yourself google up frisco jarrets, he has done several boats over and has a youtube channel where he clearly shows what has to be done. Not for the faint of heart.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

On my previous boat, I have been through that repair before also, and I think LouC is right on the money. I was also thinking $4000 to $6000 for that job.

I hope you are not dealing with a big marina that charges $100/hr. I had work done by a father & son fiberglass shop and got good workmanship for a fair price.

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings