Quicksilver 380 hd- Advice wanted

[The Gurnard]

Hi again Mike..based on the fact that I own one... know the Quicksilver boats and how they go together...work regularly with wood .. Im going to stick my neck out and say .. don’t waste more good money thinking a routed piece of hardwood will work.

However I have not made a wooden stringer..so if Fenlander has made one in the shape of the quicksilver one .. and it worked..then Im sure it will work for you too

IMO..the hardwood would splinter and break the first wave you went over.. due to the profile .. the slot in the side of the stringer .. required to fit the aluminium face plate on the floorboard will weaken the hardwood..and hardwood from my experience ..is very expensive and in thin sections.. splinters easily. Of course that is my opinion only.. feel free to go with the majority vote.

If I was in your position.. I would put thick tape over the edges of the aluminium trim on the floorboards... or possibly..better still..a piece of old hose pipe slit long ways ....if i couldn’t get proper plastic trim from B&Q or somewhere like that..that will cover the sharp edges on the floors. Put the floor in place.. blow up the tubes to pressure ..and bolt a piece of 1.5” square wood..soft or hard wood ..your choice.. along the stringer position length ..but inside the aluminium trims. That would hold your floor rigid..and the old hose pipe would protect your tubes from sharp edges. You could devise the bolts so you can unscrew them to disassemble the boa.

However the best thing would be to order the correct parts.. but that depends how flush you are and how you want to use the boat.

I cant get you an end profile as my boat is permanently set up and has too much internal junk..like consoles ..to take floors out...except at end of season. But here is the best view I can show..and in blue I have drawn a rough profile. The thickness below the slot is only a couple of mm.. hard wood would splinter very easily there.





Best of luck with the SIB.. I would have it in the water tomorrow if it were mine..and it would cost me around a quid or so for bolts..I have plenty scrap wood in my shed...and a bit of old hose

[Fenlander]

If Mike is going to have this left inflated on a trailer then the Gurnard DIY ideas would be fine... good lateral thinking... but there is the leeway in what was paid to get this sorted properly (which in truth is new Quicksilver parts) to retain its future saleability.

There are woods that will make stringers. I used the term hardwood but lets just say the correct wood. Think of vintage aircraft props, cricket bats... in my case vintage hay mower drive cranks and hay baler packers... and of course the older Zodiacs and Avons that came with wooden stringers when new (!)... all take large shock forces with quite thin sections.

In my SIB experience it was a wood floor Avon that was sold new with alloy stringers but it had replacements in wood made by a local woodworking shop. Just need the correct wood type and grain orientation.


BTW Gurnard you were mentioned a few times over the last couple of weeks... when we spent time holidaying based on Loch Sween.... kept looking for the small lochside camp with inflatable drawn up nearby as we motored round the isllands.... few Kayak guys doing that but no sibbers.

[The Gurnard]

Hi Fenlander..I would have loved to join you for a day on Loch Sween.. its a lovely part of the world and I have SIBbed it quite a few times. Its the only place I have seen small black starfish.. which as you know.. litter the seabed in abundance.





I could spend the full day just drifting on the tide behind Taynish Island beside the old boathouse. Otters are often seen here as the love to scoff the large sea urchins found in that area.





I get mesmerised just watching all the different seaweeds ..colours and patterns pass as I drift over them in that channel. But you are right..I have not seen many Sibs there ? Plenty kayaks though





Unfortunately I had a fall on the hills and have spent the last two or three weeks nursing a damaged knee and cracked ribs.. so have been lying low..feeling sorry for myself.

But Im off this weekend to SIB and wild camp Loch Etive .. I just need to keep off the serious walking or humfing heavy engines around...so taking someone along to do the heavy work


There are not many suitable wild camp spots on Loch Sween.. although I used to anchor the wee hardshell among the faerie isles and slept on it there. I intend one day landing and camping on Eilean Mor to visit the old chapel and camp over night there..its right at the entrance to Loch Sween.. cant recall but there may even be a bothy there now too ?

Anyhoo..my rambling doesn’t help the stringer problem. Think I would get the boat going ..even on a temporary basis..just to check out the engine..before spending any more on new stringers etc. Hopefully it is in better condition than the boat ? but first.. I would report the sale as not fit for purpose and let the seller worry about the missing parts. He knew enough about his boat to write ... “is fully operational and functions as intended... Very good condition and extremely sturdy.” So for him to then say he didn’t know it needed stringers sounds totally out of order to me ?

[Nick Hearne]

I have some experience in wood and agree with Gurnard wood is not a sutible replacement for this part, for what you paid that engine is worth more on its own but that is not the point I would be getting replacement parts and asking for the money! BUT I would be a bit carful as the vender might refund you the money and have the boat back as it sold for way less than I would expect!

Originally Posted by Fenlander

If Mike is going to have this left inflated on a trailer then the Gurnard DIY ideas would be fine... good lateral thinking... but there is the leeway in what was paid to get this sorted properly (which in truth is new Quicksilver parts) to retain its future saleability.

There are woods that will make stringers. I used the term hardwood but lets just say the correct wood. Think of vintage aircraft props, cricket bats... in my case vintage hay mower drive cranks and hay baler packers... and of course the older Zodiacs and Avons that came with wooden stringers when new (!)... all take large shock forces with quite thin sections.

In my SIB experience it was a wood floor Avon that was sold new with alloy stringers but it had replacements in wood made by a local woodworking shop. Just need the correct wood type and grain orientation.


BTW Gurnard you were mentioned a few times over the last couple of weeks... when we spent time holidaying based on Loch Sween.... kept looking for the small lochside camp with inflatable drawn up nearby as we motored round the isllands.... few Kayak guys doing that but no sibbers.

[Quicksilver mike]

I tested the engine last night and it was running 100%

In terms of following up with then ebay seller, my bid of £845 won the auction however he only took £800 from me, and gave me a gallon on 2 stroke oil so bearing this in mind Im not going to go down the route of pursuing the seller the through ebay.

Regarding the dilemma of timber vs quicksilver joiners. We have a couple of joiners who work in the same firm as I do who can do the wood work for free if I supply the timber so this is quite tempting. However I am conscious of the risk of damaging the boat as identified on here.

So now I am really torn as to what I should do but I want to get using the boat asap.

[Fenlander]

Really not sure why some folks are so down on wooden stringers... if I was doing this on a budget it would be my way. After all my old Zodiac in the attached images had them... and they were still good at 40yrs old.... and it was a 3.1m rated to 25hp.

[dave3235]

Hi all

What do you guys think of using marine ply for stringers,is this an option

[The Gurnard]

Perhaps the profile of the Avon Sibs stringers are thicker Fendander ? I still suspect that part.. approx 2mm “under flange” on the quicksilver stringer might very well splinter off if made of wood ?



Of course it may not either..but Mike..my worry would not be damage to your boat..but more ..what if you don’t have the correct wood ... or the profile is slimmer than the Avon stringer.



If the bottom lip splinters off when the sea turns from a flat calm into a meter or more wave..(it happens in seconds and catches us all out).. your SIB comes off the top of a wave..slams into the trough.. your wooden stringer under flange splinters off.. this allows the stringer comes out of position .. your floor collapses.. would you and your family in the boat may be in danger ? Is that a risk you want to take ?



Of course..that senario wont happen..will it ?


I doubt very much if the whole stringer will break..which is why I mentioned you could bolt a solid stringer to the floor... but that under flange may well do.



I promise I will not mention it again....choice is yours Mike.

[dave3235]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

Perhaps the profile of the Avon Sibs stringers are thicker Fendander ? I still suspect that part.. approx 2mm “under flange” on the quicksilver stringer might very well splinter off if made of wood ?



Of course it may not either..but Mike..my worry would not be damage to your boat..but more ..what if you don’t have the correct wood ... or the profile is slimmer than the Avon stringer.



If the bottom lip splinters off when the sea turns from a flat calm into a meter or more wave..(it happens in seconds and catches us all out).. your SIB comes off the top of a wave..slams into the trough.. your wooden stringer under flange splinters off.. this allows the stringer comes out of position .. your floor collapses.. would you and your family in the boat may be in danger ? Is that a risk you want to take ?



Of course..that senario wont happen..will it ?


I doubt very much if the whole stringer will break..which is why I mentioned you could bolt a solid stringer to the floor... but that under flange may well do.



I promise I will not mention it again....choice is yours Mike.

Hi gurnard

Surely the under side of the stringer could be over engineered to 4mm without any problems .

[Landlockedpirate]

I'm with Fenlender on wood stringers. All our Avons and Zodiacs had wood stringers from the mid 70's till the mid 90's and despite abusing every boat we had as kids and breaking most things, we never broke a stringer.

From memory the stringers were a similar size in wood to the aluminium stringers we now have in Futura's and HonWaves.

The older stringers are just a right angle triangle section with a slot cut in the side for the floor board. At a push you could make some with a saw, chistle and a workmate, but a lot easier with power tools.

You could even fabricate a composite stringer easily and cheaply by making a softwood section and attaching aluminium strenghtheners to the outside (an 'L' shaped and a flat section). If it breaks the aluminium will hold it all together and minimise any possible risk of damage to the boat.

[Fenlander]

I should admit bias here. My late grandfather was a master craftsman carpenter. It was his lifetime trade from the late 1920s to the early 1960s. I don't have his skills but I do have his huge work chest of tools dating back to Victorian times including internal and external moulding planes that would shape stringers.

His skills in wood were as varied as making a sideboard to repairing a cart wheel or building a whole village hall from timber.... in fact he crafted the toilet seat in the royal box on a major racecourse during refurbishments many decades ago so knew how to engineer reliable support into timber (sounds like a down the pub story but true!).

So I have faith in wood properly chosen & dimensioned for the job.

[The Gurnard]

Sorry guys..I lied..I have come back to say a bit more

Originally Posted by dave3235

Surely the under side of the stringer could be over engineered to 4mm without any problems .

That would help Dave ..but I don’t think it possible because of the design of the quicksilver SIB stringer. Excuse my rough drawing..but you can hopefully see why the bottom flange of the stringer cant be made thicker... it sits on the ali floor trim edge so can’t get any more thickness.

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

All our Avons and Zodiacs had wood stringers from the mid 70's till the mid 90's and despite abusing every boat we had as kids and breaking most things, we never broke a stringer.

Yup..I do agree LandLocked ...the wooden stringers in the old Avons etc worked perfectly..Im not disputing that fact. Im sure they were carefully designed for the wood that they used


[QUOTE=Landlockedpirate;687452]
The older stringers are just a right angle triangle section with a slot cut in the side for the floor board. At a push you could make some with a saw, chistle and a workmate, but a lot easier with power tools.QUOTE]


That is where our opinion differs.. your description of the wooden profiles are very different to the quicksilver profile..see photo drawing above for the shape of my SIB stringer. The weak bit ..where I think it could splinter is marked in the red stringer area. The shape profile that you describe is not as thin ? I cant see a way of getting the bottom of the stringer under the floor if made to the shape you describe..if that make sense.? To use the shape you describe would mean altering the wide of the floor ..therefore I think we are comparing an apple to an orange in relation to profile shapes and weak points?

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

You could even fabricate a composite stringer easily and cheaply by making a softwood section and attaching aluminium strenghtheners to the outside (an 'L' shaped and a flat section). If it breaks the aluminium will hold it all together and minimise any possible risk of damage to the boat.

Now I totally agree with you there..the bottom of the stringer including the part that slots into the edge trim could be made of a section of Ali..with wood attached to the top of it. That would work the wood stringer perfectly.

Originally Posted by Fenlander

So I have faith in wood properly chosen & dimensioned for the job.

Yup..I agree ..wood is great material..but the important part is as you mentioned “dimensioned for the job and carefully chosen wood. “ My only concern is that thin bottom flange as shown on my drawing is not dimensioned for wood ?

[Fenlander]

So these are wooden floor boards with an alloy edge and then a stringer??

If so two options... lose the alloy edge and make a "super stringer" that takes the place of the edge + stringer mating directly to the wooden floor panel edges... or cut some width from the alloy edge to allow room for a more conventional wooden stringer that has some meat above and below the flange that slots into it??

[The Gurnard]

Yup Fenlander ..I can only assume Mikes SIB is the same..but mine is wooden floored ..with an Ali trim.. then the stringer slots into the Ali trim while sitting on it. I do know the two rear floors flex..even in the confines of the heavy ali stringer..because my big feet rest on the join when Im seated..and I can feel the movement in rough water. So there will be some pressure on the wood ..enpecially that thin flange. I also have to hammer the stringer out when I dismantel the SIB.. so it is a tight fit there.

Agreed..cut the ali floor off and fit a "conventional" wooden shaped stringer..make laminated stringer etc.. but I would still just bolt a square piece of wood to the floor ..along the edge of the Ali trim for stringers. Wingnuts on the bolts would easily allow the stringer to come out for dismantelling... heads of bolts glued onto floor..possibly those coach type bolts that have flat heads so as not to interfere with the bottom material... less faf that altering the whole floor ? Protect the edges of the trim so they dont cut the tubes..and perhaps the occasional piece of shaped wood to hold the floor againt the tubes..if that makes sense ?

Many ways to do it..I just dont think making a stringer from wood..the same shape as my stringer would work very well ? Thats all I was debating :-D

[Fenlander]

Hey no stress re debate... your ideas are always top notch. Of course what we don't know is if Mike's doing a daily setup or trailering which makes a difference.

In truth if this was my sib bought at that price I'd probably buy brand new stringers if under £200 the set... my idea of wood was assuming Mike was trying to keep the budget sensible.

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

In truth if this was my sib bought at that price I'd probably buy brand new stringers if under £200 the set..

+1 to that ..I 100% agree..

Mike appears to has a good engine..the SIB I can vouch for... as a good steady make..handles well in the sea etc ..I have never had an issue with my one.. so why tarnish the setup ?.. butchering floors etc ..for the sake of getting the real parts. Although expensive.. he is still winning on the total price he paid..a grand total for that set up is not bad at all.

Mike ..you could even buy another second hand SIB short term..and use it with the engine you have..order the stringers ..then sell the Quicksilver on and make good money on the deal ..its an investment

[Quicksilver mike]

Thanks to everyone for there help, support and advice. Managed to source 2 1 piece metal stringers from a Yamaha inflatable for £68 including postage fitted them to the boards tonight and they fit like a glove. So quite happy as original parts were coming in at £260 all in.

Looking forward to getting out on the water

[The Gurnard]

Thanks for letting us know how you got on Quicksilver Mike.. and I think you are very wise to go the safe route and use metal runners.. you will be glad of them when you hit two meter high waves.. which your boat will handle with ease. Good idea using the Yamaha ones too..a far more realistic price.


You got a very good deal on a great SIB and engine..I wouldn’t swap my quicksilver for any other brand. It has keep me safe and sound ..transporting me over many miles to many remote places and never let me down. That is for me ... what SIBs are about. Enjoy yours too.

[Flamair]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Yep... it would be daft not to message the buyer and ask in the stringers are in the shed/garage still.

Max is right though that sold in the used category it should be useable which it isn't... however just to cheer you up as long as that engine is a nice runner it's probably worth 50% more than you paid for the whole lot so you've bought a very cheap engine plus a free boat and free accs. Well done.

^^^^^ This is just what I was thinking! I'm back to SIBs after a good few years away and am amazed at how the 2 stroke engines now hold their prices, (obviously due to the new 4 strokes being so heavy)

I managed a 310 Yam 3.1m with accessories, and an 8hp Yam engine for £800 and I thought I'd done well!

Well done!! An absolute bargain as far as I can see!