Hunter 42 passage “I” beams beneath the soul

Apr 6, 2020
19
hunter 42 ventura
I have I Beams made from wood installed beneath the soul/ flooring in my hunter. The beams sit directly under the floor forward of the companionway. They are starting to fail and I was wondering if anyone has had this same issue and what you did to replace them. What material did you replace them with? I purchased the boat over a year ago and have been slowly fixing what needs fixing.
 

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Apr 6, 2020
19
hunter 42 ventura
I would measure them, and try to use a 4x4 if the same size, or fabricate something out of 2x4’s.

And as info, the floor is called a “sole”, no not “soul“.

Greg
Thanks, Greg! I guess recreating them out of wood is the obvious thing to do. Pressure treated wood will be a good replacement. I am really interested in reading if anyone else has tried another material. Thanks for your input.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,726
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Thanks, Greg! I guess recreating them out of wood is the obvious thing to do. Pressure treated wood will be a good replacement. I am really interested in reading if anyone else has tried another material. Thanks for your input.
But heavy…

maybe untreated wood, and sealed with epoxy. Looks like they are painted now.

Greg
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Same model boat as yours. Those 'I' beams are there to support the sole and have no structural effect on the boat hull. I would call them a crutch or filler beam. Ours remain in good condition, but if it were me I would use a good quality wood such as fir or maple and then paint it; that is if they have rotted. If still solid wood, I would leave it alone.

It appears from the picture that the 3/4" X 3/4" pieces of wood are attached to a vertical piece of marine plywood, likely 1/2". Should be easy to fabricate a replacement. I never paid much attention to ours, so I'll take a closer look when I visit the boat next week and report back.

We've owned our 1991 boat since 2002 with no regrets. We've sailed her thousands of miles all over PNW waters. Hunter did a marvelous job building this model. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. You made a good choice.
 
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Likes: JamesG161
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
What cracks I see, looks like some Gorilla Wood Glue would repair it.
Glue and paint.
Not a normal stress area.

By the way..
If you use uncoated, pressure treated lumber, the treatment chemicals may interact with the Deck boards above, and the gel coat below it
Jim...