Boat stringers are crucial to the boat structure. Once you notice damage to these parts, you need to take action.

That’s both to prevent further damage and to cut repair costs down the line.

With the right glue, you can patch up, bond, and seal boat stringers by yourself.

I’ll provide a list of adhesives and tips for that in this article.

Minor damage such as cracks might not seem all too serious. However, boats are constantly exposed to moisture.

If water seeps into materials you don’t want; you risk getting mold or rot damage.

Such insidious problems don’t manifest until it’s too late. You can avoid more extensive repairs or stringer replacements by being proactive.

Keep reading for more highly efficient glues for marine applications!

Boat Stringers Explained

Boat stringers are very important structural members. They are considered core material.

They are the long pieces of wood placed along and across the length of the boat and are crucial in creating the support structure beneath the deck.

They prop up the boat walls and sustain the floorboards. Think of them as the foundation of a boat.

These parts have to support the entire weight of the deck and everything else on top.

There are two main types of boat stringers. The first type is made from wood.

They’re the best for supporting heavy loads but aren’t the most durable.

Wood is susceptible to water damage, so cracks in these stringers are an immediate concern.

The second type of stringer is made using fiberglass. These stringers don’t have the best weight-bearing capabilities compared to wooden ones.

But they aren’t as sensitive to moisture damage, so they are more durable, even after the first cracks appear.

However, cracks should still be fixed because they can weaken the stringers’ structural integrity.

Glues unsuitable for this role include polyester resin, gorilla glue, and fabric glue.

Best 5 Glues for Boat Stringers

Here are my recommendations for the best glue for fixing boat stringers.

1. Travaco Marine-Tex Gluvit Waterproof Epoxy Sealer

The Travaco Marine-Tex Gluvit Waterproof Epoxy Sealer is compatible with wood, fiberglass, steel, and aluminum.

You can use this epoxy sealant on stringers, rivets, and aluminum seams.

Fixing leaks, filling in, and sealing cracks becomes easy using this adhesive.

Thanks to its consistency, the curing resin flexes with the hull movements and sips even into the narrowest hairline cracks.

The catalyst increases the epoxy’s adherence and curing strength, but you still get a longer working time than other epoxies.

This is great because the glue gets to run deep into fissures and cracks before drying up.

Once cured, the epoxy remains 100% waterproof. Just what you need for marine applications.

You can apply any topside coating or paint over the cured epoxy without dissolving or compromising the bond.

Travaco Marine-Tex Gluvit can also be used as glue for furniture.

2. TotalBoat 5:1 Epoxy Resin Kit

The TotalBoat 5:1 Epoxy Resin Kit contains everything you need for always getting the perfect 5:1 resin to hardener ratio.

You’ll get the resin, fast or slow hardener, calibrated pumps, mixing cups, and mixing sticks.

You can choose between the fast hardener, which allows you 12 minutes of working time, or the slow hardener, with 20 minutes of working time.

You can also choose three kit sizes: quart, gallon, or 4.5.

The pumps come separately, and you can attach them to the epoxy and hardener bottles.

They’re calibrated to always give you the perfect quantity of product with just one pump.

This epoxy is marine-grade and compatible with many materials, including wood, fiberglass, bare steel, lead, reinforcement fabrics, and etched aluminum.

You can safely use it to perform stringer repairs, coating, laminating, composite construction, and building work on any boat.

This epoxy has the perfect viscosity and self-leveling properties to make it perfect for coating and laminating wooden boat components and flooring materials.

However, this epoxy won’t be suitable for clear-coating projects.

The TotalBoat 5:1 Epoxy Resin Kit is also an excellent glue for wood veneer repair.

3. TotalBoat Polyester Structural Repair Putty

The TotalBoat Polyester Structural Repair Putty is a great option for those who want a quick, powerful fix for all types of marine repairs.

This structural repair putty is pre-thickened and reinforced with a long-strand fiberglass filler.

This putty boasts impressive strength, flexibility, and impact resistance, thanks to its innovative formulation.

This product is also 100% waterproof so that it can be used in above or below waterline applications.

You can use this polyester structural putty on fiberglass, wood, metal, polyester laminates, and core materials.

Check out my guide on gluing fabric to wood for more info.

It has excellent adherence on just about any surface. Its paste-like consistency makes it easy to spread and unlikely to drip, sag, shrink, or crack.

This putty adhesive has many perks that make it suitable for virtually all boat building and repair applications.

Use it for bonding, structural filling, fitting, filleting, fixing chips and dents, or any other application you need. You won’t be disappointed.

This putty will bond stringers to all types of boat hulls. It’s also great at filling critical stringer cracks and holes.

And the best part is the very short and flexible working time. Following the packaging instructions when using the catalyst gives you 15-20 minutes of working time.

But you can always adjust the amount of catalyst you use to alter the working time.

Once fully dry, you can easily sand off excess adhesive layers.

You can also finish with a TotalBoat top coating to blend everything seamlessly.

4. J-B Weld WaterWeld Epoxy Putty Stick

This product might be the perfect solution if you want a mess-free, easy-to-use, highly-versatile adhesive without compromising on product quality.

The J-B Weld WaterWeld Epoxy Putty Stick is a hand-mixable two-part epoxy.

You won’t need measuring cups, mixing trays, or mixing sticks to work with this adhesive.

There are many other advantages to this epoxy adhesive. It’s 100% waterproof and can cure underwater.

That’s perfect for marine applications. It also has an extremely short curing time of just one hour!

You’ll also enjoy 25 minutes of working time once the epoxy is mixed.

The epoxy cures off-white and has excellent resistance to hydraulic fluids, petroleum, and other chemicals.

It has a decent tensile strength at 1300 PSI and can withstand temperatures up to 300°F.

Last but not least, this epoxy is compatible with any boat stringers and hulls.

It works well on multiple smooth materials, including fiberglass, plastics, PVC, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, iron, brass, bronze, and carbon fiber.

J-B Weld WaterWeld Epoxy also works as a glue for aluminum and glue for stainless steel.

However, if you need to fix wooden stringers, remember that this putty might not work as well on porous materials.

5. Clear Table Top Epoxy Resin That Self Levels

Pro Marine Supplies has an excellent product if you’re looking for something simple to fix minor fissures and provide moisture protection.

This Table Top Epoxy is excellent for various applications, including wood finishes, sealing various materials, and filling small cracks and gaps.

This epoxy can reach a maximum depth of around 1/8” and cures tough and crystal-clear.

The total curing time is 24 hours. After that, you’ll have a high gloss, perfectly even finish, and a highly resistant coating to water and UV exposure.

What makes this epoxy so easy to use is its self-leveling property. You won’t have to worry about bubbles, pinholes, or fish eyes in your coating.

With this product, you’ll get a professional-looking finish every time.

Another great thing about this epoxy is the nice quantity-to-price ratio.

You can choose between 32 oz, 1-gallon, or 2-gallon kits, depending on the size of your application.

What to Do About Damaged Boat Stringers

There are various repair options for damaged boat stringers. The best plan of action will depend on the extent of the damage.

If some of the boat stringers have extensive mold damage or have deep cracks or even holes, the safest action would be a complete replacement.

However, if the damage isn’t yet serious, you can stop the problem from progressing further.

You can use a waterproof coating glue for very shallow cracks or dents.

For deeper cracks, the best choice would be epoxy glue, especially one with a higher PSI strength.

Epoxies work better for filling in cracks because they expand while curing, reaching deeper into the damaged materials and providing a tighter bond.

Epoxies are also generally compatible with most materials, but it’s best to check the label to ensure they’ll work for your specific applications.

Tips for Fixing Boat Stringers

Your repair options will depend on the extent of the damage and your preferences. Here are some of the solutions best suitable for different situations.

• For multiple small cracks, your repairs will be pretty simple. You can cover up the cracks with a few layers of fiberglass sheets or glass tape. Then, finish with an epoxy coating on top. That will keep everything in place and prevent moisture from getting into the cracks.
• For deeper cracks, consider adding new cleats. These will provide extra stability for damaged stringers. You can do so by drilling holes on the sides of the crack. You should then use epoxy along with screws. Fill in the gap with the epoxy before screwing in the cleats.
• When fixing deep cracks, you can also use glue instead of epoxy. Add the glue to the open surface where the crack is. Clamp the stringers until the glue sets and the material stays in place without lifting or separating.

You can reinforce the bond by adding screws on both sides of the stringer. Make sure the screws go in perpendicular to one another.

Wrap-up

You should always fix damaged boat stringers as soon as you notice issues like cracks or splits.

In some instances where there’s extensive damage, the stability of the stringers will be too compromised for safe repairs.

Such situations require complete replacement.

However, for minor repair work, there are plenty of marine-grade glues and epoxies you can use.

Most are compatible with various materials, including wood and fiberglass, which are most common for stringers.

Hopefully, this article has helped you find the right adhesive for your application needs.