Baretta Files

[JaSla74]

So I bought this 86 Baretta Super Sport a few weeks back, as seen here on beautiful Lake Ouachita.

Thought I was getting a great deal, but ended up with a project that is possibly way over my head. I had intended to do some interior work and just give her a face lift, but the guy that I bought the boat from had just cut out some plywood & placed over a rotten floor. It felt strong at the time.

As you can see the decking, stringers, & transom are completely shot. This will require a bit more than replacing some vinyl.

The good news is that the engine and outdrive are in great condition. Currently I'm about $1600 into this project. This includes the purchase of the boat, winterizing the engine, removing & storing the engine, and few other various odds & ends. If I can finish this for under a grand more I'll be happy, but more than likely that won't be the case.

My 4runner is going to be cold this winter as her spot has been taken.

I've already started removing the transom & part of the floor. I hope to have her gutted within the next two weeks. Between work, two kids, & other rat killing to tend to, time will be limited. However, the long term goal is to have her back in the water by March.

When it comes to replacing the stringers & transom I really would like to use a composite material, but they're either way too expensive or way too heavy. I'm currently researching various wood species & Douglas Fir seems to be the way to go. I would think Cedar would be a good choice, but I can't seem to find anyone that has used it. Has anyone here tried it?

Anyway, I plan to post many questions & progress reports as I go. This forum has provided a great wealth of knowledge so far and I would be completely lost without it, so thanks in advance.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Baretta Files

3/4 inch BC exterior plywood encased in glass is the best and usual fix. you will end up with a better boat, than when it was built.

 

[oops!]

Re: Baretta Files

tashas daddy is correct.......

while dimensional lumber seems to be the logical choice.....plywood is actually stronger than dimesional.

the reason noone has used cedar for stringers and decks......it is a soft wood....and wihle it is naturally rot resistant, it doesnt take screws well...so it has a few "issues" with our purposes....

im a big fan of pressure treated plywood under the deck......but know what you are doing before you make the choice.....there ate lots of cons to using it.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

I'm planning the rebuild & have a couple of questions...

Epoxy seems to be the way to go, but is very expensive. I think I'd rather use poly, but there seems to be some issues with it sticking to treated lumber. What's the deal with that?

What exactly is peanut butter? I see it referenced everywhere & I've searched for the exact make up, but can't seem locate the formula.

To encase or not encase the stringers? I'm pretty sure my/many boat stringers were only glassed up halfway. I've been told that outside angles don't hold well on stringers. I would also think that if you only glassed halfway or 3/4 up your wood would have a better chance to breath when it did get wet. I say that, because it seems that no matter how much you glass water will eventually find its way in.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

So I managed to get all of the transom ripped out... Man, that was sooo much fun. I even found an ant bed.

Question, do I predrill the holes before glassing, or do I glass the whole thing then drill the holes after it's been installed/glassed?

 

[salty87]

Re: Baretta Files

cool, i didn't know bill murray worked on transoms

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

Yeah, he's overseeing the project

 

[colobiker]

Re: Baretta Files

JaSla74,

hey.. another Baretta owner.

I have an 81 18 foot success with the I/O..

there is tons of information on these pages.. do searches for the
information your looking for.. like peanut butter.. or transom replacement, or what type of resin.. or what ever.. sombody here researched it, done it, posted it.... a good place to start.. read oop's Hull extension thread. thats an ongoing saga, oops has done a million things to his boat that most would never dream of.. also check out the huge project 30 scarab..

since I have a baretta too I am going to be keeping an eye on what your doing.

this is an awsome forum, everyone here is great and extreemly helpful.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

Hi Colobiker,

I agree, this is one of the most informative boating sites I've ever come across. In fact, I would say the camaraderie here is unsurpassed compared to other forums I've been apart of.

I've been watching Oops' hull extension project (he's the man). I started reading it again from the beginning. I'm sure there's some information I've missed.

I'm trying not to ask questions that have been answered, but a lot of my searches just pull up references to what others are doing & they don't always have an explanation, not to mention the varying opinions. Either way I'll find the information I'm looking for.

Good luck with your Baretta. I got to enjoy boating in mine for only two day before I started tearing her up. Although a bit overwhelming I'm sure the pay off will be worth it come spring.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Baretta Files

Heres my 2 cents:

I would use marine ply and epoxy. Both are way more $$$$$ but they have their benefits.

Reasons for Marine Ply -

I am currently building a boat. I used marine ply for the hull and thought that once I got to the deck, I would just use 1/2 PT ply. I went down to HD got the ply and put it in. The deck just didn't feel solid. I live in New Orleans and I am sure the PT ply leaves the chemical bath and heads straight here because I had to wait about 2~3 weeks for the stuff to really dry out.

In the end I replaced the 1/2 PT (3 plies) with marine ply ( 5 plies) and I couldn't be more happy. The marine is stiffer then the pt because of the increase in plies. I also think having a void free core helps a bit. I think the marine ply is also lighter than the PT but I didn't weigh the panels or anything like that. The marine ply was twice as expensive as the PT ($35 for PT, $70 for marine)

Reasons for Epoxy -

I have only used epoxy and I have never used poly. I have used epoxy and couldn't be happier, it is very easy to use, remains flexible, and has a zillion other uses. You can become allergic to the epoxy overtime.


Drilling holes in Transom -

I like to drill holes that are larger then needed like 3/4 hole for 1/2 bolt. I fill the 3/4 hole with an epoxy sawdust mix, then drill the 1/2 hole. This way you have sealed all of the end grain that is exposed to the bolt.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Baretta Files

Hi there JaSla74, And welcome !! your in the right place we all will walk you threw it !! its really not that hard !! and as i can see your well on your way !!

For my two outer stringer i used pvc deck boards , couldn't find a big enough board fit the center one !!

ploy will work just fine , you should be able to get it done for the grand you want to spend , the seat and the other vinyl will run you a little over that !!

So again welcome !! John

 

[colobiker]

Re: Baretta Files

JaSla74,

are you planning to pop the cap off of it to do the stringers? I have my bow rider needs the floor/stringers replaced as well, I dont know if it is possible to replace the stringers/floor with out popping the cap off. if you do, I will be watching closely

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

At this point I have no plans of taking the cap off. As you can see below the way this boat is designed the stringers do not extend the full length of the hull. The gas tank sits under the bow (you can see the gas lines going to the tank in this shot)

There is a good pic of this stringer set up here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=193076 by Sparky1309. Even though my boat is 5 years younger, the stringer set up looks identical from what I can tell.

 

[colobiker]

Re: Baretta Files

ahhh,, nice.. thanks.. for the link.. the brown one in that thread looks pretty close to mine.. maybe my stringers dont go all the way to the front either.
I havent ripped into mine.. wanna get it running first.. then worry about the rotted stringers.. (transom seems fine )

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Baretta Files

I have no useful advice to give (My project was aluminum THANK GOD!!) but I just wanted to tell you that that's a sharp looking boat and will be well worth the effort you're putting into it. Good luck. You seem to be on the right track.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Baretta Files

yep mine stopped at the console also !!! John

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

Well I made a bit of progress today before having to go to work. I managed to rip out most all of the foam on the starboard side. Not as much fun as I thought it would be...

I did learn a few new things today. The first is that a Dremel tool combined with a shop vac make cutting the old glass a lot easier & cleaner.

I also used a tip from a local boat mechanic & that was to coat all exposed skin with baby powder before grinding/cutting any glass. Man! That made cleaning up so much more pleasant.

Lastly, I learned that I'll be better off taking the boat out of the garage when grinding. I knew it would make a mess, but not that BIG of a mess. My wife (an avid gardener) has all of her plants in there for winter and she's not going too be happy about the plants covered in tiny glass fibers.

 

[JaSla74]

Re: Baretta Files

Well I've gone from working on my project every free chance I had to the occasional burst of energy. However, all of the flooring has been ripped out & one more day of grinding should finisher her up before I can move on.

My question regards this business...

This is a piece of glassed over wood that the bilge pump was attached to. It doesn't seem to be the greatest design as it doesn't really let water flow out & quite a bit of water has to accumulate before the bilge starts pumping. Other than mounting the bilge pump I don't see its purpose. Does this provide any heat deflection? Do I need this? I'm tempted to grind the remaining glass off & remove it, or at least replace with a better design. Please advise.

 

[oops!]

Re: Baretta Files

hi bud.......


yer doin great.....dont know how i missed this one first time around.

loose that peice of trash wood !

the bilge pump can be mounted via an "L" bracket off the transom. i would suggest....after you grind that wood out....to add two wraps of 1708 over the bilge just to re inforce it.

just a few qiuck questions for you.......

you will have to replace the transom first ...(before the stringers)....do you have your wood yet?

did you make the decision on wrapping the stiringers yet? or the poly epoxy thing?

cheers
oops

 

[colobiker]

Re: Baretta Files

that is curious.

my initial thought was exactly what oop's had said.. but upon further inspection.. is it a piece of wood? I was thinking it might be a seperator
of some sort, keeps the liquid and solids apart. the liquid can flow under the peice allowing the bilge pump to suck it up on the back side while all the solids stay at the front of the peice..

i dont know.. just a thought.. if it were some sort of contraption to prevent the bilge pump from becoming clogged with solids..(dont ask me what solids)