Re: 1978 Cane Cutter Bass Boat Project
Well it looks like "game over" for this project.
The floor behind the driver and passenger area had some "give" in it so I removed the carpet only to find a 3' x 4' 1/8" layer of fiberglass.....that's all. The wood was rotted out and this was a poor patch job. The previous owner had some spare seats and pedestals there when I looked at it so when I climbed inside, it never crossed my mind......
I spent the last 2 days stripping her down for a make over and removing that fiberglass in hopes of being able to repair it.
Foam is soaked and mildewed and all wood under floor is rotted. There's a 1" poly pipe runing from the front well to the bilge that leaks bad. The live wells are also cracked but it's hard to see until there's water in them and they begin to leak.
But what finally made me toss in the towel this afternoon was finding a stress crack from the transom along the hull toward the front for about 3 feet. It's also moving laterally as well as along the hull and upon further inspection up into the transom area which is completely closed in by the casting deck.
It became very evident after I put some water in the bilge to test the pump system and it sat all nite. It started coming apart literally in front of us this afternoon as the day got warmer. When I inspected the boat before I bought it it was not visible to me at all. There were scratches and such, but not this. It started coming apart literally in front of us this afternoon as the day got warmer. Pieces of fiberglass hull fell off as the water dripped more and more onto the driveway......
Have been told any repair from underside is just delaying the inevitable failure and dangerous situation. The inside isn't accesible for repair due to the way the boat is built. There's no way I'd chance safety or lives with this boat.
The 115HP Mercury with steering and trim is in great shape and the VIP trailer is sound but ugly. It has new tires and needs repainted and new bunks. I'm stripping every usable piece of hardware, wiring harnesses, gauges, etc. off of it.
At least maybe I can recoup some of my money.