12' Sears Gamefisher resto

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

....Anyone know what years these were built?

I believe (this is just a random memory shot) 1968/9 through the seventies. MFG was done pretty much as a major player by '79. Maybe a management change? Dunno. They lost their way and their touch with the market as far as boats were concerned.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Okay, I stuck my Gamefisher '12 in the pool to check for leaks. Geyser right behind the center seat that would sink the boat in 10 minutes! It looks like the prior owner hit a rock or something on the keel. This looks like an easy patch and I do plan on a new layer of glass on the whole bottom. My question is, I am guessing the keel uses a 1"X3" piece of wood in it, is there someway to check if this is damaged? I'll try and get a picture of the area. How worried do I need to be if the board is cracked? Can I/Should I screw a new piece of wood over it and glass over that? Thanks.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Pictures

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Whoa!!! Can you get to that from the inside?? Is that under a Seat? The wood WILL be rotten and NEEDS to be replaced. I would use exterior grade plywood.You should seal it with a couple of coats of epoxy resin. cut out ALL of the rotten wood and replace it. Sand down the fiberglass with 60 grit and then check page 76 of OOPS post on this forum for his Peanut butter recipe. get a scrap piece of formica and tape it over the hole on the OUTSIDE of the boat. Givethe formica a coat of car wax first. Now Mix some of peanut butter up and glue the new wood in and use some bricks or something heavy to weight it down. The peanut butter will structurally fix the hole as well as make the keel strong as heck. No offense but if that is under a seat it could be a problem to fix and that should have been on the top of your list to be checked first. If the boat won't float, it ain't a boat, it's an anchor.
I'm just sayin...

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

No, it is not under a seat. On the inside of the boat there is just a small crack, you really don't see it until the water comes in. The wood does not appear rotten at all. I wonder more about it being cracked through and through than rot. It would probably need to be wet for a long period of time to rot. I suspect the wood was exposed to water when this happened for a short period of time and when I tossed it in the pool the other day for 2 minutes.

I am not opposed to cutting out the wood. I reckon the piece is about 8-9 feet long. I could cut the glass on either side of the "keel" and peel the piece out. The front of the wood keel piece is tapered down to nothing.

Is Marine grade plywood better than something like Oak?

Thanks for the comments.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Sand down the fiberglass with 60 grit and then check page 76 of OOPS post on this forum for his Peanut butter recipe.

You have a link for that? I did a search, but can't find it.

No offense but if that is under a seat it could be a problem to fix and that should have been on the top of your list to be checked first. If the boat won't float, it ain't a boat, it's an anchor.
I'm just sayin...

No offense taken. I bought the boat and motor to get the trailer it was on for my son. I have $175.00 invested in a '12 fishing boat and nearly new 1970 Merc 7.5 HP motor. The motor doesn't even have much carbon build up. I wager it was used very little. I'll be out another $150.00 or so to replace all the seals and water pump, carb kit and fuel pump kit. I kid you not, the motor was well worth the $175.00 as it runs like a top. The boat and motor were stored inside.

I think the picture must make this look worse than what it is. I will cut the glass off the board a foot fore and aft of the impact area and get some better assessment pictures. I don't see a need to replace the board if it only has a small dent on one side of it. If it is cracked all the way through obviously it needs to come out. I don't understand what you mean by under the seat? That board runs under all the seats. If you mean does it leak to the area under the seat, then no. The interior leak is 2/3 way between the transom seat and center seat closer towards the bow.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Ok if the damaged area is NOT under a seat then I would just cut out the damaged area, sand the glass back 6 inches from the damage on both sides. and then make your patch. Here is the link to OOPs Peanut butter
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392&page=76
You're right if the wood is not wet or rotten just replace what is cracked and you should be good to go. No need for Marine Ply just use ext grade ply it is water proof. Give it a couple of coats of resin before you glue it in with the resin and glass.
Good Luck with your project

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Ok if the damaged area is NOT under a seat then I would just cut out the damaged area, sand the glass back 6 inches from the damage on both sides. and then make your patch. Here is the link to OOPs Peanut butter
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392&page=76
You're right if the wood is not wet or rotten just replace what is cracked and you should be good to go. No need for Marine Ply just use ext grade ply it is water proof. Give it a couple of coats of resin before you glue it in with the resin and glass.
Good Luck with your project

I figure once I peel back some glass if I find a bad crack in the wood I'll just replace it all. This is a small boat so the job won't be that big. And I figure I can inspect the area under the seats good with the wood out.

Peanut Butter = Epoxy Paste! I think I have used something similar to that, I don't remember what was used to thicken the epoxy. I used it on a non-boat project.


So my plan is (once I start it!) remove a small section of glass and inspect the wood. If the wood checks out I'll use resin product over the keel and then lay a new layer over the entire bottom. If the wood is bad I will replace it and lay in the new wood over the epoxy peanut butter mix. Now I know resin don't stick to wood as well as epoxy so I probably should lay the glass over the keel with epoxy material and then over the whole bottom with resin and glass. Does this sound correct?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Just remember epoxy pretty much sticks to ANYTHING but...
Polyester resin will NOT stick to epoxy. Epoxy is harder to "Wet Out" your glass cloth and the Cost is almost double that of polyester resin. Not sure where you are located but most any fiberglass supplier can supply you with the ingredients needed for your "Butter" or Paste. or USComposites.com is a Great online resource.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Just remember epoxy pretty much sticks to ANYTHING but...
Polyester resin will NOT stick to epoxy. Epoxy is harder to "Wet Out" your glass cloth and the Cost is almost double that of polyester resin. Not sure where you are located but most any fiberglass supplier can supply you with the ingredients needed for your "Butter" or Paste. or USComposites.com is a Great online resource.

Thank You, this is why I am a forum rat, such a wealth of knowledge.

So, if I peanut butter the wood to the cleaned out and sanded hull recess the old wood came out of I'd be good to go with Poly on the outer portion?

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Boy, I am a dummy. My boat is sitting belly up. Yesterday I flip it over and look closer. There is no wood spline in the keel, it's just fiberglass. So I guess I need not worry about a cracked board that ain't there! I'll just clean it off, sand it down real well and lay a couple layers and cloth down with poly resin.

Any suggestions on cloth? I'll be patching the bad area, sanding it back into the right shape and then laying down at least one new layer over the whole bottom and up the sides a little. I don't want to add too much weight, but I do want to add a lot of strength to it.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

I would use 1708 Biax It is easy to work with, a little hard to get the resin to soak thru but you can get it in there and it is stong as heck. I think it would be perfect for the job. If you can find a fiberglass repair place you could probably get a scrap piece for nothin. buy a quart of resin and hardener and you would be in business.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

I would use 1708 Biax It is easy to work with, a little hard to get the resin to soak thru but you can get it in there and it is stong as heck. I think it would be perfect for the job. If you can find a fiberglass repair place you could probably get a scrap piece for nothin. buy a quart of resin and hardener and you would be in business.

Thanks.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

I would use 1708 Biax It is easy to work with, a little hard to get the resin to soak thru but you can get it in there and it is stong as heck. I think it would be perfect for the job. If you can find a fiberglass repair place you could probably get a scrap piece for nothin. buy a quart of resin and hardener and you would be in business.

Hey woodonglass. You are talking 1708 Biax for a patch, I am patching then laying on layer of fabric on the whole shooting bottom of the hull and up the sides a little. Also a good layer on the transom, although that area feels pretty solid. What do you suggest for that layer? Some guys are telling me woven fabric, some are saying mat. I have never worked with woven, laid down a bunch of mat.
What do I want?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

I would use 6 oz mat if you are going to go that route. But I WOULD still do the patch.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

I would use 6 oz mat if you are going to go that route. But I WOULD still do the patch.

Oh yeah, patch first. No doubt on that.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

To the OP I am sorry for hijacking this very good write up you did. Like you, I have pulled multiple layers of patch off and am amazed this boat floated at all. I'll patch and then reskin the whole bottom.
I sure wish you could find and repost the lost pictures. I like the idea of filling the seats.

 

[RoRoRo]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Hi,I have a 12 ft.gamefisher like yours,i would really like to know where to find legal or original info on the boat.I would like to know the legal weight capacity of the boat and what material it is made of.Can someone help me.805 433 4943 THANKS A MILLION.

 

[bob1340]

Re: 12' Sears Gamefisher resto

Hi,I have a 12 ft.gamefisher like yours,i would really like to know where to find legal or original info on the boat.I would like to know the legal weight capacity of the boat and what material it is made of.Can someone help me.805 433 4943 THANKS A MILLION.

IIRC it's 550 lbs, 12HP, and obviously it's fiberglass.

 

[Marty Wright]

I've recently acquired one of these GameFisher 12's - With no limber holes under the seats - Could someone please tell me how (after drilling holes on the fronts and backs of seats for drainage) to remove the foam to make way for pvc tubing ? Also - what outside diameter for pvc tubing ?