skeeter project

[djaggers]

I bought a 1977 Skeeter 15ft bass boat. The previous owner really stripped the boat of alot of option and let it sit in the sun. I found out that just before selling it to me he put a coat of polyurethane to give it a quick shine and make it look like gel coat is good. I have been working on motor issue and replacing other things he took off the boat the past 2 months. The shiny finish it is had rapidly fading and going dull. I have trying waxing but it shows no results. I want to try to not have to regelcoat if possible. Any suggestion on how I should handle this?

 

[electric603]

Re: skeeter project

Friscoboater has a good video on you tube of how to restore gelcoat. Search for friscojarrets carlson one of his videos of his Carlson rebuild has it.

 

[djaggers]

Re: skeeter project

Will do Thanks

 

[Watermann]

Re: skeeter project

Be sure to take a close look at the wood and foam below deck, the transom and stringers could be rotten. If he left it out in the sun then it was in the rain too.

 

[poppop51]

Re: skeeter project

Welcome to iboats, I too am restoring a 77 Skeeter Wrangler. The boat appeared solid when I got her but upon the advice of the knowledgeable people here at iboats I checked for rot. They were right. Now I'm doing a restoration. I would check the sole, stringers and transome. Good luck.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: skeeter project

All the info from your gelcoat sanding thread still applies.

Test for polyurethane w/ an acetone soaked rag like WoodOnGlass suggested.

Don't be surprised if 'something' was applied to make it look good until you bought it, but was a short term fix at best.

Even vaseline may have been used.

Can you feel the texture of the metal flakes protruding thru whatever finish is still remaining? If so, as suggested in the other thread, not so easy a fix when it's the bulk of the boat's hull.

If I remember correctly, Friscoboater fixed a few chips & dings in his metal flake gelcoat, not the entire cap &/or hull

 

[djaggers]

Re: skeeter project

Welcome to iboats, I too am restoring a 77 Skeeter Wrangler. The boat appeared solid when I got her but upon the advice of the knowledgeable people here at iboats I checked for rot. They were right. Now I'm doing a restoration. I would check the sole, stringers and transome. Good luck.

The only rot I have found in under the gas take and battery area. I appears to have been wood and is falling apart. I bought the boat very cheap and found out it was stripped of alot of stuff I i replace the trolling motor because it had none. . I Recarpeted all but bottom deck . The livewells both have to be redone. No pumps hooked up to them anymore and I was told the front one leaks. I only want to get the back one going again and just use the front one for storage. But that is a later project. I am trying to put a electric choke back on my 115hp motor. It use to have one but one of the previous owners removed it and change the motor around. I cant buy the choke that goes to it because they put another silencer on it that doesn't have anywhere to mount a choke. I am having to remove the motor cover all the time to manually choke. I working on that first. All the wiring throughout boat has been cut why who knows. They also removed the power tilt and trim. Thats my next replacement. When I took the boat out it took forever the level out but when it finally did it shot like a bullet. Gonna be a long winter working on her. Ngt sure how to check for more rott without tearing the whole boat apart. Got any suggestion how to replace flooring in rear end under batteries and gas tak. By the way they removed the original tank why I dont know, I got a 6 gallas plastic tank right now until I can put a larger more permannent one. This is my first boat so everything I am doing in the first time. I figure by the timeIi get through this whole boat I will know everything about bass boats lol. I can post pic of the rearean flooring if need. Going to be here alot this winter with questions. Send me a pic of you boat.

 

[djaggers]

Re: skeeter project

Welcome to iboats, I too am restoring a 77 Skeeter Wrangler. The boat appeared solid when I got her but upon the advice of the knowledgeable people here at iboats I checked for rot. They were right. Now I'm doing a restoration. I would check the sole, stringers and transome. Good luck.

The only rot I have found in under the gas take and battery area. I appears to have been wood and is falling apart. I bought the boat very cheap and found out it was stripped of alot of stuff I i replace the trolling motor because it had none. . I Recarpeted all but bottom deck . The livewells both have to be redone. No pumps hooked up to them anymore and I was told the front one leaks. I only want to get the back one going again and just use the front one for storage. But that is a later project. I am trying to put a electric choke back on my 115hp motor. It use to have one but one of the previous owners removed it and change the motor around. I cant buy the choke that goes to it because they put another silencer on it that doesn't have anywhere to mount a choke. I am having to remove the motor cover all the time to manually choke. I working on that first. All the wiring throughout boat has been cut why who knows. They also removed the power tilt and trim. Thats my next replacement. When I took the boat out it took forever the level out but when it finally did it shot like a bullet. Gonna be a long winter working on her. Ngt sure how to check for more rott without tearing the whole boat apart. Got any suggestion how to replace flooring in rear end under batteries and gas tak. By the way they removed the original tank why I dont know, I got a 6 gallas plastic tank right now until I can put a larger more permannent one. This is my first boat so everything I am doing in the first time. I figure by the timeIi get through this whole boat I will know everything about bass boats lol. I can post pic of the rearean flooring if need. Going to be here alot this winter with questions. Send me a pic of you boat.

 

[poppop51]

Re: skeeter project

Hi djaggers, My thread "77 skeeter wrangler restoration" has most of my pictures so far.

 

[poppop51]

Re: skeeter project

"Fishbone77" also has a great thread on the same boat.

 

[djaggers]

Re: skeeter project

what kind of painting system is good but nit too expensive to by for repaint and gel coating boats. i azm totally new to this? Do i need compressor or some kind of airless system