1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Hi everyone, I have a 1981 Aquasport Family Fisherman 22’ (I/O) version.
Did some TLC on her this spring and put her in the water this year.
I did find a few problems and was wondering if I should do a rebuild (Floor, Transom, and Stringer).
I am also pondering if i should convert it to an outboard that incorporates an Armstrong Flotation Bracket.
Is Seacast my best option here?
Is this something I can do in my driveway/garage or do I need to take it to a shop?
I really like this boat and would like to keep it for as long as possible.
What am i looking at in terms of cost and time?
 
Last edited:

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

bump
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

You are looking at allot of time, ALLOT of money and then you will end up with a frankenboat that is over 30 years old. Converting it is not an easy task when you add up the bracket and then a sufficient outboard to power it.

If it is an I/O now then keep it that way. If the engine and drive are trash and you are in love with the boat.....finding a donor boat would be easier for an IO and outdrive

People make it so darn tough. I had to look up your old posts to see you have a 470 i/o. I would swap it for a 3.0 which is far more reliable and takes up the lease space.
 

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

You are looking at allot of time, ALLOT of money and then you will end up with a frankenboat that is over 30 years old. Converting it is not an easy task when you add up the bracket and then a sufficient outboard to power it.

If it is an I/O now then keep it that way. If the engine and drive are trash and you are in love with the boat.....finding a donor boat would be easier for an IO and outdrive

People make it so darn tough. I had to look up your old posts to see you have a 470 i/o. I would swap it for a 3.0 which is far more reliable and takes up the lease space.

BOB, thanks for the info.
As far as the money part goes, i thought no more than 4k (without any engine)
I thought the most expensive thing would be the Sea Cast (for transom and stringer).
The rest would be just plywood, fiberglass and foam.
I thought about getting a 3.0 to replace the 470.
Wouldn't there be a power issue for a 3.0 to push a 22; 2500lb boat?
Last i checked, a 470 is about 750lbs and a 3.0 is about 1000lbs and definitely more reliable then the 470.

This boat is old, but the hull is in great shape for a 81, no stress crack.
The problems are that the floors are a bit spongy, The transom has some rot and The 470 has 90 compression on Cylinder 3. So maybe a new 4.3?
Let me know what you think.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

BOB, thanks for the info.
As far as the money part goes, i thought no more than 4k (without any engine)
I thought the most expensive thing would be the Sea Cast (for transom and stringer).
The rest would be just plywood, fiberglass and foam.
I thought about getting a 3.0 to replace the 470.
Wouldn't there be a power issue for a 3.0 to push a 22; 2500lb boat?
Last i checked, a 470 is about 750lbs and a 3.0 is about 1000lbs and definitely more reliable then the 470.

This boat is old, but the hull is in great shape for a 81, no stress crack.
The problems are that the floors are a bit spongy, The transom has some rot and The 470 has 90 compression on Cylinder 3. So maybe a new 4.3?
Let me know what you think.

Ayuh,.... I agree with Bob, but if ya Love the hull, 'n yer goin' that Deep,...
Forget the seacast, 'n use plywood, 'n resin,...

'n Forget the 470, 'n find a 4.3l in a rotten donor boat,...
'round here, this time of year, rotten boats are cheapest because of winter storage fees, or hassles,...
Yer redoin' the stringers, 'n everything, perfect time to adapt to a V-motor,...
 

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Ayuh,.... I agree with Bob, but if ya Love the hull, 'n yer goin' that Deep,...
Forget the seacast, 'n use plywood, 'n resin,...

'n Forget the 470, 'n find a 4.3l in a rotten donor boat,...
'round here, this time of year, rotten boats are cheapest because of winter storage fees, or hassles,...
Yer redoin' the stringers, 'n everything, perfect time to adapt to a V-motor,...

Thanks for the advice, Why do you suggest Plywood over Sea Cast?
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Cost & difficulty

Your going to need plywood & resin to do the stringers & deck.

Use the advanced search function from the resto forum homepage, and read thru some of the threads where SeaCast was used.

You need a sound inner & outer fiberglass hull. You need to remove all the wood (rotten or not) from between the 2 layers of fiberglass (a 1.5" gap typically).

You need to make sure that you completely fill the gap w/ SeaCast.

OR:

Remove the inner fiberglass skin, remove all the wood against the exterior hull.

Laminate 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood, wrap it in CSM & resin, install it, and cover it w/ 1708 & resin.

Not really any more work, and less chance of making an error, IMHO.
 

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Cost & difficulty

Your going to need plywood & resin to do the stringers & deck.

Use the advanced search function from the resto forum homepage, and read thru some of the threads where SeaCast was used.

You need a sound inner & outer fiberglass hull. You need to remove all the wood (rotten or not) from between the 2 layers of fiberglass (a 1.5" gap typically).

You need to make sure that you completely fill the gap w/ SeaCast.

OR:

Remove the inner fiberglass skin, remove all the wood against the exterior hull.

Laminate 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood, wrap it in CSM & resin, install it, and cover it w/ 1708 & resin.

Not really any more work, and less chance of making an error, IMHO.

I did some research on the forum and found out that some ppl used “Marine Ply wood” is there a difference between regular ply at Home Depot and marine grade? What is the difference in terms of quality and price? What kind of resin do you recommend?
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

US Comp polyester resin, CSM & 1708 fiberglass.

Marine grade is a specialty plywood $95+/- PER sheet of 3/4". It's factory has been or the sheets themselves have been certified by a quality control inspector to be made w/ minimal (or no) defects (if present all repaired & small) in the face laminates (the outer layer of wood veneer on either side of a sheet), no voids (or minimal/small) in the core laminates & no voids along the outer edges of a sheet.

Go into a lumber yard & look at a stack of plywood. On either or both sides you'll see knot holes (w/ no wood), football shaped repairs (often multiple/large repairs), and lots of areas along the edge of the sheet where there is no wood (voids). Grab a random sheet & cut it into 6, 8, or 12" squares & the percentage of freshly cut edges that also have a void will likely be high. No way for you to determine if there are voids present out in the center of a 4X8 sheet of plywood, until you drill or cut into 1.

Generally, ACX exterior (that's the X in ACX) plywood will have few knot holes or repairs on 1 face (side) of the sheet (that's the A in ACX) and is an acceptable alternative, IMHO, that will cost @ $35/sheet of 3/4". It is made w/ waterproof glue, and is generally a better grade of lumber then a run of the mill sheet of exterior plywood, which is often a BCX grade....

MDO & Auraco are often used as well. You might be able to price them at your local lumber place, the price depends on where you are.

I can get or order ACX all day at lots of places, in any thickness I want, at no extra cost beyond what a sheet costs

MDO I can order in at a few places in any thickness I need: 1/2, 5/8 or 3/4", no extra costs but I have to wait 5-10 business days, most places that can order it, only have 1/2 or 3/4"

Auraco was only available in 1 location, 3.5hrs from me, and is no longer available, not even as a special order

Marine is available in 3/4" at 1 store, 90min from me, at $95/sheet, or about the same cost, but via special order from a couple places closer, but w/ a 5-10 business day delay.

Is marine grade better then ACX, sure it is, but is ACX insufficient? Nope, both have to be encapsulated in resin & glass. If a money stream was unlimited, I guess most would use the marine grade, but it's not readily available when you need another sheet. Many of us don't rehab old boats because we really want to, we do it because to have a nice boat, we need to rehab an older 1 for much less then the cost of a new boat. Would $95 a sheet for marine break the rehab? Nope, but if you can buy $35/sheet and accomplish the goal equally as well, why not. Easy of access is my primary motivation for recommending the ACX.

Check for MDO &/or Auraco too though, both are less then marine & really great to work w/

Good luck.... ^^^^sorry about the long winded reply...
 

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

US Comp polyester resin, CSM & 1708 fiberglass.

Marine grade is a specialty plywood $95+/- PER sheet of 3/4". It's factory has been or the sheets themselves have been certified by a quality control inspector to be made w/ minimal (or no) defects (if present all repaired & small) in the face laminates (the outer layer of wood veneer on either side of a sheet), no voids (or minimal/small) in the core laminates & no voids along the outer edges of a sheet.

Go into a lumber yard & look at a stack of plywood. On either or both sides you'll see knot holes (w/ no wood), football shaped repairs (often multiple/large repairs), and lots of areas along the edge of the sheet where there is no wood (voids). Grab a random sheet & cut it into 6, 8, or 12" squares & the percentage of freshly cut edges that also have a void will likely be high. No way for you to determine if there are voids present out in the center of a 4X8 sheet of plywood, until you drill or cut into 1.

Generally, ACX exterior (that's the X in ACX) plywood will have few knot holes or repairs on 1 face (side) of the sheet (that's the A in ACX) and is an acceptable alternative, IMHO, that will cost @ $35/sheet of 3/4". It is made w/ waterproof glue, and is generally a better grade of lumber then a run of the mill sheet of exterior plywood, which is often a BCX grade....

MDO & Auraco are often used as well. You might be able to price them at your local lumber place, the price depends on where you are.

I can get or order ACX all day at lots of places, in any thickness I want, at no extra cost beyond what a sheet costs

MDO I can order in at a few places in any thickness I need: 1/2, 5/8 or 3/4", no extra costs but I have to wait 5-10 business days, most places that can order it, only have 1/2 or 3/4"

Auraco was only available in 1 location, 3.5hrs from me, and is no longer available, not even as a special order

Marine is available in 3/4" at 1 store, 90min from me, at $95/sheet, or about the same cost, but via special order from a couple places closer, but w/ a 5-10 business day delay.

Is marine grade better then ACX, sure it is, but is ACX insufficient? Nope, both have to be encapsulated in resin & glass. If a money stream was unlimited, I guess most would use the marine grade, but it's not readily available when you need another sheet. Many of us don't rehab old boats because we really want to, we do it because to have a nice boat, we need to rehab an older 1 for much less then the cost of a new boat. Would $95 a sheet for marine break the rehab? Nope, but if you can buy $35/sheet and accomplish the goal equally as well, why not. Easy of access is my primary motivation for recommending the ACX.

Check for MDO &/or Auraco too though, both are less then marine & really great to work w/

Good luck.... ^^^^sorry about the long winded reply...

Thanks for that explanation, very informative.
If i can get 10 seasons out of this rebuild without using marine grade ply, that will do it for me.
I did some research, the boat is pretty heavy. I am guesstimating that the weight with the engine is about 3500lbs-3800lbs.
I think the transom will come out to about 2"-2.25" after 2 layers of 3/4" ply and 2 sheets of glass. Is that thick enough?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Thanks for that explanation, very informative.
If i can get 10 seasons out of this rebuild without using marine grade ply, that will do it for me.
I did some research, the boat is pretty heavy. I am guesstimating that the weight with the engine is about 3500lbs-3800lbs.
I think the transom will come out to about 2"-2.25" after 2 layers of 3/4" ply and 2 sheets of glass. Is that thick enough?

Ayuh,.... Transom thickness is not a hit or miss kinda thing,....

Mercruiser spec's the transom at 2", true, 'n flat, where ever the housin' meets the transom,...
 

yamhoss86

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
116
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Ayuh,.... Transom thickness is not a hit or miss kinda thing,....

Mercruiser spec's the transom at 2", true, 'n flat, where ever the housin' meets the transom,...

How much glass do i need after two layers of 3/4" inch?
regular chopped strand, 1708, woven mat?
I am just confused as to why most ppl don't encourage the I/O to outboard conversion Via Bracket.
The 200 HP Yamaha is 500lbs vs the 800lbs Mercruiser 470.
The difference can be met by placing maybe some batteries etc.
I would just think that if you beef up the stringers and add a quality steel plates to the transom, imho this will give reliable strength to put a bracket and eventually an outboard.
or am i just talking crap?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

How much glass do i need after two layers of 3/4" inch?
regular chopped strand, 1708, woven mat?
I am just confused as to why most ppl don't encourage the I/O to outboard conversion Via Bracket.
The 200 HP Yamaha is 500lbs vs the 800lbs Mercruiser 470.
The difference can be met by placing maybe some batteries etc.
I would just think that if you beef up the stringers and add a quality steel plates to the transom, imho this will give reliable strength to put a bracket and eventually an outboard.
or am i just talking crap?

Ayuh,... It's done all the time, I've watched a few Bud's pull it off, 5 different boats,....

One was successful,... 3 of the boats were junked before the 1st season was over, the 5th was rebuilt with a Mercruiser driveline, by another guy,...

At this point, I've witnessed 1, that the owner claims he Loves it with the outboard, rather than an I/O,...

Btw,... that 500 lbs hangin' a few feet aft of the transom is 'bout equal to the 800 lbs, Forward of the transom,...
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: 1981 Aquasport 22 FF Rebuild and Convert from I/o to Outboard

Here's a thread you might find interesting yam:
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...gure-out-new-cg-i-o-ob-conversion-627953.html

I like the design the OP speaks of in the thread, but he calls it attaching the OB to a swim platform but it's not. The OB is attached to the hull transom at deck level with the top half of the transom from the deck up moved in forward a couple of feet that gives the illusion of a swim platform.

Post up some pics of your old AS so we can see what you have to work with.
 
Top