89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

[Mark42]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Max,

That really is an amazing transformation your doing. I've been watching your work with great attention and admiration for the detail and craftsmanship you're putting into it. The gunnels are going to be great being that wide. I like the way the bow was braced with the ply.

Its really going to be a great center console when you're done!

Mark

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Max,

That really is an amazing transformation your doing. I've been watching your work with great attention and admiration for the detail and craftsmanship you're putting into it. The gunnels are going to be great being that wide. I like the way the bow was braced with the ply.

Its really going to be a great center console when you're done!

Mark

Thank's Mark42!

By the time the bulkhead and bowcap plywood are glassed to the deck and hull sides it will be good and solid.

max!

 

[88BLiner]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Great work Max, you are making me rethink how I want to design my interior.
If I ever get that far:redface:

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Great work Max, you are making me rethink how I want to design my interior.
If I ever get that far:redface:

Getting the bowcap and bulkhead completed to the point it's at really helped me feel like I'm making some headway on the boat. I'm looking forward to finishing the rest of the work on the bowcap and seeing how it turns out.

max!

 

[jonesg]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

With the splashwell in place can you get the steering cable to go thru the engines steering tube?

Looking at where your cable exits the tunnel right now. Does the steering cable run thru that wooden tunnel?

Reason I ask is I found mine has to be done by putting the outboard on the hoist and pulling it away from the transom to get the steering cable free.
No biggie as i have a hoist but it would be a pain without one.

Also my tunnel exit is closer to the side of the boat for a wider sweeping curve of the cables. Maybe the problem is my homemade splashwall.

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

With the splashwell in place can you get the steering cable to go thru the engines steering tube?

Looking at where your cable exits the tunnel right now. Does the steering cable run thru that wooden tunnel?

Reason I ask is I found mine has to be done by putting the outboard on the hoist and pulling it away from the transom to get the steering cable free.
No biggie as i have a hoist but it would be a pain without one.

Also my tunnel exit is closer to the side of the boat for a wider sweeping curve of the cables. Maybe the problem is my homemade splashwall.

The steering cable used to be a problem when removing. I used to have to pull the engine up off the transom to remove the steering cable but I enlarged the hole in the side of the splashwell a little and solved the problem, now I have the problem of finding a rubber boot big enough to cover the enlarged hole in the splashwell.

The steering cable does run thru the tunnel in the deck and it works but the tunnel is a little close to the splashwell, futher to the side of the deck would have been better but I didn't have a choice as room under the deck was shallow and determined where the tunnel went in the deck and I couldn't run the cables down the center of the deck like most do because my cables where too short and I had no money in the budget to replace the cables right now so the tunnel in the deck was what I came up with. The tunnel in the deck can be sealed up and longer cables run down the center of the deck pretty easily at a later date when the monies are better or left as is if I'm satisfied with the way it all works.

Sounds like your cables are set up pretty nicely!

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Been working on the boat pretty steady today. I finished filling in the bulkhead on each side of the boat and sealed it up with PL Adhesive and stainless screws, in the second picture you can see that I left a gap between the bulkhead plywood and the gunwale on each side of the boat so air can circulate up under the bowcap via the gunwales. Sanded it all up, rounded the corners over at the bowcap and got the bowcap and bulkhead ready for glassing.
Next I moved to the port gunwale and did some glass work useing chopped glass so the port and starboard gunwale will be more in speck with each other.
I put about four hours in working on the boat today, that's about all I had the energy for in the heat and sun, next time I work on the boat I will get the screw holes filled in on the bulkhead and bowcap.
I still haven't decided what I will do for the door in the bulkhead yet or if it will have one or just an opening in the bulkhead like in the last picture as it was when the boat was set up as a bowrider.

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

I ended up working on the boat again yesterday afternoon, I sat aound until I couldn't stand it anymore, then I went back out and hand blocked the fiberglass patch that I had put on the bow area earlier in the day, it came out really good, there were very few voids to fill after the hand blocking was done.

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

This afternoon I worked on the boat a little more after work. I drilled a new hole for the gas tank vent in the transom and temporarily mounted the vent, then I drilled a new hole for the bilge pump outlet and got that temporarily mounted as the orignal mounting holes were removed when I lowered the hull sides and gunwale of the boat.

Tomorrow after work I hope to get the running lights mounted on the bowcap and starboard transom temporarily, if I have enough time after mounting the running lights I plan to install the backing pads for the transom cleats under the port and starboard gunwale in the transom area, the backing pad for the bow cleat has already been installed so all I have to do is mount the bow cleat, we'll see how it goes.

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

At this point I guess I should explain why the sudden rush to get a lot done on the boat.
My wife and I decided it would be nice to get out on the water with our son for the evening of the 4th of July and watch the fireworks, that gives me 30 days to complete the boat enough to meet that goal.
Today I was able to mount the bow light and bow cleat as discussed yesterday when I updated, but I wasn't able to get the stern cleats and running light mounted this afternoon. Couldn't find one of my stern cleats and the light socket for the running light. I know I put them right where I would be able to find them when I needed them.
So instead I went to work on the steering rack grinding rivets and enlarging bolt holes so I could get the new bolts in that fasten the steering rack together after hopefully freeing the steering cable enough I will be able to use it.
I will in no way be able to get out there and fly around with the steering like it is but I will be happy to just get out there and putt around for the evening.
I still have to build an 8 foot section of gunwales and get a coat of glass on them to get the boat usable and some wiring that still has to be done on the running lights and motor.
My plan is to have the boat ready a few day's ahead of time so I can take it out a couple of times and work out any problems that may occur ahead of time.

I have a question! I have a couple gallons of light gray garage floor paint minus the label, can anyone tell me if concrete floor paint will hold up on raw fiberglass?
I've had several boats with light gray in them, didn't really want gray in this one but money's short right now and light gray is plentiful.

max!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

I painted my transom board with "porch & floor" paint and it adhered well. That type of paint seems to be great for just about any surface.

 

[Nico2112]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Great job so far

Can't wait to see the end result!

 

[sickboy932]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Excellent thread and even better workmanship. I'm right in the middle of a similar project. My wife is due any day now with our second child, so I have a feeling I wont be working on it as often as I like.

It's a 1989 Spectrum Blue Fin 1900

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

I painted my transom board with "porch & floor" paint and it adhered well. That type of paint seems to be great for just about any surface.

Thank's ezmobee!
I had read that before but had forgotten it.

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Great job so far

Can't wait to see the end result!

Thank's! I'm slowly getting closer to finishing, maybe by this time next year I'll be ready for paint.

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Excellent thread and even better workmanship. I'm right in the middle of a similar project. My wife is due any day now with our second child, so I have a feeling I wont be working on it as often as I like.

It's a 1989 Spectrum Blue Fin 1900

Congratulation's on the new addition!

When my son was born, he kept the wife and I up what seemed like 24 hours a day 7 days a week for awhile "tummy ache!" That's how I got the name 24/7 for my boat.

Nice boat, got anymore pics of it?

max!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Came home after work and went to work on the boat. I found my other cleat and the socket for the transom running light, it was right where I had left it!
I bored the holes to mount the cleats and got those mounted then I bored a starter hole for the jigsaw blade to fit in so I could cut a hole big enough for the running light socket to mount in, I didn't have the right size holesaw for the job, so a 10 minute job took a half hour but it looks good.
I was about to start reinstalling my steering when I realized that I was sweating enough from this cold I've had all week to almost float the boat on the trailer.
I could see it now laying on my back on the deck up under the console with sweat running in my eye's trying to hold my head up while I attempted to tighten the two mile long bolts that go through the steering rack with a wrench cause I can't get a socket in there for the last inch or so of threads. So I elected to get some rest and try again tommorrow afternoon.

Sorry guys! I'm a poor photographer, of course I'm sure it didn't help that I dropped my camera on the driveway this past summer!
max!

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Man your moving now Max !!! lol she is looking good !!! John

 

[MikDee]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Hey Max! I see you have another project going, it looks fascinating as well
And you're Doing an Awesome job!

 

[maxum247]

Re: 89maxum cuddy/to bowrider/to center console conversion

Hey Max! I see you have another project going, it looks fascinating as well
And you're Doing an Awesome job!

Hey Mik! Seems like a long time since the "Shaker" build! What have you been up to?

max!