New Boat New Problems

Hello everyone,
Id like to start off by saying great site, im a new boat enthusist and this site has great and helpful info, but anyways i was recently given a astroglass boat and thats all i know about the boat from the outside. one thing he did tell me when he gave me the boat was that it needed new stringers and the hull had a crack in it well once i removed the top of the boat off i realized there isnt any stringers there and that the transom needs to be repaired ive done many searches on how to set up the stringers and havnt found one that shows my boat that shows any details well my question to you friendly people is what do i need to do to prep the hull to fix the crack and what i should do to get stringers set in place and this boat ready to be used?
Thanks in advance

Re: New Boat New Problems

Welcome to iBoats!
Post up some pics so we can see what you are talking about. Makes it a lot easier to guide you.

Re: New Boat New Problems

Woodonglass said:

Welcome to iBoats!
Post up some pics so we can see what you are talking about. Makes it a lot easier to guide you.

Click to expand...

hey everyone sorry its been a while ive been busy with school and work but i finally took ssome pictures sorry if they arent the best pics

Re: New Boat New Problems

What were you thinking your budget would be for the restore?

Re: New Boat New Problems

If that trailer came with the boat then you got a killer freebie. I hate to be the one with disparaging news, but I think she's seen her last bass roundup. . Seriously - I would look for a project with a little more meat on the bone. You already have the trailer.

Re: New Boat New Problems

Run away- And when you get done running, run some more.

Re: New Boat New Problems

If you had some idea about the original stringer layout & you were up for a huge challenge, maybe. But there are too many 'good' candidates out there, to try & start here for a 1st job. Others that could be done for less $, much less $. I might spend a little $ on glass & resin and get my hands wet trying to do some glass work on this hull, and get the learning curve out of the way on this hull. All the while looking for a better starting point. Esp since you don't mention a motor. Look for decent boats on junk trailers since this one seems sound. And use the bad trailer as a negotiating point on price. But w/out a motor, you're already starting at a disadvantage. A glass boat needing a new deck & stringers, w/ serviceable motor & trailer, and maybe some minor glass repairs to the cap & hull are all over the net for $400 - 1500 and should sell for half or less of that.

You didn't include pix of the cap you removed. Keep as much salvageable material as you can. Steering, electrical, etc....

Jasoutside can help point you in the right direction for the long term option for this hull. It isn't pretty & makes extensive use of 1 of these

It's a bummer & unfortunate. Sorry, but run isn't really strong enough to accurately describe what you should do rather then proceeding on this hull. Sorry we didn't have better news.

Re: New Boat New Problems

I appreciate the disparaging news lol, but id still like to try and salvage it just becuase its my first boat a little bit of a sentimental attachment. Im in Chattanooga TN

Re: New Boat New Problems

Hey everyone, i greatly appreciate the advice, but I think im gonna try and see what i can do with it and if nothing works out it was a great learning experience, my only problem now is finding a stringer layout that i can go off of and if anyone has a pic that would be greatly appreciated, Budget wise i didnt have a amount set in stone i was just gonna progress and get what i needed, oh yeah it did come with a mecury 140hp engine that looks great and the on the upper part of the boat the seats are new and came with a trolly motor and a fish finder ill try and post some pics up later if i every get a break from school. If anyone does have a stringer layout or a transom layout id really appreciate it if you would share that information.
Thanks in advance

Re: New Boat New Problems

I appreciate your resolve... Most of us on the forum are in the middle of projects that most sane and reasoned people would have run away from.. So, you certainly wont' get any criticism - in fact, we will support you whatever you decide to do....

The only thing I would say is do a bunch of reading and research and make sure you want to commit to this... How strong is this emotional attachment? I tell my clients all the time that "you can follow principal right off a cliff" (you can do the same thing with emotional attachment). You are looking at the next year or two of your life and several thousand dollars to get that boat back to serviceable and safe condition. If you want to be on the water faster and more cheaply, I would still make use of the the boat for sentimental purposes - just in a different way (I would sink it for structure in my favorite fishing hole) :facepalm:

How much time does your schooling allow for this?

Best of luck !!!!

Re: New Boat New Problems

ok....yer gonna fix it.......lets rock and roll.

ok.....first....the rule of thumb is replace what was there.
in one pic....you have a stringer.....duplicate it on the other side.

....the hole in the hull is no problem.

but before i start typing a lay up schedule......
what kind of glassing experience do you have....that way i will know how to type it...

click the link in my sig for every thing you need to know.

Re: New Boat New Problems

You got a nice trailer and it sounds like a heck of a motor. I have no idea why you wouldn't try to find a better hull to put these things on/under. There are boats in far better condition than that one laying around under trees!

Re: New Boat New Problems

Again, do you realize how much time and money it is going to take to restore this boat? There are much better candidates out there.

Re: New Boat New Problems

Welcome to the Dry Dock, Newbie,

I'm pretty sure I have an astro stinger layout in my files, I'll check, but oops! is right one with the mirror image. Just add to the other side what you have now.

I love the Astro's and Procraft's (one in the same for a while) made just down the road from you if you're in Chattanooga. Murfreesboro was the orginal home of ProCraft and Astro, I was born and raised in Knoxville. Anyway, you have a good hull with potential, and sounds as though you're going to restore it no matter what, so lets get you rolling the right way.

Oh and the thoughts of finding another hull are well and good, but the possiblitiy of finding one any better than what you have is slim, unless you go much newer (the one you have looks to be around '87 to '89??), and to go much newer dips into the pocket much deeper....soooo, by fixing this one up at least you'll know what you have from the hull up. There's nothing you're going run into that hasn't been covered here before, and on that particular boat, nothing that I personally haven't run into before. So let the fun begin.

The best of luck to you,

CW

Re: New Boat New Problems

Please listen to these people when they ask "do you know what your fixing to dive into?" They didnt just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. Even I can account for how much work you are looking at, as I at first didnt think my project would be too bad and I have spent well over what I thought it would take and still going. But I had more or less bought a complete boat, not one that had already been stripped, so some of the work your looking at is over with.

Your main expense is going to be your time, and then the glassing materials, wood, and any other little gremlins you find.
Main thing I would be concerned with is knowing if the motor is good. If the motor checks out, and you feel like you have the time then god speed my friend.

Re: New Boat New Problems

Alot of time and effort with that hull...... We will guide you if you decide to dive into her.... Good luck

Re: New Boat New Problems

Well i greatly appreciate what everyone has to say you guys/girls have great advice.

Anyways the sentimental attachment isnt tremendous but i really like this boat i guess cause it is my first. And i cant beat the fact that it was free

As far as do i know what im getting into yes and no. Im a ford master technician well im about to be in may I get my last certification so if anyone needs any car help or wiring diagrams I will be more than happy to assist with that or any car repairs...

Well let me begin by saying I have rebuilt cars so I have somewhat of an idea of building things i know it isnt the same as a boat but I figured its better than nothing im very mechanically inclined and love a challenge, and as far as glassing ive done it a total of 2 times one was I made a headliner and another was a speaker box lol.

Oop's I am gonna do my best and fix her ive read alot of great and helpful information on this site, but untill I actually try and do it physically im not going to fully understand how to do the repairs if I ever come across another boat that needs restoration.... As far as duplicating the one stringer that is in there im not sure if the way its sitting in there now is the right way or if it needs to be turned around or what..... another thing is the crack how should I approach it.

Cadwelder if you still have those files and hopefully you do that would be a tremendous help and im in the center of chattanooga, idk if you have ever heard of east ridge?

Well again thanks a lot everyone i cant emphasize (not ssure how to spell) how much you all have helped me and this site has helped me. sorry if my threads are too long im new to this forum stuff so please just bear with me everyone and again thanks everyone

Re: New Boat New Problems

I never rebuilt a boat before last year and everyone here helped me out greatly! I did document the whole job so feel free to check the thread in my signature.

Re: New Boat New Problems

Ok, if you understand the Effort will be 80 to 100 hours of work, somewhere around $2k in costs, and you'll never get your money back then we are here for ya. When you're done she'll be good for at least the next 20yrs as long as you maintain her properly. The Crack in the hull is a straight forward fiberglass repair. Basically grind it down to good glass on the inside, wash it all down with acetone, tape some plastic over the outside, then lay a couple of layers of 1.5 oz CSM over the inside. First layer should be about 2 " larger than the crack, 2nd layer 2" lareger than the first layer. Then lay a layer of 1708 biaxial cloth thatst 4" larger than the last CSM layer Use Unwaxed Polyester Laminating resin mixed with 2% hardener and you'll be good to go. You'll do basicall the same thing on the outside.

Here's a pic of a finished repair similar to what your's will be like. Only problem with this one is I would have preferred the user do a bit more grinding on the old glass

Re: New Boat New Problems

Well 80 to 100 hours of work sounds like its gonna be hard to find that amount of time to get anything done, but ill definetly find some time.

Has anyone ever used the the bondo hair stuff ?