Nautiglass v150 half cab

Hello fellow boaters, I thought it was about time I introduce my boat to everyone she's a 15 ft fibre glass built in the early 1980's with a 70 hp Johnson, we've been together for 3 years and in that time had some good outings, but not always calm waters, there have always been a few things that I would like to do to improve the boat and give it that personal touch. As spring is here and were less than a month from the beginning of summer, I though it was time to do some safety checks before we went out on the water, so I removed my bung plugs to reseal them as it was taking on water last time we went out, I didn't like the look of the black water that seeped from the screw holes, so then I though about were my bilge pump is position and how it was screwed to the top part of the deck right next to the transom, it's has been like this since I bought it home, so I removed the screws holding down and cut a few holes to see what the wood was like, It seems that there was no sealant ever used and water was able to to get in there quite easily looks like the centre might have to be closely look at as well as one of the screws was driven straight into it, my floor is pretty good and if I can avoid it cutting as little up as possible. So I was thinking of removing the cap, cutting about a ft back from the the transom and stripping the transom to the outer skin, but I have a couple of more worries, 1st being some fine gravel I found in the hull a 2nd I also found a piece of copper pipe going through the upper deck in the anchor storage well into the hull, this makes my wonder if it was used as a way of water ballast to help keep the boat stable in off conditions, i have drilled a couple of more inspection holes to see if there's anything hiding further up the deck and it does look ok, but this doesn't really give me a complete look at what's been going on, not real sure if I want to rip the deck up at this stage, especially with summer around the corner, I've taken some pic's for you all to see let me know what you think.
Cheers Chris72

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

here's some more pic's

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

It looks like the old girl needs some work.

Late spring and summer are actually the best time to work on a boat.

Resins, adhesives, and paints set and cure much quicker and better when temps are warm... and if you need to use a 2 part expanding urethane foam you'll get a much better expansion rate when temps are high.

A rotten and weak transom can be disastrous!

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

G'day mate,
l've got the runabout model, same color
dunno what that copper tube is for or why it would go into the hull...sounds a bit daft to me.. BUT it COULD be a POSSIBLE way for all that sand/grit to enter the hull via your anchor rope/chain/ anchor etc...not saying it definitely is but it could be,

pulled my anchor/chain/rope out the other day in the shed and hosed it off...lots of of sand/grit/mud embedded in the rope itself etc plus whats in the anchor well,

you've got some weird tube going into your hull that could over time deposit half of SA's beach sand in there..if you hose the boat off after going out that copper tube could be putting the sand crap into the bottom of your hull
could also just be sand from peoples feet etc etc over 30 odd years,
possibly only one other way for sand to get into the bottom of the hull..won't go there LOL

little confused... (seems to be a semi permanent state these days ).. are you saying you don't undo the bungs after every trip out?
black water coming out..and how much.. isn't a real good sign..could mean the stringers/floor are on the way out but if you haven't undone the bungs the water could be old too, if you get my drift,

but your core sample looks good..

my bilge pump is on the flat area, just next to the battery,
cheers

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

The copper tube goes thru the DECK (floor, sole maybe if you also like to sail) to below deck & you don't see it sticking out anywhere else?

It's likely an bilge vent (air relief) so that air can expand & contract thru temperature changes, and hopefully avoid trapping condensation below deck.

Cold water around the hull would chill any air that is below deck. If you store your boat covered, in the sun, it likely gets very warm under the tarp & the air below decks gets warm too. Humidity would cause that air to condense when you but the boat in the water.

My Glastron has a similar tube:


But mine is plastic, fiberglassed at a downward angle, so water is unlikely to enter the bilge thru the tube. Your's seems to be coiled for a similar reason. Mine is under the bow cap, an behind the foot well at the helm. So it's really not seen when you're in the boat.

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

little confused... (seems to be a semi permanent state these days ).. are you saying you don't undo the bungs after every trip out?
black water coming out..and how much.. isn't a real good sign..could mean the stringers/floor are on the way out but if you haven't undone the bungs the water could be old too, if you get my drift,

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G'day chrome and JB, They are a good little boat ay, with the 70 hp on the back she fly's along, I always remove the bung plugs when we pull it out the water while it's still on the ramp and let it drain anything that may be in the hull, the last time I went out in her she took on some water some so I thought I would reseal the bung plug, when I removed the the 2 screws that hold the bung to the transom is where the black water seeped from , I still need to do some core samples on the transom which will hopefully tell me more. JB I thought the copper tube may have been a vent, after speaking to my neighbour about it he mention a boat he that he would water ballast by removing the lower bung plug and letting water in with this type of tube at the helm it would air to escape and when water appeard from the tube it would be full, when it was full he would replace the bung and the boat was a lot more stable in off shore choppy condition, this may explain the gravel that's in there. I was thinking about doing some more core samples around the helm as well as flushing the hull to remove all the gravel.
Cheers Chris

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

Coring will tell you what you need to know, and I suspect the cores will tell you that you have a fair amount of work ahead of you.

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

Hi, jigngrub, I'm going to remove the outboard today and see what it's like around the mounting holes, then take the cap off and start cutting, I use to work for a aluminium boat builder 10 years ago and did a few boat from aluminium plate "best job I ever had" but welding and glassing are completely different. My biggest worry is that the stingers need doing as well, the deck seems good with no soft spots but my bunks up at the helm have gone leaving just the hollow fibreglass.
Cheers Chris

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

Glassing can't be that hard if some of the old farts on here I see can do it.

Just do a lot of reading here on the other folks restos and up in the "How To" stickies at the top of the page and you'll be a pro before you start.

If you really like/love your boat you can breathe decades of new life into her and be very proud of a job well done!

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

Coring will tell you what you need to know, and I suspect the cores will tell you that you have a fair amount of work ahead of you.

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Well I've done some more samples and it's not looking good, as I suspected the transom will have to be done as well will the stringers, 1 of the stringers was completely hollow up to a foot away from the transom, how ever the anchor well is all dry and solid. So my plan is to strip the transom down and start cutting out the deck, only then I can get a good look at what's been going on.

Cheers Chris

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

bugger..but at least when it's done you'll have a REALLY good tub,
shouldn't take all that long IF you've got the time to get really stuck into it...but all those other annoying distractions...like work, family stuff LOL or fishing in the other boat.. ( after all, it IS snapper season) can slow things down a tad,

jbcurt00's suggestion of what the copper tube is for sounds logical..my runabout doesn't seem to have one but it is a PITA to get right under the bow in that, who knows, might have missed it,
cheers

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

Hi Chris, I have the same hull with a different cap. I am in the process of a stirnger/deck replacement and modifucation o the cabin etc. I have a thred on iboats here. In regards to the copper tube, is that not just to secure the end of the anchor rope to so it's tied onto the boat? That's what mine was attached to.....

Cheers

Re: Nautiglass v150 half cab

xsesiv said:

In regards to the copper tube, is that not just to secure the end of the anchor rope to so it's tied onto the boat? That's what mine was attached to...

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I certainly hope not. Not even to just 'keep' the rope's end secured to prevent both ends of the anchor rope from ending up in the water, not to really secure the boat to it's anchorage, which would definitely not be a good idea....

2 words: Deck cleats