Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

I have started my 1988 sea ray Seville outboard project and was wondering if any one in Alabama has done one I could see the end result on. I am trying to figure it out as I go. So far I have cut all the flooring out. (And put two small cuts through bottom..) just not sure if I am doing everything right.

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

Welcome to iBoats. You joined the forum this month and it is obvious that you did not spend much time reading restoration threads (no offense). If you are not sure you doing everything right and you already cut through the hull twice, I would suggest that you pause and read/watch FriscoBoater SeaRay restoration thread
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...eck-stringer-restoration-splashed-454460.html

and at least skim through some parts of Oops Hull Extension thread (use the index to navigate to the areas you need more info on.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...pair/hull-extension-progress-pics-234392.html

Then, start a restoration thread with pictures so we can see what you see and I am sure any questions you have will be answered here. Best of luck to you

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

Yeah, I have been reading a lot on here- just hoping there was someone here I could potentially meet with and get some "been there" eyes on my project. I try to take pictures, but they don't seem to give good detail. I will certainly post some though.
I am hoping I can keep the foam in the bottom, even though it was wet. I understand it is a "closed cell" and therefore should not hold water. The guy helping me is actually the one that cut through, and he mixed some resin and pored it in the slit. Am I going to need to grind that out and use mat, or is the resin (with bits of plywood laid in it) enough?? Kind of seems like it should be fixed with more.
Forgive me if I ramble- I may have overdosed on fiberglass dust. I am wearing a mask, but that stuff is pretty determined to make you miserable. But- by this point I am pretty sure my insides are watertight, will not rust and will not rot....

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

It seems like your helper is not helping. Resin – even with bits of ply in it - is not the right way to fix this and I don’t think it will hold for long if at all. You need to grind the glass and taper the area then apply multiple layers of 1708. It is not a big deal, it can be fixed. Try to post some pictures so we can see what you see.

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

Hi and welcome to the dry dock, Robjunkins...

Yes, you will get tons of help here, but you need to post pics so the members can see what you see...

No, pouring some resin in the "cuts" is not a good fix...

You need to mix up some PB [Peanut Butter, thickened resin made with milled fibers and Cabosil] look on the previously mentioned "friscoboaters" Youtube channel...he has a good video that shows how to make it...

You will also need some CSM [Chopped Strand Mat] and some 1708 Biaxial Cloth...

You can then grind the damaged area into a dish shape from the inside, put a backer of cardboard covered with wax paper on the outside of the hull, fill with some PB, then layer on some CSM and 1708 until it is basically flush with the original interior 'glass...then repeat the grinding and filling from the outside of the hull...then fair it out and repair with either gel coat or paint, whatever you decide to finish it with...

You could also skip the PB filler and just apply several layers of CSM & 1708...each one gradually larger...

Yes, the foam, if wet, will NEVER dry out, it must be removed and should be replaced for safety...it is there to keep the boat from completely going under in case of swamping.

You may be able to get together with someone from here on the forum, but you will have to hang around for awhile until you hook up...and even though that person may not have the same boat...almost all the fiberglass boats are built essentially the same way, with a few exceptions, and the knowledge and experience of most who have been or are going through this, will be applicable to your build...

Once you start to get to the point of removing any rotten structure under the deck, the biggest thing is to protect yourself with the proper safety gear...fiberglass dust is unforgiving to your skin, eyes and lungs...I personally recommend a full face respirator, good gloves to protect your hands while grinding away and give yourself a baby powder bath then cover yourself in a Tyvek suit to keep the itch to a minimum...

And, a great place to get a bunch of good info is here...http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...r/how-tos-other-great-information-288451.html

Best of luck, post some pics and have fun!
GT1M

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

Welcome to i-boats..
Plus 1^^^ with GT1M..
You should take lots of pics and keep a good record of the measurements of all the things you remove.
Before you start takin the boat apart make sure you have a good support for the hull..
Good luck with your new adventure..

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

This will give you a good idea about the fixing procedure in general.

How to Repair Fiberglass - YouTube

I didn't think CSM is needed between layers of 1708 since 1708 already includes CSM layer but I will leave this for the experts to decide on.

GT1, you recommeded repeating the procedure (grinding, glassing and fairing) from the outside as well. This is the first time I come accross this recommendation. Would you please share your thoughts on why do you think this is necessary?

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

DeepBlue2010 said:

GT1, you recommeded repeating the procedure (grinding, glassing and fairing) from the outside as well. This is the first time I come accross this recommendation. Would you please share your thoughts on why do you think this is necessary?

Click to expand...

I honestly don't have any scientific facts to back that up and I can only go by what I have been told to do when assisting an acquaintance of mine in repairing some very large and very expensive boats, as I have done as a part time pocket change filler...

It may not be absolutely necessary, but for my piece of mind on my personal boat, I find that it is just one more chip on my side of the table..

I am just relating how I would go about the repair, taking into account all that I have read, heard, learned and practiced...

After watching the vid you posted, I find that repair 100% excellent and definitely saves the additional work...

I'll bounce it off of my boat repair guy next time I see him...

Hope this helps...
GT1M

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

FWIW, as the video shows the industry standard for a one sided repair is using a scarf of 12:1. If you can repair from both sides the industry standard is 6:1 on both sides, sorta the same thing. I personally prefer doing it from both sides when I can. I think that "locking" the repair in from both sides is stronger. However for a small area such as you have doing it from one side should be great. I leave two side repairs for large repairs like an impact where there is a lot of broken glass to remove.JMHO

Re: Mobile AL. - anyone rebuilt a sea ray?

It's your boat and your choice. The members here on this forum speak from years of experience. Some are profressionals and former professionals. Some are just plain people like you that have learned form experience. You can Google the net and find a plethera of the right way and the wrong way. Bottom line is you have you follow what makes the most sense to you. For me, a cut or hole in the hull requires a patch from both sides to get the proper strength and structure. I have found an overwhelming amout of evidence supporting this. If you only do one side it may hold up for years and it may not. I've never heard of a double sided repair failing.

We're not here to tell you the only way, we're just attempting to inform you of or experiences and or research on the given subject.

Momma always said... "You've got a brain...Use it!!!!"