Starting a new/first time rebuild

[Brunswickbmech]

I picked up a 1976 Crestliner apollo with a trailer from Facebook. Motor is a Mercury 1500 straight six. The guy posted that the lower unit was broke, he hit a rock and broke the aluminum around the prop opening. He said he replaced the floor and transom, so score. Got it home to find plywood screwed down to the rotted floor. The transom is solid, but it's all new stringers, bulkheads, floor, and other misc items that are gone/not right. As soon as I can post pics I will post up a lot of them. All of the plywood and vinyl panels around the sides and split console area are either rotted or just weathered. And it's missing all of the backrest panels around the bow area. I know it's going to be a lot of work but my buddy and I like the idea that we can rebuild this how we want it. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[savetexomabeaches]

pictures, take LOTS of pics and measurements. If you want to go back original, cool... but (and one thing I regret with mine) look around at other boats, and imagine if you could change it to how you want it, you would.. now is the time to plan on design features.. maybe more storage, maybe cup holders.. mine for example had the cover over the engine, and a seat on each side of the engine.. i went original, but now wish I made the back a bench seat with storage under it..

 

[savetexomabeaches]

Also, during tear down.. save every piece you can for templates

 

[tpenfield]

:welcome:

Disassembly , take lots of pictures and measurements as stated. Post some for us to see. Once you have the hull gutted, then you will have an idea of the 'plan' to put it all back together.

If you use a circular saw to cut out the floor, set the depth to only about 3/4" . . . we occasionally see folks cut right though the hull near the chines when they forget about the cutting depth.

You will want to make sure to remove the fuel tank before you get into it with the power tools.

 

[Brunswickbmech]

To be honest the wood was so rotted that there is only one bulkhead left towards the rear and most of the wood I scooped out with a kids sand shovel. I'm trying to figure out how to upload the pics now

 

[CrazyFinn]

To be honest the wood was so rotted that there is only one bulkhead left towards the rear and most of the wood I scooped out with a kids sand shovel. I'm trying to figure out how to upload the pics now

If it's that rotten, make sure you double check that transom. I'm thinking it's highly unlikely that it escaped the rot!

 

[CrazyFinn]

If you want to go back original, cool... but (and one thing I regret with mine) look around at other boats, and imagine if you could change it to how you want it, you would.. now is the time to plan on design features.. maybe more storage, maybe cup holders...

I agree.

Both of my boats were essentially gutted when I got them - so I decided right at the beginning to not worry about making them "original". Might have been a different story if the original interiors were still there. The smaller boat is almost finished (hoping to splash this weekend), and I completely ignored what it originally looked like, eliminated the doghouse engine cover idea with jump seats and instead created a flat hinged deck with teak "treads" - the boat already had a bit of teak trim, now it has a lot more than it originally did.

No back to back seats like original. Drivers seat is out of a ski boat, but with storage underneath. On the other side I created a lounge seat, storage underneath and at both ends, and with cup holders. Maybe not everybody's idea of how to do it, but that's ok, I just did what I thought would be nice for us to use.

Be creative!

 

[Brunswickbmech]

still waiting for the photo ban of three posts to be lifted. Been busy with work but got most of the mud removed. It's almost like gardening!!!!

 

[tallcanadian]

I don't know people sleep at night. Selling boats that they say are fixed when they turn out to be junk. I hope they get the scutters while under way. Sounds like you have your hands full but you have come to the right place.

 

[Woodonglass]

This comment is a reminder for any and all would be boat buyers. Unless the Seller has verifiable evidence that a boat made 10 or more years before you purchase it, You should ALWAYS assume that everything is Rotten and needs to be replaced. IF you find out that it actually is as advertised GREAT. More times than not it will need a full gut job. This is also a good bargaining tool. If he can't verifiy that the boat is in the advertised shape, then he shouldn't expect to get the asking price. That's one of the advantages of doing your restoration here on the forum. If and when you decide to sell the boat, you'll have plenty of evidence that is was done RIGHT!!!

 

[Brunswickbmech]

I completely agree thankfully the boat, motor, and trailer were free so all I have invested so far is time.

 

[Brunswickbmech]

Here she is in all her glory

 

[Brunswickbmech]

The inside as I got it before gutting

 

[Brunswickbmech]

And here is some of the rot after pulling up the plywood the previous owner screwed in over the rotten plywood and worn through fiberglass

 

[Brunswickbmech]

Next we have all of the rotten stringers that were literally mush and all of the foam was so water logged I had trouble tossing pieces from the rear.

 

[Goldie627]

Welcome to the forums.... In my humble opinion unless you are an engineer, i would leave everything below the floor as close as possible as it was to when you removed it, above the floor you can be more creative, if you have a in-board out-board documenting your motor mount(s) position is cruisial for later engine alignment, if you had foam determine the cubic inches that you removed and put the same amount back, composites have a shelf life don't buy more than you will use within that life, try to plan everything ahead and always be thinking ahead, be sure to allow room in your new design to pass all cables and needed wiring from the helm to the stern, home depot has these lil clear sticky back rubber bumpers that work great to keep your stringers and bulk heads off the hull while you pb them in.....

Regarding the transom.... boats only rot that bad from two reasons, 1 neglect, left out in the rain uncovered held water for a prolong periond of time or water is weeping in from a pass through keyhole transom bolt or a hair line crack somewhere in the hull etc etc.... the wood is like a sponge that can't dry out because of the fiberglass covering... with that being said the chances of your transom being good with that much rot elsewhere is pretty dam slim... I'm sorry, I hope im wrong, I would happily eat crow pie for you not to have to redo it

If I think of any other tips I'll post them, this was just off the top of head

God bless you

 

[Brunswickbmech]

Some of the wood removed and some stringer fiberglass removed

 

[Brunswickbmech]

No cracks in Hull at all it was just left outside uncovered for the past three years at least, and probably never was stored covered. All wires, cables, and what not pass under the gunwale on the sides. It even has tabs built in to run them through. Still trying to find a harness plug that goes into my outboard. Someone chopped the one off my mercontrol. Will probably use a stand-alone key in the dash but still need the plug instead of going redneck and using bullet connectors. So many sub systems I?m pecking away at, planning ahead.

 

[Goldie627]

I'm a worry wart....

Given the condition of the boat, before you spend a bunch of time tracking down that plug just for giggles you may wanna check the continuity of a few or some or all of those wires... just to see if your getting juice from the helm to the stern....

I replaced my gauges, switches, fuse panel, bus bars, and some wires, most of the core bundled wires I didn't replace but I knew the boat had ran before I started restoration.

If you upload your pics to imagur.com, it gives you a direct link that you can use in the forum, then your pics will show in the thread instead of links.

When your ready to take the lips (edges) off, grab your sawsall, get a pair of vice grips or pliers and curve the blade, lay the blade against the hull and it almost gets all the lip off, I think I learned that from George salmon or TP.

Some people leave the floor lip so they have a reference when sorting out the stringer height...

 

[Brunswickbmech]

I lucked out and after grinding down there is a blue outline from glue/epoxy/poly so I have a full reference line. The stringers are the easy one. I only have one bulkhead to go by and it?s rotted so I have no idea of the original shape other then straight across at the top. So I don?t know if it?s just a rectangle or if it dips into the hull for the v shape. I would love some opinions on what should be in the six bulk head spots