1980's Hydro Glass Restoration Project

[kcon]

Howdy!

So I got a 1980's 17' "Hyrdo-Glass" bow rider outboard, with fully operational late 1980's 2-stroke 90HP Mariner outboard, for $2,000. First boat I've ever owned and turned out to be WELL worth the $2,000, used it all summer long on the Hudson River in NY with very little issue (Fortunately I worked for Sea-Tow for a bit as a contracted software developer so I had the free membership ready to go just in case) the boat does about 40MPH conditions permitting. Anyway the boat didn't look too pretty, as fun as it is, so I decided to go into a full restoration blind, despite many boat mechanic friends saying it's a waste.

Here it is in it's glory

The plan was to replace the deck, patch up cosmetic fiberglass spots, fresh paint, new carpet and seats, etc. however after exposing beneath the (rotten) deck I found poorly glassed rotten stringers, and turned out the transom was 100% rotten, I don't know how the outboard didn't fall off at this point, cause I pushed the boat hard all summer long. Here's some progress pictures of where I'm at so far. Unfortunately it's mid December in NY so it's tough to handle glassing anything out, or even working outside... but my goal here is to finish this by June 2017 to get back out on the water.

Exposing the rotten transom...

So that's where I'm at, I'll post updates as I progress. Unfortunately the amount of prep work inside the hull to smooth it out and prep for new stringers / fresh fiberglass is boring and difficult, but I dredge on! I had to get between some layers of structural fiberglass to pry off the transom, so shown above I used some sheets of CSM and 105 epoxy resin to level out the transom area so I can smooth it and apply 3 layers of 1708 for structure, followed by the new transom. I'm gonna have the motors carbs rebuilt and probably get a new prop, that is if I decide to keep the motor instead of just getting a new one...the thing ain't great on gas, but being a pre-mix 2-stroke it runs all day long.

Anyway, thanks for reading! If you have any tips or pointers based on what you've seen above I'm always welcome to criticism!

 

[jbcurt00]

Welcome to iboats

If you need any help, or have questions, just ask. Lots of guys hanging around the dry dock. They'll pitch in if needed.

You are planning on using epoxy for the rest of the rehab, correct? No switching to polyester resin if its intended to go over epoxy. It can have adhesuon problems. Best to stick w the epoxy on the transom and stringers now that you've used epoxy.

Thanks for posting so many pix right at the start.

Keep an eye on these 2 topics:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...sh-of-the-year

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...ty-nominations

And stick around after Jan5 for the vote and who knows, may be you'll get nominated for the 2017 SOTY.

Good luck w your project

 

[kcon]

Much appreciated! As for resin, I found mixing the epoxy to be much easier, withe West System pumps and what not - so I'll likely only use polyester resin on the exterior to repair some stress cracks and holes over gel-coat, then just spray out paint everything. Other than that I didn't see much of a need for the polyester besides cost.

 

[kcon]

Howdy folks!

Still chugging along, I did 6 layers of 1708 on the aft for the imminent transom install, don't have pictures at the moment but I do have a question! jbcurt00 had mentioned I'm using epoxy resin so I should stick to it, at least for the inside of the hull... I have gelcoat cracks and fiberglass damage on the outside body of the hull, I intent to grid out and expose the various small to large gelcoat damage and repair with fiberglass, is it okay to use the epoxy resin to bind fiberglass over gelcoat? I'm going to for the most part bind it to raw glass but I intend to feather it out and have it overlap gelcoat before I sand smooth, is this type of repair something I should be using the polyester resin for? I intend to use CSM fiberglass sheeting.

Thanks everybody!!

 

[jbcurt00]

How do you plan to cover the exterior hull cracks once repaired? Paint or gelcoat?

If you repair the exterior w epoxy, you HAVE to paint the hull. Gelcoat is a polyester resin based product, so it wont adhere over epoxy.

 

[kcon]

Thanks for the prompt reply! I intend to paint/clear coat the entire hull, top and bottom. I was considering using this product to "paint" the lower hull so I can have a continuous color above/below the waterline
http://supermarinepaint.com/marinepaint/pc/SM-1000-Revolution-Gallon-3p10.htm

 

[kcon]

Also, here's an update pic...first time glassing that big of a sheet so go easy on me

There are some small bubbles in there but most of those white spots are actually filled voids between layers. Looking back on it I should have really spent more time smoothing out the various surfaces, but after some grinding, filling, and smoothing I'm confident it'll hold!

 

[kcassells]

Yup... JB as usual is correct. Once starting with EEEEEEEEEpoxy you will need to finish it with the same and paint. My project is all EEEEEEEEEpoxy and my wallet knows it. But I do like working with it. Nice project I'll be hopping in so make room for me and a bunch of good ole' boys coming your way.
KC

 

[jbcurt00]

I wouldnt clear coat the boat once painted

Supermarine is good (expensive too) paint and shouldnt require clear, let it fully cure and simply cut and buff once it is. IIRC, some have simply left Supermarine paint as is once cured, it was smooth and plenty shiny.

Adding clear just makes it harder to touch up and repair when necessary. Most (nearly all?) skip clear.

Iboats sells marine paint, so i changed your link to a Supermarine page instead of the store you linked

 

[kcon]

Good stuff, great tips! Thanks much! I'm gonna head to the NYC boat show after work today and check out all the boats I should have bought instead of embarking on a 200 hour project

Thanks for the paint link, I'd most certainly rather buy from iBoats.

 

[ezmobee]

Good looking project. That's a nice deep hull and in my opinion well worth the effort to fix up.

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmm Just and FYI...Using CSM and 1708 with epoxy is costing you money. CSM is designed to work with polyester resin. It has no value with epoxy and actually wastes valuable resin. No strength added with CSM the Fabric does not need the added 3/4 oz of Csm either. Just plain 17oz biaxial fabric is all you need and again will save you resin.

 

[jbcurt00]

WOGs ^^^ paint link may also be of interest:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...lamingo-splashed-w-pics?p=5172021#post5172021

As long as the boats trailered and not left in the water more then about a long weekend. Several members have used it w great success.

 

[kcassells]

Wood will be stopping by soon.
OOps...already on it he is. lol

 

[kcon]

Good looking project. That's a nice deep hull and in my opinion well worth the effort to fix up.

Thanks! I've heard a lot of the opposite from guys who have been through it, but I'm excited nonetheless. I didn't realize how much work I'd be getting myself into, but hey I'm learning and I'll get a great boat at the end of it. I've already decided to put a brand new outboard on it and keep it for as long as possible.

Using CSM and 1708 with epoxy is costing you money. CSM is designed to work with polyester resin. It has no value with epoxy and actually wastes valuable resin.

I appreciate the tip! You ain't kidding, it hasn't been cheap, I'm not of the mindset of "money is no object" but I haven't really worried about spending a few hundred on materials here and there, so far. My understanding was the CSM is more cosmetic anyway and would make for a smoother sanded surface for cosmetic repairs. I do have some polyester resin and used it for some CSM patches already, it's just a pain to mix compared to the epoxy pump, At this point I have so much excess CSM for cosmetic repairs I don't mind waste. However what would you recommend I purchase for glassing out the deck with epoxy when I get to that point? The 17oz biaxial fabric?

I wanted a bunch of 1708 for glassing the aft, the transom, and the stringers - so much glass came out when I stripped it I wanted to do as much structural fill as possible.

WOGs ^^^ paint link may also be of interest:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...21#post5172021

Thanks! I'll look into that one!

 

[Woodonglass]

Epoxy is a much better adhesive and really does not benefit from CSM in any way. Cosmetic or otherwise. For your deck I'd use 6oz fabric for Strength. CSM adds NO additional strength to an Epoxy lay up. Joints to the hull sides and bottom would be much better served by using the 17oz fabric. this is true for transom, Stringers and Deck. Poly does not adhere well to epoxy soooo if you want to use poly over any areas covered in epoxy would not be a good idea. Epoxy will stick to just about anything,(some plastics are not compatible) but poly is not as good of a "Glue".

 

[kcon]

So, what I have now is "1708 Fiberglass 45/45 DBM Biaxial - 30' x 10 YARD" which I've been using for the transom, sure has needed A LOT of epoxy to wet out. (I also have a good amount of CSM, which I'll just be using for cosmetic fills.

So, what I should buy
1. 1708, +/- 45 "tape" 6" x (whatever feet), for tabbing stringers before laying 1708 over the entire stringer
2. Fiberglass Cloth 6oz, 50" Wide, 12feet Long, for glassing the deck.

Seem about right?


I really appreciate the help! I'll be cracking at it all weekend!

(I checked out the NY boat show, bunch of yachts I can't afford :tongue-new

 

[kcon]

Side question, new reply cause it won't let me edit the previous post again. I made the silly mistake of not measuring the deck before I took it out. I figure I'll put the top cap on before I put the deck in so I can be assured it'll be the perfect size (it's been sitting w/o a deck or stringers for months so presumably it's wider) - Now should I put the top cap on and create some strap tension width wise BEFORE I put the stringers in so they're straight? I'm worried if i put the stringers in then tension the sides to reduce that width flex the stringers won't be 90degree straight anymore, does this make sense?

 

[Woodonglass]

No straps needed once the cap is back on other than just enuf tension to keep the cap in place. Stringers will be fine once glassed in. They sure as heck should not move!!!! If you continue to use the 1708 you will use more resin. That's not entirely a bad thing as long as you just use enuf resin to get the fabric wet. any more is a waste and actually is not as strong as a properly wet out lamination. Most 1st timers have a tendency to use more resin than needed.

 

[kcon]

Progress!

I've had a lot of areas where I started pulling back on glass from the old stringers, and layers just kept coming up, getting increasingly difficult to pull but still coming up, so I finally grinded out the weaker spots and feathered out the edges between exposed layers, where I will later put 1708 over after the stringers are in place. Still some more smoothing out to do but I'm about 75% done with the god damn (battery powered) grinder that just keeps dying every 15 minutes...

I also got around to finally cutting the stringers to size using the old rotten stringer as a template.

Before:

After:

It's funny, I'm certainly no expert here, but the stringers I pulled out weren't at all encapsulated in fiberglass. The fiberglass with just over it keeping it in place with wood exposed in the front and middle, no wonder there was serious rot. I'm not sure if someone had re-done this boat before but I seriously doubt it.



Fortunately I have a nice big warm shop to work in over winter, I'd NEVER be able to get any of this done otherwise...