Fletcher Bravo Arrowsport 150 restoration...

[PaddyConlan]

Hi all!

I've got myself an old fletcher Arrowsport 150 with an Evinrude 85hp outboard which has become a little project of mine.

I'm just going through the process of stripping all the internals out, and my first concern will be the transom. After removing the outboard and the fuel tank from the rear I can already see what I believe is rot on the transom from where the outboard securing bolts go through. I will be investigating and taking photos this weekend.

A lot of things I've read so far is that for this type of boat having to redo the transom and possibly stringers will not be cost effective. Would I be correct in saying that? For me I would like to get it all restored to see how I get on as I would like to find a larger project in the future.

I hope to be able to pick people's brains as I go through the restoration.

Thanks

 

[Big Gee]

Welcome to iboats :welcome:

That's a nice looking boat.

A lot of things I've read so far is that for this type of boat having to redo the transom and possibly stringers will not be cost effective. Would I be correct in saying that? For me I would like to get it all restored to see how I get on as I would like to find a larger project in the future.

I hope to be able to pick people's brains as I go through the restoration.

Thanks

You're right, you probably won't get your money out of rehabbing that boat, but you will no doubt learn a lot of transferable skills to use on future boats and you'll enjoy a great feeling of accomplishment.

There are plenty of examples of other people's projects and all kinds of folks here that can guide you along the way.

Good Luck and have fun doing it.

 

[sogood]

It's a bit of a cliche but cost is not always measured in monetary terms. Nor is the finished product. As has been mentioned, a manageable project will pay dividends in experience and confidence when tackling any future restorations. If you want to do it, then go for it . Lots of very helpful advice available here when needed. Looking forward to following along and good luck with it .

 

[briangcc]

Nice looking ski boat.

As for cost...have you priced out a new boat these days? You'll have to pay alot more for a new boat that doesn't have rot issues. OR you can spend countless hours, a few $$$$ and redo yours to your liking at which point you will know it was done correctly. And then as mentioned previously, you can find a larger boat and work on it....called MBS (Mutiple Boat Syndrome - there isn't a known cure).

 

[mickyryan]

climbin' aboard for a looksee welcome!
start off with this one enjoy it a few years and get to know what you like and dislike then tradeup to a bigger project, you will make mistakes on first one and learn from them , doing it on a 16 is way lest costly to fix a mistake then a 20 25 lol

 

[oldrem]

Beautiful boat. If done right, it may cost a few thou $ but will be better than factory and should last a long time properly cared for. As previously mentioned - price out new boats. My wife and I got serious sticker shock last Summer. She never said a word after about the $ I put into rebuilding ours.

 

[PaddyConlan]

I really appreciate the quick responses. It puts your mind at ease knowing help isn't too far away.

After reading your comments I'm more than happy to take the hit on cost if it means I learn new skills. A new boat cost would be a considerable amount more!!

(Mutiple Boat Syndrome - there isn't a known cure).

I'm glad this is a known issue as I already keep an eye out for other boats when I haven't finished this one. :facepalm: but I'll remain focused.

The boat is really nice, the hull doesn't have a scratch on it and the engine has already being stripped. Hopefully rebuild that next week.

I'm already looking forward to getting in my workshop and making progress! Maybe have a few beers to keep me going :lol:

 

[mickyryan]

we all always have a eye out for a boat that tickles our fancy... i luckily have one of my favorites im building atm so it would have to be extremely awesome or boredom for me to pick another...

 

[sphelps]

Love the lines on this one ! What year is she ?
‘Looking forward to watching the restoration ! op2:

 

[PaddyConlan]

To be honest I don't know the year of the boat I'm not sure how to find this out :facepalm:

I'm on my way to the shop now so I'll be posting some more photos later.

 

[kcassells]

Look for the HIN plate. Not sure if you have one but that will get you your info.

 

[PaddyConlan]

Well better late than never!
Its been almost two years since I started this post, and only until recently I have now managed to start the project.



So I've strip it all down and began the sanding all of the internals. My first question is, what finish I'm looking for before I begin to rebuild? To be clear, do I need to grind and sand all of the excess fibreglass and resin thats been added over time back down to the original Hull or is this unnecessary?

With advice from my local fibreglass suppliers the plan will be to replace the stringers and deck with foam boards instead of marine ply, would this be recommended structurally? I understand it would obviously reduce the weight.

Apologies its taken so long

 

[todhunter]

I just ground mine until the texture on the surface was gone and there were smooth transitions everywhere. As I was grinding, if I could tell there was an air pocket or delaminated glass underneath, I would grind deeper. My hull was by no means flat. Look at the pictures in my post here - you can see how lumpy my hull is where I ground down bad glass areas. This is my first restoration, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[mickyryan]

i would use wood unless cost is no object and you are building this boat for future generations of family, truth is most folks might keep a boat 6 yrs after rebuilds. The boat lasted 30 or more with wood encapsulated.

 

[PaddyConlan]

I just ground mine until the texture on the surface was gone and there were smooth transitions everywhere. As I was grinding, if I could tell there was an air pocket or delaminated glass underneath, I would grind deeper. My hull was by no means flat. Look at the pictures in my post here - you can see how lumpy my hull is where I ground down bad glass areas. This is my first restoration, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Thanks for the response, funnily enough I was just reading through this restoration last night, some good work .
That's pretty much the approach I have taken so far, i just needed to be sure I was going at it correctly.

 

[PaddyConlan]

i would use wood unless cost is no object and you are building this boat for future generations of family, truth is most folks might keep a boat 6 yrs after rebuilds. The boat lasted 30 or more with wood encapsulated.

Point welll made, I honestly don't think there's a huge difference in cost judging by the amount of material required. Its usually 1/2 inch marine ply used for both stringers and the decking?

 

[mickyryan]

those composites aint cheap probably double even triple the cost of wood/glass

 

[todhunter]

Point welll made, I honestly don't think there's a huge difference in cost judging by the amount of material required. Its usually 1/2 inch marine ply used for both stringers and the decking?

My boat uses 3/4" ply for transom (2 layers), bulkheads, and stringers. 1/2" ply for decking. I used ACX exterior grade plywood - about $40-$50 per sheet. Marine grade plywood was $100 per sheet. Coosa board is about $600 per sheet.

 

[Scott Danforth]

many of those older boats had balsa decks. what was in there from the beginning?

I also know from my hydrostream that the hulls were cored on many boats.

composite vs wood is your decision.

as other stated, generally 3/4 for transom and stringer, and 1/2" on the deck. but as I mentioned, many of the small go-fast boats used just a bit more glass and end-grain balsa. In that case, I would look at either foam or something like coosa for the deck.

 

[todhunter]

many of those older boats had balsa decks. what was in there from the beginning?

I also know from my hydrostream that the hulls were cored on many boats.

composite vs wood is your decision.

as other stated, generally 3/4 for transom and stringer, and 1/2" on the deck. but as I mentioned, many of the small go-fast boats used just a bit more glass and end-grain balsa. In that case, I would look at either foam or something like coosa for the deck.

I don't know what I was expecting (just solid glass?), but I was surprised to see balsa core in the sides of my hull. After grinding out tabbing and then wetting the hull out with resin, the inner glass on the hull becomes clear and you can definitely see the end-grain balsa.