clarkw
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 35
Howdy All,
Finally started serious restoration on my old Alumacraft today. This is my first installment of my oddesy into boat restoration, this post will be a bit long and rambling, please be patient with me.
First some history. I bought this boat new in '85 (living in Minnesota then) and my wife and I used it every weekend all summer long for a couple of years. Then we moved to Illinois (job transfer) and bought a house a few blocks from one of the Chain-of-Lakes. We thought we really had it made and fished weekends in the first spring. Then it warmed up and the "boaters" came out with their overpowered speed boats, and I vowed that I would never return to those lakes. Well, the boat sat in the driveway from 1994 till now. The cover rotted off and the boat was subjected to rain and snow for several years. The decking is shot.
This weekend my wife and I striped out the old carped and wood remnants. We are now down to the foam.
Here come my questions.
I assume that I should remove the foam, and "Gluvit" the bottom. I do not have any proof that it leaks, but assume that it does due to the freezing and thawing that it has been through. Question 1 - should I just try to clean it out and Gluvit the hull or should I partially fill it with water and see if it leaks?
If filling with water is the answer, do I remove the foam before filling, or just fill it as it sits?
If removing the foam is the answer, what is the best way to get it out?
If the answer is to Gluvit the hull, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the interior of the boat had been painted at the factory, and there does not appear to be any metal corrosion on the interior. May make the cleanup easier.
The transom was another area of concern for me, but after I got the deck out, I found that the wood part of the transom starts several inches above the deck (which is several inches above the hull) so water should not have reached the wood in the transom. I am also re powering (removing the 20 hp Merc and replacing it with a Merc Classic 50) so I will be able to probe the transom when I drill the holes for the engine mounting bolts. I will add an update when I get to that point.
I will try to post pictures this week.
For now, just suggestions on what to do with the foam and whether to just Gluvit the hull or test for leaks are my most pressing questions. If you notice anything that I am missing, please let me know.
Thanks for taking time to read this.
ClarkW
Finally started serious restoration on my old Alumacraft today. This is my first installment of my oddesy into boat restoration, this post will be a bit long and rambling, please be patient with me.
First some history. I bought this boat new in '85 (living in Minnesota then) and my wife and I used it every weekend all summer long for a couple of years. Then we moved to Illinois (job transfer) and bought a house a few blocks from one of the Chain-of-Lakes. We thought we really had it made and fished weekends in the first spring. Then it warmed up and the "boaters" came out with their overpowered speed boats, and I vowed that I would never return to those lakes. Well, the boat sat in the driveway from 1994 till now. The cover rotted off and the boat was subjected to rain and snow for several years. The decking is shot.
This weekend my wife and I striped out the old carped and wood remnants. We are now down to the foam.
Here come my questions.
I assume that I should remove the foam, and "Gluvit" the bottom. I do not have any proof that it leaks, but assume that it does due to the freezing and thawing that it has been through. Question 1 - should I just try to clean it out and Gluvit the hull or should I partially fill it with water and see if it leaks?
If filling with water is the answer, do I remove the foam before filling, or just fill it as it sits?
If removing the foam is the answer, what is the best way to get it out?
If the answer is to Gluvit the hull, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the interior of the boat had been painted at the factory, and there does not appear to be any metal corrosion on the interior. May make the cleanup easier.
The transom was another area of concern for me, but after I got the deck out, I found that the wood part of the transom starts several inches above the deck (which is several inches above the hull) so water should not have reached the wood in the transom. I am also re powering (removing the 20 hp Merc and replacing it with a Merc Classic 50) so I will be able to probe the transom when I drill the holes for the engine mounting bolts. I will add an update when I get to that point.
I will try to post pictures this week.
For now, just suggestions on what to do with the foam and whether to just Gluvit the hull or test for leaks are my most pressing questions. If you notice anything that I am missing, please let me know.
Thanks for taking time to read this.
ClarkW
Last edited:
