Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

[Jstep]

Is it possible to reduce the weight of an older fiberglass boat somehow? For instance, rebuilding certain non-structural components with lighter materials? I'm looking at two potential boats to buy and restore, and one is just 1 ft. longer than the other, yet an additional 1200 lbs!

I'm thinking that there might possibly be some weight that can be shed in the galley if it's rebuilt using lighter materials?

Any input or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

--John

 

[rayodunne]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

if a boat is 1' longer but 1200 lbs heavier it is full of water logged foam. Full deck rebuild after removing foam. Also possible stringer and transom job too.

 

[DukesFin]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

That is assuming that both boats are the "same"...

A 24' center console will weigh in much less than a 22' "cruiser"...

Exactly what two boats are these? Pictures?

I don't think you'll be able to come close to a 1200# reduction, but there are probably ways to lighten it up some...

 

[Jstep]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

I should have mentioned that I found the weight specs from the manufacturers' original brochures, and on iBoats.

The first boat is a Slickcraft 235: http://www.iboats.com/Slick_Craft__SS-235__1973/bp/64b81476r1

The second boat is a Sea Ray SRV 240 Weekender: http://www.iboats.com/Sea_Ray_Boats__240_Weekender__1974/bp/64b76043r2

Pics borrowed from the internet.

--John

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

I can believe the sea ray is heavier... what year is it?

It may not have wet foam. I have a 20 foot Sea Ray that weighs 3500 lbs, and I've seen 20 footers of the same type that weight 1000 lbs less, because they're either newer and more lightly built or a different design.

Sea Ray boats of a certain age are built very, very heavily.

I don't know anything about slickcraft, but the sea ray is a decent quality boat to rebuild if it needs it.

I've been thinking about reducing the weight of mine too. You can rebuild a lot of the sea ray lighter, removing things as you go. Frankly they're heavily built, which can be both good and bad. About the only way to remove 1000 lbs though is going to be to chop off major parts, like removing the roof on the cuddy or removing the interior panels then rebuilding the structure to be strong/safe/attractive.

On the other hand, the extra weight can make the boat more stable in a chop. Why is the weight important to you?


Erik

 

[Jstep]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

To an extent, I agree that some weight is definitely a good thing. I live off of a river, and in the sections where there are seawalls on both sides there's a lot of chop from wakes on heavy traffic days. This is a big consideration for me in choosing my ideal boat. I believe that model of Sea Ray also has a 22 or 23 degree deadrise, which should help with that.

Compared to the Slickcraft, though, which is just a foot shorter, 1200 lbs seems like an awful lot. I would be happy if I could at least cut that difference in half somehow. For instance, maybe I can take the tabletop/berth filler in the cabin and replace it with a foam-cored, fiberglass laminated top? I'm assuming the original is wood and particleboard, but I'm just guessing there. It also looks like there is a lot of heft to the galley, and I could see that being another potentially good area to shed some weight.

My main concern with the weight is fuel consumption and operating costs. I just read a thread yesterday which made the point that the weight of the vessel was the main determining factor in fuel consumption, not the size of the engine. I am well aware that boating is not cheap and that I will get nowhere near the fuel "economy" of a car. I just want to minimize the hit to move up to a larger boat.

--John

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

You have to consider these are 2 completely different boats. From what I can find the ray has a galley and the other is just a v berth. If thats the difference you have to consider your needs and the way you will be using the boat more than the weight of the boat. Small weight savings can be had but without throwing out major items but probably not enough to notice at the fuel pump. If you start removing things just get the other boat.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Is it possible to lighten a fiberglass boat?

One foot in length can make a huge difference in weight, even on the same type of boat, especially on a larger craft and in this case they're different designs and equipped much differently too.

The weight of a table top won't make any difference and the time and money involved wouldn't be worth it anyhow. If you totally rebuilt the interior of the S/R and money was no object, then you "might" be able to save a couple hundred pounds.