1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

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Overboard42

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Sep 20, 2013
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Hi there,
I picked up this classic last summer (2012) for $100. thought it would be a good project for me, Well I was right, and what a project it is! My brother and I are Rebuilding to become a custom fishing boat for the lakes around Reno/Tahoe area.

WE are now preparing to install new stringers, and an 18gal. fuel tank.

What do you think about putting the Fuel tank up front?
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jigngrub

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Re: 1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

More and better pics would help.

Where is the fuel tank located now?
 

pckeen

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Re: 1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

Welcome to iboats - hard to say without more pics.
 

Overboard42

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Re: 1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

I'm pretty sure the fuel tanks came against the Transom, not positive because none came with it,
I was thinking of putting the tank up front because I plan on having more weight in the back than it had before. Here is some work I put into the demolition, a new transom and we just put a Primer coat of White Interlux, Interprotect Inside and out. after next primer coat i will take more pics.
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Here we epoxied and clamped 2 pieces of 3/4" Marine Grade as the new transom
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jigngrub

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Re: 1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

You can get a bow tank for that boat right here at the iboats store I believe.

You work looks good, are you going to power with an outboard?
 

Overboard42

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Sep 20, 2013
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Re: 1959 Dorsett Catalina Restoration

Thanks,
I've been looking at other people with the same boat, It seems most have 75 Hp outboards on the boat and not to go over 90hp. It came with a 1963 90 hp Evinrude, but I found someone I can trade that in for something newer, I think 75hp should be fine. Still a lot of work to do!
oh yea I fixed up the trailer also, it came with a long bent piece of steal, so we cut it and sleeved it, just have to do the wiring and lights now.

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Gibsonman2005

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Aug 23, 2014
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Looks good. I've got a 59' dorsett catalina and I'm restoring from the stringers up. I sucked about two gallons of water out of the hull after I exposed the stringers. All the wood is rotten and crumbled beyond recognition (it was sitting for ?? Years before I bought it). So my question is are there any templates or spec sheets to use inorder to make my new stringers? I've had no luck searching web for templates and I can't use the originals as templates as they've deteriorated so badly.
 

Rickmerrill

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Gibson, the last post was almost a year ago. Post your question in a new thread and I'm sure it will be answered.
 

Overboard42

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Hey guys, Such a great project Gibsonman, What an awesome looking boat, eh. Im not sure about the templates for this model. If you look at the first couple of pics I posted, you can see where the old stringers were, and where the Deck height was. I decided to go with Prisma foam stringers. The stinger placements I chose are not as the originals were, but the deck height will be the same. I feel like between the Prisma stringers and wood bulkheads I have installed that it will be stronger and more buoyant than ever, i'll post some pics soon. a year later with still so much work to be done.
 

Overboard42

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1 1/2 inch thick marine grade transom, Prisma foam & Fiberglass stringers
 

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pckeen

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Hi Overboard - nice to see you back and posting again - good to see your project coming along. If we are looking at pictures post your transom replacement, it looks fabulous. How close are you to getting the floor in and splashing it, and did you ever get that 75hp motor?
 

Rickmerrill

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Sorry Gibson, how did you know Overboard was still around? I was thinking if you know the deck height you can use cardboard to make your own templates. Friscoboater just used a Sharpie taped to a stick to trace the hull shape to the cardboard.
 

Overboard42

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Sep 20, 2013
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Thanks pckeen and jc, no I havent got a motor yet, still quite a ways out til it'll splash. I really only get one day a week to work on her. So hopefully this winter, depending on snow. And Rickmerrill, that is a great way to make your own template for the stringers, pretty much what I did. The Prisma stringers were a lot of work and kinda expensive, but i really like the way they came out, and as I mentioned before, I wanted some extra buoyancy for my fishing gear.

Also some will give me crap about cutting a bunch of the fiberglass around the Transom and sides by making it weaker, but I'm glad I did, for a few reasons,
A- cause there was some bad Fiberglass voids that were moist with rotted fiberglass,from the original work
B- I plan on recreating a kinda false transom like the one I cut out, only making it more useful for my needs, and stronger too.
C- I have so much more room now!
 

Gibsonman2005

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Aug 23, 2014
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Thanks for letting me partially intrude here, and thanks for the input guys...got new stringers up, deck going on tomorrow... If the wife gives me my wallet back...
 

GA_Boater

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Thanks for letting me partially intrude here, and thanks for the input guys...got new stringers up, deck going on tomorrow... If the wife gives me my wallet back...

You should start a thread on your project, that way you won't be intruding here. Not much activity in this one lately.
 

Overboard42

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Sep 20, 2013
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Well, I wrapped up the boat for proper winter storage and it ended up not really having much of a winter. So a couple weeks ago I started in on it again. Just about done with all the stringer and bulkhead work, Hope to get the floor in with in next couple weeks and I will post new pics! I know this project is kinda dragging on, but someday day it will be cruising the lakes in the sierras! haha. I promise!
 

Miker1st

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Mar 10, 2020
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I know this post is super dated, but... seeing as how it is relevant to my interest, I'm going to post here as well! I have been donated a 1960's Dorsett Catalina as a project boat and the interior is completely shot. This will be my first time tearing into stringers on a boat and I look forward to posting all the pictures once I have the boat. I have to wrap up a 1966 Hydroswift Skylark 15 and I'm just to the point where I can flip the ol' girl over and start sanding.
 
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