1992 Skimmer 18' Flat Bottom Skiff Restoration

[studioq]

Just picked up this 18' International Skimmer (out of business now). Had some holes in the transom where the PO drilled several holes for a transducer and kept changing his mind. It also has a scupper hole with a bad seal and several small cracks in the deck from where the center console was joined to the deck.

It seems when the boat spent some time in the water and out in the rain that the buoyancy foam inside the hull got soaked really bad and the boat feels very heavy because of this. Don't know how long it will take it to dry out. But it's sitting in a covered garage now.

I'll spend most of the summer patching the holes and getting it ready for bigger water. It came from a lake and is headed for open river/bay water. The boat doesn't have a hull plate - so I have no idea what it's supposed to weigh normally.

Excited to be on board!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Don't know how long it will take it to dry out. But it's sitting in a covered garage now.

That foam will never dry out, it needs to be removed and replaced.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

That foam will never dry out, it needs to be removed and replaced.

Sad to hear that.. That's a bit more than I bargained for... Though - I guess if you're going to get serious about it - there's not much of a choice.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Sad to hear that.. That's a bit more than I bargained for... Though - I guess if you're going to get serious about it - there's not much of a choice.

I understand your feelings, and we see a lot of disappointment on this forum from "new to me" boat owners.

As it is right now, your boat is holding hundreds of pounds of wet foam water weight. This will really slow your boat down, but even more importantly... your boat will not float in an emergency in it's present condition, it'll sink straight to the bottom like a rock.

With all that weight and the low freeboard on your gunwales your boat could easily swamp and sink endangering you and your passengers. I suggest you fix it right or sell it.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

I suggest you fix it right or sell it.

Already formulating a plan of attack. I understand what needs to be done. And it has a nice dry garage to live in while I cut it apart and fix it...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Already formulating a plan of attack. I understand what needs to be done. And it has a nice dry garage to live in while I cut it apart and fix it...

I like your attitude!

Start reading the other f'glass boat restorations and you'll learn what needs to be done and how to do it before you start, it beats sitting around waiting for someone to answer your question you asked on the forum. You'll still have questions, but they'll be fewer and further between.

Your restoration will cost you some time, work, and money... but in the end you'll get a like new boat for a small fraction of the cost of a new one.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

I've walked all over the deck of the boat and it seems really, really solid - which is all good news. I'll read up as much as I can. So far I've seen some interesting approaches to removing the old foam without having to cut the entire deck off - but there are certainly going to be some holes up and down the length of it and the console will have to come off as well.. This much I know.

What I don't know is still in there.. Those mysteries - much like the 84 year old house I just bought, lay inside places you can't see until you start gutting it..

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Should be able to find some good ideas here... We'll see how it goes...

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

I was looking at the photo in the first post and the scum line is up over the drain plugs and the lower bolt holes for the motor.. I bet the whole deck is coming off.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

I would suggest separating and removing the cap from the hull like d0b did in this thread:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...ble-1979-16-deckcraft-restoration-622987.html

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Separate it at the the rub-rail? It's a thought. But I'm a one man show.. I was just going to cut the deck out - replace what's needed and then re-glass the deck back in.. There's not a lot going on at or just beneath the gunwales.. Any problem with that thinking?

 

[ondarvr]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

It doesn't look like there is a cap to remove, it appears to be a rolled gunwale style hull.

You can cut the floor out and easily replace it on this style of hull.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Yup, I agree with ondarvr ^^^ Looks similar to a Whaler!

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

That's kind of what I was thinking - but rather than run off at the mouth I figured I'd wait for more experience to come along... That being the case I'm a lot more willing to tear into it.

It doesn't have to be a forever tear down and replacement. I was thinking of cutting all around the inner deck - about 2" from the sides and removing the deck. That should give me all of the access I need to get at the foam, stringers, keel.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Yup, I'd drill a 1" Hole about 3" in from the side to determine the thicknes of the deck, set my circular saw @ 1/16" deeper than the deck thickness and start cutting.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

And you know I'll have to take pictures.. Looks like I'm at least a few weeks out for a start date.. We'll see.
I shall report back when I do.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

It may not be a 2 piece construction, but it kinda looks like it to me. Removing a small section of rub rail will tell. I only suggested removing the cap to give you better access, and it can be done fairly easy solo... you just have to get a little creative.

Cutting the deck out will work too though, and I'm pretty sure you find out your decking isn't as solid as you think it is. The reason it feels solid is because it's sitting directly on top of the waterlogged foam... which has saturated your decking via the underside.

No matter what, don't get discouraged. Everything on that boat can be fixed and she'll be a dandy-fine vessel when you're finished.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

jigngrub - thank you.. I'll know more when I get down to see her again. I have her stored in a garage about 3.5 hours away.. So I have to wait till then to confirm. I've already decided to re-deck and glass it while I'm in there... Not in the mood to do it twice.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Heading down to the boat this weekend. Hope to have some pictures and more info to post when I get back.. If I get up the nerve - I'll take off the rear section of the deck.

 

[studioq]

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

Re: New boat for me. Minor fiberglass repair. Foam is waterlogged though.

You guys couldn't have been any more right.. Guess it's now time for my rite of passage into the boating world.. No fear here.. Thanks for the confidence to move ahead.