87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

[lrcustom]

Well I finally got my boat. 87 Sea Ray Seville I am beyond thrilled. Fine hull and Transom, Motor and outdrive in unexpected great condition. The interior and floor not so good. I have been reading on this forum for a while and thanks to those guys with the Sea Rays and the great pic?s of my hull with floors and stuff out of the way. It has made all the difference in deciding what and how to do this restore. Pete44, Badweed, Tinkeringwackyone, and Purpony. You guys have helped tremendously. Pete44 My Sea Ray is the same year and model as yours, special thanks to you for all the photo work. It has made all the difference in the world seeing the guts of your Sea Ray
Before I started I had a thousand questions and most have been answered on this forum. Now I have a thousand more questions. I will be taking Pic?s as I go. We just started the destruction this week and have made a lot of progress. I suspect I will be needing help within the hour once I see the total of what?s hidden under that floor. Below are links to the current destruct. What Have I got myself into???

Just for now I needed to thank all the guy?s who post in this section as it has helped me to not feel alone on this project.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/lrcustom/87 Sea Ray Seville 3-6-2010/IMG_2755.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/lrcustom/87 Sea Ray Seville 3-6-2010/IMG_2756.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/lrcustom/87 Sea Ray Seville 3-6-2010/IMG_2757.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac56/lrcustom/87 Sea Ray Seville 3-6-2010/IMG_2758.jpg

 

[Bondo]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

What Have I got myself into???

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,... Your on a long hard path to the Greatest Joy a boater can experince,...
Goin' boatin' on a barge you've pretty much Built with your Own hands....

Good Luck, the Pay-off is Well worth the effort....

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Thanks for the encouragement Bond-O I was sure from reading these threads for a couple of months now that you would pipe in. Like I said in my first post this forum has given me so much info before I even started >it's been great. The Begining was the purchase the end is "Go for throttle-up" Right now its "Stuck in the middle with gooo." Oh what fun.

We actually have gotten quite far in the destruct yesterday. the bow is stripped and now we start on the aft floor. I am concerned where the wood floor meets the hull and has a glass joint how has everyone got all the wood out without cutting the hull? It looks like scary cutting to me.

LR Custom

 

[Bondo]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

I am concerned where the wood floor meets the hull and has a glass joint how has everyone got all the wood out without cutting the hull? It looks like scary cutting to me.

Ayuh,... Before yer done,... You'll realize a 4,1/2" angle Grinder is your Best friend....

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

I'm doing a 87 Seville 17 footer, for tearing out I used a grinder, sawzall (that helped get a lot of stuff tore out in bigger pieces) on the grinder I used a 60 grit flapper wheel, just be a little cautious, anything can be fixed.
Good luck, I'll be watching your post.

 

[osborn159]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

found a 7" ginder w/ a 24 grt disk and a 40 grit 3 in disk on a power dril work welll as well. was using a 16 grit on a 7" found that was real agresive get it done quick though, didnt want to fix more then i had to, ground thru 1 time.
D

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

lrcustom,

Welcome to the forum!...I have a SeaRay just like yours...Mine is getting close to the re-build process. You are going to find (to my surprise) 1/2 " stringers...I was thinking 2X4 which it appears to be bit it is 1/2" wood bonded with resin and foam..Maybe this is how all runabouts are built...I though about using 2X4 to beef it up...What did you find?

Thanks,Pete

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Pete44 I found the same as you did 1/2" stringers. I plan to go back with a double stringer in 1/2" glass encased just seems better. The fiberglass beams found at the hull seem to be the true hull stucture and not the wood stringers so looks like we are dealing with just supporting the floor with the wood. we have only made it just aft of the Console right at the forward tank beam which I think could have been better assembled by Sea Ray. Looks to me that water will just hang up in the ski locker at that beam. I found no drain path at all which suprised me a bit. The engineer in me wants to change the whole assembly of the wood with in the boat to a more unified structure. Need to open up the aft floors before I really know what will be done.

Thanks for your pics they were most valuble to me as I tackled this project.

LR Custom

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Thanks lrcustom! Glad to help you or others with pics!..It seems to me (maybe I am wrong) but it seems that SeaRay built the 1/2" stringers all the way down from bow area to bilge area on port and starboard side..I thinking 2X4's here..Wondering about weight issue here..Maybe someone else will chime in that has done the 2X4 concept...

Pete

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Pete44
I would think that structuraly the 2x4's might be a good choice but since most 2x4's today are not completly kilned dried they may want to warp after glass. I would use Douglas fir here. Plywood due to its manufacturing process (not pressure treated ply) is completely dry and should resist warping. I was thinking of using 2 -1/2" stringers laminated with resin probably epoxy in this case then glassing to the hull once I get the curve of the hull. Its fairly strat aft to amidships so it should work. The bow I simply do not like how Sea Ray did the wood up there and am going to space frame structure there. But other than weight 2x4's might be the ticket. some fir is light per piece and I quess very selective shopping could get you light weight lumber

LR Custom

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

my stringers were 1/2" and had a 2x2 laying against the tops giving them more surface area for the floor to attach. This went from the back of the boat up to the ski locker considering doing 2- 1/2" stringers together as one and doing away with the 2x2. Haven't got to that point yet. tink

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Thanks Tink and LR....What about this "yella wood" 2X4...plus resined over and marine painted for stringers? You can purchase it at Home Depot..

Pete

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Pete-44
Yella-wood might be a good choice. I have seen it at Lowes and Home Depot. I would look for pieces that have long staight grains with as little has posible dead knots. I kinda think that if you can find them 2x3"s might help the weight concern's.

LR Custom

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Thanks LR....I just posted the 'yella wood" idea out to the other people on here..May get shot down

Pete

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Pete44
Saw the Post - Good idea, lets see what the response is. Your idea has me rethinkin my drink.

LR Custom

 

[Badweed]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

I have an 88' Searay Seville Open Bow.

I've removed the transom...much to my joy, it really was rotten like I thought and have started removing one side of the floor. My stringers are rotten at least up to the ski locker.

My Searay is also 1/2 ' ply. The top 1 1/2 inches or so is double thickness. I'm not sure why they did that near the top, besides adding more surface for the decking. The entire wooden parts are held together with staples (not stainless btw).

My plan at this point is to use pressure treated 1/2 ply as well, but to double it up. I'll be using stainless screws of course. My friend had a good suggestion about removing just one side of the boat at a time to allow me to copy the "good side". I'm thinking about pressure treated ply. I'm just not sure how the resin will adhere. With the original construction, the fiberglass on most of the wood can be removed in a sheet, which means to me that they did not apply enough resin during the layup.

I also would like a way to "dry" out the closed in areas under the deck. I have read about putting in locker vents and also small pvc pipe through the stringers at the stern end.

Have you guys given any thought to this? I hope to be done with my demolition at the end of next week.

Steve

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Badweed
I am staying away from pressure treated ply. I cannot find any that is truely dry. Also have concerns about the chemical. I am using 1/2" ply which is 7 layer exterior at Lowes for about $27 a sheet. it is very nice exterior cabinet grade wood. since the stringers and floor are being encased in glass and resin all should work out fine.

As far as the open areas of the hull below deck I was trying to design something to help with moisture removal. I like the pvc idea but still need to lay some in and see it. My Sea Ray has a working blower for the tank and bildge and I thought maybe some kind of tubing off this blower to the area below deck. Maybe this is over kill don't know.

Anyway thanks for your pics. really helped me design before I destroyed my decking. Taking the cap off is not in my plan but my rebuild is nowhere near the level of yours

LR Custom

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

LR

Is that plywood at Lowes a green color? ....I will make note of that..Sounds good...I think I have learned my lesson on drainage..I will put hole in stringers every foot or so..Holes resined of course to get to bilge..I have found too that a sanding and repainting of hull should make it drain better... (I have white paint flaking off on bottom of where ski locker is)
Which will clog up drain..And lastly since I store my boat outside ...I will make sure that bow is raised as high as possible (trailer tongue on sawhorse) old school way to make sure that water stays drained out and invest in a "vented" boat cover..

Pete

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

Pete44
The Ply is called bloned wood Lowes # LBR-40676 Available in 1/2 and 3/4. It is cabinet plywood. its greatest feature other than cost is it withstands the moisture involved with kitchens. It is very resistant to delaminating and heavy moisture conditions. I use it in my cabinet work all the time. I have not tested how well it would soak in resin but it takes heavy paint very well so I suspect resin will absorb nicely as well. It is a hardwood plywood but light weight so at this point it is my choice. I plan on a complete coverage of resin through out the new construction.
I have been dealing with rain for the last 2 days and finally I see the sun so back at it tonight.

A word of caution on raiseing the trailer. If you go to high the boat will want to lift as you work. I would only do that when not workin on the boat and lower it when inside the boat.

Later,

LR Custom

 

[pete44]

Re: 87 Sea Ray Seville Restore

LR,

What I meant about the trailer lift is storage on driveway..It is funny because when I gutted out the front of the boat and I stepped out of it it did rise up (a couple of times) since I still have engine/drive on....I straightened that out by tieing my mushroom anchor and my pressure washer to the tongue

Pete