17ft Bayliner Capri bowrider project

[Boat_mare]

hi memboaters,

New to boat building/boat works and new to the site so you might get a few questions and think ‘not another one’, but give me a break and some advice at the same time lol
I’m not stupid and pick up things very quickly which is probably good considering I decided to snatch up a hull for almost nothing that needs pretty much everything apart from the fiberglass body!
Anyway I know what I’m in for but so far I’ve got a few issues beating on my brain that I need to answer before I fully remove her bones.

So I’m not sure what year she is but I think she’s 1992 bayliner Capri 17ft


I have her supported on the keel and chines. I am sure that the supporting method I have is sufficient to support weight no problem but does anyone see any issue with removing the guts (stringers/bulkheads/transom) and replacing while cradled in this way?



I have stripped out her deck and bow seats etc and she is down to stringers and the bulkheads which are surprisingly still there although im unsure if one is missing. Should there be a bulkhead/bulkheads central or toward the bow as there was only the two at the stern end.




It looks like there have been a few half arsed repairs on the boat already (like the wood tabbed to the stringers that have compressed/collapsed) but im hoping she’s still straight. Would I be able to figure this out by stringing a center line and then measuring to points either side to see if measurements match up (effectively meaning balanced, if the measurements don’t match then the body is warped already?) I don’t want to lock her in a twist!

My next issue is removing the transom which tucks up behind the ‘splashwell’.



I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want to remove the cap from the lower hull. So I plan to cut out a section of the splash well in order to be able to access the transom without de-capping. My questions here are:
exactly how should I cut it in order not to sacrifice strength to the top engine mount on the transom when rejoined?
Considering the engine weight/stress is, or should be on the transom core, does the location of the splashwell cut matter as the fiberglass that will be cut out is only realistically a cap for the top of the transom and obviously makes the back of the splashwell.


Hopefully you guys have some good words for me

 

[todhunter]

So I’m not sure what year she is but I think she’s 1992 bayliner Capri 17ft

Find the HIN. The last 2 digits are the year.

I have her supported on the keel and chines. I am sure that the supporting method I have is sufficient to support weight no problem but does anyone see any issue with removing the guts (stringers/bulkheads/transom) and replacing while cradled in this way?

It might work, but since it's already off the trailer, a more sure method would be to build a cradle to give more support to the bottom and sides of the hull and prevent splay or hull warpage. Since you're not planning to pull the cap, you may not have much splay to deal with. Measure, measure, measure, and make sketches before you continue any further with demolition.

Should there be a bulkhead/bulkheads central or toward the bow as there was only the two at the stern end.

Not sure. 17-ft isn't that long, so maybe not. My 19 ft only had 2 bulkheads. You can add more if you want.

 

[chevymaher]

use a light on the bottom make sure it is straight and brace it till it is. Once the guts go back in it isnt moving. Reseach hull blueprinting it will tell you what I am talking about.

It isnt hard to do. Take the time to check it mine had 2 good dips it dont have anymore. Once they rot the hull sags over time.

 

[JASinIL2006]

You do have the paperwork needed to properly register the boat, I hope? Otherwise, I wouldn't spend another minute of time on it.

Don't mean to insult you or anything, but we see lots of folks who get a free/cheap hull but have no ownership paperwork and cannot register/license the boat.

 

[Boat_mare]

Find the HIN. The last 2 digits are the year.


It might work, but since it's already off the trailer, a more sure method would be to build a cradle to give more support to the bottom and sides of the hull and prevent splay or hull warpage. Since you're not planning to pull the cap, you may not have much splay to deal with. Measure, measure, measure, and make sketches before you continue any further with demolition.


Not sure. 17-ft isn't that long, so maybe not. My 19 ft only had 2 bulkheads. You can add more if you want.

Todhunter, I figured that the sides wouldn’t splay since they were held up at the chines. The boat basically balanced itself when it was removed from the trailer because of the flat ‘planing pad’ at the stern. Its on three level points under the keel and then the supports were tucked tight under the chines. Put a level on the boat port to starboard and it was pretty much level. Didn’t want to level it exactly in case it induced any warpage in the hull instead of what I would be trying to do which would be simply level it for peace of mind. (Kitchen fitting was all about leveling the base work!) Do you really think it’s going to be absolutely necessary to build a cradle? I would think the mid hull would hold itself happily without sagging when the stringers are removed with the chines being supported for the rest of the hull to retain its shape. What if I put in additional support under the mid/lower strakes?

Yeah I was considering putting additional bulkheads. I figure why not, I’ll have the materials and it’s not much extra work for the reassurance.

At the transom the floor used to set down slightly and the stringers reduce in height by about 1-2 inches. When I replace I’m thinking of running straight through to the stern with the stringers at the same height so the floor is all one height. Is there anything against doing this? I figure that if anything all that I am doing is adding strength with the restoration anyway. (Providing everything goes well!)

 

[Boat_mare]

You do have the paperwork needed to properly register the boat, I hope? Otherwise, I wouldn't spend another minute of time on it.

Don't mean to insult you or anything, but we see lots of folks who get a free/cheap hull but have no ownership paperwork and cannot register/license the boat.

Of course.

 

[Boat_mare]

use a light on the bottom make sure it is straight and brace it till it is. Once the guts go back in it isnt moving. Reseach hull blueprinting it will tell you what I am talking about.

It isnt hard to do. Take the time to check it mine had 2 good dips it dont have anymore. Once they rot the hull sags over time.

Chevymaher I’m guessing the best time to do this would be after the stringers have been replaced?
Surely if this was done before, the work that’s been done could subsequently be undone/useless if the structure of the boat is removed and replaced, meaning that the hull would need to be ‘blueprinted’ again?

 

[Scott Danforth]

build a proper cradle for the boat before you cut things apart like you have.

a hull without the stringers is like a body without the skeleton....... just a floppy bit of fiberglass.

 

[Boat_mare]

Chevymaher I’m guessing the best time to do this would be after the stringers have been replaced?
Surely if this was done before, the work that’s been done could subsequently be undone/useless if the structure of the boat is removed and replaced, meaning that the hull would need to be ‘blueprinted’ again?

When the hull was on the trailer it looked good. When it came off the trailer it still looked good. When I say good I mean that there were no noticeable dents/hooks or bumps/rocker. I’ve since run a straight edge along the back section of the hull and all seems good. externally the boat is pretty good. Internally she was pretty rotten until about 1/3 of the way down into the stringers… Then there’s some dry wood. oh and the foam boxes at the back were alright, well mostly.

 

[chevymaher]

No when the stringers are out. The hull flexes why do you think they saying brace it. It is moving in ways you dont want it to. Whatever mess it is in. Once the stringers go in that is where it is going to stay.

So make sure it is straight before you put stringers in.

 

[Boat_mare]

No when the stringers are out. The hull flexes why do you think they saying brace it. It is moving in ways you dont want it to. Whatever mess it is in. Once the stringers go in that is where it is going to stay.

So make sure it is straight before you put stringers in.

obviously I know the hull flexes but the hull itself is supported quite nicely as she is, with my only real worries being the mid hull area which I reckon could be sorted by additional supports tucked underneath the mid/lower strakes or both. My weight is only central in the boat and the keel is supported in three places on this little 17 footer. So far the fiberglass still feels solid underfoot along the keel with almost no movement (therefore no distortion in my theory). If I were to step on the sides of the hull though or put weight on it, it would belly/distort. The way I have her supported already balances the weight throughout the hull quite evenly especially along the keel (not allowing any hull sag) and without removing the cap I’m figuring that splay will be non existent considering the hull can’t move under on all points and over is held tight by the cap. In my theory the hull is locked in the shape it was when it came off the trailer before everything has been ripped out leaving only the stringers and bulkhalfs. My worry would have to be if it was distorted before. But that is where my question came in about checking to tell if the hull is warped earlier. Blueprinting has been mentioned but from what I can find out so far about it, it is more about removing hook or rocker from the running surface of the hull rather than whether the hull is twisted/warped as a whole.

Is the cradle really necessary? As said before, my weight along the keel of the boat while working inside doesnt seem to cause any flex or movement (to my surprise). I’m only really questioning it so much cause I was asking the guys at one of the local fiberglass shops for advice on building by a cradle and they assured me I didn’t need to and that supporting in a way almost identical to this (just using blocks under keel and chines) would be sufficient. They even showed me a few different boats they were working on supported in described method. I went to see about getting some stands that everyone here seems to have a shortage of including them! Anyway subsequent decisions followed. Maybe they’re hoping I’ll mess my boat and have to take it to them to sort out for me lol

 

[Scott Danforth]

Yes, a cradle is necessary

 

[Boat_mare]

Would it have been better to leave on the trailer? No keel support but The bunks were under the mid hull.

 

[todhunter]

You sound pretty convinced that your blocking is good, so go for it. We're not there to see or feel what you see and feel. A cradle would be the safest way. I did mine with no cradle but left the hull on a bunk trailer and did the gutting in 2 stages where I only pulled/replaced half the stringers at a time, so some structure remained. Yes, you should take a ton of measurements and draw sketches to document where you're at before demo and build it back to the same dimensions. I had my cap off, but I measured hull width every foot along the length of the boat and made sure I was where I needed to be before each major glass laying session. Without a cradle I did get splay but pulled it back into shape with ratchet straps before glassing, and it came out great.

 

[chevymaher]

Shine a light from the back it will show you where the rear of the hull where it rides up on plane is straight or not. I had to put a jack under a couple places and block of wood. It slowly over a couple weeks time relaxed into a straight/flat surface. Waves in the hull up or down cause turbulance and handling issues and extra drag.

On mine the 2 places were where the stringer was rotted and gone. Water freezes and makes bulges.

 

[sopwithcamel74]

Following, if you're still around...

Not sure how you might have progressed since these posts, but we're not that far apart in where we are, on similar vintages of the same boat brand.

A few things about the look of your boat suggests to me that the year might be off a bit; if you manage to find the last 2 digits of the HIN, I'd be curious to know what it verifies it to be.

 

[Grub54891]

I did something similar, but before gutting I measured from the floor to the outer edge in several places and marked/documented those measurements. glad I did. I adjusted all of it before stuffing the stringers in. She's good to go but in reality, I should have built the cradle.