Hey all, I',m in the process of starting my first real boat repair/restoration project on a 1961 Sportline 15 built by Sportster Mfg. Co. of Paramount CA. The boat has been in my family since my grandpa bought it in 1970 to go fishing and take the family skiing. It was our primary fishing boat when I was growing up until about 2002 when the transom started to fail and the top edges began to pull away from the top half of the boat. At that point we started using a different boat more (a late '70s Gulfstream I/O) and this one has been left sitting at my grandparents ever since.
The transom and rear floor section are both soft and rotten and will be replaced with new wood and 'glass. Once the rear portion of the floor is ripped up I'll be able to check the condition of the stringers and the rest of the flooring to decide how much is going to be replaced. The top and bottom "halves" of the boat are glasses together on the inside(as well as riveted), so I'm going to avoid separating the two halves and instead cut out a portion of the splashwell area to access and replace the transom and rear floor. I've done quite a bit of reading on here and other forums, and I know most of the time it is easier to separate the top and bottom halves, but I'll be trying to avoid that if possible. I won't be trying to bring this boat back to "new" condition, but instead rebuild the rotten and failing parts, clean it up a bit, and enjoy plenty more years of fishing fun!
It may be cheaper to go buy a running, working boat, but this one has sentimental value and I'd really like to learn the repair/restoration process to have the skills for future projects. I am a competent carpenter, and I've worked with fiberglass quite a lot repairing my surfboards and glassing boards my friends and I have made ourselves. However, I will certainly be asking for plenty of input, suggestions, and helpful tips along the way!
Now for some pictures:
Here you can see the outboard mount "spacer" a local boat repair man installed when the 1989 Force 50 replaced the very tired original Evinrude 40. This spacer and a little mishap where the stern ties of a sling broke while the boat was being lowered into the water off a pier (the stern slapped into the water from about 6 feet up, still tethered on the bow) are the main culprits for the transom failing the way it is. Should be a fairly straight forward repair, and the new transom will be built tall enough to accommodate the newer Force 50. Oh yeah, the stern trim pieces have been removed for the pics.
I'll keep posting with new progress when I can.
The transom and rear floor section are both soft and rotten and will be replaced with new wood and 'glass. Once the rear portion of the floor is ripped up I'll be able to check the condition of the stringers and the rest of the flooring to decide how much is going to be replaced. The top and bottom "halves" of the boat are glasses together on the inside(as well as riveted), so I'm going to avoid separating the two halves and instead cut out a portion of the splashwell area to access and replace the transom and rear floor. I've done quite a bit of reading on here and other forums, and I know most of the time it is easier to separate the top and bottom halves, but I'll be trying to avoid that if possible. I won't be trying to bring this boat back to "new" condition, but instead rebuild the rotten and failing parts, clean it up a bit, and enjoy plenty more years of fishing fun!
It may be cheaper to go buy a running, working boat, but this one has sentimental value and I'd really like to learn the repair/restoration process to have the skills for future projects. I am a competent carpenter, and I've worked with fiberglass quite a lot repairing my surfboards and glassing boards my friends and I have made ourselves. However, I will certainly be asking for plenty of input, suggestions, and helpful tips along the way!
Now for some pictures:
Here you can see the outboard mount "spacer" a local boat repair man installed when the 1989 Force 50 replaced the very tired original Evinrude 40. This spacer and a little mishap where the stern ties of a sling broke while the boat was being lowered into the water off a pier (the stern slapped into the water from about 6 feet up, still tethered on the bow) are the main culprits for the transom failing the way it is. Should be a fairly straight forward repair, and the new transom will be built tall enough to accommodate the newer Force 50. Oh yeah, the stern trim pieces have been removed for the pics.
I'll keep posting with new progress when I can.
