1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

[aflackquack]

I picked up this Ebko trihull by trading a camper I had to buy with my truck. Motor worked and the boat floated and they used it for fishing so I didn't see any problem with it. All in all I tested it a few times, it did float, motor ran rough, and it would not get on plane. Tried the motor first, I have that running smoothly with only the impeller, lower end seals and a new propeller left to work on. The boat was next, a puddle was noticed in the center under the trailer leading me to find a soft spot in the fiberglass underneath one of the rollers. This and 35 year old foam I believe is my biggest problem The boat is simply too heavy with soaked foam and thus began my complete rebuild.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Here is a picture of the boat on a relatively calm reservoir and at full throttle on the longest stretch.

The boat would not get going, and underneath was the biggest culprit I believed.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

taking the advice of the experts here on iboats (thank you) I began to check the boat out a little bit and the boat could use a rebuild. The hull shows it's age and since I view getting the boat as free since I wanted the truck and I like projects the Ebko won my determination to rebuild it.

A bunch of scrapes to repair.

One very mad at me bow eye to fix.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

The project began this last weekend since I had a 4 day for the Columbus day holiday. I forgot to tell my fiancee to save my pictures on the camera so I do not have any of the pictures I took with the boat gutted and the cap on but I'm sure you all can imagine it. I got the engine off, cap off, and it all cleaned out. What I found was a rotted transom that I should not have been surprised to find, spongy soaked float foam, warped and rotted floor.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

The other issues I have which I will be researching here on how to fix. I had to pop out almost all of the cap screws which means I have a whole bunch of holes to fix around the edge.

None of the foam pouring holes from the manufacturer were covered (is that normal). There were 8 in total all open.

It looks like where the floor met the hull there is a trench basically which I imagine has contributed to water in the hull.

I apparently ripped the bow eye partly out with a very adventuresome day at the lake, really high wind's, a boat ramp, boat filled with water, tried to drag it out of more danger = didn't work so well.

I will of course have to follow the wisdom of Everyone here and rip everything out but wonder if there is anyway I do not have to rip the entire floor out? Also are the open storage compartments on the sides structural or can I just find something to do with them? I'm thinking about keeping something like it for the strength I'm sure they give but a little more practical for use. Any Ideas?

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Since I have the luxury of an HOA (won't happen with the next house we buy) the cap went into the backyard but is off and will be worked after the hull is finished. The only issue I have with it is the rotted ply under the open bow section and all of the little holes I will want to fix.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

The planned order of the project is as follows but I would love input on. I will primarily be working outside in Colorado and it is almost winter so I am sure I will have breaks in the work.
Cut larger holes around the original foam pour holes and dig out everything I can.
Inspect the hull and stringers (probably rotted) // Tear out a section of the hull to do the inside out repair on the hull soft spots. // Tear out the transom and replace // finish all hull interior fiberglass and coatings and floor // flip the boat on the trailer and repair hull and Gel coat // flip back over for the Cap when it is finished // replace wiring and interior // get motor parts finished and tested // take the boat out for a test drive.

 

[dude11]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Before you put boat back on the trailer and go down the road--you might want to adjust the rollers--I think that's where some of the damage came from.Too much weight in one small spot--so to speak.Or at lease,that's my opinion.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Thanks, I will address that issue after I finish the boat. I have to do things a little bit different since the HOA won't allow the boat in front of the house for long periods. I have no way of getting it in the back yard without a crane to lift it over the house. I only have a one car Garage which is not allowed to be taken over for projects during the winter. Basically everything I do will be on the trailer. I do plan on building frames on the trailer though so that I can work on the trailer even with the boat on it. I sadly have to take it back to the storage lot after a long weekend of working on it at home. Hopefully by spring I will have enough done that I can put it in the garage for a couple of weeks and be finished with it all.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Aff,

Welcome to iBoats. Looks like a nice project you have there. Your plan sounds reasonable. I would rip out the floor and totally replace it and glass it in. Not that much more work and you have piece of mind after the fact. I don't believe that those side shelves are structural per say although if they are glassed in they probably add some rigidity. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Well I changed all the posts a little bit after a little reading on posting the pics. I always wondered why some posts were one way and others were very convenient for scrolling through. Oh what a little reading will do for a person.
The reason why I would want to only tear out enough of the floor to pull the foam out and fix the soft spot is almost all of my work on the boat will have to be done on the trailer. This of course raises many logistical challenges. Only tearing out large sections would help keep the boat a little more rigid while being on the trailer moved back and forth from storage to my house on project weekends and back. Would it be fine ripping the entire floor out and doing my hull repair and stringer / transom replacement. Then put the cap back on to finish the deck main body of the floor. The cap would have to come back off for the bow portion of the deck. After reading a few rebuild posts I am worried about the boat getting way out of wack having to stay on the trailer without any real structure. The only other Idea I have for keeping everything somewhat straight is to make a wooden cap for the main body of the boat so things don't move around too much. Is this a valid concern or is it only a real concern when I go to put the deck back in and glass it? It is also getting winter here so unless some friends get generous with their garage space it is going to be without a floor for a few months. I can take over the garage for the weekends but I have to return it to the fiancee during the work week.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Sorry I can't see your pics. If you used Woodonglass's procedure omit step #14.

You can take the cap off and do everything with the hull on the trailer. The only reason that the deck needs to be as close as possible to its original dimensions is so that the cap will go back on easily. Many folks install temporary braces/ropes/straps across the beam of the boat to keep the hull shape somewhat close. Once the floor is in and glassed you should be good to go. Remember, if everything is rotted, there is no real structural support for the hull when it is sitting on the trailer now. Right?

I replaced my transom/stringers/floor with it sitting on the trailer. I just tried to stand where the bunks were when measuring/installing/glassing. When that was all done I rebunked the trailer to make sure the bunks were in the correct place. I did leave the cap on when I did all this but it wouldn't have matter much if I hadn't. I would have just run a couple straps around the boat for support.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Well that's just fun then, got it all done last night and it looked great. Now to go back through and repost all the picks again. I will do that later tonight. K everything will be on the trailer then, Thanks

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Ok I believe the pictures should be viewable now.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

So everyone wish me luck, on Monday I will be seeing if my coworkers shed will be big enough for me to work on the boat in it. The guy he bought it from built the biggest shed code would allow without a permit. Dimension wise it should fit inside. It would be tight working on the bow and stern but that would be much better than having to take 2 hours out of my day to get the boat in and out of storage just to work on it. If it works out I would be able to spend a part of every Monday working on the resto. I offered to do the labor in order to turn the shed into his rock shop after I would be done restoring the boat and he likes the trade just as much as I do. I am prepared to be disappointed but sure have my hopes up. I will definitely be borrowing ideas from here during my resto but will make sure to give ya the credit for the idea if I grabbed it. Thanks all.

 

[bcddd214]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

If you have the time and space, popping the cap off is always the easiest if you are doing a major project. If you are in the stringers, I am pretty sure this qualifies.

There really isn't much to putting a cap back on a boat (very obviously watch your measurements when you install the stringers as unintended warping make putting the cap back on a little more difficult.
This is easily prevented with chalk line, pencil marks and today, lasers are cheap as hell (the ideal method).
Cheers!

Well I changed all the posts a little bit after a little reading on posting the pics. I always wondered why some posts were one way and others were very convenient for scrolling through. Oh what a little reading will do for a person.
The reason why I would want to only tear out enough of the floor to pull the foam out and fix the soft spot is almost all of my work on the boat will have to be done on the trailer. This of course raises many logistical challenges. Only tearing out large sections would help keep the boat a little more rigid while being on the trailer moved back and forth from storage to my house on project weekends and back. Would it be fine ripping the entire floor out and doing my hull repair and stringer / transom replacement. Then put the cap back on to finish the deck main body of the floor. The cap would have to come back off for the bow portion of the deck. After reading a few rebuild posts I am worried about the boat getting way out of wack having to stay on the trailer without any real structure. The only other Idea I have for keeping everything somewhat straight is to make a wooden cap for the main body of the boat so things don't move around too much. Is this a valid concern or is it only a real concern when I go to put the deck back in and glass it? It is also getting winter here so unless some friends get generous with their garage space it is going to be without a floor for a few months. I can take over the garage for the weekends but I have to return it to the fiancee during the work week.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Well if I can easily modify the shed door a little higher I will officially have a place to work on the boat through winter. I will rip out my floor next weekend and on Monday I will go see if I can get it in. I am pretty sure I can, just have to remove the header of the door and the siding over it. I can then move the boat in and begin the long process.

 

[18WCmerc]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

I like your boat, im a tri hull fan for sure. The shape that the boat was in you had no choice but splitting the cap and doing things from scratch, its really not that bad if you can deal with the work.

From your pics it looked like south west ohio in winter time. On the chilly nights that im workin on my boat which is under a huge tarp, i just crawl up in there with a space heater adn get to work, it kinda sucks but progress is progress.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Well I would do everything just under a tarp but unfortunately we bought a house within a Home Owners Association and I cannot have anything outside for very long without getting fines. I did find a home for it over the winter however, it is gonna be a beep to get it in and won't have much room to work on the bow or stern exterior. It will be nice though being able to leave all the tools out and just drive to the place and start working. It's an impressively large shed and I just need to modify the header of a door to get it in but it is better than fetching it from storage everyday that I want to work on it. I will be trading him the labor of doing his sheet rock and electric to make it a shop after I'm finished with it. Tomorrow I'm gonna go get the boat and hopefully get the floor and transom ripped out.

 

[aflackquack]

Re: 1975 Ebko Trihull complete rebuild

Well I finally got to spend some more time on the project and got the deck, stringers, foam and the majority of the transom out.
I got started by cutting the majority of the deck out with a standard 7 1/4" circular saw and finished off with a 4 1/2" grinder with a metal cut off blade.

The foam was soaked and that is standing water in the hull, the bow had even more standing water.

I used a forest service axe to pop out the majority of the float foam, it worked well but splashed water into my face a few times when it hit the wet foam.

The float foam was only poured in the center which might help me redesign a little as I really want a floor locker for random storage items and the deepest part of the floor is about 12" deep.

The top half of the Transom was completely gone and the bottom half was soaked and the layers peeled apart. It didn't come out as easily as I wanted it to but it did come out. It looked like the top sections had been taken out and new pieces glued in to but who knows? It is all gone now and can be rebuilt hopefully with precision and quality for a good fishing boat..