1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

[mzonko]

Hey all just picked up my new boat 1976 25 ft wellcraft nova with cabin and it was completly free yes it needs some work but the haul has no holes couples chips here and there but other wise in great condition the inside needs work but it is going to happenn going to do a inboard to outboard conversion on it but other than that i was going to keep the rest original i am just wondering if anyone knows where i can find parts for the replacements thanks alot pixs coming soon if this humidity would go away keeps gogging the lenshttp://s587.photobucket.com/albums/ss315/waverider324/

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

Does anyone kinow where to start looking for some info on this boat and also i have been looking fror parts like a new cabin door and things like thank thatnk you

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

I am trying to get some materials together but my local auto store only carries liitle containers of fiberglass resin and little packets of matts anyone know where i can find the bulk stuff cause the little stuff ends up costing way to much

 

[erikgreen]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

I'd recommend uscomposites.com, they have good quality stuff that's cheap, and no minimum order. It comes packed well, too.

Erik

 

[navis]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

We found a place called industrial plastics for our fiberglass supplies, it was really cheap! Look in the phone book and I'm sure their will be something similar in your area. Some sort of commercial place like that.

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

Allright well heres an up date finaly got started cleaning the boat up so i could start repairs and inventory on what replacment parts i need ... well the cabing needs to be recarpted hehee and its shag capet my wife wants new shag put in i grin and bear it cause she is letting me work on it but the cabin besides that was fine. even most of the deck was fine i say most because the part where the deck meets the opening for the motor has rot in the Fiberglass oh well but the stringers are fine and even the Transom go figure lol so what i am figureing on doing after i wash the deck to remove the rest of the grime is to cut pack that piece of floor and just replace that section cause the rest of the floor is fine it was getting jumped on by my big *** lol pics should be up tommorow or sunday of the boat

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

anyone know how i would start removing the top half if even possiblle from this beast of a boat i need to replace one stringer and a small section of floor so i could use some info if you all dont mind

 

[Knightgang]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

I bet that if you have to replace one stringer and a section of floor, then what you really need is all new stringers and a new floor. Once moisture gets in, especially in a boat that old, it will get everywhere. If it where mine, a 30+ year old boat, I would go ahead and do a new floor and stringers.

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

okay so i have decided to replace the stringers and floor my problem is can i take the deck apart without messing with the cabin at all cause i am able to access the stringers to take a sample in the cabin and they are fine but the very rear needs to be done and while i was doin that i was going to go ahead and do the floor

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

http://s587.photobucket.com/albums/ss315/waverider324/

 

[erikgreen]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

Nice looking boat... I've always wanted a Nova.

From the looks of things you'll need to "work around" the walls... if it was me I'd try to find a good place to remove them that wouldn't be seen later and get them out of the way.

If you can't do that you'll need to find a way to support them that doesn't involve the deck or stringers. Like cable supports from an overhead beam or a cross-hull 2x4. Basically you need something to keep them a little bit up off the deck and to help keep your cabin from flexing too much while you do the stringers. Kinda like repairing a house foundation while holding the house in the air above it.

Ideas for removing the walls include making a neat cut somewhere non obvious in the gelcoat and re-glassing after assembly, or maybe cutting the wall out and covering over the cut later with trim. Hopefully the walls aren't an integral part of the cap mold, if that's the case you'll need to actually cut them off and reinforce them when you re-install.

You can do the stringers and deck with them in place and supported somehow, but it'll be harder and much more annoying than taking them out instead.

Erik

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

Well i took a lot of core samples today of the stringers and guess what only the two rear stringers are only a little rotted so i removed the rotted floor in the back and will get ready to fix it soon i have also decided to refiberglass the stringers and reinforece it with some nice pieces of steel and fiberglass that also extra strength well have pics more soon

 

[erikgreen]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

I'd skip the steel. You want strength in the reinforcement, but flexibility is just as important if not more. Steel is strong, but doesn't flex much, and the difference in flex between steel and what it supports usually creates a big potential failure spot.

Fiberglass done well is stronger than steel by weight anyway.

Erik

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

thanks for the advice i didnt even think about flexing anyway got the back section of he floor removed like i said my new question is when i re do the floors is there a way to re texture the floor like on a stock floor from the factory or something similar

 

[jonesg]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

I saved the cut out glass floor and glassed it back, then painted the whole floor when finished.

You're a long way off from that if you're doing a motor bracket.
You'll be needing knee braces inside the transom to hull.

There was a boat like that free in the boston area a while back.

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

no i am onot making a motor bracket as far as i know so far but anyway i am getting a price on local fiberglass so soon the floor will be replaced and the reason i was asking about texture is i am goin to be matting the entire thing once i replace the section i take out cause i might as well if i am redoing the boat

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

well gota little done today cut the replacment floor 3/4 in advantech sub flooring gonna glass that piece in a few days then install in then gonna reglass the entire floor

 

[jonesg]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

no i am not making a motor bracket as far as i know so far

How are you going to do inboard to outboard conversion without a bracket to set the OB back, unless you cut the transom down and build a splashwell, kinda odd to do that though.


I find mat on plywood will leave a course surface, painting with deck paint looks good but I find it hard to clean due to the textures finish, I use interdeck.

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

oh sorry i forgot to say i am sticking with inboard motor

 

[mzonko]

Re: 1976 25 ft Wellcraft Nova with cabin

Well here is an off topic queestion i am gonna put a 350 chevy marine motor in this beast my question is how do you kno which rotation you need and also wht is the hight aprox once mounted so i know how big the "doghouse" needs to be