1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

[BillFloyd]

Here is my newly acquired 1976 Classic Cuddy Cabin. I don't have much in it, thanks to reading all of your quality posts and info on these threads. To start, I'd like to say I really look forward to working with all of you guys.

So here's what I got. I purchased the boat and trailer for 700.00. Both 165hp Mercruiser Motors run good. I have a tremendous amount of electrical work to tackle in the future, however, each system (blower, bilge pump, etc) works fine. The boat had a floor in it but the seats and carpet were stripped. It was kept indoors until about a year ago at which point it was moved out into a field along a major highway "for sale". It did not have a top, so thanks to reading the threads on here I expected to have major rot issues.

Once I tore out the floor, the extent of the rot and water damage was exposed. Stringers were nothing more than wet sawdust encased in fiberglass. The flotation foam was similar to a dish sponge (See Pictures). The transom is rotted.

So here I go. I'm hoping to get advise from all available sources. I know everyone's opinions differ and hope to sort through each suggestion making my decision based on quality of workmanship i hope to achieve and economics. Although my plan is not to restore and sell, I want it to have a value in the end. I don't know what the value could be if done right, but pride in my workmanship is valuable to me.

Question: The stringers I removed appeared to be 2x12 lumber encased in glass. Will treated lumber encased in glass be sufficient? I intend to use marine plywood for the transom and sole. Also, flotation foam? or one of the substitutes?

Thanks

Bill

P.S. - I am new to this site, so any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

That's a nice looking boat, and well worth a restoration. I'm surprised it has foam. Mine is a 1977 28-footer and doesn't have any foam. I thought they only used foam in boats up to 20 feet.

I wish you many fun hours of boat work.

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Thank you for the wishings of luck. I will stay dedicated not only to the completion of the project but to keeping the questions coming. Any advise along the way is appreciated.

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Still looking for advise on building material for the stringers? Will 2x12 treated lumber covered in fiberglass be sufficient for the stringers? Any help is appreciated. thanks all.

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore



Well, here's an update. Hoping to get some support aboard for the advice, tips and techniques available in this forum.

I have got all the foam, rot, fuel tank, and some components out of the boat. Got all of the wiring backtracked to the dash (which is going to be a projecto of its own later). Preparing to hoist the motors out (hopefully tomorrow). Then tackle the demolition of the wood in the transom.

Here is where i stand now... and like I said, looking for the advise and expertise from anyone willing to share. Please feel free to provide constructive criticism as well... a good swift kick in the shorts never hurt anyone.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Welcom to iBoats!

I am NOT a BIG Boat guy. Yacht Dr. Is one of our resident PROS and he is REALLY good with the Big Ones!!! I would guess you could use 2x12 treated lumber for the stringers cuz I know some have but I also know that others have used Laminated 3/4" plywood too! Like I said I'm not the right guy so I will try and alert them to your project and have em stop by. Good Luck to you.

Welcome Aboard!

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Thank you woodonglass... I look forward to hearing from Yacht Dr. Hopefully he will be able to give me some insite. I have time tho. Motors are still in the way and the transom has more than a little flex in it... will have plenty on my plate to keep me busy til he gets with me.

I cant believe the wealth of information and products available in iboats. WOW! I'm so tired today as I spent all of last night, til 3am, reading and watching videos of friscoboaters current project. He sure breaks it down and will certainly be an asset to my build.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Yep, JAY IS the MAN when it comes to teaching and Videos. A transom is a transom is a transom however there may be some TRICKS when it comes to having dual engines. But YD WILL Know. His Private Message box is FULL so I was NOT able to get hold of him but I'm sure he will find you since you have a BIG boat.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

That's a real nice looking hull. I think when it's all fixed up it will look much newer than a '76. Seems to be fairly simply constructed as well so it's really just like doing a 16' but on a larger scale. I'm not a glass guy so I have nothing useful to contribute. Great work so far on the tear out. You should be ready to start putting new wood back in there soon. If you go with PT lumber make sure it's DRY and use compatible fasteners.

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Thanks EZ for your compliment.

Not too much progress today tho, just pulled the lower units and all the fixins off the back. Trying to get as much done before we yank the motors out tomorrow.

Question: While pulling the lower units I glanced up the length of the bottom of the hull and noticed that where the bottom rests on the pads of the trailer it is slightly pushing inward on the hull.... If i know anything about building (which on a boat I do not) I would thing that once i glass in the stringers, Bulkhead, Deck etc. that it would be in the form of the "pushed in" bottom. What effects will this have on the overall integrity of the Hull/Deck? I noticed Jay (friscoboater) did his all outside and on a trailer, but i'm wondering if the length difference is causing this or if Jay had the same thing go on and its no big deal.

I'm sure I'll have questions as soon as tomorrow after the motors and transom are out.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Can you post a pic of that "pushed in" section??

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Hello Bill and welcome to Iboats ..

Sorry for the delay on this post ( somehow got past me ) Thanks to Woody for the PM for heads up on this thread !

Hmm..where should I start ...

I would strongly recommend laminated plywood for your stringers. Yes..I use Marine Grade for my repairs.. However .. I will say ( for the first time ). that if it were MY boat and I was trying to cut cost..I might dig through some of the EXGrade ply at my local store for a Good sheet.

I dont use pressure treated at all.

If you like I can upload some pics I did for a 2x lam of 3/4" ply for stringers. ( Ill probably do that anyway ).

On to your recent question about your bunk rollers pushing in on the hull...

Its better IMO to do totally stripped out hull on a Bunk trailer. You could possibly get a jack and some blocks of wood on the Keel to Slightly remove pressure from the trailer ( trailer tongue it down a little..put some blocks on the keel in the back...trailer up until a little pressure is off the rollers..Jack the front again just slightly and block the front/mid .. Juust enough to relieve a little pressure..remove jack ). Still on the trailer..but not the Total weight is on the trailer if you know what I mean.. ).

Ok next.. Engines and Motor Mount placements.

Take massive pics and Measurements !! Drawings with measurements..Simple Jigs to help you determine Where your mounts are Before you pull the mounts off.

Transom Replacement..

In your case Bill.. I would suggest you PRE-fab your transom Before you cut it out.
I would have the new Trans cut,prepped,glass cut and ready,clamps etc READY to go Before you remove your transom.
You might even consider blocking both transom/chines tight ( from ground to bottom corners of the transom .. use blocks and wedges to snug ).
Remove and Glass in your new Trans ASAP. You dont want that transom to change at all ( Im sure your not likely to have any problems without going through these paranoid steps .. I dont take chances ).

You have End Grain Balsa Core in your hull sides ..

Your Hull sides show what appears to me EG Balsa core in Pic 2 of your second series of pics..

You should make sure there are no fittings ( through hulls etc. ) that have not allowed water in the coring ..

It looked like there were some Black marks under your hull glass .. IF you have core damage now is the time to take care of them from the inside before you start glassin in stringers/bulks/floors.

Look around for dark spots on your hull and post some pics ..

Materials:

I would use Laminating Poly resin.
1708/1.5 oz CSM ( all you need for glass ).
Get some Cabosil ( little 1 gal bucket full for now ).
Few 3 gallons of Acetone

You can fix Anything Poly based with these 3 things ! .. ( aside from brushes/buckets/suits/gloves/respo/eyewere/tape/rags/ ..etc sundries associated with glass repair .. Tools/discs etc .. )

Measurements are key for full blown stringer/bulks .. trans is a trans as Woody said ..

Ask questions and post pics frequently ... putting in something might be different then glassing in something else...

Bump your thread if needed. .. ..

YD.

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

YD, Thanks for all the awesome advise and moral support. I'm hoping to get a lot of it in this rebuild. My apologies for not returning to thank you sooner however I didn't want to return with no progress.

Well everyone have a look at the pictures. The deconstruction is nearing completion (and would be done if not for the thunderstorm that just came through#. I won't sit and complain about the difficulty because all of you know what it entails. I will say that it was way less painful than I had expected.



Because I thought it would be harder to get out than just pulling it and slapping the transom in all in the same day, I began removing it today. I am actually a little glad I did, because there was a lot of water trapped in the wood of the trans. The hull feels very sound, but want to give it a chance to dry out. I am picking up my lumber tomorrow and should be receiving my 1708, 1.5 CSM, Poly-resin and other goodies soon. Woo Hoo! I'll be going in the other direction before I know it.

A question I have is about the use of EX grade lumber vs marine plywood. I believe frisco used Ex grade in his rebuild and I intend to follow his method without variance #ie. 1.5 CSM to waterproof, followed by tabbing and covering all wooden surfaces with 1708). Any input here?

Another question is if you'll look at the picture with the tape measure in it, there is a hole in the hull thats roughly 4 inches long and exactly as wide as a sawzall blade :facepalm:. What in the world have I done and how HUGE a mistake did I make?

Also, It's hard to see in the picture but there is a huge lip in front of the bilge drain. Its no wonder the trans rotted since there would have to be an inch of water laying in it all the time if the PO didn't raise the front and let it drain completely. Anyway, the direction of travel seems to show an origin at the drain and I will work to eliminate any possibility of water damaging the transom at that point.

YD, As to the black in the hull, I have not sanded into it completely but it appears to be in the surface only. Will follow up tomorrow.

Thanks all. Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Bill: The Sawzall mishap is nothing compared to the entirety of your project. That's a piece of cake to fix since you have access to both sides of the hull. Also we've all done stuff like that so don't feel bad.

I tend to think of crazy auto engine transplants a lot.............I was looking at your photos and wondering if 2 screaming BMW sixes would fit in there!

Bert

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Bill: The Sawzall mishap is nothing compared to the entirety of your project. That's a piece of cake to fix since you have access to both sides of the hull. Also we've all done stuff like that so don't feel bad.

I tend to think of crazy auto engine transplants a lot.............I was looking at your photos and wondering if 2 screaming BMW sixes would fit in there!

Bert

The biggest problem i had with the "mishap" is that I cut that section out about 2 weeks ago and just seen it today... LMAO.

2 Screamin BMW sixes, huh! Now theres a thought. Here's a question on that note, Will my lower units work with that swap? If not, or should I say, If an engine swap is even a thought in my mind, should I hold off cutting the keyholes until I decide for sure? I had given some thought to updating the out drives but hadn't mentioned it as I was tearing down and assessing the project, but if it will make a difference in the construction of the transom, then now is probably a good time to bring it up. Not trying to put the cart in front of the horse or anything.

thanks

Bill

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Nice work on the tear out. The sawsall mishap, as mentioned, will not be a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Marine grade is not doubt a superior product. Only you can decide if it's worth it. I would say that the majority of us are using exterior grade.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

I know absolutely nothing about I/O's so I should keep my mouth shut. But I think if you're determined enough you can mechanically couple almost anything to anything else.

 

[raymondpickens]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

I dont know if you have run across this one by Legoman but I believe it has some similarities with yours, and it shows alot on dealing with different engines. Very talented young guys. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=281698&highlight=legoman

 

[BillFloyd]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

I know absolutely nothing about I/O's so I should keep my mouth shut. But I think if you're determined enough you can mechanically couple almost anything to anything else.

Luhrs, I think you got me a little fired up for a second on the engine swap. Honestly, It wasn't my intention to change them and happy to report that for now i will be staying with the 165's for now. The thought was good for the "Tim the toolman Taylor" side of me, but the motors are fine and should be plenty for what we want to do with it. (I hope i know what I'm talking about when i say that)

I dont know if you have run across this one by Legoman but I believe it has some similarities with yours, and it shows alot on dealing with different engines. Very talented young guys. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=281698&highlight=legoman

Raymond, thanks for the link to that thread. I glanced at it and read over some of it. Shocked me to see how young they were. Can't wait to read more of them.


So... Tear down is officially complete!!! I removed the last of the transom today and am sure glad its done. Now time to start moving in the other direction. I need to get organized though. I have basic ideas in my head, but need to get some stuff down in some sort of list so I don't get to a step and not have materials to work with. Anyway, just wanted to stop in and report my progress.

Question for curiosity: The boat did not come with any sort of shore power. I don't know exactly how much camping we'll do in it, hopefully alot, but i am wondering about ideas from some people with experience in a cuddy, what amenities (sink, head, etc) should i or would i want to start considering? Any ideas? If I do a sink and head, what are my holding/waste tank/pump requirements?

Just some of the thoughts i had... Thanks guys. Hope to get more people stopping in as we go.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: 1976 Classic 27' Cuddy Cabin - Spruce up turned to full on Restore

Sink, Head, etc... My sinks (kitchecn and head) both drain directly overboard out of small drains set just below the level of the sinks themselves. My head unit is a self contained chemical head with a fresh water tank and a holding tank built in. It's a pain to empty, removing the unit, etc... Then cleaning and re-upping the chem-blue, or campa-chem, But it's plenty good for spending a whole weekend on the lake and handling multiple users.