1978 SS 16 restoration

[Siva283]

Nice progress. Interesting jack you have there. Something useful to have laying around a shop.

SHSU

I love that Jack. Makes life so much easier. I use it for everything. Rated for 11,000 pounds.

 

[Siva283]

Got one stringer done and in. Once it's done the carpet on the sides is coming out and I'll clean those up. I got 6 rivits in the knee brace to the transom so I'll add those then next weekend I'll get the floor made then take it out wipe with acetone and gluv it the inside. Then I can put the floor in for good and so the foam. I feel like I am about to hit another major mile stone.



So for my consoles I want to seal the 2 cup holders up and make it flat and there's a panel the idiot po cut out of my driver's side console I want to fill in too. The aluminum is to thin and old for my welding skills.

Any ideas on a good way to fill those in?

 

[Siva283]

First pick is what the inside walls look like. The second one is the patch I have gotten mostly clean. I want to make sure it's perfect before I coat the entire inside in gluv it. The outside transom above the water line is getting gluv it too

 

[classiccat]

First pick is what the inside walls look like. The second one is the patch I have gotten mostly clean. I want to make sure it's perfect before I coat the entire inside in gluv it. The outside transom above the water line is getting gluv it too

Nice progress! You're making short work of it.

My advice on gluv-it...apply to only where you need it; seams & bucktails. blanket covering the entire bottom hull skin is a recipe for corrosion down the road (example).

 

[SHSU]

So for my consoles I want to seal the 2 cup holders up and make it flat and there's a panel the idiot po cut out of my driver's side console I want to fill in too. The aluminum is to thin and old for my welding skills.

Any ideas on a good way to fill those in?

JB weld a thing piece from the bottom side. Then you can use JB weld or similar to fare it level. Or in my case, I just covered it with Nautolex

My advice on gluv-it...apply to only where you need it; seams & bucktails. blanket covering the entire bottom hull skin is a recipe for corrosion down the road (example).

+1 to this, only need to do seams and tails.

SHSU

 

[Siva283]

Got half of the inside mostly clean

 

[Siva283]

Nice progress! You're making short work of it.

My advice on gluv-it...apply to only where you need it; seams & bucktails. blanket covering the entire bottom hull skin is a recipe for corrosion down the road (example).

Wow I wouldn't have expected that from gluv it. I fortunately due to pressure treated wood I still would have to coat half the floor. But I might only do what needs it after seeing that

 

[Siva283]

JB weld a thing piece from the bottom side. Then you can use JB weld or similar to fare it level. Or in my case, I just covered it with Nautolex


+1 to this, only need to do seams and tails.

SHSU

I was thinking the same I was gonna 5200 a sheet to the back use self leveling epoxy to flatten it and cover in the vinyl faux teak flooring I'm going to put in.

 

[Siva283]

JB weld a thing piece from the bottom side. Then you can use JB weld or similar to fare it level. Or in my case, I just covered it with Nautolex


+1 to this, only need to do seams and tails.

SHSU

I'm trying. I'm hoping for her first splash to be this spring. I figure I have 3-4 months left.
Luckily my wonderful girlfriend is out working on it with me every weekend. I'm gonna let her 8 year old daughter and 13 year old son help with final assembly and paint

 

[Siva283]

Doesn't look like much progress. But the old glue is out. I got all the holes drilled in the transom and knee brace. Tomorrow I'll pull the transom and rivits the z bar it sits in and the last 8 in the knee brace on the transom. And 8 other rivits above the water line. Next week I'll finish cutting the floor then hopefully get the gluv it don't and the floor sealed and the inside of the holes for the transom. Then I can finally start making it look like a boat again. I'm hoping 4 gallons of pour foam is enough

 

[Siva283]

Got a sheet of 1\8 aluminum that I am putting on the outside of the transom where the wood used to be. Buttered it with 5200. Making some use of the old floor to spread the clamping force. Then started checking fitment if the usable parts of the interior to decide if I want to change anything or do any upgrades. That's a side panel inside the boat the panel is the PVC board which I totally get why people use it but it doesn't go with my them of making the interior mimic all wood.

 

[Siva283]

So now I am looking for ways to incorporate more storage to keep the boat more organized. I am moving the switches and using smaller ones on the panel where the steering wheel goes on either side. Since I am doing dual bildge pumps I am setting the switches for one at the helm and the other at the back since I use a transom mount electric motor for fishing. There will be one fish finder at the helm with sonar down and side scan and another one with just 2d sonar near where I sit at the back for the electric motor.
I am running dual batteries. A starting battery and an accessories battery so if I kill a battery while fishing I can still get the motor started. It will charge both however.
I am gonna try to close in under the splash well and put a battery on each side and I am trying to find 2 gas tanks that will fit under there in-between the batteries. I like a dual tank set up since one time I thought I had filled the tank but didn't and it was a 12 hour electric motor run back. Thankfully I keep a battery charger and a little 1,000 watt generator. It saved me that day I have done dual tanks since.
I am also thinking about closing in each console to make storage with doors.

I would love to hear what everyone has done. Though I keep a lot of fishing gear in there. Anchors on one side in the front. I have 3 since places I go the bottom can vary greatly. I keep a 5 pound grappling hook type, a 10 pound mushroom which I use the most and an 8 pound Danforth. The other side up front has my life jackets flares air horn and other safety equipment. I am not opposed to changing this up however.
Lastly I am looking for a hidden and secure place to keep my handgun easily accessible to me but not others.

 

[SHSU]

I tried to make a bunch of storage, but realize now how fruitless it was. The boat isn't big enough to make permanent storage for most of the stuff I want to take out. So now its just what we will need for the day. I use varying size bins to store my big anchors and rope in if we go fishing, otherwise we keep only a small one on board for tubing.

As for the tanks and batteries, just keep in mind the amount of weight you will be putting in the back. I balanced mine out by having a custom fuel tank made that sites below deck mid ship and two batteries sit in front of the console, one on each side. Plus a single one in the back as a dedicated start battery/nav lights/hot bilge pump. It keeps the weight nicely distributed and not stern heavy when everything is full.

SHSU

 

[Siva283]

I tried to make a bunch of storage, but realize now how fruitless it was. The boat isn't big enough to make permanent storage for most of the stuff I want to take out. So now its just what we will need for the day. I use varying size bins to store my big anchors and rope in if we go fishing, otherwise we keep only a small one on board for tubing.

As for the tanks and batteries, just keep in mind the amount of weight you will be putting in the back. I balanced mine out by having a custom fuel tank made that sites below deck mid ship and two batteries sit in front of the console, one on each side. Plus a single one in the back as a dedicated start battery/nav lights/hot bilge pump. It keeps the weight nicely distributed and not stern heavy when everything is full.

SHSU

I have been looking for an under floor tank but all the ones I have found are atleast an inch to tall ot $500+ I dont have that extra coin for a tank. I can get a 19 gallon fuel cell for about $150. I am doing 2 batteries. One starting one Accessories lights etc both charge from the motor.
I have though about weight but this past season I carries 26 gallons of fuel and 2 batteries and still had trouble getting the bow up. Granted the boat was flexing like a slinky and its already much stiffer from having the supports and all solidly riveted on.
I have just started my tank search which I should have started sooner since if I go under floor I have to do it before foaming it in. I was planning to mount it mid way up so about where the consoles sit.
As far as storage I have a bimini top with 7 rod holders which hold all but one. I also have 2 decent size tackle boxes. Those are what I really need storage for.
Where I am we have certain rules and an anchor is on the must have list. Like I said I have 3 I keep that combine are less than 20 pounds. I keep them and 200 ft of anchor line. 2 100' lengths they are also under the seat in the front. The other seat keeps 4 life jackets minimum flares and and air horn. Oh and I usually have a 60qt cooler but that slid to the back by the splash well at anchor solves that. I would definitly love it if I found a tank that I could mount under the floor. I need to remeasure my space in that area since I measured it in the very back not thinking that measurements are different there since its flattened out.

If you have any good resources for tanks though I would be thankful and happy to look. If my aluminum welding skills were just a little better I would make my one but alas my skills are just not there yet.

 

[SHSU]

I hear you on the tank, I mulled over that one for a long time. Never found one that would work under the current floor design. Hence the custom route and it cost ~$500 to have it fabricated.

Non custom route, think @Moserkr made his front seating area a casting deck. That allowed him to put a pre fabricated tank up front. Plus that would give you more room for storage on the sides of it.

SHSU

 

[Siva283]

I hear you on the tank, I mulled over that one for a long time. Never found one that would work under the current floor design. Hence the custom route and it cost ~$500 to have it fabricated.

Non custom route, think @Moserkr made his front seating area a casting deck. That allowed him to put a pre fabricated tank up front. Plus that would give you more room for storage on the sides of it.

SHSU

I thought about it doing that on the front but my biggest worry was the fuel pump pulling fuel that far.
Second was there is usually 3 adults or 2 adults a teenager and a toddler so I go back and fourth to making the front a deck. Sounds like it's no much of an issue for it to pull fuel.
I have also thought about putting a tank as far up in the bow as I can I would only lose 2 inch's ish of the foot well and make use of dead space. I might need to revisit that once the floor is in.
Thanks for the idea nice to know I am not breaking new ground I like to do that but not with fuel and really not with boats since this is my first time doing much more than changing the lower unit oil.
Jeeps those I build and break new ground boats I'm learning as I go

 

[Moserkr]

@Siva283 The fuel tank I put under the casting deck was a challenge to build. It does sit slightly more forward than I would prefer for weight balancing - doesnt sit dead center. Also seems to starve my 75hp motor for fuel so Im going to have to put in a fuel pump I think. I would not put one all the way up front because of the weight distribution, at least with an 18 gallon fuel tank. I moved mine back as far as possible. Ideally I would have loved one centered under the floor, but thats expensive to have a custom one made as you have found out.

Like you I also have 2 batteries, starter and accessory. They got moved to the back when the fuel tank went up front so that helped distribute weight.

The cheapest, most simple option is just putting a tank in the rear under the splash well. I did see one build I liked where a permanent tank with a fill and vent was put in the back.

As for storage, the only thing that could really make a difference is a ski locker in the floor. Other than that, the 16’s dont have much extra space. Another option is a casting deck which I really like. Mine is multi function with a casting chair option, flush mounted in the walkway, with cushions surrounding it like you would normally expect.

 

[Siva283]

@Siva283 The fuel tank I put under the casting deck was a challenge to build. It does sit slightly more forward than I would prefer for weight balancing - doesnt sit dead center. Also seems to starve my 75hp motor for fuel so Im going to have to put in a fuel pump I think. I would not put one all the way up front because of the weight distribution, at least with an 18 gallon fuel tank. I moved mine back as far as possible. Ideally I would have loved one centered under the floor, but thats expensive to have a custom one made as you have found out.

Like you I also have 2 batteries, starter and accessory. They got moved to the back when the fuel tank went up front so that helped distribute weight.

The cheapest, most simple option is just putting a tank in the rear under the splash well. I did see one build I liked where a permanent tank with a fill and vent was put in the back.

As for storage, the only thing that could really make a difference is a ski locker in the floor. Other than that, the 16’s dont have much extra space. Another option is a casting deck which I really like. Mine is multi function with a casting chair option, flush mounted in the walkway, with cushions surrounding it like you would normally expect.

Thanks for the heads up. My worry about fuel was justified. I also have a 75hp. And I definitely don't want another point of failure by having to use an electric fuel pump.
If I could put the gas tank up front the splash well would have enough room to store what I want to store but that's not an option. I have another idea. For the driver and passenger seats I may build square pedestal for the seats as big as the seat door print make one side a door put some shelves in and make them tackle boxes. That would solve most of my storage issues. If I also box in the consoles since most adults legs won't fit under them that would probably give me the rest of the storage I need.
My other options is making a bench across the back which will extend my under splash well storage. While solving the storage issues it does keep all the weight in the back.
I am pretty set on a permanent tank and also set on 19 gallons minimum. It'll be vented and have a gauge if I hook it up. I am undecided about mounting a fill if I do I'll probably do it dead center of the splash well. Don't know why but in my head it would look nice there guess because it keeps everything symmetrical

 

[Moserkr]

A fill in the center of the splash well would look nice. Part of the reason I went with a permanent tank was not wanting to crawl into my boat to fill her up. Believe the one I remember seeing on a build was on the port side but the gentlemen did not have a big fuel tank so he could fit it on one side. 19 gallons is big and a lot of weight! I would want that centered. Putting storage under your seats towards the front would help offset that weight. Same with the accessory battery, bring it forward. Storage under the consoles is a good idea too. The seats sit pretty far back and my short legs dont go far under them haha. Sounds like you are on the right path to figuring it out!

 

[Siva283]

A fill in the center of the splash well would look nice. Part of the reason I went with a permanent tank was not wanting to crawl into my boat to fill her up. Believe the one I remember seeing on a build was on the port side but the gentlemen did not have a big fuel tank so he could fit it on one side. 19 gallons is big and a lot of weight! I would want that centered. Putting storage under your seats towards the front would help offset that weight. Same with the accessory battery, bring it forward. Storage under the consoles is a good idea too. The seats sit pretty far back and my short legs dont go far under them haha. Sounds like you are on the right path to figuring it out!

I was hauling around 26 gallons a 12 and 14 gallon tank most of the summer and when I was crabbing all day sometimes I had to run in for more. So even with that there will be times I still carry around 10 gallons extra.
Moving that batteries is a great idea. All my accessories come to a fuse block I put in on the helm console. I can put the accessories battery there. I could probably put the starting battery under the passenger console. These starters don't take much oomf. My only problem then is wiring the isolator that goes from one battery to the other. I could probably run the cables around the perimeter. I think my charging system only puts out 20cor 40 amps max. I just gotta decide if I want that expense since I would need to lengthen the battery cables. But at 40camps charge I don't think I would need very big wire on the isolator.
If I do that my tackle boxes will fit under the splash well. Then my cooler would be out in the deck. My 1,000 watt generator would fit under a console with the battery. I always carry that for the electric motor. I had a fuel pump go bad once and it was a 12 hour electric motor ride back if it wasn't for that genny I would have been in real trouble. So I always carry it it's worth the extra 20 pounds of weight. I use oil injection so I always have oil and can pull fuel from the boat tank for the genny if I need it but it runs 11 hours off of a little over half a gallon of fuel.
You guys are awesome. You really got me thinking here with viable solutions. While helping point out that things I am not thinking about. I appreciate that more than anything.
My girlfriend her kids and I out putting a lot of time and effort into this build and I'm dumping money in trying to cut no corners so I would hate for something I'm not thinking about to mess things up.