1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration...In Progress

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Somewhat amused, tore out remainder of the deck and the part that looked the cleanest from the top was the wettest foam under it. Definitely needed replacing, glad I went with what was recommended instead of going with my lazy/cheap side! from now on ill follow the when in doubt, do it! I will post some pics later, being lazy. And I am not disheartened that my thread hasnt caught the attention of the pros, I was just saying that since they haven't chimed in, I would go with the opinion of those who do

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Finished removing foam and deck on one side, leaving stringers until I'm ready to cut new ones so I dont have to worry about breaking them up (hoping I can use as rough templates) Anyways here are some pics of my mess...also as I removed aft foam that i said was wetter than the rest, I found it was soaked with gas/water because it wreaked! So onward and upwards..no turning back now.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Worked some today, almost foam free, I will finish tomorrow and post some clean hull pics, next step is grinding. Do I only grind areas where new glass is to be bonded with old glass, or should I give the entire hull a once over?

 

[produceguy]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Do some drill test on the stringers about 3 inches apart. Look at your shavings,are they wet, dry or did they completly rot away like the deck?

If your stringers and transom were that bad, I'm sure those stringers are mulch also. I would lay a string line across the hull,side to side and mark off the hight on the old stringers. Or use a 2by. The new ones will need to be the same as the old ones, without the rot, just a little joke.
Grinding, What you should be trying to do is grind off the old resin and glass to have a nice surface for the new glass to bond to.

Great work so far.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

OK all the foam is removed....stringers have been left in place until i have new ones cut (i don't want to worry about breaking those before i have templates made), I can honestly say I know how to destroy a boat pretty well now. The question is can I put it back together??? Ran out of bags, so there's still a little foam in boat but here are some pics of the ready to grind Hull. Dis I miss anything? Oh yeah that shovel in picture turned out to be perfect size for removing the foam between stringers, I couldn't have planned that if i wanted to.

 

[Seasonally.boating.jon]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

JDA, I don't know if ur stringers were poorly glassed or not but on my boat, the glass on top of the stringers (about 3" wide strip" came right off without prying or cutting. Very poor glassing but made it easy to remove the wood in the stringers. I will use those as templates. Maybe u can do the same. If the wood is not falling apart, u might be able to atleast cut the top of the glass off, then pull the wood out. Really, you need the bottom contour of the stringers. You can adjust the height after the wood is tabbed in. But its just a thought. Lookin good man. This has got to be the worst part of restoring. I'm on the same page as you right now.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Be sure to wear a good respirator when grinding that hull! The other FG resto threads I've looked at looks like they clean everything up on the inside of the hull while grinding.

I'd replace those stringers whether they need it or not while you're there. You may also want to consider making a cardboard template of each one before removing them in case they try to crumble upon removal. You can also make a cardboard template for your transom, just keep marking and cutting until you get one that fits right.

You've done a lot of work there, and what you've done looks real good so far.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Appreciate the advice...Stringers are definitely coming out, I am just waiting til the last minute to remove them since I know they are going to crumble. The top of the stringer had no fiberglass on it, and the sides are very thin fiberglass. I have been tossing some things around playing with the idea of composites when i rebuild, but havent made a definitive decision yet. Will keep you all updated as I go. Keeping this thread going helps motivate me because I have someone to show my work to....I know my wife could care less and rolls her eyes when i tell her to come look lol

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Composites lack the rigidity of lumber making them flimsy/floppy and hard to work with, but they do have their merits.

Another material you may want to consider is Kiln dried Pressure Treated plywood, it's not your run of the mill plywood you' buy at Home Depot of Lowes. It is manufactured for boating and marine applications and you'll have to call around to some boat dealers in your area to find it. It is expensive (but so are composites) but comes with a lifetime warranty. It's kiln dried so you don't have to worry about letting it dry out before coating it with epoxy or FG. My Tracker boat came from the factory with it installed for the decking and in the transom.

What do you plan to use for floatation foam?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

I havent decided yet on the foam either...the 2 part pour in seems like it would be good because it fills every void, problem is it soaks water, so if I make any mistakes on the glass and it isnt water tight, im going to end up with one heavy boat over time. I do like the idea of the blue foam sheets, and might go that route. Still alot of unanswered brainstorming going on here. Since its such a small hull, I can probably get away with spending a little more on materials as I dont need to buy as much. I can gut all of my stringers from 1 4X8 Sheet and have some left over.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

I havent decided yet on the foam either...the 2 part pour in seems like it would be good because it fills every void, problem is it soaks water, .

You're mistaken about this Judge.

From the USComposites site FAQs

14. Is this foam water resistant?

Yes, but with the following caveat. The foams that we sell are considered closed-cell, which means that each cell that makes up the foam structure is completely closed off from surrounding cells which prevents it from acting like a sponge. It is completely safe for this foam to be in contact with water for hours/days/weeks and even months with no adverse effects. However, it should never be submerged in contact with water permanently. Over a period of years the water contact can begin to soften the foam and cause it to lose its closed-cell status. This foam is designed primarily to be used as an insurance policy in case of damage/holes that could cause a vessel to lose buoyancy. Pinhole sized openings would essentially have no effect on the foam since the amount of exposure is so minimal but you should always make repairs as soon as possible to keep the foam effectiveness as good as possible. This will be the case with all after market closed-cell polyurethane foams and even manufacturer installed foams.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

So as long as I am sure my glass work is water tight, I should go with the 2 part pour? I have a friend who builds experimental aircraft from the ground up, and hes a wizard with glass...I know I can at least get his advice/input, but am hoping he will actually get hands on with me. If he does I know it will be tight, but if I end up doing it myself I am not so sure. Thanks for the advice. I will add that info to my brainstorm. Started grinding today, boy now i really understand why everyone loves it so much! I was going to post some pics....but lost my cell phone apparently...will try later

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

went next door and borrowed their cell phone finder (their cell phone) what an odd place I put it..anyhow here are a couple pics of what I ground, removed the old fiberglass ridges and gave it all a once over, I am not sure how much i should do, just to rough it up or is there a point I will know I've ground enough off?. Also the stringers are only 1/2" and original floor was stapled to these, what in you guys' opinion should I do, replace with 3/4 in stringers and screws...or is staples going to be sufficient?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

So, I really screwed the pooch here...what do you guys suggest to fix this? Inside and outside pics. I did this when I used a 1-1/4 inch spade to get the last of the transom wood out...seemed like a good idea at the time, but I wont do it again!


Also a couple pics of the grinding I did, 1 is completed side, other is how it looks on other side so you get an Idea of what i started with

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

That hole looks good JD!... it's just an ol' "war wound" and you'll have a little more glassing to do when you do your stringers and stuff.

The thing about your stringers and decking is all about the foam that was in your boat. That old foam supported your decking and stringers, it's what made the floor feel solid (when the boat was new) and it kept your stringers upright and rigid. It was even structural support for your hull and is a good reason to use the expanding foam when you put the boat back together.

I personally would use a minimum of 3/4" for the stringers and that will be hard to screw into, so I would double up the 3/4" for a 1 1/2" stringer. It'll be easier for fasteners and will make a good solid deck... nothing wrong with overkill.The plywood isn't that expensive and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you put it back together better than it came from the factory.

What do you think?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

I would like to beef it so to speak but my main concern is weight....the factory rating tag says occupancy 4 person or 460 pounds (1070 pounds including fuel motor and gear)...so if i go heavier, that would reduce the capacity (which my wife and I already exceed) what kind of trouble will that cause ....wife would not be happy if I have to tell her I was going fishing but she cant come! she already calls this boat my obsession

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

4 people or 460 lbs.??? What the heck did you buy?... a kiddie boat? That's only 115 lbs per person!

A 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood weighs 65 lbs, I don't think you'll use a whole sheet on your stringers... but even if you do, the added weight will be minimal.

I don't think the Water Cops are going to come by with a set of scales and ask you and your wife to weigh so they can check your capacity compliance either.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

yeah I know the water cops probably wont, I just don't know how shell ride if I get heavier, Personally Weigh 200 so I take half the weight alone, plus I have a 90 HP motor that weighs in at around 300, 2 Batteries 100, 12 Gallons of fuel 100, fishing tackle 50, so that 750/1070 leaves me 320 lbs for my wife and son, which they are less so we shall see. Original deck was stalled to the stringers with like 2 inch staples, as long as I am accurate in my measurements I think i can hit a 3/4" target, so may just up it from 1/2 to 3/4 and use some good PL construction adhesive to secure deck (weigh it down while it dries, then staple for good measure and seal it up.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

10-4 on the adhesive, but I would skip the staples and use screws instead. Staples can and will back out, screws won't.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

Re: 1982 Skeeter SS-1 Sport Fisherman Restoration....Need some advice

My fear with screws is if your off center on a 3/4 inch target by just a hair...your going to split the wood...Ill think on this some more for certain, thanks alot for the good advice