jlclar09
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2009
- Messages
- 6
I am new to Iboats and new to restoring boats. 2 years ago I bought my first boat, a 1984 Sea Ray Seville for $900.
It came with a shorelander roller trailer with brakes but no actuator. It had a mercruiser 3.0 140 and M/R outdrive. When I went to look at it, it was in rough shape but the engine ran and everything seemed to work fine. Being very inexperienced with boats I bought it thinking with a little work I would have a nice boat. I got the boat home and went to take it out for the first time. Little did I know that this would be the start of a long project. I got it on the water and was having a great time when I went to the engine to check it out and thats when I discovered that it had a cracked block. It had cracked down the side of the block just under the intake/exhaust manifold. it was pumping water into the boat at a very alarming rate. So I found a block on craigslist for $100. It turned out to be a great deal, I just swapped all of the components and head over to the new block. I did not have an engine hoist so I used the tractor with the loader to swap the engines.
It only took me 3 days to redo the engine. I decided to redo the bed cushions next. They were completely worn out.
I had never used a sewing machine before but I thought that if my grandmother could use one I sure as hell could learn to use one. So I wend to Wally World and bought a sewing machine for $40 and enough outdoor fabric to redo them. I meticulously cut all the stitching that held the fabric pieces and used them as a template. In 2 days I had new bedding for the cabin. This is pretty much where I left off. For 2 years I used the boat with no complaints. I was happy with my investment in entertainment.
Everything was fine until 2 weeks ago when I had the boat out on Harrington Lake in KY. The belt broke on me which put a premature end to a great weekend... there is not an auto parts store for like 40 miles that are open on the weekend. I got the boat home and replaced the belt with relative ease. It was when I stepped on the gas tank cover and it collapse under my feet when I discovered the real story about the boat... lots of water and wood rot. So I pulled the gas tank out and started to explore. The stringers resembled a channel filled with topsoil... I could have planted something in them.
So I cut an exploratory hole in the floor and found lots of water.
So I decided to do the biggest surgery on any thing I have ever done, I have since ripped out the entire floor on the drivers side and I am going to start removing the passenger side. So far I have found a little good news, the rot only went as far as the the bulkhead in front of the cuddycabin. So my plan is to replace the stringers from the cuddy back to the engine where I replaced the motor mount stringers when I rebuild the engine 2 years ago and use a second board fiberglassed to the old stringer and the new stringer as a splice. I plan on used pressure treated pine from Home Depot. I found out today I can get boards as long as 20ft if I need from my local Home Depot. Is this a good idea? I am trying to get the boat back to drivable in 24 days for the WEBN fireworks. I know that is a short amount of time to do it but I don't need to have carpet or seats by then just a new floor and stringers. My friends will just have to use lawn chairs for the fire works!! I will try to document this restore as I go along.
It came with a shorelander roller trailer with brakes but no actuator. It had a mercruiser 3.0 140 and M/R outdrive. When I went to look at it, it was in rough shape but the engine ran and everything seemed to work fine. Being very inexperienced with boats I bought it thinking with a little work I would have a nice boat. I got the boat home and went to take it out for the first time. Little did I know that this would be the start of a long project. I got it on the water and was having a great time when I went to the engine to check it out and thats when I discovered that it had a cracked block. It had cracked down the side of the block just under the intake/exhaust manifold. it was pumping water into the boat at a very alarming rate. So I found a block on craigslist for $100. It turned out to be a great deal, I just swapped all of the components and head over to the new block. I did not have an engine hoist so I used the tractor with the loader to swap the engines.
It only took me 3 days to redo the engine. I decided to redo the bed cushions next. They were completely worn out.
I had never used a sewing machine before but I thought that if my grandmother could use one I sure as hell could learn to use one. So I wend to Wally World and bought a sewing machine for $40 and enough outdoor fabric to redo them. I meticulously cut all the stitching that held the fabric pieces and used them as a template. In 2 days I had new bedding for the cabin. This is pretty much where I left off. For 2 years I used the boat with no complaints. I was happy with my investment in entertainment.
Everything was fine until 2 weeks ago when I had the boat out on Harrington Lake in KY. The belt broke on me which put a premature end to a great weekend... there is not an auto parts store for like 40 miles that are open on the weekend. I got the boat home and replaced the belt with relative ease. It was when I stepped on the gas tank cover and it collapse under my feet when I discovered the real story about the boat... lots of water and wood rot. So I pulled the gas tank out and started to explore. The stringers resembled a channel filled with topsoil... I could have planted something in them.So I cut an exploratory hole in the floor and found lots of water.
So I decided to do the biggest surgery on any thing I have ever done, I have since ripped out the entire floor on the drivers side and I am going to start removing the passenger side. So far I have found a little good news, the rot only went as far as the the bulkhead in front of the cuddycabin. So my plan is to replace the stringers from the cuddy back to the engine where I replaced the motor mount stringers when I rebuild the engine 2 years ago and use a second board fiberglassed to the old stringer and the new stringer as a splice. I plan on used pressure treated pine from Home Depot. I found out today I can get boards as long as 20ft if I need from my local Home Depot. Is this a good idea? I am trying to get the boat back to drivable in 24 days for the WEBN fireworks. I know that is a short amount of time to do it but I don't need to have carpet or seats by then just a new floor and stringers. My friends will just have to use lawn chairs for the fire works!! I will try to document this restore as I go along.
