1987 Bluefin Restoration

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rwhodel

rwhodel

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I am starting to restore my 19' Bluefin Sportsman. I origanally found rot in one small spot on the floor, but after removing the carpet, there is rot around the ski locker and forward of the opening. The transom is rotted and the outboard is pulling it backward, so I plan on removing the outboard and selling it and getting a newer one.
The previous owner was clueless to owning and maintaining a boat. He installed a stereo with wire nuts that fell off in the middle of the lake, starting a fire that luckily did not spread beyond the stereo. he also drilled a hole thru the lower part of the transom to run the fish finder cable for the transducer and then tried to seal it with silicone. It leaked and saturated the transom, creating the rot. I am thinking about making it into a center console with a hard top. Here are some picture of the work so far.
 

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ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Nice project. That boat will fix up very nicely. Check out any of the Starcraft threads on here for inspiration as they are VERY similar boats.
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

All the decks are out and the new ones are now cut and ready to add finish to them. The poured in foam is dry, as I took core samples from all over and found no wet foam. I am going to add some more foam from Lowes or Home Depot in the 2 places that I did remove the foam from where the deck rotted thru. It looks like a mess, but I will have it completely cleaned out in a couple of days and then on to the center console next.
 

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Shife

Chief Petty Officer
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Oct 22, 2009
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404
Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Looks familiar. There's a 17ft Sportsman thread going on right now too.
 
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gagjag

Cadet
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Jun 29, 2008
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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

I've got a similar boat except mine is the IO version and 19.5 foot. The interior is similar to yours, The floors had been replaced before I bought it 3 years ago. It's sitting down at the dock now and we use it daily for fishing. I've fixed all the vinyl padded trim by replacing the backer boards that were rotten and everything is in used, but not bad shape for an 88 boat. If you want a few pics of it for ideas, I'll post some for you.
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Finally after buying and moving into a new house and getting settled in, I started on the restoration of my 1987 , 19' Bluefin Sportsman. All the floation foam is removed and the deck stringers riveted back into place. I am ready to start adding new foam from Home Depot and then install the decking. After the decking is in, I am building new walk through consoles and the the big project of replacing the rotted transom. Here are a few pics of the interior of the boat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58920099@N02/5399128555/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58920099@N02/5399128581/
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Here is my progress on my 19' Blue Fin Sportsman. I now have the decks and fuel tank in and complete (pictures soon). The outboard is now off so I can start on replacing the transom. Also the consoles are ready for paint and then to install all new gauges and switch set that I purchased from I Boats. Here are some pics on my progress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/5724205691/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/5724205651/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/5724762366/in/photostream
 
Huron Angler

Huron Angler

Admiral
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Apr 7, 2009
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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

That fuel tank is awesome, how many gallons does it hold?

I like the idea of a CC aluminum V-hull, so I'm looking forward to seeing what she ends up looking like.:)
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Here is a look at whats left of the wood from my transom. Good thing is that I was able to get one piece out intack and can use it for a paturn if I choose to replace with marine plywood. Still up in the air whether to use marine plywood ot Nida Bond. The aluminum of the outer transome piece has deep corrisiion and the ineer piece has corrision all the way thru the center bottom of the aluminum. Here is a picture of the wood I removed and the transom after removing and cleaning everything out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/5798533532/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/5797982121/in/photostream
 
G

geeco1

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 16, 2009
Messages
373
Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Looks good. I just replace the transom in my BlueFin as well. I didn't get many pics, but there are some on my thread listed below. My main issue was that the PO tried to repair and had a cobbled-up mess. I used 2 pieces of 3/4 ext ply coated in epoxy in my transom. I was actually curious if I could have used a thick piece of aluminum instead, but never went far enough to check on the price, etc.
 
ezmobee

ezmobee

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

I haven't seen Nida used on an aluminum boat before. Make sure you take lots of pictures. Your interior is looking good.
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Almost done with my restoration of my 19' Bluefin Sportsman. The seats, windshield, fish finder and transom are all in, all I have to do is re-install the trim and re-hang the outboard. Should be complete by Monday at latest. Pictures later today.
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Here are the pics of my progress. 4 new seats, new gauges, console, deck, carpet and windshield are all new installations. The new transom is installed, all that is left is a new piece of aluminum on the back and the trim.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/6063982336/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/6063980490/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/6063432849/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28747172@N03/6063432783/in/photostream
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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lmuss53

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Sep 9, 2008
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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Good job on your restore, I hope mine goes as well. Can you talk a little about the product you used for the transom? What is it, where did you get it, about how much does it cost for a transom on a 18 footer? Do you just pull out the old one and pour in the new one? How did you repair the corrosion you spoke of early on? Sorry for all the ??? but I am about to tackle the same job and I want to be as prepared as I can be before I rip into it.
 
rwhodel

rwhodel

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Re: 1987 Bluefin Restoration

Imuss53,
I used exterior plywood for the transom ($27, Home Depot) instead of Nida Bond because of the cost. Epoxy the transom wood and I painted it with Rustoleum Marine Paint. As for the corrosion, I replaced the inner aluminum piece by fabricating a new one. With the aluminum, exterior plywood,3M 5200 and finishes it all came to around $125. The transom is 2 pieces of marine plywood, so I cut one up and was able to keep the other intact to use as a pattern for the new transom.
Check out other post in the Bluefin forum (http://forums.iboats.com/Blue_Fin_Boats) and also in the restoration section of the forum for more great ideas.
 
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