1989 Doral Cavalier

[klab010]

Hi. I have purchased a well kept boat, but it still needs a little TLC.
I am hoping to find someone else with the same comments/ideas on the following:

1. repairing some top side gelcoat and original decals (contacted local Doral distibutor and requested kit color match)
2. replacing some rubber gasket around the windshield and side windows
3. fixing the drooping interior cieling fabric.-tried adhesive spray, but it did not hold.- next fix will be shallow screws with caps.

note I have removed the alcohol stove due to it being "un-safe".

I am re-staining the interior to a darker more modern cherry stain with an ivory, high gloss kitchenette countertop.- pretty sharp!!

hoping to share ideas and solutions with someone else out there with a similar Cavalier, Tara or Citation model.

Can share pics!

Kevin

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Welcome to iboats.
Nice boat. Congratulations on owning a Doral. Well built boat and reliable as well. Unfortunately I do not own one of these. Almost bought a Citation in June but we opted to keep our 164 model as we do a lot of water skiing and tubing with the family. The Citation would have been too much to do that with.
Hope someone can help you out that has a similar model.

Ken.

 

[CHIEF915]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

I've got a 1990 Prestancia. I have been replacing/refurbishing just about the whole boat. I redid the entire cabin this past winter. It gets a little overwelming but it really looks nice afterwards. We bought the hullliner from www.yourautotrim.com Be prepared for a mess, when I pulled all the old carpet down, we used a dremil mulitool with scrapper blade to take it down to the fiberglass. Getting rid of the old foam and glue. I used 3M 77 spray to put the new hulliner back up. I mean it really spruced the boat up. My wife reupholstered all the cushions inside and I had one of the seats in the cockpit rebuilt. I put a new refrigerator, hot water heater, head and waste lines. Lots of work, but it looks great now.

I am looking to find somewhere to get new decals for the boat as well as the DORAL Placards that go on the sides. I contacted a dealer and they told me they don't have parts for the older Dorals.

Here's a picture of my boat

 

[klab010]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Sounds like you have a nice project there, I am sure it looks great! I checked around for decals too and found out that there is a place- Pirate Cove Marina : Kemptville, Ontario, 613-258-2325 they have the white DORAL decals. run $30 each I believe. I need 2 come spring also. Share pics - I would be interested in seeing how things turned out for you. Did you do your bottom paint? Any suggestions/tips? I need to do my bottom paint in the spring. Any advise is appreciated.

Kev

 

[CHIEF915]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Thanks for the info on the decals. I went to Dorals Website and emailed them to see if they had any info on where to get them (decals) also.

On the bottom paint, I taped off the water line with blue masking tap and a 1 inch border around the drives. Ensured the bottom was clean and then I rolled on the paint. Worked well for me, just don't do as I did the first time and roll over any thru hull transducers, they won't work after that, had to pull the boat back out to clean them off. Also the drives take a different anti-fouling paint then the bottom of the boat.

 

[klab010]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Hi -thanks. did you use ablative or Hard bottom paint? I have a few scuffs on the bottom, do i need to gelcoat or can I paint over them?

 

[CHIEF915]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

I used the Hard Bottom Paint. I think it is more of a preference, a lot of folks in my marina use the Ablative Paint though. I can't give any professional opinion as far as painting over the scuffs on the bottom, I had some and just cleaned them real well and painted over them. Mine were not through the Gel Coat.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

I guess we will be sticking with our 164 Doral. Just bought a travel trailer and will be going seasonal with the boat kept at the campground lake.

 

[klab010]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Hey Kenny anytime you plan to head down to Long Point let me know!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Hey Kenny anytime you plan to head down to Long Point let me know!

I think we will be going seasonal at Wildwood conservation area near St Mary's. We are a couple of hours from home and can keep the boat in the reservoir. We have reserved a site and dock already. It will give us more use of the boat for all the family. Lake St Clair has not been very nice to us the last couple of seasons. Flat calm during the week and pretty rough at the weekends when the family want to go tubing and skiing. The reservoir is pretty calm season long.
Would be great to see you there.

 

[klab010]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Unfortunately, I am secluded to Lake Erie as I don't have a trailer.- too large a boat to tow for my truck too. I have heard some good things about Wildwood.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Unfortunately, I am secluded to Lake Erie as I don't have a trailer.- too large a boat to tow for my truck too. I have heard some good things about Wildwood.

You can always drive up and see us next season if you like. Do a bit of boating in ours. And of course have some "refreshments" afterwards.

 

[JBF 1962]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Hey KLAB010, I just ordered the CHROME Doral badges for the hull sides from your friends at Pirate Cove in Kemptville (p/n 425-00-5139) which came on the Dorals 1990 and up. They $43 each and are gonna look sweet on the side of my Cavy especially once I get rid of all those tacky tape stripes!

 

[CHIEF915]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

JBF 1962 - Glad you got were able to get the new decals, they look really good. As I said before, really made a difference in my boat. You also got them a few dollars cheaper too.

 

[JBF 1962]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Yeah, the chrome will look good. When I bought this boat back in August, it was from the original owners who always kept it in a covered slip and took good care of her. This leaves me free to go after the details. I'm going to take the fridge out soon as the bottom flange and door has rusted. It's an ac/dc Norcold and it works awesome so I'm not sure if i can fix the rust...

 

[CHIEF915]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

I replaced my AC/DC Norcold this past winter as well as the Hot Water heater as it was unkooked when I bought the boat due to rusting out/I think not winterized properly.

My Norcold seal was loose and rusted around the door. Tried to get parts but none were available. So had to break out about $650 dollars for a new Norcold AC/DC. I only had to modify the whole by about a 1/2" for the new one to fit.

 

[JBF 1962]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

$650 hmm? I think I'll try to give mine a body job first, it works so darned well. It'd be ideal if i could find one that didn't work and wasn't rusted out...

 

[mnm01]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

hey klab010 boat looks good,nice to see some different ideas.

 

[klab010]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

mnm01 - thanks

JBF,CHEIF- good to hear about the decals. I take it you can get to your boat through the winter? good for you. I have to wait till spring to get mine out of storage- can't access it till then. Can you post a pic once you get the decals installed? Cheif, can you send a pic of yours? I am curious to see how it looks.
Have any of you guys used the Shurhold products? I am planning on getting the dual action polisher, Buff Magic and Pro Polish to bring the hull back to life....also removing pin striping.

Looking forward to the marina life!

Kev

 

[JBF 1962]

Re: 1989 Doral Cavalier

Hey Kev,
yeah, they went a little overboard with the tape stripes in the 80's These hulls will look alot better with them gone. It's good to have access to the boat during the down season and the boat yards only 1/2 hour from home