1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

I'm back on the river project now that the water has subsided. It was above the deck by about 6 feet at one point. the dock/deck was still mostly under water when we got there this morning along with some pretty thick fog, water probably dropped about 7 or 8 inches by the end of the day. Tomarrow should be down close to pool again. I focused on getting the upper pads framed and then tmrw I will start up the hill and then set of steps to the upper pads. this project when done will be really nice looking when we wrap all the decking into the rip rap. Also will be getting railing going down to docks. Just something else the debris can chew up and spit out when it floods real good again.

Still have to straighten out the long fingers where they have been lifted up and then build another very large deck on the other side. Then it will all be decked with Timberline composite decking. Just all part of working on the river.

You can see in this first pic of how high the water was, because of the debris left on the ramp. Thats basically the lower part of the debris feild left by the flooding. was up a few feet more than that.

Hers the fog this morning.

You can see the dock is under just by a few inches at this point.

Three upper pads installed and the water is down below top of dock by noon.

Of coarse, the water brough in a bunch of mud that we will be playing in in the morning trying to build the lower pads. Ughh

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

eh she started blowing her coolant out of the overflow..... in the process of figuring out the prob, I had just water in it..... decided it was a head gasket and put it on the back burner..... then I forgot about the water and ole man winter backed up and punted..... ugh

I did a small test spot on the montecarlo today need to touch up anyhow) with a big pressure washer and it instantly stripped all of the black top coat and most of the red bottom coat..... left about half as much as your last pic of the scraped hull..... 'course mine a a wee bit bigger and my bunk trailer would be MUCH harder to work around, pretty much requiring the boat to be blocked..... Plus I might want to slip it at some point or if I sell it the new owner would almost definitely slip it....... Now the CC that I'd LOVE to strip and sand, was hardly affected by the pressure washer... oh well....... either way yours is looking good... congrats on the home stretch

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

eh she started blowing her coolant out of the overflow..... in the process of figuring out the prob, I had just water in it..... decided it was a head gasket and put it on the back burner..... then I forgot about the water and ole man winter backed up and punted..... ugh

I did a small test spot on the montecarlo today need to touch up anyhow) with a big pressure washer and it instantly stripped all of the black top coat and most of the red bottom coat..... left about half as much as your last pic of the scraped hull..... 'course mine a a wee bit bigger and my bunk trailer would be MUCH harder to work around, pretty much requiring the boat to be blocked..... Plus I might want to slip it at some point or if I sell it the new owner would almost definitely slip it....... Now the CC that I'd LOVE to strip and sand, was hardly affected by the pressure washer... oh well....... either way yours is looking good... congrats on the home stretch

You guys had winter over there, where was I? I guess it can be a little colder over across the bridge. Sorry to hear about your troubles. That sucks.

Your right, most people would be leaving that size boat in the water. Not sure I would be stripping it down either.

The CC should be pretty easy to do. take a stiff scraper and hit one of the chines real quik with some good pressure. Bet it starts to chip off. Once you get a section started, it is easier to scrape because you have a edge to catch. If the pressure washer didn't ouch it, I would say it is a hard paint like mine, it will probably scrape off similar to mine.

I found on mine, the chine areas where it is basically a 90 degree turn to hull came off really easy. Probably just because alot of water pressure there while running or the prep wasn't as good there.

Thanks man, I am definately on the hoime stretch, atleast on this project anyway.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

We did get a couple of cold nights but the burb froze a couple years ago and I'm just now getting around to fixing it up now.:facepalm:

Yeah I may give it a try.... mebbe.... I'll work on getting her on the water first but it's something to chew on for a while.

 

[BSnB]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

I'm almost as interested in seeing that finished deck/dock as I am in seeing what you do to your ChrisCraft.

Keyword - almost. ;-)

Congratulation on the final scrape.

 

[lil buggy]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

you should get (that poor lil milionare with all the projects)lol, a bid for some floating docks while your at it

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

that gazebo looks familiar too...... across from ctown park?

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

We did get a couple of cold nights but the burb froze a couple years ago and I'm just now getting around to fixing it up now.:facepalm:

Yeah I may give it a try.... mebbe.... I'll work on getting her on the water first but it's something to chew on for a while.

Gotcha, so you were putting the rebuild off a bit.

You gotta atleast see if its going to come off easy with a scraper. I'll come out with a few drinks in hand a watch if that helps,lol

I'm almost as interested in seeing that finished deck/dock as I am in seeing what you do to your ChrisCraft.

Keyword - almost. ;-)

Congratulation on the final scrape.

Thankyou sir, it FEELS GOOOOD to be done scraping. The deck project is coming along. I rebuilt the dock that floated down river last week today and am working u the hill around the rip rap. I will post project pics as I go. This time we will make sure we have some concreted post in the ground before any flood water comes are way again.

you should get (that poor lil milionare with all the projects)lol, a bid for some floating docks while your at it

The floating docks, atleast the good ones are very expensive, then the posts would have to be run 30 feet into the ground and 50 feet above the pool level, then huge buckles installed and it just doesn't work well on the main river. Yacht clubs and creeks have them but most people do not like them on the main river because the floating docks will actually catch more debris than one that is under water,

When it floods here, which is every year, you get huge currents and huge debris fields coming down the river, most of the debris ends up stacked up on top of docks, some even get ripped apart. The floating docks wouldn''t stand a chance against a few trees stacked up against them. It would bend the frames and then there useless and very expensive to replace.

To give you an idea, this homes elevation is probably 40 feet off the water pool level and they still have had water in the first floor of the home at one point. The poles would have to be 50 feet tall to insure the docks didn't float off, then the strees of those poles would probably fail due to debris pile ups.

that gazebo looks familiar too...... across from ctown park?

ctown park? This project is right across from 12 mile island, near where you drop in.

 

[lil buggy]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

i didnt realize just how much the river fluctuates down there.
up here we got locks and dams every few miles to rush all that water down to you:facepalm:
longer pools = more floods i guess. so how low is that dock during the summer low period?

its been decades since i been down there on the long haul towboats and my memory musta floated away with all the bumpers i sent down to ya.lol

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

i didnt realize just how much the river fluctuates down there.
up here we got locks and dams every few miles to rush all that water down to you:facepalm:
longer pools = more floods i guess. so how low is that dock during the summer low period?

its been decades since i been down there on the long haul towboats and my memory musta floated away with all the bumpers i sent down to ya.lol

Lol. We obviously have locks up and down river also, but we get everything from pittsburg down to here, so the water has to go somewhere. They try and control it as best they can, but when your putting 80 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket, shizzit happens.

Most people here, atleast the smart ones, will never leave there boat docked on the river during a flood. I will try and round up some debris pics and flood pics I have taken in the past. the floating docks are reserved for the protected marinas around here.

That being said, we also have a huge project going on downtown, new development with 135 slips going in. It is going to be a nightmare to keep the area from getting filled with silt everytime it floods because of the location. Its off the river, but not 90 dergees to it, just a island that is somewhat protecting them, but it cause the current to run even faster, so silt will be a constant battle down there. These will all be flaoting docks that we put together and install. Dredgers have been dredging for a few months now, waiting on them at this point.

flood cause alot of issues with backfilling silt into the marinas, they have to be dredged once a year sometimes two or three times. Even the elevation requirements around here for homes being built on the river are now i believe 14 feet above the 100 year flood height.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

ctown park is where I launch.... yeah thas where I thought it was lol mebbe I should try to hire on to the project for just enough dough to be able to gas up the boat and drive it "to work" lol

friggen small world aye?

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

ctown park is where I launch.... yeah thas where I thought it was lol mebbe I should try to hire on to the project for just enough dough to be able to gas up the boat and drive it "to work" lol

friggen small world aye?

Don't think i won't be driving my boat to work towards the end of the job,lol especially with 85 degree weather. I didn't know that was the name of the launch ramp area over there. Good to know.

thats about what it would pay, if your lucky. Is a small world. I have been seeing alot of people from ky/indiana on here, think we need to start a ky/ind thread/get togethers

 

[southkogs]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

If you two are going to be running on the river, make sure you put mirrors and turn signals on your boats

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

If you two are going to be running on the river, make sure you put mirrors and turn signals on your boats

I already have a forward light, but I'm gonna have to get me some brake lights to and stick on the stern,lmao

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

look at my "free boat" thread for pics of turn signals mounted on it lol

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

THE CURTAIN IS ABOUT TO OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get your popcorn and beverages and please have a seat. Please hold all applause until the show is complete. Thankyou from the 254ChrisCraft staff,lol

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

Whatever! Of course, I'm a little cranky after no sleep last night!

I don't even remember where said river is, let alone how to get there..... So still in the dark, & I have not been healed....................

I shall not start the microwave popcorn until the curtain falls & the pix show starts!

BTW: Carol Anne says we should stay out of the light..... giest!?!?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

What time does it get dark over there in KY??? that way I can start my popcorn 'bout 3-1/2 mins. before...

Feels like I am waiting for the big fireworks show on the fourth...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

Round those parts, July 4 is big. But THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE is HUGE! It was amazing from the river.

I have a basic philosophy that prohibits anything that proves perilous to my health, so I have been there & done that. Only about 150Yds up river from the old Iron Bridge. It was great, but nope, never, not ever, never again. Think running a standing start european-style Nascar race on the river w/ nobody paying any attention to anyone else, in the dark, with more then a little drinking. Yikes! Some 40+footers, some Jon boats, and everybody headed up river into the fog About midday we dragged 1 SOB out of the water, he fell in in front of us & was in the water about 10 seconds, and was so cold he could hardly hold on when we grabbed him floating by in the current. The next year several folks didn't come back from their ill-fated boat trips & I think that's when Louisville started a registry~lottery system to reduce the # of people & boats permitted on the river.

When the stealth bomber swung over & down onto the river at about 12mi island & rounded that last bend in the river before downtown Louisville, it felt like you could have reached up & touched the underside from our boat.

Glad I didn't fire off my popcorn earlier, it'd be well burnt by now:facepalm:

GT: @750-755p here. maybe 10-15 later over his way. So T-30min

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk ( Refurb and upgrades)

Beeeeep,beeeeeep,beeeeep, "this is an emergency lighting update" Do to mother friggen nature bestowing upon us her own light show above, the curtain has been slightly postponed. Do not fret my friends, the show must go on!!! Rest assured that the technical crew is diligently working in the rain to make this show happen.

Though the show has been delayed, we think you will be happy that you have stuck around for the spectacular show ahead!lol No refunds though