theboatguy1969
Cadet
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2010
- Messages
- 7
Gents,
I bought this 21 wellcraft from my dad in '99. I used it regularly until about 2004 when I got stationed overseas. While I was gone, my Dad helped me a little with it; he found me a low hours Yamaha to replace the tired Sea Drive and found a new aluminum trailer for me. the boat was kept at a friend of my Dad's who has a boat building business. I had some glass work done on the boat while it was there, as well. Just before I got back to where I could get the boat and finish the repower my dad passed away. When I went to get the boat, after having not seen it in 3 years, my dad's friend offered to Awlgrip the inside for me for materials and cost of labor; $2500. The gel coat was tired whej I parked it, so I went for it. When I got it home and began removing the console, etc. for rerigging I found some soft spots in the deck. Long story short I had Awlgrip sprayed over decks with rotted wood. Granted, its my boat but one would think a professional boat builder would have been able to spot that kind of thing. A little digging revealed some rot in the stringers as well. The transom, however is solid as a rock. When the sea drive came off it was thoroughly inspected and all the holes from that engine properly filled. It has a monster transom that is about 4 inches thick. The boat was supposed to be a father and son project with my Dad; he worked for several years at Merrill Stevens in Miami and raced boats in the 60's. I kinda feel like I need to finish it on my own. OK, so here's my plan. Please critique; I have a fair amount of experience on the mechanical and electrical side of things, but this is by far the biggest glass project I have ever attempted. These older Wellcrafts have the deck laminated into the liner. I do not have the facilities to remove the entire liner in one piece, so my plan is to cut out the entire floor from the liner while it is in the boat. Once the floor is out, I will cut out the rear of the liner that forms the transom compartment. After carefully diagramming and measuring the stringers and bulkheads, they come out. I will attempt to remove the stringers intact to use as a template for the new ones. After lots of grinding and removing all the foam, the new stringers go in. They will be made of 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood, thoroughly wetted and epoxied together to form a 1 inch thick stringer. necessary longitudinal joints will overlap by 6 inches minimum. they will be bedded in epoxy and Cabosil, then tabbed in. They get two layers of 1708 biaxial. The bulkheads also get the same treatment, but they will be just 1/2 inch. They get filleted in around the edges and all holes with Cabosil. I will run two 3 inch rigging pipes down the starboard side and pre run some parachute cord through for pulling harnesses, etc. After new foam goes in the decks go on. they will be 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood, thoroughly wetted in with epoxy. The back gets a layer of mat and they get tabbed into the stringers / bulkheads. They get filleted into the sides of the liner with Cabosil. A layer of 6oz. cloth goes over the top. Follow this with high build epoxy primer and Awlgrip with the non skid applpied by roller, and I am back where I started, but with new decks and stringers. Thanks in advance for all your advice and suggestions.
I bought this 21 wellcraft from my dad in '99. I used it regularly until about 2004 when I got stationed overseas. While I was gone, my Dad helped me a little with it; he found me a low hours Yamaha to replace the tired Sea Drive and found a new aluminum trailer for me. the boat was kept at a friend of my Dad's who has a boat building business. I had some glass work done on the boat while it was there, as well. Just before I got back to where I could get the boat and finish the repower my dad passed away. When I went to get the boat, after having not seen it in 3 years, my dad's friend offered to Awlgrip the inside for me for materials and cost of labor; $2500. The gel coat was tired whej I parked it, so I went for it. When I got it home and began removing the console, etc. for rerigging I found some soft spots in the deck. Long story short I had Awlgrip sprayed over decks with rotted wood. Granted, its my boat but one would think a professional boat builder would have been able to spot that kind of thing. A little digging revealed some rot in the stringers as well. The transom, however is solid as a rock. When the sea drive came off it was thoroughly inspected and all the holes from that engine properly filled. It has a monster transom that is about 4 inches thick. The boat was supposed to be a father and son project with my Dad; he worked for several years at Merrill Stevens in Miami and raced boats in the 60's. I kinda feel like I need to finish it on my own. OK, so here's my plan. Please critique; I have a fair amount of experience on the mechanical and electrical side of things, but this is by far the biggest glass project I have ever attempted. These older Wellcrafts have the deck laminated into the liner. I do not have the facilities to remove the entire liner in one piece, so my plan is to cut out the entire floor from the liner while it is in the boat. Once the floor is out, I will cut out the rear of the liner that forms the transom compartment. After carefully diagramming and measuring the stringers and bulkheads, they come out. I will attempt to remove the stringers intact to use as a template for the new ones. After lots of grinding and removing all the foam, the new stringers go in. They will be made of 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood, thoroughly wetted and epoxied together to form a 1 inch thick stringer. necessary longitudinal joints will overlap by 6 inches minimum. they will be bedded in epoxy and Cabosil, then tabbed in. They get two layers of 1708 biaxial. The bulkheads also get the same treatment, but they will be just 1/2 inch. They get filleted in around the edges and all holes with Cabosil. I will run two 3 inch rigging pipes down the starboard side and pre run some parachute cord through for pulling harnesses, etc. After new foam goes in the decks go on. they will be 1/2 inch exterior grade plywood, thoroughly wetted in with epoxy. The back gets a layer of mat and they get tabbed into the stringers / bulkheads. They get filleted into the sides of the liner with Cabosil. A layer of 6oz. cloth goes over the top. Follow this with high build epoxy primer and Awlgrip with the non skid applpied by roller, and I am back where I started, but with new decks and stringers. Thanks in advance for all your advice and suggestions.
