68 Offshore restoration

[SHSU]

Good progress. You going to put any rubber siding in your front floor hatch? That anchor looks like it will do a number on the alunimum/paint up there.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Not the final placement for the anchor, it really just ended up there to avoid any ER visits while kids played up front. (Hatch was down, covering it.) I'm not really sure where final placement will be, it might just be permanently stored in an anchor nest once I make one. Otherwise, I plan to cut some access doors between the footwells and the side storage in the bow (with proper radiusing and reinforcement). If I go that route, then I will make some leather "sheaths" for the points.

 

[SHSU]

That makes sense I would worry about my kids dropping it on my head as they "played"...lol... You have room to add the cool storage area. I didn't on my SS16.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Tried some basic wood graining, not sure if I'll keep it this way, I'll decide after it dries. If not, I'll just paint the whole thing grey, maybe give some scrapes for texture.

 

[Sharpie223]

Not much in the way of updates due to car repairs taking priority. I did decide my final direction for the gunnels. If I patch the holes, putty or weld, and then paint, the finish will never look right. So it's back to a covering. The budget has inflated a little more, so I went looking for eva or vinyl flooring. I didn't like the vinyl colors, and eva flooring was too thick. I then found some 3mm eva sheet foam. I'll use this and contact cement, probably just give it a putty patch just cause.

EVA sheet

 

[jbcurt00]

SOTY 2025 candidate next Dec.

 

[Sharpie223]

SOTY 2025 candidate next Dec.

That's the goal.

 

[SHSU]

Same as you realized I would never be able to "hide" everything easily. That why I covered my gunnels too

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Some progress.
Revised bow flooring is complete. Latches still needed. Then I sanded/countersunk/cleaned the gunnel holes and patched with putty.
Now I'm working on covering with EVA foam. There's some air bubbles, but I think I can fix that with more contact cement. It was a little sparse in areas. I'm not going to be too particular on this as long as it stays down. I might use this foam for the bow trim as well. Should stay cooler than vinyl and I can glue it straight to the sides.
And plexiglass for a new windshield is ordered!

 

[SHSU]

Good progress. Will have her back in the water by Summer.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Finished up the foam today. Had some more bubbles. I think my issue was not letting the contact cement dry enough, mixed with the foam being slightly oversized and under constant pressure. Redid those and I'll check them in the morning. It's not fantastic but better than a thousand holes. Once cleats, downriggers, and other things are attached it should stay down even better. While working on the bow I also came up with an idea to make a raised anchor caddy that I can also mount nav lights to, and possibly a spotlight and horn.