'74 Holiday 18 Restore Mod.... Convert to open bow.

[Paulwise]

Ive started this project and will be documenting it as much as i can. We used it over the summer a few times. Ran ok but Seems aft heavy. Has the original EV 70 from 1974 that came with it new. Im converting it to an open bow for fishing and storage. Thought it had a better floor... nope and the transom is rotten as well. All of the wood that is coming out of it is very heavy so maybe ill do a minimalist approach to the mod to make it lighter.. PO did some things to it but didnt do a very good job. Its a fresh water boat. needs an overhaul to be a good fishing boat. This should be fun.

 

[Paulwise]

Demo.... What a mess, serious elbow grease was the tool i used the most.

 

[Paulwise]

Bow cut open

 

[Paulwise]

Empty Hull, It is unbelievable how much Styrofoam i have vacuumed out of the inside of the ribs of this boat and i think there is more in there.

 

[Paulwise]

Transom sandwich. 2x 3/4 Marine ply + a sheet of 1/16 Aluminum taken from the bow all epoxied together with SS screws. Could drive a truck across it i think. I didnt glass it but hopefully it lasts a long time without cracking anyway. Ill probably glass the floor and console wood for more strength.

 

[renns]

Ive started this project and will be documenting it as much as i can. We used it over the summer a few times. Ran ok but Seems aft heavy. Has the original EV 70 from 1974 that came with it new. Im converting it to an open bow for fishing and storage. Thought it had a better floor... nope and the transom is rotten as well. All of the wood that is coming out of it is very heavy so maybe ill do a minimalist approach to the mod to make it lighter.. PO did some things to it but didnt do a very good job. Its a fresh water boat. needs an overhaul to be a good fishing boat. This should be fun.

Nice job on the strip-down. Was the foam water-logged? Any hull corrosion issues? Leak-test?

@ShoestringMariner - Is this the rear jumpseat setup you were talking about adapting to your SS16?

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Nice job on the strip-down. Was the foam water-logged? Any hull corrosion issues? Leak-test?

@ShoestringMariner - Is this the rear jumpseat setup you were talking about adapting to your SS16?

Yes very much like this. Though maintaining a deeper splashwell in between. (Deeper in height)

 

[Paulwise]

Nice job on the strip-down. Was the foam water-logged? Any hull corrosion issues? Leak-test?

@ShoestringMariner - Is this the rear jumpseat setup you were talking about adapting to your SS16?

Yes foam was soaked and heavy and difficult to remove. He had 3/4 T&G for a floor, rotten and very heavy, cant to a leak test yet. I will say this. the boat was full of water in the old foam and nothing was leaking so i think its fine. There is minor transom corrosion. Doing JB weld on that right now. Too cold in northern ohio to do a full leak test right now..

 

[Paulwise]

What are these copper inserts for? I dont think they were attached to anything.... air vents? There is a fuel vent on the side so its not a fuel vent.

 

[MNhunter1]

What are these copper inserts for? I dont think they were attached to anything.... air vents? There is a fuel vent on the side so its not a fuel vent.

Nothing standard that I have seen on any other Starcraft before.

 

[Reserector_]

Bilge pump exhaust?

 

[Paulwise]

Bilge pump exhaust?

There are 2 bilge pumps and both push out the side.

 

[Paulwise]

Nothing standard that I have seen on any other Starcraft before.

Better pic of the mystery holes

 

[Paulwise]

There are 2 bilge pumps and both push out the side.

Bilge pump exhaust?

Better pic for you.

 

[classiccat]

Welcome Paul (from YouTube)!!

great job on that 2-part foam removal. that stuff is a nightmare as I'm sure you're aware.

You're knee-deep in a "bowectomy". These are ambitious builds but it looks like you're off to a good start...nice clean cutout that meshes with the existing gunnel beautifully.

The dash is a significant structural piece...i assume you're adding a raised bow deck with consoles.

my obligatory PSA : I've already provided my advice on glassing epoxy. Fir wood grains are going to check and allow water intrusion...epoxy will hold it and promote rot. Epoxy on it's own is like a brittle candy coating.

I wonder if those fittings (doubt they're Cu...maybe brass or bronze) are for running kicker fuel line and maybe control(s). would a 5/16" fuel line fit through there? where there also holes in the transom wood there?

 

[Paulwise]

Welcome Paul (from YouTube)!!

great job on that 2-part foam removal. that stuff is a nightmare as I'm sure you're aware.

You're knee-deep in a "bowectomy". These are ambitious builds but it looks like you're off to a good start...nice clean cutout that meshes with the existing gunnel beautifully.

The dash is a significant structural piece...i assume you're adding a raised bow deck with consoles.

my obligatory PSA : I've already provided my advice on glassing epoxy. Fir wood grains are going to check and allow water intrusion...epoxy will hold it and promote rot. Epoxy on it's own is like a brittle candy coating.

I wonder if those fittings (doubt they're Cu...maybe brass or bronze) are for running kicker fuel line and maybe control(s). would a 5/16" fuel line fit through there? where there also holes in the transom wood there?

Yes at least one has a hole going through the riser then into the hull area. Heres a question, can i hook a separate gas line to my kicker through a Y split from one gas tank? Or should i just resign to have 2 tanks? Ill check the gas lines i have for a trial fit. I was happy with the bow cut out as well. Thinking about the design the structure for the bow deck is mind numbing haha! I can install float foam in the mean time.

 

[Paulwise]

Tommorow Im going to pick up an old smoker craft 12ft dingy that wont hold water anymore for the aluminum i can get off of it. I called for a price on aluminum today and in the words of Al Borland "I dont think so Tim".

 

[BOYS & TOYS]

The open bow should be nice for fresh water fishing. You should have a look for cracking in the hull where the end of the ribs rivet on. The ribs look like they are not flat to the hull in the picture. It's a common problem.

 

[Paulwise]

The open bow should be nice for fresh water fishing. You should have a look for cracking in the hull where the end of the ribs rivet on. The ribs look like they are not flat to the hull in the picture. It's a common problem.

Ill take a look. I imagine it can be seen from both inside and outside. Thanks

 

[Paulwise]

The open bow should be nice for fresh water fishing. You should have a look for cracking in the hull where the end of the ribs rivet on. The ribs look like they are not flat to the hull in the picture. It's a common problem.

Heres what i found, the last set of rivets on the end of several ribs on the port side are stressed and have slightly lifted, much less on starboard side. I cant get my fingernail under any of them but this will explain why only the port side has black tar looking sealant on the inside of the hull. I only found 1 set of rivets that i think has hairline cracks on either side of the rivet heads. I imagine that repairing these will be a matter of drilling out any that look lifted at all and putting a small plate there and riveting them back down firm with a sealant on each replaced rivet and on the back of the plate. Maybe 2 sets in on each rib that needs it, so 4 replaced rivets total on each rib? Does this sound appropriate?