87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

[bigdirty]

Hi folks, i figured i'll start posting from the start of my project, hopefully through to completion.. been looking at a few posts on the site, and it's amazing some of the stuff people have done.. maybe one day I can join their club :laugh:
Here are the basics, and where I'm starting from;

1987 Bayliner contessa, 2850 sunbridge

Purchase price; $1000

-OMC 460bb ford/king cobra drive (yes i know, and a re-power IS in the somewhat near future..) compete, winterized.
-came with a nice GPS/chart plotter and fairly new VHF, shore power cable and bumpers/ropes
-not well maintained her last few years in the water, been on land for the last four years. Not covered. In ont. Canada.
-filled with water this spring (see above) and front blocking wood broke through hull... at least all the water is out now..
-both cabin hatches leak, superstructure is solid but dirty as... well, pick something dirty, its worse..
-rear sundeck upholstery and captains chair is shot (aka rotten, cracked, shredded, fubar.. )
-Interior needs carpets and floor work.. and its about as dirty as the outside of the boat..
-original USmarine 2 knob cassette/radio works awesome!
-canvas top is serviceable, only two window plastics need replacing! (cause.. um, there are only two.. guess PO cheeped out on the top. I'll be adding some more next year) a few bars are bent/tweaked, and not 'quite right' but i have some plans/ideas..
-swim platform is a bit soggy/rough, but will do for now (extension is planed in the future)

Wow... doesn't sound to good when its all written out like that..

A little info on me, I like projects.. and I tend to take on big ones :laugh: If I don't know how to do something, i do my best to learn it, or at least understand it. The major hull repair that was required on the hull i left to a professional, (I don't trust my glass work ability on that area of the boat) but most other issues I plan to tackle on my own. I'm single, make decent money, and don't have much else to do, so i will pretty much be 'living' in my shop for the winter.. what else am I gona do with my time? watch tv? bah.. Anyway, i figure over the course of the next 4-5 months i can get a fair amount done, and hopefully be on the water relaxing next season its a boat, so it's NEVER over/done, but 'useable' is what I'm going for first off...

Plans (for THIS winter..)

-rebuild/redo cabin floor and all carpet. Going to do hardwood flooring, leaving two access hatches.
-go through entire electrical system and upgrade/re-wire as required (boat is relatively unmolested, just needs a few things changed around.. like the battery switch on the FLOOR of the engine bay, behind the batterys.. not the most easy to access area..) and gona add a third battery and possibly a genny.
-repair/seal hatches (po had 3 kinds of silicon, tuck tape, duct tape, and possibly some crazy glue all over them... and none of it fixed the leak.. maybe cause the ruber gasket was gone? yup....)
-rebuild/custom modify 'sundeck' wrap around seating, adding flip down to rear for a cooking work surface or table for drinks :joyous:
-add newer cabin lighting (LED) and upgrade stereo/sound system
-upgrade guages/instruments with newer white face farias

I'll have to sort out and resize (only have my phone, no 'real' camera, and it takes HUGE pictures.. too big for upload) and post some initial 'project start' pics shortly...

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

how she looked the day i dropped my hard earned cash. First pic is at marina, second taking up most of my driveway:laugh:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

aaaand... here's the cabin, new bulkheads and hull repair is complete.. otherwise yes, it's a disaster.

 

[zool]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Permission to come aboard?

I always like the late 80's Contessa layout.

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

The wrap around seating from the sundeck.. PO just covered over the already destroyed original seats, using about 200000 staples. Everywhere. Pics don't really show the extent of horrible, but you get the idea... last pic is after heaving them overboard into my driveway, where they blew apart and disintegrated further..

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Permission to come aboard?

I always like the late 80's Contessa layout.

Yeaar, of course my good sir! U may get a little dirty though.. shes quite a mess at the moment :facepalm:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Thought this was kinda funny... opened up the anchor locker the other day... you know when a boat has been siting around for a while.... when the anchor rope starts growing plant life..:laugh:

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Take a look at this ol' farts big B'liner thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...yliner-victoria-2750-restore-bust-570740.html

Being left exposed to the elements and with the hull fracturing I suspect that your below deck structure is in the same shape as GWPSRs was when he started. You really want to check all of your below deck structure and transom before you start trying to make it livable or you may have to tear everything nice you've done out to get to the structure later... and that could cause a lot of head banging on a brick wall.

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

well, I'm still technically in the tear down stage anyway, and from what I can see so far (which is MOST of it..) the stringers are good, transom is solid, and the glass guy who repaired the damaged area also checked it out, so I'm fairly confident its worth putting some time and $ in.

Im trying to find the pics of the damage "before" it was repaired, but it was about 18-20" long and 12" wide, between the stringers at the very front of the boat. Looks as though bayliner skimped (nooo.. really?) on the bulkhead, AND/OR someone at the factory goofed, cause the front bulkhead between the stringers was only 1/2" thick, not completely glassed, and that was the ONLY ONE! yup, that whole cabin, no other bulkhead below the deck/floor boards, forward of entrance steps. I made TWO new bulkheads, from laminated 3/4" ply, double thick, to replace the dissolved front piece, and added the other about halfway back. My glass guy did a great job, its way overkill now, and stronger than factory i'm sure. The repair shows on the outer hull, about 5 feet long and a foot or more up the hull on each side, to the chines. I'll know soon about the rear of the hull/structure as I plan on ripping out the hot water heater in the coming weeks, as well as the waste water holding tank that i now suspect is cracked... yes, yuck... dont ask how my night was...

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Small update, did some junk yard picking today, grabbed a nearly mint hatch to replace one of mine that is cracked/taped/gooped/ect.. $20!! I love that place.. also grabbed some more louvered vents for the sides (mine are all chewed/cracked and screwed to the boat with wood screws.. seriously, PO was not that bright...) and a few other bits an pieces. Also pulled off my front side windows (the 'fake' ones.. sneaky bayliner, real sneaky..) that the po also butchered..guess they were falling off, so they decided "hey! i'll drill some holes and secure them with flat head screws!" But there is no chamfer on the hole in the plexi... yup, CRACK.. :facepalm:

I have decided to wait to pull the water tanks until after the shelter is built, which I am hoping to get to this week.. it started hailing/snowing today.. and its only gona get worse from here, so i gota get er done. Here are some pics, including my engineering, er... 'drawing on the napkin' plans for the main shelter structure.. NTS :laugh:

 

[zool]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Thats a nice hatch for $20!!!..damn, i need one and they price out at 250+..nice score..

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Thats a nice hatch for $20!!!..damn, i need one and they price out at 250+..nice score..

What size you need? I have two others sitting here that are to small for my boat, petty much same condition.. (glass is showing age/spider crack looking but solid, not actually cracked.. would be a 18.5"x18.5" cut out with round corners.. one I have stripped a few screws/pieces from, other is complete.. dono what shipping would be, but I'd defiantly give a fellow boat re-builder a real good deal..

 

[zool]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

This is what i have now, i havnt measured the opening yet, but i will..



most of the moving parts were looted, lemme see what i need

 

[Celtichawk]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

On board for this one I love the restoration of large *** boats!

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

heres what i have zool... and welcome aboard Celtichawk she defiantly is a big azz girl, but hey.. they're fun..:laugh:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

And then there was the beginning... of a boat shed! Years ago I started building cheep tarp/wood/whatever sheds of all sorts to work in, or store cars/ect.. I feel I have honed my skills over the years, yet the phrase coined by a friend of mine some years ago "Shanty shed" still gets stuck on anything of this sort I build..:lol: I shall name it "Shanty shed v 3.0" as its constructed of wood that has now been used to build THREE separate boat shelters over the past few years.. I'm re-using the roof section from last year (you can see it sitting on my shop roof) and I think its something like 16 feet high once its in place.. had a friend look at it last winter, he says "Holy ship.. you have a cathedral ceiling in your boat shed!" Maybe its overkill.. oh well.. :laugh:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

ok, so 'life' and other things (vehicles, sickness, money, ya know..) have got in the way a little bit, and winter is coming in like a freight train so I've been busy trying to get things 'tied up' and ready for the next 4-6 months.. BUT I have finally managed to get this old tub covered and sealed up, and hoping to get down to business this week on a few boat related things (finally!) A friend pulled into my driveway the other day and said "Holy ship dude.. looks like you are trying to hide a 747 in your driveway! and not doing a very good job..":laugh: (it was windy, and a few ropes let go, blew the tarp up like an air ship or something..)

Dono if u can tell in the pics, but I think I used about 300 feet of nylon rope.. and i dont care, cause i will NOT have mother nature and her snow crush my redneck tarp/shanty this year!!

 

[maryhannaj]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Hey bigdirty. Holy crap. That's a teeny little boat! I was hoping I could hang out with you while you squeeze your way into it and do some work. I could sure use some knowledge on upholstry and it looks like you'll be doing some. If you don't mind giving up a secret either, how in the world did you get it off of the trailer and onto those blocks? Thanks man and good work gettin her all sealed up!

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Hey bigdirty. Holy crap. That's a teeny little boat! I was hoping I could hang out with you while you squeeze your way into it and do some work. I could sure use some knowledge on upholstry and it looks like you'll be doing some. If you don't mind giving up a secret either, how in the world did you get it off of the trailer and onto those blocks? Thanks man and good work gettin her all sealed up!

Welcome aboard good sir, plenty of room on this little boat

Ya, it was a project in itself building and covering this thing! As for upholstery work, yes.. i have quite a bit to do, and I don't claim to be a pro, but ive done a good bit on my two previous boats, so I can share what knowledge i have and i'm really gona try to take more pics this time around.. ill try to find a few of my old formula as sort of a 'starting point' of what i have done, and how.

And as for blocking it...wwweeeell, I dont own a trailer (nor a truck that would budge this girl lol) so i hire a local guy, he has a really slick hydraulic trailer. Its basically a 'fork' style with nothing in between the wheels. Both sides are independently adjustable up and down and also tilts front to back on the goose neck hitch. (has its own honda gas motor built in to run the hydraulics.) He simply backs under, lifts the boat on pads that are all adjustable, straps it and drives away, then the opposite to drop on bocks. :joyous: He tells me he has had a 50+ foot boat on it, no problem.. my bayliner actually looked quite teeny on it!:laugh:

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 87 bayliner refurb/restoration project... "The Big Dirty"

Heres a few pics I found of my formula.. the two front seats i 'found' and cleaned up, and the rear bench I built from scratch (with the exception of the lower seat cushions, came from same boat as front seats) cause when i got the boat it had a 2x6 across the back. Seriously, that was it.. :laugh:




the original seating and dash were gawd awefull yellow, so I re did the dash too, added a teak ipad holder as well..