Bluefin Superhawk

[Cagey59]

Hi I am new here and will be looking for help and guidance on renovating a 1988 Bluefin Superhawk. I have read some of the posts here and they have been enlightening. Not sure I will have the skills or experience to match what they have accomplished. The boat has been worked on in the past and not too neatly. Anyway, all of the plywood is rotted, the carpeting is worn and very thin to bare in some areas. I have started to tear it apart and have some questions.
How can I ascertain that the transom is solid? It is totally encased, I believe, so this is a concern.
The wiring is a mess? I have not been able to find an owners manual or wiring diagram on line. Should I strip out all of the wiring and start over?
Does anyone have plans for the console support? It was pretty much destroyed in removing it and will be almost impossible to use as a template.

Any and all input to my questions or other advice on this project will be appreciated. It is my first boat renovation.

Thanks,

Ken George
Haverhill, MA

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Posting pics of your boat will get you the best help.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Posting pics of your boat will get you the best help.

How do I post pictures?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

http://forums.iboats.com/non-boating-technical-topics/how-posting-pictures-videos-533219.html

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Aluminum restorations are fairly straight forward and there are very few rules......

Never use any pressure treated wood because it reacts with aluminum.......

Most important rule is to have fun!

Here is a fairly recent restoration similar to yours http://forums.iboats.com/blue-fin-boats/completion-1988-blue-fin-superhawk-renivation-538842.html

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Welcome to the world of orphan boats. Can't seem to find a whole lot of info on these blue fins. If your transom is set up like mine the inner aluminum skin is screwed/through bolted to the outer skin. Knew my transom was bad becuase of the rotted wood ot splashwell drains and the fact that it had pulled away from the splashwell and had had sloppy caulk job done to it by po. Odds are it is toast and if you are gonna redo this might as well do the transom. Figure out how to get pics posted and can possibly tell you more. Good luck, welcome to the drydock.

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Looks like a nice hull. And in keeping with the ''orphan'' theme you have a Force motor also. The guys in the Force forum are pretty helpful if you have issues with that. Picked up good info on my force there. How far are you planning or wanting to go on this boat. If you are pulling floor and re-foaming then I wouldn't hesitate to pull splashwell, rear corner caps and transom cap off so you have access to floor and transom. My transom was 1.5'' thick if yours is similiar you could drill a couple of holes from inner transom aluminum skin about an inch in and see what condition wood is in. If you get dark, moist wood shavings replace transom. If light, fluffy shavings seal holes and in theory your transom is ok. Transom replacement is not hard to do on aluminum boats, but depends on what you have in mind.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

I am planning on replacing the deck, the console and possibly the live well. The previous owner has cut through the live well fitting on the hull and plugged it up with epoxy. This boat will be used strictly for fishing, mostly fresh water. I am not interested anything other than making it seaworthy, safe and clean. Originally I was not going to replace the carpeting. However after working on it today in the sun, I will be carpeting the gunnels. That bare aluminum gets hot!

The carpeting is mostly removed and the control console has been partially stripped of switches and controls. Will finish the console tomorrow. Then to remove the decking and whatever is under it. I have removed a small piece of the deck at the bow and there is more plywood at the next level down and what looks like blue swimming pool noodles under that.

Not having garage space I have no idea how I will remove the motor. I looked it up today and it weighs 400 lbs. A little more that this 74 year old senior can handle! Any suggestions anyone? If it turns out that the transom is solid, can I leave the motor in place and work around it?

The handle for the latch that locks the motor down to prevent it surging up in reverse, has been broken off. Haven't looked closely at it yet but wondering if just the handle can be replaced?

Thanks for your responses.

Ken

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

If someone already pulled the foam and replaced with pool noodles you are a lucky man! Just be sure the used enough. 400lbs sounds off for that motor. I thought my 125 force was 300ish. Guys use comealongs and tree limbs, or garage rafters/beams, I used bucket on my tractor. Got any strong neighboors? If transom is good then leave motor on. Not sure about bracket you are referring to. Post picture.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk


Got the Control Console out yesterday with only two problems: Could not access the heads of the bolts holding the steering mechanism to the Console. They are covered by a plastic cover under the steering wheel. Could not figure how to remove it. Had to hold the bolt with pliers while turning the nuts off. The nut holding the Sonar On/Off pot was so corroded I could not get it off. Now have to remove all of the decking.

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Forward progress is a good thing. Rusted nuts and bolts are a pain, drills and grinder with cutting wheel or sawsall are wonderful tools. I think on mine once steering wheel was off all bolts were accessible and any covers came off.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Got more of the decking removed. Found urethane foam. The foam was very wet. Not all of it but the majority. It had also been chewed up by rodents. An ugly mess. Hope to finish removing the decking tomorrow. Will post pictures tomorrow.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk


All the decking out. What a mess. Rodents of some kind chewed a lot of the foam, brought in other material and made at least 2 nests. I was surprised at how wet the foam was. Is this indicative of improper mix? It came out very easily. Only a few of spots where the foam was really stuck to the hull. The second layer of plywood must have been marine grade as it is was in pretty good shape. I am thinking of laying strapping port to starboard across the aluminum stringers to attach the new decking to. Instead of using 2 layers of plywood again. Any thoughts here?

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Great progress. First time I have heard of mice in a boat being helpful. There was one layer of plywood in mine. From what I have seen on other threads it sounds like the previous owner may have put down the second layer instead of going through what yo are doing. There were a couple of straps in my teardown that went port to starboard. I was going to add more also to help support the flooring and help longevity. I am thinking every 16 to 24 inches depending on where ribs and plywood seams layout. What type of foam replacement are you thinking about?

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Based on what I found with the urethane I am thinking about styrofoam. Could probably fit in more floatation than was there with the urethane. Can cut it as necessary to make it fit in most of the space under the decking. Is styrofoam a good alternative?

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

The white stuff is not as good as the blue and pink stuff from the big box stores. I'm sure someone will chime in with reason why. I think it has something to do with open cell vs. closed cell and how the stand up over time. Seen both used on resto projects here. I am gonna go pink or blue. There is gonna be enough stuff floating around during the process and it seems like the white stuff is going to be more of a mess. I do know that the pink board and I believe the blue board with add some strength to the floor if you install it right up to or a hair under your floor. If your wood flexes the foam is pretty rigid and will stop some of the deflection.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

Haven't had much time to spend on the boat lately but have got the floor out and have cleaned out all of the loose stuff and hosed it down
. I am thinking I should replace the floor next so that I have a stable surface to stand on, or lay on as I do the rest of the work. What thickness floor is recommended, I'm thinking 5/8" or 3/4" marine plywood. I am also thinking about using Hydroturf instead of marine carpet. Anyone have experience with it?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

The white insulation made of the little beads like a styro cooler isn't closed cell foam, the blue & pink sheets are. Closed cell helps the foam resist water intrusion. It's a boat, it's foreseeable that it'll get wet The foam too.....

By using the rigid sheet insulation, you leave room below the foam to allow water to find it's way back to the bilge thru the limber holes in the ribs to be pumped over the side. Pourable foam is designed to fill a cavity fully & keep water out. As you experienced during demo, it isn't a fool-proof system. By using it originally, Bluefin could satisfy the USCG requirement for flotation & use 1/2" plywood decking. Some makers used 3/8". The foam kept the deck from being spongy, and saved the maker some $...

Have you decided what type of flotation you'll use?

Changing the original deck thickness to 5/8" or 3/4" often affects the way the boat's consoles & windshields go back together. W/ an open deck:

Neither should cause you any problem. 5/8" would be an improvement over the original, 3/4" will likely be easier to find in whatever plywood you choose to use. As a 'stock' item, it may even be less expensive. Marine ply is certainly a great choice, but will still require a barrier as protection from the elements.

Many tin boat restos use Auraco, MDO or ACX exterior grade plywood to save a little $ since they encapsulate it in epoxy.

Best of luck w/ your project

 

[lokonn]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

You stringers sure look a lot straighter than mine did. I was surprised at how bent or warped they were from the foam pressure. Seemed as if Blue Fin skimped on side to side bracing on mine. I am gonna go with 3/4‘‘ since I am redoing consoles also. I will adjust height of consoles to get things lined up. That is the plan anyway. I also will be adding beefier side bracing. Hopefully this will be started tomorrow.

 

[Cagey59]

Re: Bluefin Superhawk

So, I have been reading about plywood and decided to use ACX as it is much cheaper! As for sealing the plywood! Can urethane or deck sealant, or both, be used rather than epoxy? Don't have much experience with epoxy other than as an adhesive.