First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

[Over My Head]

Yes, first post here. We've had boats on and off for 15 years. The last "big" boat we owned (a 16' Ebko I/O) was sold about 6 years ago. Yes, the second happiest day in a boat owner's life.
I was driving near the cliffs just down the hill from us and saw this:

The current homeowner bought their house with the boat in the garage, and that boat had been in that garage for 35 years. 18' long, fiberglass over plywood, has a small cabin, Quiksilver wide guide helm, and Morse controls. It was set up for an outboard with OMC 3-prong (pressurized?) fuel line.
The couple that built the boat have passed away but they had a daughter still living. The homebuyers/boat owners contacted the daughter but were only able to get some very vague information. The boat was most likely built built the late 40s and used around San Diego Bay. There is precious little free board and the bottom is fairly flat.
After some protracted negotiations and a very small amount of cash.the boat became ours.
What was my goal? There is an outdoor concert series every Spring & Summer at a bayfront resort. Tickets are $$$$. However, if you bring a boat you can raft up within 100 feet of the stage and the price is $0. Why not a kayak or the Bevins Skiff that our family built 11 years ago? Bladder capacity. Can't go 3-4 hours without a break. For guys not too bad, but for women? The porta-potty can go in that cabin.
So what did I need? A boat with a cabin: Done. A trailer that will go about 3 miles at low speeds: Done. A boat that floats: To Be Determined. An engine: Found a running 18 horse Evinrude with controls on Craigslist. Done.
More descriptions in my next post.

 

[Psiclown]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

This could be sweet restored. Got any more pics? I take it there is a hatch or something?

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

OK, the first item was the coupler. The ancient coupler that was on the trailer was missing parts. The seller was so anxious to get this things off his driveway that he towed it from his house to ours with a pile of large washer jammed between the ball and the coupler. The original owner bolted on the old coupler instead of welding it, so for $17 at O'Reillys I got a nice new coupler that works.
Next were the wheels and tires. The wheels were heavily rusted and the tires were tube type in size 670/15. Not only were the sidewalls badly cracked but there were big hunks of rubber flapping in the breeze. The tubes held air, though! A friend gave me a pair of 15" tires, and I thought "no problem"...take everything to a tire shop and for $10 each have them mount the new tires on the old rims. Nope. The wheels were so rusty that even the sleaziest tire shop I went to refused to mount the tires. Finally found a pair of used 15" rims in 6x5.5" bolt pattern, and $108 later I had tires and wheels to mount.
The bearings probably had not been serviced in 35 years either. With great trepidation I started to pull off the hubs. The nuts were easy to remove. The hubs came off easily and here is what the spindles and inside bearing looked like:

Considering everything, not too bad. Cleaned, dried, repacked and reinstalled. Remember, my towing distance is only 3 miles...I don't need perfect spindles and bearings.
Getting the lug nuts off on the port side was easy. No problems. On the starboard side? One broken stud, and 3 more where the threads broke. Of course...I have no idea what vehicle donated the hubs for this trailer. Used my favorite sledge and removed one good stud and went to O'Reilly's again. A very patient parts guy dug for 25 minutes to find a wheel bolt that was close to the original. Got home and eventually got the studs to slide in. Not easy.
Anyway, I now have tires, wheels, lubed bearings, and all 6 studs on both wheels.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

This could be sweet restored. Got any more pics? I take it there is a hatch or something?

There is a hatch from the rear "seating" area. (Sorry I am not great on the nautical terms.) Here is a picture from when I first saw it on the street.

 

[Psiclown]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Dude that thing is cool. Put a steam engine on it! Big ol' smoke stack pokin' out the top.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

So one of my issues to deal with is "will it float?" The bilge (such as it is) looks like this:

The top item (with the lovely green oxidation) is a bait pump. That has a through hull fitting in the bottom. It is assembled with 1/2" plumbing parts. I should have no problem removing it and capping the fitting.
The black unit is a bilge pump. I thought of getting a 12 volt to 6 volt converter and using it, but the wires going into the pump are bare and show sign to burning/arcing. A new 12 volt bilge pump is only $20 or so and that is what I'll do.
Just behind the bilge pump is this:

Is this a drain? It has a through hull fitting. How does it work? Is the t-handle on top supposed to move? It is frozen tight. It has been soaking in PB Blaster and with a wood hull I can't really use the handy propane torch to help free it. Suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[Psiclown]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Looks like an old school gate valve. Probably going to have to cut it out, repair and replace. Is it going through the bottom of the hull? If it is, I would patch the hole and re-route the drain above the water line.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

OK now on to the next question. The steering (I guess I should use "helm", huh?) is

I found the zerk fitting behind (forward?) the wheel as well as one back by the engine. With liberal use of PB blaster the steering (while a bit "heavy) turns free.
My problem is back by the engine.

The knurled knob (red circle) looks like it is supposed to thread onto the "fitting" (blue circle), and then activate the lug on the end (green circle). The problem? With the knurled knob threaded onto the fitting, the steering will not move. When the knurled knob is not attached to the fitting (as in the picture) the steering wheel happily goes back and forth. The lug on the end will rotate stiffly but not move in and out. How is this supposed to work? Does this explanation make sense?
Thanks again.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Looks like an old school gate valve. Probably going to have to cut it out, repair and replace. Is it going through the bottom of the hull? If it is, I would patch the hole and re-route the drain above the water line.

Yes I can see daylight through that valve. There are 3 straight slot screw heads that seem to attach the valve to the hull. If I can get them out I'll just cap and seal the hole.
Psiclown thanks for your responses and encouragement. As my screen name says, this may well be a project that I am truly Over My Head.

 

[Psiclown]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

OK now on to the next question. The steering (I guess I should use "helm", huh?) is

I found the zerk fitting behind (forward?) the wheel as well as one back by the engine. With liberal use of PB blaster the steering (while a bit "heavy) turns free.
My problem is back by the engine.

The knurled knob (red circle) looks like it is supposed to thread onto the "fitting" (blue circle), and then activate the lug on the end (green circle). The problem? With the knurled knob threaded onto the fitting, the steering will not move. When the knurled knob is not attached to the fitting (as in the picture) the steering wheel happily goes back and forth. The lug on the end will rotate stiffly but not move in and out. How is this supposed to work? Does this explanation make sense?
Thanks again.

Could be a steering lock so the motor and steering wheel don't bang around during transit.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Yes I can see daylight through that valve. There are 3 straight slot screw heads that seem to attach the valve to the hull. If I can get them out I'll just cap and seal the hole.
Psiclown thanks for your responses and encouragement. As my screen name says, this may well be a project that I am truly Over My Head.

Yes that it s drain valve. It finally loosened up enough for the handle to turn. The handle sides down where it threads into the through hull fitting. I closed it and put 5 gallons of water in the hull. It held. Opened the valve and the water all drained out. One item done with.

 

[Teamster]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

I don't know what it is but I like it!!!,............

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

So one of my issues to deal with is "will it float?" The bilge (such as it is) looks like this:

The black unit is a bilge pump. I thought of getting a 12 volt to 6 volt converter and using it, but the wires going into the pump are bare and show sign to burning/arcing. A new 12 volt bilge pump is only $20 or so and that is what I'll do.

Pulled the bilge pump today. A little WD40 and the shaft & impeller (bronze!) loosened up. So I pulled the unit apart, soldered some new wire on it and tried to run it on a 6 volt lantern battery. No go. Decided I had nothing to lose so I hooked it up to the 12 volt battery charger. It runs really well on 12 volts. It did not get hot to the touch. It did not smell like burning electrical. Put it in a bucket of water and for the first time in at least 35 years it pumped water.

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

I don't know what it is but I like it!!!,............

Thanks. I am trying to keep motivated on this thing.

 

[Ned L]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

She looks like she may have started out as a sailboat hull (something kind of like a Lightning, but definitely not a Lightning). Is that a cap over the mast step hole in the foredeck just froward of the cabin??
I see you figured out the garboard drain, that design was pretty standard stuff in the 1930?s ? 1960?s era. I have to say she isn?t the prettiest thing I?ve seen, but different in a quirky kind of way. She should do fine for what you have in mind.
Thinking of how you are intending on using her, I would suggest watching where people sit. If 4 or 5 people decide to make themselves comfortable on the cabin top you may cause some real stability issues & end up rolling over pretty far pretty quickly & dumping them all into the water.
Looks like fun!

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Pulled the bilge pump today. A little WD40 and the shaft & impeller (bronze!) loosened up. So I pulled the unit apart, soldered some new wire on it and tried to run it on a 6 volt lantern battery. No go. Decided I had nothing to lose so I hooked it up to the 12 volt battery charger. It runs really well on 12 volts. It did not get hot to the touch. It did not smell like burning electrical. Put it in a bucket of water and for the first time in at least 35 years it pumped water.

Proof things were built to last back then....

 

[Raystownboater]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

Thats a really cool looking boat. keep the progress coming, its gonna be a gem when its finished

 

[archbuilder]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

I love the hull, very cool....not exactly a swan, but she has attitude, I like that! How about some more shots of the hull? Good luck with the restore, I'll keep tuned in!

 

[Over My Head]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

She looks like she may have started out as a sailboat hull (something kind of like a Lightning, but definitely not a Lightning). Is that a cap over the mast step hole in the foredeck just froward of the cabin??

Could be. There does not appear to be any structure on the deck under that cap to support a mast, but then again I don't know much about sailboats.

Thinking of how you are intending on using her, I would suggest watching where people sit. If 4 or 5 people decide to make themselves comfortable on the cabin top you may cause some real stability issues & end up rolling over pretty far pretty quickly & dumping them all into the water.
Looks like fun!

No one is going to be on the cabin top. The roof is 3/8" old and dry ply and the wood framing holding the roof up is really weak. The cg on this boat will be kept very low.

 

[Ned L]

Re: First Post: 194? Homebuilt Wood Bay Boat

There would be no structure under the deck to support a mast, it would have passed right though the deck and have been stepped (supported) on the keel. There may be a rectangular cut out in the top of the keel right below that cap or plug on the deck.