First Timer: 1977 Sylvan Seaman 14' Restoration Project

[TCFish]

Hi everyone, Im new to the forum, and new to repairing boats. I grew up around boats, but I was never shown how to really do any repairs on them. I have very limited wood working or electrical experience. Im also pretty broke. All that said, I am an avid fisherman, and Im determined to have a nice fishing boat!

I recently acquired a 14' 6" Sylvan Seaman that needs some serious TLC. The hull is in great condition with only very minor scrapes. No dents, no broken rivets and no leaks. The floor and all other wood was completely rotted and needed to be removed. The electrical, steering system, and helm components all need to be replaced as well. The motor appears to be in great condition, however, I will not know if it runs until I can replace the power cables.

 

[TCFish]

Ive gotten the benches, helm, floor, flotation, and muck out so far. My game plan from here is to cut out all of the remaining rivets from the rotted floor. Ive ordered a quart of Gluvit to do a light coat over the main seams on the interior side of the hull.

After that I plan to use Owens Corning pink foam laid in small slats between the ribs. Above that I plan to use pool noodles, followed by a 3/4" BC sanded plywood floor. I plan to seal the edges of the plywood with Gluvit, then I will paint completely with Overton's rubberized/textured Tuff Coat.

The original plywood floor was attached to the horizontal ribs with rivets. I am not experienced with riveting, and I was thinking of attaching the floor to the ribs via stainless screws. Is this a feasible solution?

So far does it sound like Im on the right path? Anything Im missing? Any expert advice?

Here's the boat mostly gutted, sorry about the poor lighting.

 

[Woodonglass]

She's got nice Bones!!! The Pink Slab foam works really well.as do the Noodles. Gluvit is a Great Insurance policy. What size/yr/mfg is the motor?

 

[TCFish]

Thanks! The motor is a 1977 Evinrude 25. The top-cover is pretty faded, but underneath everything looks brand new. I believe I will need to get new ignition cables but other than that I dont see any real reason she shouldnt start right up. Maybe thats wishful thinking?

 

[TCFish]

Im lost for what I need as far as new steering components go. I am looking at the Teleflex Safe-T QC system, but it says it is for boats WITH power assisted steering. How do I know if I have that or not? Any suggestions on what I should use? Do NFB systems make a big difference?

 

[jbcurt00]

It's an outboard, you DO NOT have power assist steering.

Theres a steering cable attached to the steering wheel and there should be a rod running from the steering cable at the transom to the front of the motor. It attaches to the motor thru the tilt tube.

Its a push me pull me system. When you turn to port (left) the rod pulls the front of the motor to starboard & the boat turns left. Turn to starboard (right) and the rod pushes the front of the motor to port, so the boat turns right.

 

[TCFish]

Thank you for clearing this up. You are correct about the original steering system, however Im having a tough time identifying a replacement part for the original cable. The original 13' cable had rusted/rotted thru near the transom. Additionally, the metal rod that connects to the motor is seized in it's tube. Unfortunately, the original helm does not appear to have any markings identifying brand/part number.

Another problem I am running into is that the power harness that connects to the motor is showing up as "obsolete" when I search the part number. Anyone have any tips? The model number is 25753S. The bodies of the cables appear fine, but the terminals for the battery appear to be pretty corroded. The 5-part wires that run to the helm have been snipped near where they would connect at the steering console.

Should I try to splice extensions/new terminals on, or does anyone know of a good place to find these "obsolete" parts?