Help me please... jaja

N

NewConfusedBoater

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
11
Hello Everyone. I'm new here and I'm new to the boating world. Let me start by saying I'm very handy but have never worked on any engine or any boat.
So... I was doing some handyman work for a lovely lady who's husband had recently passed away. She needed to get rid of a boat because it was sitting in her backyard rotting away. She said her husband always took care of the boat but since his death she hasn't touched it.
I climbed on the ladder, took one look inside and was scared. 2 Feet of leaves and 6 inches of water under the leaves.
To make a long story short, I decided to take the boat in exchange for the work done (about $500) worth.
The lady asked me for one thing: Let her 16 year old son ride his fathers boat one last time. As a man of my word, come rain or shine, hell or glory, I will make this boat run but I have no clue what I'm doing so i started by taking the gas tank out and cutting the entire floor off.
Everything is rotted. If water sat in the boat for about 2 years, should I replace the stringers as well?
The engine has 100 hours on it. Yes you read right 100. If it was winterized 2 years ago but then sat with very little fuel, should I replace all the lines to be safe or can I clean them? Is there a flushing system that is dummy proof?
 
Scott Danforth

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
52,293
welcome aboard.

we can point you in the right direction. first off. make sure to get a proper title from the lady for the boat, trailer, and motor if your state has titles for motors. without the paperwork, you have a leaf filled paperweight.

with 2 feet of leaves and 6" of water it is probably rotten. However you may be lucky.

what kind of boat? Brand? we need pictures
 
N

NewConfusedBoater

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
11


Hey Scott.
Thanks for the warm welcome.

The boat in the picture is the actual boat. 1996 Four Winns Horizon 220 with a Volvo Penta 5.0 Fuel Injection engine.

Yes, it absolutely is rotted, the more I remove the more rot I find. :confused:


I was drilling small holes in the entire floor to make sure I didn't cut the stringers but it looks like the sitting water may have bypassed any fiberglass and foam straight into the wood. At least that's what I'm finding so far... any chance the stringers are completely dry and usable?

The good news is - look at the outside (it's my glimmer of hope). The leather and fiberglass is in tip top shape. I have all the pieces and I know it sounds like I'm oversimplifying things but it's just a little 265 HP Motor and some wood....right :joyous:? 100 hours on the engine and there was no gas left in the gas can.

That has to be good news right?
 
N

NewConfusedBoater

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
11
....Forgot to mention but thank you for your advice. I have received all the proper paperwork and took it straight to our department of motor vehicles and the boating commision as well. The Trailer is now registered in my name for the next 5 years and I'm awaiting my Boat Title. There wasnt any liens against it and the lady is the sister of one of the Financial Advisors I work with. Good Folks.
 
R

Rickmerrill

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Messages
686
Hi New, we still aren't seeing your pics. If you're seeing them it's because they are cached. Most reliable way is to get a free photobucket account, upload there, copy the IMG link and post it into your text. You can set your circular saw to the thickness of the deck or slightly less that way you won't have to worry about cutting the stringers. Hope for the best but plan on less for those stringers! Good luck.
 
jigngrub

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Your transom is probably rotten as well, so you need to figure that in too.

That boat needs a lot of work and some money invested back into it, but I think you got a great deal for $500.
 
GT1000000

GT1000000

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,916
Hello and welcome, NCB...
You have definitely come to the right place to get all the help and info you will need to bring this boat back to better than new condition and one your friend's son will be proud to take a ride in...
As you have already made the decision to go ahead and restore this boat...I just want to start out by giving you some bubble popping facts, these are not intended to put you off, rather they are intended to fully prepare you for what lies ahead...
The task you are about to undertake has a fairly steep learning curve, but with the knowledge available here on the forum, it will all be made available to you...
The manual labor aspect is quite daunting but if you stick to it and just do as much as you can as often as possible, you will succeed...remember, an elephant cannot be eaten in one bite...
I started my restoration almost 3 years ago and am still quite a ways away from completion...I originally thought I would have it done in a maximum of a couple of years...unfortunately, finances and life tend to get in the way and slow or stop the process...
Don't let that discourage you...in the end this is a hobby and should be enjoyed as such...you will also learn many new skills and all about boats in general and yours, you will know from top to bottom and bow to stern...
You should plan on expending about 2-3 thousand dollars on the hull's restoration and at least a couple of hundred hours or more of labor...
If the engine has the low hours you stated, I would start out by going through certain steps before attempting to restart it...
No matter how clean the oil is, change it and the filter, remove the spark plugs and take a compression reading of the engine, you might want to put in a fresh set of plugs and fuel filter...make sure you add fresh gas...even though any drive belts may look good, remove them and turn them inside out and look for any signs of cracking, if you see cracking, they are dry rotted and should be replaced...do the same with any hoses, tubing or the spark plug wires, check them for dry rot/cracking and replace anything suspicious...clean and blow out the flame arrestor, if equipped, or replace the air filter, check all the linkages for free and smooth movement and make sure the battery[ies] are fully charged...check the lower unit drive fluid and make sure it is in good condition...if it is milky, there is a leak and that will need to be repaired...
Check the tilt & trim for proper operation and any leakage...there are a few other things to look for, but that will get you on the road to actually firing up the engine and checking out the drive system...
Move the steering through it complete cycle several times...

As far as the hull, it will slowly but surely become clear to you what needs to be done...most likely you are looking at replacing every bit of structure with new plywood and resin/fiberglass/cloth...
Be sure to proceed slowly and carefully and ask tons of questions...one thing you will probably need to do is to properly support the hull because as you remove structure it will become flimsy and could easily distort...
Take lots of notes, pictures and measurements...they will help you immensely when the time comes to start putting everything back together...

Most of all, Have Fun! and good luck...
Best regards,
GT1M:)
 
J

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Welcome aboard NCB. Nice project you have there. Check out Friscoboater's Glastron thread. It will answer just about every conceivable you might have. Plan to spend some time reading. Lengthy but very informative.
 
C

captmello

Captain
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
3,856
Those FFord Fuel injected motors can be a liability when parts and service are needed. I would start by getting the motor running. Very nice boat with good potential. Good luck.
 
N

NewConfusedBoater

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
11
Ok feel free to critically analyze the following pictures Propeller, this corrosion? Is this Sea Water corrosion? This engine looks ok right? Repairable? Lastly here is a picture of the engine mounts. The engine intact and it looks separated from the main stringer. Any reason why and does this mean I can replace them separately, like when I have an engine lift?
 
zool

zool

Captain
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Messages
3,433
The propset on there looks like it needs some attention, and replacement of that set is rather costly, however, that duoprop drive is worth way, way more that the 5 bills you got it for....you will most likely need to pull that ford to fix the substructure, so you will have plenty of time to tinker with it. While its all connected, you may want to change the fluids, and get her running, and check the trim/tilt and other items before yanking it.

Looks like a good resto candidate
 
N

NewConfusedBoater

Cadet
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
11
Ok, since engine will have to come out, focus on engine first... got it. Hold on, where's the forum for building your own engine hoist? It's raining here in Pennsylvania so covered the boat and focusing on cleaning my garage. I plan on taking the top half of the boat off to chop everything out and will need a storage area for the engine and top half. At least the wife will be happy to see the garage clean, until I put a boat in there. I'm really excited about this project, considering myself handy, I feel good about doing the framework, the engine on the other hand will be a challenge. I purchased the manual for the engine. It's about 1,000 pages long at least it has pictures. I was thinking of replacing any fluid lines but considering this boat sat for 2-3 years should I be concerned about gunk buildup inside the engine? If so, how can I make sure I get it all out before turning this puppy on?
 
zool

zool

Captain
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Messages
3,433
The hoist will be the easy part, just a basic gantry, and hoist from harbor freight.



since its on a trailer, mine wasn't, so I added wheels ;)
 
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