Hull damage, How major is this?

[dlambunion]

I was given 1976 Sportcraft 160 Fisherman by my uncle for free. The only damage i noticed on the underside is this 2 inch spot. This is my first boat so I am concerned if it will leak from this or not. This boats going to be a pain already since it needs seats and a lot of tlc.... And its missing the outboard. Im usually working on project cars so this boat shouldnt be too hard... I hope

 

[alldodge]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

View attachment 222043

I was given 1976 Sportcraft 160 Fisherman by my uncle for free. The only damage i noticed on the underside is this 2 inch spot. This is my first boat so I am concerned if it will leak from this or not. This boats going to be a pain already since it needs seats and a lot of tlc.... And its missing the outboard. Im usually working on project cars so this boat shouldnt be too hard... I hope

:welcome: to iboats

That nick is nothing to worry about. Just a little dab of gel coat will fix it. You do want to fix it but if you put it in the water you would not see any water coming in the boat from it. It would take quite a while before it would work through the fiberglass. The upholstery will take time and money, but if you can do it yourself the cost will be much less. The outboard may be your biggest expense. Those old tri-hulls were stable but rough ridding when the waves came up

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

Hi and welcome dlambunion,
The damage you show in the pic should be a fairly simple fix and the least of your worries...
The age of the boat and the fact that it has probably been stored out under the stars for a few seasons??? is where your main concern should lie...let me explain...
If the baot has sat out in the elements for any length of time and has never been restored from the bottom up, you are most like looking at doing so, if you want to keep and use this boat for the foreseeable future...
Besides needing the most expensive part, an outboard, you are more than likely looking at doing the transom, stringers and deck...
You see, a free boat is never free...
You need to check very carefully by doing some invasive surgery, the actual condition of the previously mentioned items...the transom, stringers and deck...
You need to take core samples of all of them by drilling into them at the lowest and farthest back areas you can get to, and determine how much rot has taken place, this usually involves the removal of some or all of the deck, which by the way should have NO, zero, absolutely none, soft areas...if when drilling into the structural members, you find nice dry, light colored wood shavings...then you hit the jackpot and can seal up the holes with some 5200 and move on...
If, however, they come out dark, wet and mushy...well then its time to make the ultimate decision...to restore or not to restore...
Whatever you decide is the best course of action, the members here will be more than happy to guide you through whatever needs doing...
Best of luck and Safe Boating!
GT1M

 

[redneck joe]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

seats are relatively cheap, used outboard less than a grand. You should be on the water for about $1500, unless you go big on the tunes...


where do you boat?

 

[dlambunion]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

Thanks Guys! I thought the hull would be a lot thicker than just what I see underneath. The floor is my first concern. The boat had to get off the property where it was stored so I took it. I do know the trailer is in great condition so I can make money if the project turns too sour. Im near lake ray hubbard near Dallas, Tx.. Well, not much of a lake with all the trees since the waters so low.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

hey diambunion, welcome. (and redneck joe -- really nice Carver!)

Don't minimize that damage (i.e., need to fix it), but use it for now to check around and see if the keel is solid or punky -- looks to be at the keel, at any rate. If the keel is solid, patch it up. I usually use epoxy and sawdust for small jobs, but there are lots of experienced listers here to share their methods. If the boat sat out uncovered, you will want to be sure there isn't water under the floorboards, even before deciding what, if anything, to replace. Motors are another issue. If you aren't experienced in working on outboards, and getting advice on what to get, iboats is the place to be. Take a look at the various threads having to do with outboards/outboard repair. There's much more (steering and controls, for example, depending on what you already have), but dig in!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

Uhmmm DON'T use epoxy if you want to go back with Gelcoat...It won't work. Gelcoat does NOT adhere well to epoxy, if at all. And I also would not recommend using sawdust to thicken the epoxy for external repairs. Might be ok for internal but not for on the outside of the hull. Epoxy IS very water resistant but using sawdust to thicken it is IMHO kind of counterproductive since wood is a HIGHLY water absorbing material. Cabosil would be a much better alternative and is very inexpensive.

 

[friderday]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

what wood said...yeah, this appears to be on the keel...check out today's post of my Larivee thread..I ground, filled, & glassed an area much larger in just a few hours today. easy fix, but def stick to poly if you're putting the gelcoat back. check out the core samples, for sure. you might just be ok, but then again, we were all ok until we drank the forbidden fruit!

 

[tazrig]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

but then again, we were all ok until we drank the forbidden fruit!

+1^^^ Unfortunately...:lol:

 

[jc55]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

Sportcrafts of these years are just a small "tap" away from this sort of damage since there are lots and lots of voids between the gelcoat and the laminate. I was using a hand broom on the dash to sweep out sanding dust and knocked a hole through the gelcoat which revealed a void. There were lots of voids in my hull that I repaired when I found them.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Hull damage, How major is this?

yield on the use of epoxy under gelcoat. I wash off the blush, then prime and paint (and the easypoxy or whatever I paint it with then might get covered with bottom paint.) But even at that, just small scratches or imperfections or small holes through the gelcoat.