I bought a project. On purpose.

[redneck joe]

build braces.

NOW IS THE TIME.

if you are in this deep there is ZERO reason not to do it.


i normally don't use caps, but it is needed.


do it.


oh and treat yourself to some 4 or 6ah ryobi batteries.

 

[PatinIdaho]

I cannot put this back together until next spring, so the plan is to leave the engine stringers in until then, as long as the hull remains flat, and it is so far.
As long as i leave the engine stringers in im pretty sure all is good for now.
Temps are down in the 40s as a high. No fiberglassing allowed for about the next 5 months. January and February we could see -20
So i have been just doing what i can. Demo, sanding, and getting new wood cut and fit-ready to go back together when the weather allows.
The plan for tomorrow is to get it blocked up somehow if it is not raining. Then take the engine stringers out and get teardown and prep work done.

 

[eggs712]

Take lots measurements of the engine mounts; it makes reinstallation much easier.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Yeah. I measured everything from deck height down and from center out before anything was removed.

 

[redneck joe]

Take lots measurements of the engine mounts; it makes reinstallation much easier.

with pictures

 

[bakerjw]

I really want to take the two engine stringers out but i don't know how much they are actually supporting the hull. As it is right now it is sitting on a roller trailer and holding a 4 foot level against the hull on the outside it is still flat.
The hull is 1/2 inch thick, as far as i can tell and the small center section area is close to an inch altogether.

A lot of people overlook the support aspect and end up with warpage along the way. If it were me, I'd takeout all of the old material and rebuild back better and stronger.

I saw some discussion about epoxy and traditional resins. Epoxy sticks to everything if it is prepped well. Poly and vinyl esters will stick to epoxy but it is a mechanical bond and has to have good clean rough surface.

 

[PatinIdaho]

A lot of people overlook the support aspect and end up with warpage along the way. If it were me, I'd takeout all of the old material and rebuild back better and stronger.

I saw some discussion about epoxy and traditional resins. Epoxy sticks to everything if it is prepped well. Poly and vinyl esters will stick to epoxy but it is a mechanical bond and has to have good clean rough surface.

I just got a 6-foot level yesterday. Before i fiberglass anything, the hull will be flat.
From what i read, epoxy is the best to use and most expensive.
I don't need the best, and i don't really like working with epoxy.
The boat was built with polyester. Least expensive and has not failed yet and probably never would.
I plan on using vinylester laminating resin. For me, it's the easiest to use and what im familiar with.
Better than poly, but not as strong as epoxy. Middle ground on price.

The hull is 38 years old and the fiberglass has not failed even with all the less than ideal construction i have found.
Honestly, with good prep work anything i do will be as good or better than the factory did.

 

[PatinIdaho]

with pictures

I have about 1000 more pics than I have posted, both before and after.

 

[eggs712]

Yeah, poly resin is plenty strong, especially vinylester.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, I have done fiberglass work in the dead of winter here in the NE. I put some blankets over the hull and an electric heater inside. Remember, poly resin is flammable, so one needs to be careful.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Gee, I have done fiberglass work in the dead of winter here in the NE. I put some blankets over the hull and an electric heater inside. Remember, poly resin is flammable, so one needs to be careful.

Hmm. In the back of my mind i had the idea that i could get a sheet of foam insulation. Cut it to fit the outside of the transom. Get the interior up to around 65, then start putting it back together.
The problem with that is, as soon as i put the wood on the transom, the outside starts cooling as the heat can not get to it anymore and with needing to clamp it i just can't see a real way to do it.

 

[tphoyt]

Time to build a boat shed.

 

[PatinIdaho]

After 3 days of rain, today was dry and a high temp of 45.
Got the boat off the trailer more or less. There is a slight amount of weight on the rollers, but it ain't much. I can turn the roller by hand with very little effort.
I have read that Sea Ray did not use the wood engine stringers as a structural part, they were more a mold for the fiberglass.

My engine stringers were not as bad as i had thought. They are soaked and are rotting for sure but still mostly solid. A few more years and they might have been mush.



The stringers were not attached to the hull.



None of the fiberglass was attached to the wood verywell anyplace.



The stringers do not go past the small forward bulkhead giving the fuel tank support.


That's today's progress.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Got some more sanding done today. The absolute worst part of the job! But I am about 90% done and should be done in just a couple more hours tomorrow.
Hard to tell from the pic because everything is covered in dust that the vacuum will not pick up.



Discovered this resin dry area and debating on grinding it out or not. It has not been a problem up to this point, so kinda thinking don't mess with what ain't broken
If i do grind it out, I'll remove that wood mount that has nothing attached to it.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Sanding is 99% done! Sanding is the worst part of the job, at least for me it was. Had to wash it out so still a little damp in a couple of places.
Feel like i can start getting new parts cut and fit.

 

[redneck joe]

now, the fun bits of the job....

 

[PatinIdaho]

Been doing some reading on how to join two pieces of plywood since i did not remove my entire transom.
I'm going to use a lap joint. Glue it together with PB and 5 or 6 SS screws to help hold it together. The SS Screws would be 1/2 long and just left in place.
The second piece of 3/4 inch plywood was originally 24 inches wide. Im making the second piece 40 inches wide so it will cover the lap joint by 3 inches.
I would surely think that would be strong enough to never be a problem.

 

[PatinIdaho]

Switch gears a bit, maybe this needs its own thread?
I had to rebuild my swim deck, and I cleaned the bottom side down to the fiberglass.
I weighed it before i took it apart and it was 85 pounds.
After i stripped it down the skin weighs 10 pounds.
When i cut the bottom skin off, some of the wood around where the ladder was mounted was mostly not there anymore! All the remaining wood was soaked and rotten.
It had about 1/2 inch putty on the entire thing and had 1/2 inch plywood from the center out to the outer edge of the cutouts. From the cutouts to the outer edge of the platform was 3/4 inch plywood.
That's what was.

Mounting a trolling motor is a small pita as the swim platform sits above the water a fair bit and im not fond of it being mounted where it is.
I kinda have the idea of extending the center and mounting it there.
Now would be the perfect time to do that.
Im pretty sure i can make a bracket that's strong enough with 1/4 inch aluminum. The trick will be making it look not too hillbillyish.