Just acquired a 170 Horizon. Assembly required.

[chevymaher]

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Here chuck it happened now. I just raised one corner of the tarp for the pic, I did get in and check. That stuff isn't going anywhere it is a brick. There wont be any problem putting the deck parts in and walking around on it.

I am not doing anything today. It was in the 40's this morning and it is real chilly out there now still. My son is off school and wanted me to craft things downstairs with him. It has been a while so we hot glued things and are making a pinball machine for him. Got to teach the boy the finer ways to rig things.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Ha ha!!! I shamed yo into it. Lol. Seriously looking good. You're moving right along.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Had to do other things a while. But I got in the boat today.

Made sure the main brace still fit it was cut exact so I had room to play with. 3 variables needed to meet. Hull clearance, and the skii locker door opening in the brace and actual deck piece. The tank opening was small before so it just needed trimmed in.

Swept it all back out. Sat on the bucket in front of the dash and dreamed sailor dreams a few and made motor boat noises.

Left all the deck and braces in there when I tarped it up, so the brace holding the bow section up was there. I would prefer it didn't just hang there anymore.

Sat a while and just made a attack plan how am I going to get all the foam in where it needs to go. Without air spaces. That will be the "Riddle me this Batman". Untill it actually happens. Where to put the holes.

Got to hand sand the areas to be tabbed and properly fillet them. That will be the next adventure. I think that will take a while.

 

[kcassells]

Get an ocilatting tool, electric. Ridgid does the job for tight spaces and has a million diamond attachements/tile. Bag that Says I.
Last time I used my hand was last night.

 

[chevymaher]

Get an ocilatting tool, electric. Ridgid does the job for tight spaces and has a million diamond attachements/tile. Bag that Says I.
Last time I used my hand was last night.

I will go through my dremel stuff and all the assorted things for that and see if I got something already. Just run a air hose out there. Most of it I can hit with the board sander. But the tight spots I do think I got a head like your talking about. I do have tile tools a saw and what not I will look in that for a tile cutting bit.

Unfortunately as you see the only time I got to do this boat work is early early. Before un named life responsibilities I can't shirk start. It is already out of glassing range now as far as temps in the time frame I got to do this stuff. When I did the stringers it was only 60 when I started and it took forever to harden. Even with it going up to 75 that day.

The high has been 65-70 and isn't happening till I already stopped working. 40's in the mornings now. So for me I am on hold till spring on glassing. And it makes me sad.

Like I said by the time I order some and it gets here it may drop and be snowing LOL. You never can tell about ky. We had 6 inches one year on thanksgiving. Or it could be 70's till X-mas you never can tell around here. But the forecast is cold for now and that isn't a good thing for doing this with supplies that go bad quick. And it is going to get worse before it gets better. I been getting the truck ready for the winter onslaught lately. 4X comes in handy here pretty soon.

But I won't be laying down on it either. I am going to clean this up sanding and fillet it all. Then cut up what I got for tabbing. I got csm out the wazoo now. And maybe enough 1708 for tabbing. Make it up wrap it in plastic and mark where they go. Make my list of the next batch of supplies. Then move on to buffing and cleaning up engine and outdrive parts.

I will figure something out to do. I was screwing with the engine before I joined the forum and found out I needed to literally build a boat to put it in. When the boat was still frozen and I thought the ice was solid wood DOH! as Homer says. I remember I had to heat the boat to get the skiis out of the skii locker to return them to the previous owner. Because they were frozen down. My how things change quick.

I did get alot more done than I though I would this year. Just wasn't quite quick enough.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Too bad you don't have a way of keeping it warm enough to glass....so it's ready for the spring!

 

[chevymaher]

Too bad you don't have a way of keeping it warm enough to glass....so it's ready for the spring!

I am looking into fixing the spot on the side now. Where the gel coat wore through. I know we will get spotty warm weather enough to do that it only takes a few minutes. Fix the cracks in the gel coat where it got stapled. Buff it and do the new stripes. I will figure out something to keep busy with. There alot of work beside the hull left. I am on it.

LOL I was looking in iboats store for the gel coat repair kit and saw the message for this post.

 

[chevymaher]

I forgot to mention yesterday. My brother actually started fooling with his boat he got now. Fired up the engine. His extended vacation in Egypt is almost over. He is leaving the boat slip in denile. He is now entering the acceptance portion of the program. I spoke with him he is going to do the drill test and is prepared now to do what I am doing if need be.

I ragged on him forever to do it. I said it is a safety thing. Just be sure. With a 1000 hp boat doing almost 100 mph it is a little more critical it don't do the Steve Austin thing. She is breaking up. Than on my little pond skipper. And just look at the mess I found in mine. Same previous owner saying they are fine. Best to just check for yourself better safe than sorry.

 

[chevymaher]

Just ordered the gel coat repair form iboats. Seems I need a separate password from the forum to track my order. So once I straighten this out I guess I am going out in the cold and peel stripes off and prep the hull LOL.

 

[chevymaher]

Gel Coat cracks from the staple incident are a thing of the past now. I could actually buff it out now and you would never see it. Right where the crack was is a tiny line of fiberglass color now. We have met the repair area on the inside. So little more gel coat and it is done there. I spent several hours modifying and testing a air brush for the up and coming events, It is ready to sling the thick stuff now.

 

[chevymaher]

I have been taking the boot stripes off. Messing with the air gun still. Bored out the feed holes and feed tube is bigger. The gel coat repair kit should arrive tomorrow.

I got the starboard side off. Still got a bunch of glue clean up. Tomorrow peel the port off. Then I gonna lay under it and wet sand the whole bottom of it off for buffing after I get those 2 spots fixed.

Working on getting the new stripes on and waxing the whole boat now. Once it is done up to the bumper strip the bow rider interior out so I can buff the entire above the bumper areas. Including the bow seating.

When I was at my sons boy scout meeting the parents topic of the day was the weather. They were saying it is about to get cold. This should be out last warm spell.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Got the stripes off. Cleaned the glue off. Then sanded the entire bottom with 600.

It is in surprisingly good shape down there. Tomorrow i will make some peanut butter. I got 2 look like hitting the trailer scratches and a chip to fill before gel coat.

Don't think the bottom was ever cleaned before this just pressure washed. Dead barnicles or something all dried out down there.

 

[chevymaher]

Match and patch 4 oz gel coat kit has arrived. Chaa-Ching Batalal-Bing. Looks like twice as much as i will need. So eyes bigger than your stomach measuring method it should be about right with waste.

So tomorrow doing the bodywork get it ready on the scratches and chip.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Okay ever notice how some people just suck at something. That be me and gel coat application LOL. Anyway I wrestled that alligator all day today. Once I got it through my head it was more like bodywork than painting then I started getting something done.

The white spot on the side gave me fits. I got it the third time. Had to sand it all back off 2X. First time color was right. To rough sanded through. Second time it was acceptable from a shine and waves standpoint but I blew the color mix. Not enough blue. Last time I am happy with I can get it sanded and looking good.

The air brush theory PSSST wasn't happening. No way was it going through any gun I had. I ended up using a bondo spreader to get it on.

The white needs sanded but it be fine. I couldn't find the stuff to fix it knowing it is there. Where did that go? That is what the blue tape in the one picture is about. Marking the staple holes incident. The 2 big scratches are all you can see if you bend over and look. The rest is totally hidden. I matched the white to the white on the hull that was under the stripes and not yellowed or faded. it still has 2 more sandings and a buff so it should lighten up to match the new stuff.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I hear ya on the gelcoat. I rolled mine on with very thin nap rollers for cabinetry. This was the larger areas. Smaller repairs like yours, I used a putty knife.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Long day. I got all the new gel coat handled. Side spot is perfect body and shine wise it is a hair dark. But you can't see it from farther than a few feet. Once the stripes are back on it be perfect.

I sanded all the gel coat off the bottoms except what was actually in the repair areas. I spent the entire day crawling under the boat after that. Sanded with 1500 then did it again with the 3000. Then buffed the mess. Then waxed it all. Scratches pretty much vanished after buffing unless you are on the ground looking up. The color difference is slight and the shine hides that.

So the pic sums up what I looked at all day long. And I am glad that is over. It is nice to have a hull that isn't so chalky it comes off on your finger when you rub on it now.

 

[Bayou Dave]

That is one hell of a shine!! Do you have any feeling left in your arms?

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

That is one hell of a shine!! Do you have any feeling left in your arms?

Thank you. Since you mentioned it. My neck and shoulders ache like all get out today.

Today's adventure was buffing the sides where I sanded the edge of the old stripes. I didn't bear down close to the stripes before I didn't want to chew them up. And I erroneously thought they were staying.

Then I put the boot stripes on. Then waxed the sides because gel coat fades in seconds without wax. I was out there with lights early this morning starting that.

In the pics once the stripes are on the white spot/gel coat patch don't really show I can live with it.

My buddy with the Bayliner dropped by as I was finishing the first side. He is impressed with my work. He offered to let me keep it in his garage next to the Bayliner during the winter. He said that boat does not deserve to sit outside after all you did to it. So pretty soon it be going over there for the snowbound activities. Reservation is made.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

That's great news!! Awesome job on that shine. She's looking great from the outside in!

 

[chevymaher]

Yes it is good news. Once the boat is done I got to make arrangements here for the boat. It is a royal pain getting it in and out of the back yard. Which for now is no biggie all it does is sit and get worked on.

A fence post is coming out so the turn into the back yard is better. Bunch of rock and gravel at the bottom of the yard for its permanent parking spot. Widen the turn into the back where the fence post is coming up. And at least a carport till I build the garage in back I been talking about for years. Chevelle needs it get it out of the basement. Boats are a big change in life as far as what they need to use them.

The engine was always going to be put in there. My engine hoist I don't think will get it high enough. He has a ceiling hoist on A I beam slider which is perfect for doing it. So the remaining glassing and engine in there in the spring before it comes home. Another bonus is the trailer needs new bunkers on it. And the ceiling lift can lift one side of the boat at a time to get those put on. And I can sand and buff under the bunkers on the boat while that goes on. After the glassing is done so the boat is solid enough to handle it.

Until my baby leaves I will finish the topside buffing and getting the bow interior out. Won't be to much longer I will be porting the head and sewing interior for it.

It thunderstormed last night. So first thing this morning I will go check see if water leaked in and dry her out. That blue tarp is getting wore out for putting it on and taking it off everyday.

I got a birthday party to go to today but I can sand on the cap's white until I got to go. The holes where the interior mount in the glass in the cap. I am going to put some new glass behind the holes with a little plywood like Four Winns did every where else for the seating etc. I picked up some waxed resin to do that. It is a shame unwaxed is not readily available like the waxed is locally.

The inside hull work may be on hold but there is plenty of other stuff to do as you see. And it all got to be done before the splash. I am trying to get it all done and have it ready so as to not slow progress down.

My buddy with the Bayliner is encouraging. I have known him since we were 15. We are alot alike. He has a chevelle to. He said oh your going to love this boat. You have no idea how fun it will be riding in the boat. When your in the boat you are The Captain.

His old truck was rusted and the trans went out. So when he got here he had a truck he wanted my opinion on buying. I drove it and gave the thumbs up. He said the only reason he wants a truck is to haul things and tow the boat. So after he left since he was obviously wanting to buy the truck. He went home and hooked the boat to it. Towed it to the landing to see if it handled launching the boat and how it handled with the boat on the back of it. I think he has a new truck he just don't know it yet.