Just acquired a 170 Horizon. Assembly required.

[chevymaher]

I have the same tent/carport (on loan from the in laws)... they asked if i wanted to hang on to it for a while but i was worried about snow on it... do you think it will hold up? If so, maybe I'll take them up on their offer and replace the tarp in the spring if needed.

Girl behind me has one. Same brand I ask before ordering mine. It has lasted her 7 years so far. She keeps her jeep under it.

I started it I had a flimsey little cook tent I used when I moved here. I used it to paint in and parked the truck in it. It lasted 2 years. She got hers the first year I had mine. A over night 6 inch wet snow finished that one off. This thing is a tank compared to that one.

We do get some good snows here. My plan is just go out and knock the snow off with a broom from underneath. If it snows here I got a real steep driveway. So I am out in it shoveling as it comes down anyway so I can get out. I leave the 4wd at the top of the hill when it does. But I am out there anyway. I will just keep the snow off of it. Just hit the bottom with a broom the snow falls right off. I see her out doing just that while I am shoveling.

She said hers had one little 3 inch tear after all these years in the tarp. She just duct taped it. But she said they are pretty tough.

I been planning to build a attached garage for years anyway when the Admiral finished college. That is in 8 weeks thank god. For the truck and chevelle. Chevelle is in the house garage now and it is a pain to get out. I wanted a outside one so I can use it for a paint booth. Get fumes out of the house foundation garage. The plan has been amended with a extra bay for the boat now.

Biggest thing here for it is the spring storms. Very high winds. So tomorrow I will be using heavy cable to tie it down. I got cable ties and I cut rebar and welded a washer on the ends of each one for stakes. I drilled each joint and put a screw in it as I assembled it. To keep the poles from coming apart.


And yes Chuck I got it bad. I always wanted a boat all my life. But like I told my buddy across the street. I didn't realize how bad I wanted one till I actually had one. Truck had a hitch when I got it. I got a hitch on the van to now. I still got to wire its plug tho. There is alot of peripheral stuff going on with this boat.

My aunt had boats when I was young. My uncle already gave me the riot act. He said now I don't want to be going fast in a boat. I assured him we would just cruise when they were in it. No wave jumping or silly stuff. The line for rides is already forming.

 

[chevymaher]

working on the third cable now.

But update for jross827. My buddie in Main saw it on Facebook he said he has the same one. He said it is fine with snow.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

I got the tie downs finished. So one of them is the first pic.

Then back in boat for more sanding. 2-3rd pics are what I am fixing. The Mellow Yellowing. I completed the bow section. Last pic.

This car port is pretty serious. At noon with not a cloud in the sky I need a light to do detail work like doing the gel coat. It is dark in there. You can tell even with the flash and no light and it is dark in the boat. Last picture I had my light I use for bodywork in there. The wave chaser.

Boat cover definately took 20 minutes off getting in and out of the boat. That is a bonus.

Tomorrow I am taking the cover off and washing the cap. Now that there is a roof over it this tree sap has got to go. Can't see it but the sandpapery feeling when you touch it. With the wax on it it does come right off tho. But now that I don't have to tolerate it I want it off.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

I got the swim deck done. It looks exactly the same in the picture as it did before. Just the way the sun was hitting it. Just take my word for it that is shines like everything else now. It was chalky like everything else before. Got the ladder cleaned up it was wasted with buffing compound.

I noticed rubbing compound on the rub rail. I sat and detailed that for a couple hours. Basically the outside of the boat is complete now. All buffed waxed and detailed.

I had a meeting with the Admiral while we were grocery shopping this morning. I got the official okey dokey to do the interior as the winter portion of the program. I want to do the bow section first it is the most wasted needs wood and vinyl replaced. Looked decent but looks can be deceiving. So finish the bow section and make a new bow cover. Seeing something else completed with further motivate me. And I just like looking at it backing out of the garage.

I have been online shopping for snaps for the bow cover and a installation tool.

I am going to finish the dash and sides as far back as the windows go on the gel coat. It is done to the rear past that. Then all gel coat restoration is completed. Probably clean and buff the window frame at that point.

By then it is probably going to be so nasty I don't want to be outside anymore. Then get some bolts of material start the indoor portion of the program. And some good nylon thread from Joann's fabric. I got the wood already for this part. I have a electric staple gun and boxes of various staples. Tune the sewing machine up for the thicker material. And get to sewing with Susan looking out the window at the boat getting snowed on soon LOL. I already put the heater in it a hour before I venture out.

Thing that sux is it is still nice right about the time I got to quit and go to work LOL.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

We have a milestone. Something is completed.

I got the dash and side rails done today. Gel coat restoration is complete everywhere on the boat. And I am glad My arms are sore.

First pic i had been at it 2 hours already and the sun was just coming up. Next 2 the finished products. No more more yellow and chalky. Dash was really yellow everywhere. That guys opinion of taking care of something and mine are 2 different animals. I got to give him credit all the rubber and expendables are kept up. Hoses, tires on the trailer. bellows in the gimble that kinds of stuff.

Then as I loaded the tools in. I noticed something. I am going to be cleaning the garage a long time. I got to put all the body supplies and body tools away. Pick up all the sand paper. May as well actually get it spick and span. It has been trashed since the boat got here. Be nice to be able to walk and have a place to work again when I start on the interior.

 

[Woodonglass]

Nice work!!! Winter Doldrums will be arriving soon

 

[chevymaher]

Well I cleaned the garage and put tools up yesterday. It is far from clean but better.

I took the razor to the old interior cut it open where the wood was. See what sizes I needed. And took apart the first cushion. See what is in there exactly.

I thought I had wood. But the bow section is a odd size so I need a sheet of 11/32 wood for that. I made measurements and what not for vinyl. Almost all the rest of the interior is the 1/4 inch which I got a bunch of. The backrest are the thinner stuff. My guess is so it will conform to the curves in there.

I am just about to go get the wood and a starter kit for the vinyl. I know I will need more but this will keep me busy for quite some time.

I should have enough for the whole boat of grey and red. But the white which it is mainly I know I will need to calculate when it is gone and get more. As well as more wood when I get into the main seating which I think the wood will be trashed when it comes apart.

It is going to rain today in a hour or so it says. And instead of dreading it I am actually excited to see it. I want to see the boat bone dry when it is over for the AHH it was worth it effect. No more checking to see if I had the tarp on right and it leaked. Get the towels out deal.

I will add the sides on it once it is closer to snowing. Mainly so I can heat it in there to work.

And the front most pad you cant get to the back of. I decided to use studs like they did. Just put Pl glue on them and in the holes. POP it on. No harm no foul you couldn't get it apart originally and it wont come back off with out cutting when it is done. Same as factory.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

I was to early and had to sit in the lot forever waiting on Joanns to open this morning. Luckily Home depot is literally next door. I got the 11/32 wood while I waited.

Got a bunch of material and heavy duty nylon thread they suggested for this kind of thing.

I made the backer no issues. Had some fits learning to fold and stretch the main color on.

Here is where the time went. Setting the machine for the heavier thread and material. Gave me fits for hours. I was having more fun than any human should be aloud.

Once I got the machine set making the piping went quickly. I was already learning by the time I put the piping on the cushion.

It rained like all get out today. The boat stayed dry as a bone. I got wet going back and forth to it for measurements.

Pics of the day are. Material. Then material after separation. Then the first cushion made in but not installed. I called it aggravation factor and it was raining. Deal with it again in the morning. Not to shabby for a first attempt. It only going to get easier from here. looks as good as the original as far as folds and what not. Of course I would have gotten fired if I was working by the hour.

I held a piece of the red material next to the new boot stripes. Exact color match. I was tickled to death. Looks are a personal thing. But I like it alot. To me this thing is going to look good.

 

[chevymaher]

Well i know the car port was right on time. It has been cold nasty and raining hard. And because it is that time. The rain is knocking the leaves off the trees. It is literally covered on top. I remember the top of the boat and covers being black from rotting leaves when i got it. It is just so relieving seeing it not being on the boat now. Well worth the money and time putting it up.

It has been 10 years since i did this sewing for a living. I got to sharpen my old skills I am rusty at it. I made blue jeans and burlap bags for years in a factory. I got to go down and tackle another piece of interior once i get my coffee in me. The seat bottoms are going to be the ones that are the roughest. Getting the pleat lines straight.

No matter what happens it is going to be better than what it was tho. It is hard to believe in the last picture the seat bottom is actually the same color as the new seat back. It is so stained and mildewed. I compared the new fabric to the main seat and there is a clean spot and it was the same color. Geting the machine adjusted to sewing this heavy stuff correctly was a major milestone.

Back when I did this for a living i didn't have to do that. We called ol Allala over hey this thing is screwing up and he messed with it. I went to the break room while he straightened it out. I wish now i had paid attention to what he was doing.

But i get to warm up doing something easy. Cutting the backer and getting the mounting holes lined up correctly. Wish me luck I going in there LOL.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Got 2 more cushions done the ones under the windshield.

The long side ones. One had been replaced and it wasn't right. I noticed it in the boat. I looked at the other side and it was completely different. It had no curve at all at the bottom and the top had a angle in it. Instead of 2 curves that matched the bow.

So the original side was like handling a fossil. Be gentle or it would disintegrate ad you wouldn't have a pattern. I got them cut it is the same on both sides. It is going to look alot better than what was there.

I got those 2 relaxing slowly getting the curve in them. So they don't break like the one that was replaced did. Snapped at every screw. Just like when we did those annoying round staircases. It will bend it just takes a while to talk it into it.

 

[Bayou Dave]

Good job on the vinyl. Doing all the vinyl will keep you busy during the winter.

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Good job on the vinyl. Doing all the vinyl will keep you busy during the winter.

Thank you.

I am starting to get warmed up on it a little. That is the plan knock out the interior this winter while it is to cold to finish the hull. It got to be done anyway. That old moldy stuff wasn't going back in there.

Today I got side made and in. The side the previous owner screwed with was so screwed up. I didn't have a pattern for. That took some time making it up as I went along. It turned out fine tho. The side nobody ever touched went smoothly.

I was just about out of staples. So I went to the hardware store and picked up a couple more boxes. Charlie Anal stopped in. I know I said I wasn't going to worry about the bottom screws. Well I went and picked up 4 stainless screws for that to.

I never seen my wife be so happy about one of my projects before. As I mentioned she is a Island girl born and raised on the ocean. I said I had the sides in. She said I want to see. I about fell down. All I ever got on the cars was Uh Huh that's nice dear.

It is hard to get decent pictures now with the car port. It is dark in it and the sun outside of it messes with the camera.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

That new vinyl looks really nice. I wish I had the patience and tools for that. I?ll be taking my freshly made backers to a lady in WV to have professionally done. $$$

 

[chevymaher]

That new vinyl looks really nice. I wish I had the patience and tools for that. I’ll be taking my freshly made backers to a lady in WV to have professionally done. $$$

Thanks.

You got the patience you did your hull. It is just a different PIA to deal with. I did this kind of stuff before. It was the hull I never even seen done before. I literally in the beginning had no clue what was under that carpet. Crazy Finn set me wise I looked and Oh sheet.

In the begining I thought I was going to shine her up put in interior and go boating. Then I had to learn a new trade. What I am doing now is actually what I thought I was going to do last summer.

 

[chevymaher]

Last Night I was psyching up for the main seat bottoms in the bow rider section. The center has 3 pleats I was concerned with. I was thinking it was individual pieces sewn together. And without the right machine that was going to be a pain to get straight. I pulled it apart a little to see what they had going on there.

It is a single piece with just a black line sewn into it. So I think masking tape measure draw the line on and follow that. I think today I will tackle one of the main flip up seat bottoms. This should get interesting. Multiple pieces and double piping this should be a barrel of fun. Snaps and webbing all kinds of multiplier targets in this game. Got to be easier I hope than that king queen motorcycle seat I did for my buddies bike.

I got several runs for family to make during this so I may not finish. Doctors appt and other various silliness. I think it is a communist plot to keep me from making progress on the boat.

We are at freezing this morning. I always doubting my decision to put on hold glassing because of the weather. Because I am kinda driven to get it done. It was the right call. It has been cold and raining for a while now it is going to freezing. There was no way I was getting it done before the glass went bad.

I still got to replace the bunkers on the trailer and paint that to. Needs a new master cylinder for the surge brakes. I am not so concerned with that. Boat isn't that heavy. But I want it done. The biggie was when I was buffing the bottom. I noticed the bunkers. I can pull a couple screws out with my hand. I could see it now. Boat in the water. Bunker goes floating off LOL.

Now I think of it that could be where those 2 nasty gashes came from under the boat I thought looked like loading the boat and hitting the trailer scratches.

 

[chevymaher]

Well I was wrong that happens alot. Seat is pleated an it has a padding under each pleat and a layer of material under that over the regular foam. To give the pleat the puffy appearance. I got the center pleated section done and it looks good. I already burned up a spool and a half of thread on just this one seat. It is a complicated and ton of sewing deal. Making the vinyl rope eats the thread.

It took hours to carefully disassemble it to get the parts I needed to reuse. The individual padding deals. And so the fabric was in one piece to use as patterns.

I got the wood cut sanded and painted. I cleaned up and sanded the hinge with 400 so it looks like new. Cleaned the lower mesh of mold or what ever the white was off of it. Got all the piping made.

These particular seats are very labor intensive if your going to restore them as they were. But I guess that is why they looked nice all the detail that went into them originally.

I bet restoring the front back seats that fold into a bed are going to take a month of sundays to do. At this pace it is going to take all winter to get all this done right.

I can see now I am just lucky i got this boat before the vinyl split and ruined the massive amounts of foam parts in them. I know you can't buy this stuff anymore.

It isnt finished yet so no pic. The running i did all day put a serious slow down in the work.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

What you describe sounds great. Can?t wait to see it.

 

[kcassells]

Nice work on the seating and pads. It appears you have some skills!

 

[chevymaher]

No Title

Nice work on the seating and pads. It appears you have some skills!

Thank you.

Well today was the day from hell. Now I know why the piping on the factory interior is never level. It isn't happening on a machine. In the 1/8 inch between your fingers under the crows foot to the needle it just happens. No amount of holding and putting up stops is going to do it. 2 round objects just are not going to balance magically with pressure on top of them.

Well I got a bunch done till I got to the main seam. Nightmare on elm street there I tell you what. Seems my crows foot would not open enough for that much fabric and piping. So I disassembled it and modified it some. I don't have a half crows foot that would have helped.

Well after seeing the pitiful results after several tries I threw in the towel. Piping wasn't level it wasn't tight to the piping. I was feeling evil LOL.

So I went back to the garage got out the bright light and carefully took it apart. That takes forever to.

Then I put on my Ben Franklins (reading glasses) and did my Betsy Ross imitation. I hand sewed it. Now we getting some where. I guess the double piping if it is going to be level and look like I want it to has got to be done that way. The rest I can do with the machine.

I still am not done but here some progress pics. First in the computer/sewing room parts being assembled. In a peaceful happier time before I about threw a fit on the main seam LOL.

Second the one side done putting the cap on so to speak.

Now I know what is going on the next one shouldn't take as long. It is a learning curve like anything else. Burlap bags were the only thing I ever did that was this rough. Wow that double piping seam sux the big one.

Making progress and I am not a quitter. Even if I got to talk to it as I work on it. "Oh your gonna go on Beeotch".

 

[kcassells]

Awesome work there!!