manatee boat

[swamphog76]

i have just been given a manatee boat. don't know what year. i do know that the deck looks weak and i need information from anyone that can help. what do i do to this boat to fix this problem?

 

[veritas honus]

Re: manatee boat

i have just been given a manatee boat. don't know what year. i do know that the deck looks weak and i need information from anyone that can help. what do i do to this boat to fix this problem?

Post pictures and all the details you do know about the boat. "the deck looks weak."... Based on that info alone, I'd say start by tearing out the deck and probing all the stringers and transom for rot. Post a bunch of pictures detailing your concerns. You've got a lot of boaters here ready to help.

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

thanks a lot for the response. I will most certainly do that. today, i started to pull out the old wood cushioning in the boat and tomorrow i'm gonna start to pull the carpet off the deck and start cutting away. i will take plenty of pictures cause you guys seem to know your boats and i'm kinda new to the game. another question i have is that i'm a big guy. i'm 6'9" and over 400 lbs. would two sheets of 3/4" inch plywood be too much on the decking or would i just be wasting my money. the reason i'm asking is i want the deck to be solid and not like i'm gonna go through the bottom of the boat every i step on it. thanks to anyone that can help answer this question.

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

As promised, pics of 1st day of demo.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: manatee boat

thanks a lot for the response. I will most certainly do that. today, i started to pull out the old wood cushioning in the boat and tomorrow i'm gonna start to pull the carpet off the deck and start cutting away. i will take plenty of pictures cause you guys seem to know your boats and i'm kinda new to the game. another question i have is that i'm a big guy. i'm 6'9" and over 400 lbs. would two sheets of 3/4" inch plywood be too much on the decking or would i just be wasting my money. the reason i'm asking is i want the deck to be solid and not like i'm gonna go through the bottom of the boat every i step on it. thanks to anyone that can help answer this question.

Im a big guy too..6'1" .. 190lbs.. and I have bigger feet and calves than you .. are you sure the other 210 lbs isnt going into the other members of the family when your in it ?

2 layers of 3/4 ply is overkill.

YD.

PS. That boat is Rotted out m8..complete resto is in your future says the magic 8 ball....

 

[Bondo]

Re: manatee boat

would two sheets of 3/4" inch plywood be too much on the decking or would i just be wasting my money.

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,...

A single layer of 3/4" plywood will support a fella, even as Big as yerself...
Depending on the support below deck, I usually use 1/2",... 5/8" tops....

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

To the yacht dr. The picture you see is my son who is 6'2" and 205 lbs and I make him like tiny

 

[ezmobee]

Re: manatee boat

Manatees are really good solid hulls. However, pretty much any fiberglass boat that's been left out exposed to the elements for a long time, as that one clearly has, is going to have rotted stringers and transom. You're looking at a complete rebuild. Do a search on here for stringer replacement. A 5/8" deck if fiberglassed will be plenty strong. 3/4" even more so. You do NOT want the weight of a deck any thicker than that.

As I said, that's a great hull, and if that Johnson has good compression, it could be a great motor as well and good power for that boat. Good luck with your project.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: manatee boat

Swamp,

Welcome to Iboats. Manatees are great hulls like EZ said. It's a shame that your boat was left outside to rot away. From the looks of it, you definitely have a complete resto ahead of you. May I suggest you start with your engine. Check to see if it is savagable first. If the engine can be sorted out and made operational then you might consider looking for another boat that is in better shape rather than fixing this one. A complete resto of the Manatee will run you at least $2K and a bunch of hours. So it's up to you whether it is worth it or not.

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

thanks guys. there is so much information and good tips and tricks. i've only had this boat for a couple of weeks and i've already got a love for it. i'm gonna go ahead with the resto. im just gonna aim to do it low and slow. tomorrow, i'm going to start cutting out the floor and try not to cut up the stringers. wish me luck and i will post more pictures. thanks again for all the good info.

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

okay, did some heavy duty cleaning inside the boat and got the tree full of leaves out of it. after all of this, i'm thinking about just removing the top portion of the boat (dont know what it is called) from the hull and just make my restoration easier. its looking like i have a lot of sanding and fiberglassing in my future but i'm looking forward to the work. now my question is, i think the way i disassemble this top portion is to remove the screws that connect the top to the hull. these screw are drilled in from the outside and i'm guessing that they are drilled in under the rub rail. so is this correct? do i remove the rub rail to find these screws underneath? also, anybody have any tips on how to build something to hold my motor on? you guys have been invaluable so any assistance is appreciated.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: manatee boat

Yup..the hull/deck joint will be fastened with screws or rivets under the Rubrail ( Normally ).

Start reading up on "deck" or "stringer" repairs... get aquainted with them .

Get the repairs done as soon as you can..dont marry this thing..

YD.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: manatee boat

Welcome to the site swamp, you're right that this place offers a ton of help...glad to hear you seem to know this may be a project but still want to go thru with it. These boats can be made better than they came outta the factory

Here's what I ended up building for my inline 4 80hp Merc. You might want to beef it up a bit as your V4 120 is heavier I'm sure.

I used steel swivel castors on the front, fixed on the back, so it pushes like a shopping cart.

Good luck to ya, and if you don't like the itching from the glass work you could always find a 20' aluminum hull for that 120hp

 

[FFScott6]

Re: manatee boat

Welcome,
I have been lurking here (iBoats) for a couple years and have recieved invaluable information. And it's free... I think the best thanks is to "pay it forward" and offer others your insight.

Sorry for getting off track. I'll be starting a Manatee rebuild in a few weeks, too d*&m cold outside. I'll be starting a thread soon with before pics feel free to follow along... I'm subscribing to this thread. I'm more than willing to share trials & tribulations. Are you going the family cruiser route or fishing set up, or multi purpose?

The folks on here will give you/others enough info to build confidence and your boat.

Good luck on your project. Scott

 

[swamphog76]

Re: manatee boat

actually scott i think i'm gonna shoot for a little of both. me and my son plan on doing some serious fishing down here but my wife and daughter have already got grand dreams of cruising the bayous. so i think i'm gonna try to mix a little cruising and a little fisherman. i'm definately gonna be watching close at what your doing to yours. i'm brand new to this and if i can avoid some trials and tribulations that would be fine by me. also, do you know where i can find any information on these manatee boats?

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: manatee boat

also, do you know where i can find any information on these manatee boats?

http://www.iboats.com/Manatee_Boats/bp/20br1272

This might help you out. Fiberglassics.com is usually the best spot for info but I did not see anything on Manatee over there.

 

[HookMaster]

Re: manatee boat

Good luck..........

 

[Damifudo]

Re: manatee boat

Not sure where you live but if you need a engine mount I have one that held my Johnson 150 why I rebuilt my Manatee. Good luck you will be very happy with your project at the end. My 1976 manatee gets alot of attention at the boat ramp. Its a great little all around boat. I have used this one since new. Its on 3rd engine now and going strong.

 

[FFScott6]

Re: manatee boat

I have been searching all over for "Manatee" and the most info I find is related to the animal (that's not a bad thing) except when trying to work on a boat. As owners of these classics and antiques we'll have to be each others best resource. My head is spinning with all the fibreglass repair info I'm having trouble making heads or tail of what I want to do...There are many options. So it seems that personal preference and maybe the public library (or two) will add additional insight. The boat rebuilding forum has a couple of really informative rebuilds (thanks Damifido )and I believe it was Photobucket that turned up another detailed rebuild.

Now if it'll stop snowing every few days I can dig out mine and start planning.....

Stay warm and hopeful for an early spring!!!

 

[tlibbs]

Re: manatee boat

I just picked a 1980 something 19' manatee and am at the same point you were at in your January post. About to separate the top (what ever that is called) from the Hull. The boat was in the exact same condition yours was in. Had to get all the leaves and debris out of it. It literally had tiny little trees growing in it. But I ripped out the carpets and the fiberglass looked good underneath. So my, question, how did the seperation go? Did you learn anything that may be good to pass on? Also, did you end up building a motor stand to hold your engine while you worked? My engine is the same size and I got take that off first. If so, how did you end up putting that together? Did you just use the pic above a reference? Any help you can offer would be great! Thanks!