My first boat. 79 Formula.

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

BTW the boat will get winterized, then the motor will be removed this weekend. No more boating this season.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

BTW the boat will get winterized, then the motor will be removed this weekend. No more boating this season.

Not ideal for finishing the season, but definitely a wise decision. Welcome to the iboats dry dock.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I have friends with boats and if its real hot I have a Sea Doo. So no sense wrecking my boat. I know my motor mounts are good, the floor and stringers are good(new last year), so they only thing i am worried about is the battery boxes next to the engine. I am worried about them because the trim tabs screw in below them and they are sealed. I have a feeling they will get some repairs as well.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

Nice to still have boating options while this ones in dry dock.

Once you get started in demo mode, not to throw gas on a fire, but I'd suggest you spend some time considering the deck & stringer work that was done last year (right?). There should have at least been signs of water intrusion near the keyhole & transom when that work was done. Not doing the transom, when tearing into the deck & stringers, doesn't build confidence in the work and thoroughness of the inspection of the stringers prior to redoing them (??in total or in part??) & the deck (??in total or in part??).

What was & wasn't done during last year's work will hopefully become evident during the demo stages of pulling the motor, outdrive, transom & battery box mounts.

Hope I raised the concern for nothing.

Post up some pix while you're tearing in to it.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

The previous owner was my uncle. He said it had a small soft spot in the floor and he didnt like it. He said he pulled the entire floor off. He checked the stringers. He also glassed both sides of the plywood before putting it down. The engine room is solid also. The motor mounts appear to be 4x4s and are exposed at the front. They are not totally glassed in. They are rock solid. I really think the transom issues come from 47 (counted em) holes in the transom that were not properly sealed. The boat was in such good shape and so solid feeling that I didnt even think the transom could be bad.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I pulled the motor and gimbal housing today. Cut open the transom. It was total mush. I had to cut some of the 4x4s that the motor mounts to and they were soft too. The battery boxes were solid. I have everything sanded with 80 grit. I will prep and start fabbing tomorrow. I will post pics of everything later when I get home. I am glad you guys advised dry dock. I didn't even need tools to pull the wood off, it just fell off.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I pulled the motor and gimbal housing today. Cut open the transom. It was total mush. I had to cut some of the 4x4s that the motor mounts to and they were soft too. The battery boxes were solid. I have everything sanded with 80 grit. I will prep and start fabbing tomorrow. I will post pics of everything later when I get home. I am glad you guys advised dry dock. I didn't even need tools to pull the wood off, it just fell off.

I hate to hear it was that bad. Makes you wonder about the people pounding the heck out of their boats when the boat looks like it may not receive very diligent maintenance. Particularly anything more then 2 or 3 yrs old......

Glad you've gotten started, post up some pix, and carefully examine all the lumber below decks, even if it doesn't have direct contact with the areas that have water damage... It really can travel great distances & start degrading areas that don't seem to make clear connections to the areas that are clearly damaged.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

here are some pics of the work so far. I have checked other areas. The water seemed to be isolated to the center piece of the transom, which is in its own glass, and the motor mounts that had no glass on the ends.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

Well that certainly looks like a hot mess. If the transom ply is confined to just that area you demo'd in pix #4, you probably won't have to hard of a time getting the new transom wood installed & glassed in.

You certainly made quick work of fabbing the gantry & pulling the motor.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I am really good at mechanical things. The glasswork and bodywork are strongly lacking. Making the outside look good will be extremly difficult for me.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I think you should be able to do most of the work from the inside. Try & keep the 'visible work limited to the cracking around the keyhole, and just on the transom. Then maybe you can just paint or gel coat the transom area.

While your in there w/ the motor out, I think you may have said, but check the wood at the ladder attachment too...

Follow a few of the links listed in WoodOnGlass' signature line, they'll be helpful for both the transom work and painting the hull when you're done...

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

the yellow stripe was gelcoated by the keyhole, but for whatever reason the yellow stripe of gelcoat was painted over. Do you think the paint could be sanded off and the gelcoat brought back?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

the yellow stripe was gelcoated by the keyhole, but for whatever reason the yellow stripe of gelcoat was painted over. Do you think the paint could be sanded off and the gelcoat brought back?

Strange, I wonder why if it was yellow, it was painted yellow? If it's in 'good' shape' it certainly could have been an option to cut & buff it back to a nice gelcoat finish. Maybe whoever painted it thought that would be too much work.....

CC254 did an incredible job removing the anti-fouling paint on his hull below the waterline & bringing the gel back to at least as good as it left the factory. All while it was on the trailer, so yeah, I think you could bring the yellow gel back. IF the paint isn't hiding anything... Kind of a big if though.................. You may have to read thru quite a bit of his thread to find it. But there's lots of good stuff in his thread.....

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

I am leaning toward a repaint. I would hate to start at the back perfecting the gel coat only to find that the front is all nasty.

 

[79Formula]

Re: My first boat. 79 Formula.

Hey guys thanks for your input so far. I am just saying that transom was totally shot. Anyways in cleaning it up I noticed the gimbal gousing acted as a cookie cutter against the bottom of the transom. The bottom edge actually cut the transom skin. I would like the patch it i apply wood to prevent any water from penetrating the crack. Would it be ok to grind out the crack from the inside, fill it with the west epoxy i have, then sand it smooth and start my plywood?