my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

[mwe-maxxowner]

So, long story short, I'm 23 years old. Stuck with a house payment, truck payment, camper payment, and a divorce along with a few other odds and ends to pay for allll on my own. About a year ago I discovered knee and wake boarding and got a hankering for a boat of my own. But there is little extra money for a boat. I work weekends so when my family and friends go, I can't :/.

I ran across a 1984 Dixie 19' 'ski boat' ( open bow runabout) right before Christmas for 1500$. It was in loads better shape than anything else I'd looked at. Has a mercury black Max xr2 150 and it runs like a scalded dog.

Has the typical cheap boat problems. Left uncovered, dirty/ black spots, soft floor, tattered seats, but I could work with what I had. I want to build a thread about the work I've done, and get opinions on what I have left to do. Overall, am quite happy with my purchase.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

First off, some pics of what I started with.

I can't tell with the image codes which pics are which, but these show you the carpet ripping up, the poor condition of the seats, and there is some discoloration and some screw holes along the inside where some type of trim piece once was.

It is hard to see, but the gelcoat is also very dirty. Black mildew spots everywhere and its all dull and oxidized.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I'm creating this thread with my Droid so bear with me. In this picture below you can see the screw holes and some of the discoloration where some trim used to be. Still haven't, and still not sure how, fixed it. I have several ideas in my head.

And here is a picture after washing off at the caraway. Nothing fancy yet.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

First order of business...new seats! I traded a generator for them I got for free and never used...

And the old seats...

The old seats dumped people in the floor when I took off hard. New ones open up properly...only when you want them to!

Next up was removing the old rotten floor. One hard misstep would have put you standing on foam.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

All braced up and ready for decking. I screwed treated 2x2 boards to the fiberglass partitions between the foam and the fuel tank to attach my boards that support the floor.

You might wonder what catches the boards on the outside, but the fiberglass lips down at the bottom about 3/4 of and inch and is flush with the boards that will support my deck.

First piece

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I chose to use these trex decking boards because they do not rot, were free, and look sharp. I work part time with a commercial landscaping crew, and we remove leftover building materials when we come in to landscape. Mattamy homes is very wasteful, which works out well for our crew lol.

Did not know until after the floor about waterlogged foam, but there are drain holes into the bilge from the foam and tank sections of the boat. I keep it covered under a carport, and always leave the nose elevated with plug out. So I don't think it will be a problem.

The boards still needed cleaning at this point, which I worked on some today.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

Uh... you do realize you could be burned at the stake for posting a glass boat deck job like that on this forum, right?

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

Don't see why. Its my boat, and it has turned out nicely on a tight budget. And I wont have to worry with it rotting again.

I don't want more carpet in it either. This is easy to clean, I can do jumping jacks and it doesn't move, and it has cost me very little.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I'm not sure yet what to do with this triangular piece. There is one on the other side as well. I was thinking rebuild it out of some sort of stained or clearcoated wood. Thought cedar might look nice. I could do those and trim out the insides with the same wood.

Here you see where a piece of trim used to be. I still haven't done anything to it, not sure what I want to do.

I considered a piece of stained maple or oak, 1x4" is just about the right size to cover those sections. Or a piece of cleared cedar. I have also considered just painting it? If the discoloration wasn't so bad it might look alright like it is. If I went the wood route I could make it and the piece I showed above out of the same and make it look like one. I worked in a custom cabinet shop for several years, so I really like wood .

 

[jigngrub]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

Don't see why. Its my boat

It is your boat, and you can do whatever you want to it... but what you've done is considered a "Band-aid" fix and it'll last for a little while but will end up causing you more problems down the road.

You'll see.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I wish you would specify, and give me more reason. I know the treated wood will not last nearly as long as the glassed plywood will, but I believe it will last a long time. And this is not difficult to take back up. And the fiberglassed plywood didn't last forever. If I find reason enough to undo it, I can unscrew and remove it all in a few hours. But you'll see doesn't give me much to go on :/.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

Did some scrubbing today with some attwood products. It wont look new, but some of the shine will be back when I'm done polishing.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I have a few questions, since the roast has already started lol. I forsee two potential problems. If I own the boat long enough, and the motor holds up, eventually, the treated braces under the floor will rot. I could just replace them when and if, but I don't wanna do that every few years.

Secondly, is waterlogged foam. I knew nothing about this when I did the floor. A glass plywood floor in good shape will keep water away from the foam, but I didn't know that. But, the floor in my boat hadn't held water out in years. There are drain holes into the bilge from under the foam and from the gas tank section. As long as it doesn't sit outside exposed to rainwater constantly, and I leave the plug out, should I not be fine? If I'd known anything I would have removed the foam while I was at it, and replaced it with something. I've seen a few potential foam replacement ideas around the forums lately.

I want to know any and all ideas as to what potential problems may lie ahead related to the floor I put in. But please, no nasty comments. All CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is highly appreciated. This is a 1500$ boat. It is what it is, and unfortunately my budget is what it is. What options are there for doing a proper floor without carpet?

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

constructive criticism...
i understand what and why you did a fix like this....BUT....your boat could actually still be in a very dangerous condition.
first, lets talk about rot..
boats tend to rot from the bottom up and from the back to the front...
if your deck was rotten and soft, 90% of the times the stringers are rotten to...any many times the transom is gone as well.
the stringers are the main frame of the boat (similar to the frame on a car) if they are rotten then they NEED to be replaced.
the foam also provides some structural integrity...if it is saturated, it means the cells are breaking down and soaking up water. this in turns ads weight to to boat and also compromises hull integrity.
as we move back further in the boat, the transom becomes suspect...best way to check the transom is to drill some inspection holes in the transom from the inside of the boat...DON'T drill all the way through...inspect the shavings for signs of wetness or dark wood...if either are found in the transom, then it needs to be replaced as well...

i know this isn't very good news, but here, safety is #1.
there are numerous horror stories of repairs that are more like "band-aid" fixes, as they are commonly called here, and that have had catastrophic events out on the water...hulls splitting in half from hitting a hard wake, outboards and outdrives ripping complete transoms off the back of the boat during hard turning or hard acceleration.

from your pictures, it definitely looks like it needs a complete structural rebuild, which is not a difficult task...just time and $$...but can be done a little at a time...and we can help you along the way.

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

another simple check you can do to get and idea of the condition of the sub structure is you windshield....check and see if the center window opens and closes with hitting or rubbing anything...and the gap when closed is even...
if it hits or rubs without having to lift up on the rest of the windshield, or forcing it, then thats a strong sign that something is going on down below

 

[jigngrub]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

What DJ said ^^^^^^^

With that strong motor and especially because you're going to be pulling wake and knee boards, you want your boat to be in top structural shape... and it is not.

Except for the pressure treated wood, your deck rebuild would be fine in an aluminum boat... but that's not how you fix fiberglass boats.

The deck of a fiberglass boat is much more than something to walk on, it is a structural member of your boat. It is a diaphragm that holds the whole boat together, like the solar plexus in your chest.

The fiberglassed deck ties the hull side walls into the deck by what is known as tabbing, this ties everything together and strengthens your hull, without it your hull is weakened and will crack and leak eventually.

As DJ said:
When restoring a fiberglass boat, you start from the bottom up and the back forward checking for leaks, waterlogged foam, and most importantly rot.

Since you're going to be pulling boards you need to pay special attention to your transom and stringers or you'll end up pulling your transom off one day. This may sound ridiculous to you, but it is quite common with fiberglass boats in disrepair.

Start reading the fiberglass boat restoration threads in this forum, a good place to start is with the "stickies" at the top of the page. You'll see what you did wrong and what you need to do to correct it.

 

[500dollar744ti]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I want to know any and all ideas as to what potential problems may lie ahead related to the floor I put in. But please, no nasty comments. All CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is highly appreciated. This is a 1500$ boat. It is what it is, and unfortunately my budget is what it is. What options are there for doing a proper floor without carpet?

i think you did a good job based on your budget and skill set. you have to start somewhere and this is where you're starting. people have to remember this isn't a $60k boat you expect to last for 20 years. my guess is that you just bought it to tinker, play around with and have some fun for a couple years.

every forum i've been on has been full of critics, benchracers and naysayers. this one will likely be no different. you have to learn who has "been there done that" and who is just talking based on what they have heard others say.

i've been around boats for a long time but i've only recently purchased my first. i bought a 22' Cobia for $2800. i went and jumped around the floors and they are sturdy, the carpet was torn in one spot and under it i saw clean, blonde glassed wood. is there rot somewhere? probably.

it has some maintenance issues, but is it going to last a few years? yeah. is it going to last 20 years? probably not. i will certainly enjoy it while i have it and the worst that can happen is i'll loose all the money i have invested which isn't much. i wouldn't consider the time i have in the boat to be a loss even if sinks because it will have been worth the learning experience so i can put my lessons learned and skills acquired into the next boat.

i do a lot of racing and modifying engines, if i listened to everything people told me on the internet, my car would not be near as fast as it is. people always are saying you can't do this, that won't fit, that's not made for this. i do it anyway and when it works 10x better than anyone ever expected they end up just keeping their mouth shut.

i was told years ago i couldn't fix my Jeep that melted a piston by honing away the aluminum deposits, replacing one piston and doing a set of rod bearings. everyone told me how that motor is toast and you should just do it right and get a new motor and blah blah blah. i didn't have much money at the time so i did the "band-aid" fix. well, that was 10 years ago, i've since sold the Jeep and the guy who bought it is still driving it to this day. that's damn strong "band-aid" if you ask me.

forum naysayers always need to be taken with a grain of salt, some people have nothing better to do but criticize other peoples work, yet in the same situation, they wouldn't be able to do any better.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

forum naysayers always need to be taken with a grain of salt, some people have nothing better to do but criticize other peoples work, yet in the same situation, they wouldn't be able to do any better.

... and the unknowing need to open their eyes and look around, then they will see that some of the naysayers are really trying to help and not trying to hinder.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

I see. I will certainly check my transom soon. Sounds like more winter projects haha. Gotta stay busy! I plan to add a wake tower this winter, and ha e a camper I'm trying to sell for "boat betterment".

Are 'stringers' those 'walls' (for lack of a better word) that run along the boat beside my gas tank? Sorta like a backbone. The windshield actually lines up pretty well. The foam on top seemed fine, but I'm sure that starts from the bottom. Should I remove a few boards and did a small hole to the bottom of the foam and investigate all of it? I've read of replacing the foam with pool noodles, bottles, and insulation.

I really, really dread the thought of working with fiberglass, but I figure this boat is worth putting a little more moneys into than I have so far. In order to replace the transom, cut out the part of it that is wood, gelcoat and all? Then replace with a new fiberglassed piece?

Almost sounds like I need to start looking for a boat with a blown motor for cheeap. Then I have one cylinder low on compression. Planned to rebuild it myself, before finding this out haha. Maybe sell it all next season and wait for a few payments to disappear and try again.

 

[500dollar744ti]

Re: my minor boat restoration...first boat on a budget! 84 dixie ski 19' runabout

... and the unknowing need to open their eyes and look around, then they will see that some of the naysayers are really trying to help and not trying to hinder.

this is true, that's why i say with a grain of salt. if/when it doesn't work out for him, he will take it apart and do it better, i have faith.

then he will say, "man that jigngrub guy was right, next time i'm going to pay more attention to what he has to say."

you live and learn, the OP will be okay. sometimes us hard headed folk gotta try it our way before we realize doing it the right way would have been better.

can you say that you have never done something sub-par and had to do it over again? life is all about that learning experience.