My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

[bigblock81]

Hello to all here at iboats! I have been reading on this site for a while now, and feel it is time to finally get started with a thread of my project boat. This is a great site, and am glad so many of you share your knowledge with others!

I am an auto body tech at a dealership, so I have worked with everything but wood. My fiber glassing skills are entry level at best, but am very confident I can perfect them with practice.

I have inherited an 81 or 82, Galaxy boat. Gotta look at the paperwork. It has the 140hp Mercruizer 3.0 4 banger. When I got it home, it leaked water out of the back for over 3 weeks, and I knew it was bad. The PO told me it ran like a dream but seemed sluggish, like it was heavy. Um, yeah, it was VERY heavy. I have taken everything out, including separating the top cap. I have cut off the deck, transom inner cap, and all three stringers. I also removed the 300 pounds of foam (water, water, and more water.) It seems lighter now, lol. As soon as I figure out how to use this forum better I will put up pics.

I feel like so many of my questions have already been answered in other posts, and hopefully I don't ask too many redundant ones.

One question I have is when grinding off the layers of glass mat, is it common practice to remove all of it down to the hull itself? Also, when stringers are over 8 feet long (mine are 9 and some change) how are they to be cut? As in using 4 x 8 plywood, are they cut to 5 ft and 4 ft and installed butting up to one another or use 8 ft and cut and place in 1 ft?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

No don't sand 'thru' to the gelcoat. Just to good, well laminated glass.

Use 3/8" or 1/2" ply & stagger the seams & glue lam 2 pcs together to get a 9'X 3/4" or 1" stringer. Use TitBond3, Gorilla glue or similar waterproof glue.

Welcome to iboats dry dock

 

[rickryder]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

Welcome to the dry dock! First thing I would do is brace up your hull to keep it from sagging or flexing out of shape....just sitting on a trailer is not adequate. You will need to measure your gunnels and make sure they line up with the measurements of your cap. Better yet put the cap back on....build a cradle or brace the hull..... still take measurements every foot or so across the beam (width) of the boat and save them for future reference.

Read plenty of other resto threads so you will gather tips on your project. The stickies at the beginning of the reso forum are a huge wealth of information

To answer your question on longer stringers....They have 4'x10' sheets of 3/4'' plywood if you need 9'....if you needed longer use 1/2'' plywood 4'x10' sheets and make rips a little taller then the tallest part of your existing stringers. Over lap the rips in a staggered pattern 5' 10' 5' then 10' 5' 10' glued together with titebond 3 wood glue.....clamp together and let dry.....now you have a 1'' x 20' x your height stringer to work with. If you need a thicker stringer use 5/8'' or 3/4'' you get the idea....you can make them as long as you want

 

[zool]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

Just grind it down till it starts to turn pink, then you're at glass..

as for stringers, the factory justs scabs them butted, but if building a whole new boat length sringer, then lapping like jb says would be the best method.

 

[bigblock81]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

Thanks for the replies. That is what I will do. I am going to call a couple small lumber yards that sell marine grade ply today, hopefully I can get there after work (should have taken the day off, needed a 4 day weekend!)

I will read more on bracing the hull, it "seems" like it doesn't move much on the trailer, but I believe over time it very well can flex in our 90 to 100 degree heat.

 

[bigblock81]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

I got busy this morning and afternoon grinding on the hull. It looks like I need to take it all out in the center of the boat everywhere. Water has leeched under the glass in many places and is trapped between the hull glass and the csm, or chopped glass that was half-a** layed down. Most of the boat seems to have large air bubbles where it bulges off the hull.

I went to harbor freight and found this. 24 grit carbide cup wheel.

4-1/2" Carbide Cup Wheel

I was able to grind nonstop for 5 hours, and it is still like brand new! I bought 2 of them since I didnt know how long it would last. It fits right on there 4 1/2" grinder. I got the entire left side very close to being ready, and most of the transom as well. It is still like new.:joyous:

Have you guys ticked off your neighbors with grinding? I know I did. They were having a party across the street as I was grinding friday night. I guess they should have invited me, lol!! They threw a BIG firecracker in my yard at around 10 o clock, I stopped, looked around, and got back grinding till 11. Today, I was invited to dinner at 4, lol. His party was continuing tonight, so I am waiting until 5 or 6 in the morning, just to make them mad again. (We aren't very neighborly, long story.)

I also found the paperwork on the boat, it is an 1980 17 ft Galaxy, so I was a little off.

 

[rickryder]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

Make sure you wear all of the safety gear when grinding that glass....real bad if you get it in your lungs...

 

[bigblock81]

Re: My newest project, 18 ft Galaxy overhaul

I wear all safety gear. Suit, gloves, 3m mask with p100 filters, goggles with taped up holes, and ear plugs.