Newbie Questions About Project Boat

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Wow, great informative post jbcurt. The boat is at my brother's house so I am only able to get to it once a week. As soon as I can I plan to take a bunch of pics and will post them. I'd like to get your guys expert opinion on it so I can check it out completely. Thanks again.

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Walked the deck today and found it to be slightly soft. It would give a little when I put all my weight on one foot, but I am fairly heavy (210) so I am not sure if this is normal or not? I would post some pics, but I am not sure if I should pull the carpet up if this is normal. The carpet was pulled up near the gas tank area and it looks like someone has put a 3' x 5' piece of plywood under the carpet. I have no idea why this would be done other than to provide additional support to a soft area. Under the plywood is rough fiberglass (assuming original deck). You can feel where the plywood terminates near the seats by feeling the carpet. The carpet drops down 3/4" to the original deck and between there and the bow, you can feel the floor slightly give when body weight is put on it. If I want to do any more visual inspection, I now have to take the seats out and start pulling carpet up. I would like to avoid this if it is not necessary which is why I haven't already done so and put pics up. I had planned to pull the gas tank out to clean it but it appears to be molded into the fiberglass floor. The drain plug is obviously low in the hull, so I was wondering how water inside the boat reaches it if it is below the deck? Are there ports that allow water on the deck to flow into the bilge and to the plug?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

I definitely think there's an overlaid deck then.

Yes, there is only 1 reason to overlay a deck. To cover over (hide?) a soft or damaged area of decking.

There is no way to confirm the deck is (or isn't [although unlikely]) soft or damaged w/out pulling the carpet to remove the 3X5 pc of plywood.

I doubt there are drains allowing water ON deck to go BELOW deck and out the bilge drain. Condensation can form below deck, or even water from a very minor leak, having a low bilge drain allows that water a 'chance' to get out when you pull the drain plug once it's back on the trailer.

Your 1980 boat was built after the USCG level flotation requirement, so it's likely got foam below decks. That presents more challenges, and can actually prevent below deck water from reaching the drain plug. Yep, you're right, it doesn't make any sense, but scan the resto threads, lots & lots of similarly constructed hulls.

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

I definitely think there's an overlaid deck then.

Yes, there is only 1 reason to overlay a deck. To cover over (hide?) a soft or damaged area of decking.

There is no way to confirm the deck is (or isn't [although unlikely]) soft or damaged w/out pulling the carpet to remove the 3X5 pc of plywood.

I doubt there are drains allowing water ON deck to go BELOW deck and out the bilge drain. Condensation can form below deck, or even water from a very minor leak, having a low bilge drain allows that water a 'chance' to get out when you pull the drain plug once it's back on the trailer.

Your 1980 boat was built after the USCG level flotation requirement, so it's likely got foam below decks. That presents more challenges, and can actually prevent below deck water from reaching the drain plug. Yep, you're right, it doesn't make any sense, but scan the resto threads, lots & lots of similarly constructed hulls.

Thanks jbcurt, is an overlaid deck a really bad thing to do? How does splash water get out of the boat with the drain plug being below deck?

 

[JNormV163]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Thanks jbcurt, is an overlaid deck a really bad thing to do? How does splash water get out of the boat with the drain plug being below deck?

My splashwell has a hole for drainage itself. Does yours?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Thanks jbcurt, is an overlaid deck a really bad thing to do? How does splash water get out of the boat with the drain plug being below deck?

Overlaid why? That's the real problem.

Why would you ever want to overlay a new deck on top of a 'safe & sound' deck?

If you could see that the below deck structure was safe & sound, and the deck itself was sound, what's the purpose of the overlaid deck.

Would you ever cover 'good' deck fiberglass (the course anti-skid type texture of a fully FINISHED surface) w/ unprotected bare plywood?

You wouldn't....

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

In this pix, you can see 3 drain holes:
1 just above the keel at the bottom of the pix, behind the motor's lower leg: below deck, bilge drain
1 just above the 1st ^^^: deck drain, for water that splashes into the boat or drips off a swimmer
1 just above & to the right of the other 2: splashwell drain, drains water that washes over the transom 'dropping' off plane from WOT or in a following sea.

Bilge drain from below deck needs a drain plug while underway, to be pulled once back on the trailer
Deck drain from 'floor' level needs a drain plug while underway, to be pulled once back on the trailer
Splashwell drain should always remain open, w/out a plug

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Yes, I worded that wrong, sorry. I meant the water that makes it onto the deck by splashing over the side of the boat.

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

That makes sense, thanks for breaking it down. I am curious to see what my boat has when I can get back to it. What's your opinion on deck overlay? Is it possible to replace a deck without taking the cap off?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

That's getting ahead of where you are. The cap question is complicated w/out knowing your boat & how it was constructed.

If you can't get to where you have the boat stored for a few days, spend some time w/ google images looking for a 1980 Beechcraft Tri-hull that looks like yours. You can right mouse click on an online pix & paste it into your post:

Mine looks like this:

And post as many relevant pix as you find.

My Fireflite could have a deck replacement w/out taking the cap off. But I took it off.

Why is for another conversation that you may not yet be prepared to hear.

But you'll get there, and the guys hanging out at the dry dock will help....

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Here is my actual boat:

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

A 1979 for sale on Craig:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

The bow rider area will be difficult (if even possible) to remove & replace the deck, as the benches, consoles & supports are all likely to be integral to the cap:

If you can't get to the boat, and have online access & some time, start reading thru the resto threads & the info found here:
[h=3]Don's How To's and Other Great Information[/h]

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

You are right, that is all part of the cap. I'm thinking the only "easy" deck replacement would stopping at the bow threshold. I think the best course of action would be to determine some how (core test?) if the stringers are rotted. If they are, then I'm assuming that means the cap would definitely have to come off. At that point I would have to strongly consider if I could do that kind of project and if this boat would be worth it. If the stringers were okay, then I would possibly do a deck replacement up to the bow.

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

When I walked around on the boat I was feeling flex on the deck pretty much uniformly. From what I have read, it seems there should be good spots and bad spots if the deck has rotting. This makes me think maybe it is some 1/2" bs that is "springy". Are decks supposed to be completely solid or have a level of give?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Generally flexing uniformly from the overlaid area to the bow?

Perhaps, generally flexing uniformly because ALL the below deck structure is in the same condition NOW that the rear area was when it was overlaid.....

There is absolutely NO way to KNOW remotely via the internet, even w/ pix, and limited text, until you start to pull back the layers of your ONION and post up the pix. Then it's still going to rely heavily on your ability to accurately describe what you're seeing & posting pix of.

I would not be overly optimistic that you'll be 100% satisfied w/ it's condition, & that as is it will be able to safely transport you & yours, once you expose the below deck structure. Hope for the best, plan for the worst..........

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Okay, I guess the next step is to peel some carpet back and cut through the glass to see what's under it.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Start w/ just the carpet pulled up to the backs of the seats, and any plywood you find under it, still going w/ the it's an overlaid deck idea.

Then pix

And as you open up the deck, take LOTS of pix. Even if 'only' cellphone pix. Best you can get. And make sure you can clearly see whatever it is you're taking a pix of (not blurry, mainly) but if its just a bunch of pix of rotten mush, they won't be very helpful when you try to put it back together.

Might even try to shoot a pix w/ a tape measure visible...

Likely to be a big help at put back.

Before you start tearing into the 'real' fiberglass deck below the added plywood. Take some time to read a few resto threads. It'll help you make sense of what you're seeing & how/why it was built the way it was built, and what possibly started the problem that lead you here: water intrusion.

WOG's link below will help you 'see' how it'll go back together when you get into tear down & hit the 'Oh carp, what have I gotten into' wall. Reading other resto threads will help w/ that too...
"Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms"

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

Great info in the thread you linked. I am going to try to go over today and remove one of the seats and take out a 6" x 6" piece of deck under it. I think that will allow me to fully inspect the deck, stringers and foam in that area and facilitate an easy patch if everything is good (fingers crossed). I will post pics when I get to it.

 

[NickMcCabe]

Re: Newbie Questions About Project Boat

While I'm there, I want to check out the transom. I was originally planning to take out the gas tank to clean it but it appears to be recessed in fiberglass such that the top of it is at the same level as the deck. In this scenario, a core test of the transom from inside the boat would have to be at deck level or higher. I assume that would be inconclusive since rotting would have probably happened closer to the bilge. Should I core test from the outside, closer to the keel (below the waterline)?