Newbie to boats

[kcabbie]

Hi guy's, My name is Kasey. I am 18, finally. And one of the things my father left behind was his boat. Luckily i was able to get my hands on it, and now i'm wanting to restore it. The engine is just rebuilt, so that's good. My main worries are the body. It is a 1977 Cheetah 17 footer ski boat. I think it had great lines,, just an amazing look. Espicially for it's age. Anyways, the fiberglass has some problems. Firstly, and most worrsomly is the back. Where the engine is mounted, there is a large crack. Someone took some 3/8's or quater inch metal and bolted it on the back between the engine and boat. But this is definatly now how i want it to be done. I want it done right.
Any insight? After this i will move to the floor, and some small spots on the hull.
Btw, any names for these part's that i am missusing or just completely not using please let me know. This is my first boat, i have only ridden in one in my life. However, my father has been gone since before my birth, and i want to have what there is left. So i probably have more "want to" that it would seem
Thanks guys!

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Here is a second pic, taken today when it was pulled out of the resting spot.

 

[a1akeywest]

Re: Newbie to boats

the rear part where the engine mounts to is called the transome,,, your best bet is to find a local fiberglass guy to rebuild it for you,,, its a fairly common thing...
he should also be able to take care of the hull for you....

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Newbie to boats

Welcom aboard!!! Very nice looking boat. Take a safe boater course. You'll be really glad you did, and understand why, very shortly after it begins. There's so much you need to know regarding safety on the water, it'll make your head spin. A safe boater course will clear it all up for you and give you the knowledge you need and the confidence to use it.

You mentioned terminology... The back of the boat is the stern. The motor is mounted on the transom; which is where that piece of metal is bolted. The floor of a boat is called the deck. The front is the bow. Left is port, and right is starboard. These are only a few basic terms. You'll learn a lot more as you go.

Tell us about the boat. What are the issues, and post some pictures of the problem areas. You'll get a lot of help.

Set up a signature for yourself. Include your boat info in it. Stick around and not only will you learn a lot; but you'll probably have a really good time here, too.

Again, welcome...

 

[oops!]

Re: Newbie to boats

hi kasey.
welcome to iboats.

ill tell ya ......if ever there was a reason for restoring a boat......that is it.
we can walk you right thru restoring every inch of the boat......from the motor.....to the fiberglass....to the transom...to the upholstery ....to what kind of propeller you shoud have and how fast you can go.

a good place to start is the completed restoration section....just read there.
and there is a link in my signature below that explains everything you will want to know, before.....during and after.

welcome aboard

cheers
oops

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Newbie to boats

Welcome Kasey. That is a sharp boat and a worthwhile project. It has a great motor on it that despite being old, still enjoys excellent parts and service support. Any fiberglass boat left open to the elements for a while, as this one appears to have been, has a very good chance of having rot in the wooden components of the hull. Specifically the transom (back of the boat that holds the motor), stringers (basically floor joists), and deck (floor). Repairing these things is a big job but definitely doable. As mentioned, head on down to the restoration section (and/or the complete projects section) and check out any of the fiberglass boat projects going on right now. They are a wealth of info.

Definitely check out this link http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=413369 If that doesn't get you excited to tear into it, nothing will

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Wow, thanks guys! This seems to be a very welcoming site. I am extremely excited to do the resto. How expencive is all the fiberglass work? If the supplies is not to bad, i would like to give it a go myself. I have just about my whole life experience with carpeting, being a mechanic on small engine and small block chevys.
I will try to get pics asap. I went yesterday to pick the thing up, but the tire was rotted. So i yanked it and friday i'll go pick up a new tire and head back over there. There is a lot of pine needles in the "deck" so it's going to be cleaned real well first.
My plans are somewhat blurry. As i am new to these thing's, and do not really know my options.

Hopefully i will be able to get everything back to almost the way my dad had it. Down to the "97 ROck" Sticker on the back of the boat. I'm not sure the amount of damage to the hull, my mother just said she remembered it having a small leak. I'm thinking i should just do a cover of glass on the entire hull before painting. As you can see it's that candy blue, or sparkly blue. I have a '84 c10 that is midnight blue, i would like to have it match my truck, but with the sparkles.

Thanks for all the recomendations, As money permit's i will surely take one of those course's! I'm hopefully going to be getting in at a plat doing platform welding. This of course will fund the entire resto. I'm hoping to save alot of money by doing the work myself. I know i'm 18, and i'm sure they all say this, but i can do and am more prone to doing more than the average teen. Espicially being the man of the house my whole life lol

Well guys, any more tips, please feel free to let me know! I will get pics of everything as soon as i get it all cleared out and ready to work on. I got the title and paperwork yesterday aswell.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Newbie to boats

Hi Kasey. Don't have anything to add except welcome aboard. Looking forward to watching you grow as a boater. By the time you get your resto done you'll be a full blown expert. Good luck.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Newbie to boats

If you use poly resin and glass the materials should be fairly reasonable. Not cheap, but reasonable.

You don't need to put additional glass on the exterior of the hull unless there's physical damage. Sand, prime, paint.

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Thanks for the good wishes
And will the painting seal up any small leaks? I'm assuming the prime would help more than the actual paint. I know there is a small spot on the front of the hull that need's to be fixed.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Newbie to boats

When you get back out there, take lots of pictures, multiple of each problem area - and we can help address each one. A small spot could be nothing to one person, and could be a giant hole to another person. You're in for a fun time of restoring, then enjoying the boat. iBoats members can help you though that.

 

[wingmastr23]

Re: Newbie to boats

Kasey - welcome to iboats. Let me be crystal clear - this place has some of the most knowledgable boaters/boat repair people on the planet! There are TONS of guys just like you on here that have went from knowing zero about boats to doing a complete boat restore. If you have patience, and time (and a good camera) - the guys on this site will walk you thru every step of the way. It won't always be easy - I guarantee you that it will NOT be.....but at the end, you will have something you will cherish and possibly pass along to your kids.

So cool that you want to restore your dad's boat - I am sure he is looking down with a smile!

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Yeah restoring my fathers past time bike, three wheelers, and now boats, is very fun to me. This is just about the last one i believe.. so i want it to be awesome. All i got for a camera is my cell, but it's a four megapixle so hopefully that will be good enough. Guys, i'm extremely excited to get this boat done. It will definatly be something passed down to my children, along with everything else i have restored.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Newbie to boats

And will the painting seal up any small leaks?

No. If there's hull damage causing leakage, you'll fix that from the inside once you everything stripped out. My bet however, would be that your leaking is due to thing being bolted through a rotting transom. My old boat leaked BIG time before I replaced the transom.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Newbie to boats

Welcome aboard kcabbie

I agree with oops, if there were ever a boat worthy of a full-on restore this is it.

I've been working on a 12' tin can I inherited from my grandpa and I will never sell it.

It sure sounds like you have a great attitude, a willingness to work...that will serve you well in this project and in life in general. Many kids your age are severely lacking your outlook sadly.

Check out some fiberglass restos and you will get caught up on all the techniques. There are many folks on the site who work wonders with 'glass to learn from.

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

I will definatly look up the how to glass and such. I have zero knowledge in that field right now but I know i will learn. So is replacing the stern such a big thing? I'm assuming that it is a peice of plywood covered in fiberglass? It looks i may be picking the boat tomorrow! Pretty excited. It's like the time i got my first four wheeler. I got butterflys lol

Is it worth it just to do atleast an extra coat of fiberglass on the inside of the hull? Seeing as i'll already be in there. Also, when looking at the boat, it appears the fiberglass is "woven" like a wool sweater. Is this going to be some kind of special way to apply the glass?

Thanks for the welcomes and compliments guys. Hopefully if some of you live near me, I can get to meet up with yall on the same lake whenever i take it out for the first time. I have noone to teach me how to drive the boat for a wake board, or ski's. That is assuming you need to handle the boat in a certian way.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Newbie to boats

You pretty much have the gist. Start reading this thread here at page 4 http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=442612&page=4 These guys are high schoolers and are doing a great job on a restore similar to what you're most likely going to be tackling.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Newbie to boats

Welcome aboard! You do have the right motivation to do this and as all others have already stated, you sre not going to find any better help and free advise than you'll find here. Besides, this is one of the friendliest forums I have ever found!

Best of luck on your new endeavor. Looks like it will be a fine ride.

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Thanks for the link! Very cool read. And i think it answered my question to the "woven" look on the boat. It appears you lay down some type of paper to increase strength? It makes sense atleast.
And bonz, i know! I'm on a few different boards and this one is BY FAR the most friendly. Such nice people, I look forward to getting everyones input on the decisions I will have to make here in the future.
Okay, one possibly impossible question. Any idea on the max cost? Just parts and supplies of course. No labor.
I'm thinking that i'm going to need to redo the transom, some small dings on the hull, and the floor. All will be done with treated wood of course. Unless there is something otherwise suggested? Maybe some aluminum 2x4 saped tube? I remember using some on a roofing project of a car port. It would seem this would last forever, while still being light and strong. Thoughts?

 

[kcabbie]

Re: Newbie to boats

Okay, so i found my answer for sure. And i believe i got a much better understading of glassing. The fiberglass comes in sheets, and you use your choice of resin to apply the sheet of fiber glass creating the finished product? It would seem that the "woven" pattern is "C" Lightweight Boat Cloth.
But in the link it quickly jumps from $10 a roll to over $600 a roll. Which will i need?
http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=81&