Noob - Project on my hands

[I'm on a Boat]

Hi everyone, I'm Nate, 25 from Ontario Canada. This is my first boat, a 13' fiberglass with 1966 Chrysler 50HP O/B. I've been cruising the forum for a few days and it seems like a great place, have already learned a lot.

This boat needs a lot of work. Some may say it's not worth it. It's probably not. I got the boat motor and trailer for $150 though. And I enjoy projects to keep me busy. I haven't done much fiberglass but I'm pretty handy (finish carpenter by trade) and enjoy 'projects' and fixing things.

So I put the boat in the water once and it doesn't seem to have any leaks. The motor starts and runs great. But it needs a new deck and probably new transom (it's still fairly solid, but I believe it's got some rot in it, at least near the top. Today I ripped out most of the deck in it. Somebody had covered the original rotted deck with a layer of tar paper (lol) and 1/4" plywood, not sealed or painted or anything, then carpet.

Anyway I'll post pics of where it's at. Next will be to finish removing the deck, replace the single stringer, replace transom and build new deck. Probably go with paint instead of carpet as the old carpet was musty and gross. This boat will be set up for fishing. After restructuring is completed the hull and cap will receive filler (lots of screwholes in the cap) get sanded and painted (probably just Tremclad - Rustoleum in US).

Any comments and concerns are welcome.. I know the boat is a pile and probably not worth it.. but I want to learn how to do this anyway. I'll probably have lots of questions but I do know how to use the 'search' feature as well. Haha.

When I got it

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1410.jpg

Now

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1413.jpg

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1415.jpg

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1417.jpg

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1419.jpg

http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii430/NATEFX407/Boat/Picture1420.jpg

Sorry if my pics are too big.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Welcome to iboats.

Yes resize your photos to 640 x 480 instructions here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=285637

Hey you are okay.... we have had worse boats here

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Welcome to Iboats, it doesn't look that bad at all. If you are a carpenter, this will be an easy project for you. Fiberglass is pretty easy, just get ready to itch a little!

 

[~ߺbb?~]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

EH fellow Canadian seems we got the same kinda boat deal wanted to say thanks for clearing up something, I was wondering what rustolium is, I myself think I am going to go with armourcoat suppose to be verry decent quicker drying time then tremvclad I was told.

 

[I'm on a Boat]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Thanks guys. Yeah I took out the rest of the floor this afternoon and did most of the grinding and now i'm pretty itchy.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

just a tip, take a cold shower...or at least the first part of it cold....if you take a hot shower while the glass is still on you, your pours open up and the glass works its way in....thus more itching. If you take a cold one (long enough to get the glass off) less of the glass will get in the pores, and less itching! How about a couple of pics? I'd like to see the progress!

 

[I'm on a Boat]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Thanks archbuilder. I used to have cold showers after working with fiberglass insulation but forgot I guess and had a hot one yesterday. Definitely a cold one tonight!

Ok so I have a few more pics and a few questions. First, the stringer extends beyond and below this compartment as seen here:

What is this compartment for? My guess is to prevent the boat from filling with water if I run the bow into a rock? I don't really want to cut it out, and assuming the stringer is solid up there, is it ok to scarf joint the stringer aft of this compartment and leave that part alone?

Next, as seen in this picture,

I suppose I'm going to have to cut that out anyway to remove the transom, but what I'm wondering is the space underneath the deck had no way to drain into this bilge area. Is this a proper setup or can I do it better?

Finally, to remove the transom, I guess I just cut out the inner skin (after removing the cap), does anybody have any tips for cutting the inner skin flush with the side of the boat without damaging the side of the boat? Or should I just not worry about it, hack it out and just fix it all later.

Sorry for all the questions. I've been reading as many of the restore threads as I can and they're great but it's a lot of reading.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

First are you planning on going with a plywood transom or a composite like seacast? If you are going the plywood route I would pop the cap, then take out the inner skin as required. If you are going the composite route you will want to leave the inner skin in place if you can. If you pop the cap you will find out what is up front. Where is the gas tank? I have seen a few setups where the tank is in that area up front. I suppose you could scarf the stringer, but if you are going through all this work, why not take an extra day or so and replace all of it? Just my opinion, and I have seen other people on here scarf them, but I'm not sure how well it worked.

As for the drain for the area under the deck, that is the million dollar question....and you will get about a million very passionate responses! There are two schools of thought, the first is fill it with foam and seal it up. That is what I did, but you have to be extremely careful not to give the water a way in....no holes. All the seats and other deck attachments to the deck will be epoxied into place, NO screws into the deck. Mine is a weekend trailered boat, so I'm gambling that I have it sealed up and won't get water down there.

The other school is it will have water no mater what (which is true, depending on how long it takes to get there and how you use the boat). They typically avoid the foam and provide good drainage. Some of them use pool noodles for floatation....I don't know much about that so I will let someone else comment.

No matter what you do, any wood will eventually rot....you just need to look at how you are going to use the boat and figure out which way is best for you.

One other note...can't remember if I mentioned it. If you are using poly, make sure you understand the difference between waxed and unwaxed resin. Most resin available at hardware stores is waxed, which requires sanding between coats. I prefer unwaxed which does not require the prep work. Fiberglasssite.com has a nice PDF file that talks about how to use the two. I would recommend reading it, there is a lot of good information there.

http://www.fiberglasssite.com/servlet/the-68/Fiberglass-Information%2C-and-How/Detail

Hope that helps, good luck!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

You should read Archbuilders thread. He gives great info and his boat is similiar to shape and style as yours. And especially listen about washing out the glass from your skin. Or you will end up looking like Arch. (sorry arch)

 

[I'm on a Boat]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Thanks for the link archbuilder, that site is great!! I checked out your project thread too and that is one sweet-looking boat.

I'm planning on using plywood for the transom. 2 layers of 5/8" PL'd together and then glassed. (The existing transom is 1 1/4".) I've picked up 2 sheets of exterior 5/8", one for the transom and one for the deck. I should have enough left from the transom piece to finish the little piece of deck that one 4x8 won't cover. I have a gallon of PL that I got for free that I was going to use for the transom, but I looked at it today and realized that it's PL 200, and I don't know if it's waterproof, it says 'weather resistant.' So I'll probably buy some premium or whatever the waterproof stuff is because I don't want to risk it delaminating.

I got the transom out last night. It wasn't really too hard. I think it's been replaced before and wasn't completely bonded in very well. I'm tired tonight because I was working on the transom until 11:30 last night and then up at 5 for work.

Anyway here are a couple of progress pics! Second last pic is the transom mostly taken out, I've since scraped it down some more. And last pic is the cap hanging from the rafters because I don't have any other place to put it! Oh and the third pic shows that compartment up front better, it's only about a foot high, and very thin glass, I'm thinking it's just to help rigidify the hull. Anyway it's staying in there, only the back third of the stringer is bad.

Thanks for your advice guys!

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

I'm on a Boat,
Welcome to Iboats.
You pic's remind me of micks110 rebuild. same color and the cap in the rafters.
Looks like you have been making some great progress.
Keep the pic's coming.
Bob

 

[archbuilder]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Thanks, I'm looking forward to winding up my project and enjoying her! I'm glad the site was helpful. Bob is right, your project is similar to Micks. He has a nice thread you might want to take a look at. Looks like you are moving along nicely! Keep us posted!

 

[I'm on a Boat]

Re: Noob - Project on my hands

Well, I haven't gotten a whole lot done on the hull, as I'm waiting for the funds to get all my fiberglass supplies. But I have wire brushed and painted the trailer and it looks 100 times better. On the weekend I built a stand for the outboard, ran some stabilized gas through it and fogged it. I've also cut out the new transom and PLd the two layers together. Now I have to get some resin and stuff.