PlayDoh’s 16 SS resto underway

[PlayD0h]

Here’s some pics of the trailer. You can see the damage and how it’s fractured. The trailers upside down in the pic and it looks like something, likely a boat / my boat smashed on top of this area.
I have the angle supports half welded up, and I’m 100% confident this will make it 100 times stronger than it was.
I got the steel at the local farm store who keeps their steel outside under the stars so it can rust away, smh.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

That frame came apart because it is all light channel construction. Constant twisting and flexing, which channel frames do is what tore this one apart. It looks home built? The double flanged sleeper channels look very light and do nothing to stiffen that trailer.

My suggestion would be to find a square tube frame trailer (galvanized if possible) and move this one along. Or box all the channel with flat bar

 

[Decker83]

The paint job looks great.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Bad pics but I had to peek last night. She’s starting to look like a boat again, lol. Gunnels are 90% done, which was way more work than I expected. I wish I would have just left them on and just swapped the pieces one at a time.
Im not looking forward to putting the rub rail back in. I used a heat gun to get it out. I wonder if they installed it by sliding it in from the end?

That looks great!

 

[PlayD0h]

That frame came apart because it is all light channel construction. Constant twisting and flexing, which channel frames do is what tore this one apart. It looks home built? The double flanged sleeper channels look very light and do nothing to stiffen that trailer.

My suggestion would be to find a square tube frame trailer (galvanized if possible) and move this one along. Or box all the channel with flat bar

You sound like you know what your talking about, and I’ll keep an eye out for a trailer. Boats out here are too few for the demand, so they all get overpriced. Unless there near worthless. Finding a good used boat trailer would be a miracle.

I’ll box up the channel for now. I don’t think it’s homebuilt, there were some stickers under the paint that looked factory issue. I only seen them for a few seconds before the sandblasted made them vanish, lol.

Ive used it for around 7 years, and the PO used it for around the same, so I can have faith it’ll make due for a year or so.

Maybe I’ll look out east for a trailer and kill two birds with one stone with some bass fishin. And a few Muskies of course.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

R

You sound like you know what your talking about, and I’ll keep an eye out for a trailer. Boats out here are too few for the demand, so they all get overpriced. Unless there near worthless. Finding a good used boat trailer would be a miracle.

I’ll box up the channel for now. I don’t think it’s homebuilt, there were some stickers under the paint that looked factory issue. I only seen them for a few seconds before the sandblasted made them vanish, lol.

Ive used it for around 7 years, and the PO used it for around the same, so I can have faith it’ll make due for a year or so.

Maybe I’ll look out east for a trailer and kill two birds with one stone with some bass fishin. And a few Muskies of course.

I’m no pro but I do have a fair bit of experience in metal fabrication. Looking at the pix again but this time on my laptop, it is definitely a Mfg. Trailer. But very lightly built. It could be that the PO(s) could have taken this trailer over a lot of punishing roads with a heavy boat. Had the trailer been made to flex, it wouldn’t have torn apart. I have a smaller 1970’s channel trailer in good shape. And a 80’s tube trailer. The tube steel trailer is assembled with U bolts allowing it to flex. (Also why steel building connections are all bolted, not welded)

boxing your trailer channels will help, but I suggest you strategically plan your joints at crossmembers. (Stiffening areas could mean more stresses at joints)

 

[PlayD0h]

I knew I’d have to deal with things like this with a 5/8” deck vs 1/2”, but I didn’t think it would be this extreme. I’m not sure I can just move the connection at the gunnels up, since the windshield would likely be off. I could take out the rivets on the other side, and shave down the vertical sheet a bit.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Don’t forget that the dash arches up on a radius. I can’t imagine 1/8” difference will affect things that badly
see pic of mine Note that the OSB sheet is just an temp overlay because my floor is rotten. I botched the OSB around everything, so my helm/dash/windshield is in the original factory location. Let me know if I can help with dimensions

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Forgot to upload the photo

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Hard to hold a tape AND capture what my eye sees. I’m getting about 2-3/16” drop from peak of the dash to the trim along the gunnel

 

[PlayD0h]

Hard to hold a tape AND capture what my eye sees. I’m getting about 2-3/16” drop from peak of the dash to the trim along the gunnel

Damn bro, you da man. Thank you very much. It’s sad how I barely remember what she looks like all together. Feels like it’s been a year or more.
You just saved me time humming and hawing at what I should do, lol. I’m camping in 7 days so right or wrong I’ll have to slap it all together. So far so good. I have the splashwell ready to rivet up. Transom top cap screwed in ( replaced the nails with SS screws #6 3/4”).
Oddly there’s like an 1/8” gap at the top. I wanted to fit a sheet of aluminum on there anyways, as I didn’t like the naked wood. I’ll have to replace my poly drains I just installed, but no biggie.
I’m going to use exterior caulking on the SW seams. Might switch to 5200/4200 when my SW redesign is finished.
I hate the idea of screwing the consoles and now seat / deck support down into the deck, but I guess there’s no realistic other option.
I showed the wife the boat and her first words were ‘police boat’. I’m hoping the decals and such will break it up. It might be funny if I pull up to a spot and see guys stashing beers, lol. Maybe I’ll dress like a fish cop and prank some people

Thanks again ShoeString

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Damn bro, you da man. Thank you very much. It’s sad how I barely remember what she looks like all together. Feels like it’s been a year or more.
You just saved me time humming and hawing at what I should do, lol. I’m camping in 7 days so right or wrong I’ll have to slap it all together. So far so good. I have the splashwell ready to rivet up. Transom top cap screwed in ( replaced the nails with SS screws #6 3/4”).
Oddly there’s like an 1/8” gap at the top. I wanted to fit a sheet of aluminum on there anyways, as I didn’t like the naked wood. I’ll have to replace my poly drains I just installed, but no biggie.
I’m going to use exterior caulking on the SW seams. Might switch to 5200/4200 when my SW redesign is finished.
I hate the idea of screwing the consoles and now seat / deck support down into the deck, but I guess there’s no realistic other option.
I showed the wife the boat and her first words were ‘police boat’. I’m hoping the decals and such will break it up. It might be funny if I pull up to a spot and see guys stashing beers, lol. Maybe I’ll dress like a fish cop and prank some people

Thanks again ShoeString

Anytime. and in Ontario, the OPP are in black and whites.

Wheres the camping trip?

 

[PlayD0h]

Anytime. and in Ontario, the OPP are in black and whites.

Wheres the camping trip?

Pigeon Lake AB, about an hour south of Edmonton. It’s chalk full of walleye that are easy to catch. Great for kids and for making up for all the tough days.

Theres a steep shelf that they stack up on and it looks like a marina above. Long weekends you could almost walk to shore stepping from boat to boat.

They teach the wrong things in the pleasure craft license, cause Ive seen so many people who don’t even know how to anchor a boat. I let a guy know he wasn’t anchored last year (anchor line hanging straight down), and he tried to tell me he was anchored as he drifted past me, lol. I keep my head on a swivel there, and I had already moved out of his way thankfully.

Funny but sad story, last year on another lake I seen a group of boats fishing. It was slow where I was so I headed over. Dropped the trolling motor, got the kids and wife rigged up and started trolling. I then noticed all these boats were fish cops, police and search and rescue. Yet they all had fishing rods and were fishing. I was only there a few mins when I asked a fish cop if they were catching. He told me, mindful of my kids, that they weren’t fishing for fish and suggested I move along before one of us caught something we wouldn’t want to reel in. Some poor teenager drowned trying to save his dinghy from being blown away. I felt like such an idiot.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Pigeon Lake AB, about an hour south of Edmonton. It’s chalk full of walleye that are easy to catch. Great for kids and for making up for all the tough days.

Theres a steep shelf that they stack up on and it looks like a marina above. Long weekends you could almost walk to shore stepping from boat to boat.

They teach the wrong things in the pleasure craft license, cause Ive seen so many people who don’t even know how to anchor a boat. I let a guy know he wasn’t anchored last year (anchor line hanging straight down), and he tried to tell me he was anchored as he drifted past me, lol. I keep my head on a swivel there, and I had already moved out of his way thankfully.

Funny but sad story, last year on another lake I seen a group of boats fishing. It was slow where I was so I headed over. Dropped the trolling motor, got the kids and wife rigged up and started trolling. I then noticed all these boats were fish cops, police and search and rescue. Yet they all had fishing rods and were fishing. I was only there a few mins when I asked a fish cop if they were catching. He told me, mindful of my kids, that they weren’t fishing for fish and suggested I move along before one of us caught something we wouldn’t want to reel in. Some poor teenager drowned trying to save his dinghy from being blown away. I felt like such an idiot.

That’s awful. I’ve seen a few search and rescues, though the teams here have divers. What a downer

i hope your trip is a good and safe one

 

[Decker83]

This is just a thought. You may want to try and align your windshield before you screw down your consoles.

 

[PlayD0h]

This is just a thought. You may want to try and align your windshield before you screw down your consoles.

Thanks. I was actually smart enough to consider that. That and the bow seat support piece lined up before a single screw is put in my deck. I’m not sure I’ll commit to all the screws it originally had for now.
Im undecided if I’m going to raise the bow / casting deck starting at the consoles or have it U shaped allowing you to stand between the consoles. In rough water, standing there helps.
I will either put the rod locker under the bow deck if I bring it back to the consoles, or I might put 2 lockers along the sides. I was looking at the styrofoam pieces that go above the deck, and I think I’m not going to put any of it back in. I don’t even understand why they put some under the gunnels. If you need buoyancy there, then your already sunk.
I fit the rub rail strips back in, and the bow bumper cap. If anyone else is dumb enough to remove them like me, or you need to replace them, they do slide in. I had a couple small dents in the channel that pinched the strips. Which is why they wouldn’t slide out for me. I fixed the dent by using a flat head and pliers to open the slot it slides through. Add some WD-40 to the strips with a cloth, or whatever lube you want, so they go in easier.
I also cut 4 pieces of 2x6 at 11” and screwed 2 on top of 2 so they form an 11”x11” square and then hole sawed my 3 3/4” holes for my seat bases. This way I can sit in the seat and know exactly where the base should be. I’ll make up another so I can put a front and rear seat in and judge the space between them. I want the windshield and throttle lever in before I commit to a spot. So the seats will likely be the last thing to go in.

Well, back at er. I put the second (partially 3rd) coat of paint on the trailer, so I can start putting that back together tomorrow or the day after.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

You could have both a v seat and casting deck if you make in a drop in v deck infill. I’m planning on doing this with a removable half step between the helm stations.

I too want to put in a rod locker but I’m concerned I have to give up floatation foam space.

And foam in the gunnels...I know the boat would be totally swamped, but wouldn’t it still aid in it not being a total loss? I’m not convinced packing styrofoam SM under the floor is enough. Even behind the side panels...how much is “enough”

 

[PlayD0h]

You could have both a v seat and casting deck if you make in a drop in v deck infill. I’m planning on doing this with a removable half step between the helm stations.

I too want to put in a rod locker but I’m concerned I have to give up floatation foam space.

And foam in the gunnels...I know the boat would be totally swamped, but wouldn’t it still aid in it not being a total loss? I’m not convinced packing styrofoam SM under the floor is enough. Even behind the side panels...how much is “enough”

Ya I’m going with the notched bow deck. I use 6’-7’ rods and they wouldn’t fit there. With my new seats freeing up so much room they should go nicely by the side panels. I have vertical holders for quick storage when hole hopping.

Youre correct about the foam also. I hate how it crumbles but you never even know it’s there when it’s buttoned up. So why not use it? I was thinking about if you ever did capsize, buoyant hull sides probably help it float. Hope I never find out, lol.

I got my seats in, just have to screw them down. My EPS sheets to the max below deck are / would make using T nuts fun. I’d have to dig and pick away at the crap. I might stick with screws tbh.
Got the windshield, bow deck and support in. Steering in and motor control ready to go. I’m somehow missing a few small pieces and spent a good hour or more hunting for them.
I put 3/4” fir under my 1/8” bow aluminum so that’s rock solid and trolling motor is next. I tried wrapping the passenger dash wood with vinyl but it’s bulky at the corners. I think I’ll have to source some carpeting for the side panels and verticals to replace the 80’s blue vinyl.

I have a feeling Im going to be working through the night for the next few days finishing things up. I let the trailer paint cure since I didn’t use any hardener on it since I ran out. That and it’s been raining or cloudy all day.

Im going to the city tomorrow so I’m grabbing a 63” x 7” piece of AL sheet .08” to cover the inside face of the transom that’s exposed. Probably epoxy that on the transom.

Ill put some pics up tomorrow. Thanks for all the tips and thoughts guys. She’s starting to look like a real boat again.

 

[Watermann]

Pics please!

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Would a heat gun help getting the vinyl tight at the corners? I’ve not yet worked with it myself...but when I do, I want tight fitting corners