Refurb bass boat

[Hooch_Runner]

Howdy everyone. I have recently inherited my dad's old 14 ft bass boat. I have no clue what brand it is, but it does have a 30hp Mariner that does run.
It has been sitting out in the elements for a while and the flooring has gotten some soft spots in it, not to mention the carpet was rotted out. So I am left with this whole refurb project that I itching to get started on yet I know very little about it. I will be reviewing any and all similar projects here, but I figured this would be a start for me to ask questions, get pointers, and keep track of my progress.

Here she is:

 

[Calhere]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Your pictures did not attach.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Refurb bass boat

take a look here. http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=407

pictures: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=286514

 

[kandil]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Hello and welcome to iboats you came to the right place for info I recommend reading all you can about how to fix your boat I would start here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392
and BTW your photos are not viewable Good luck

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Thanks for the heads up. I can view them, but I went ahead and moved them from picasa to photobucket. Hopefully that will fix it.

 

[kandil]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Nice boat I can see it now I would start with the carpet out and then The plywood and Tell us what you find

 

[74SkeeterHawk]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Hey bud that boat looks awefully familiar. If I am not mistaken it looks like a model of Skeeter bass boat. I know this becuase it looks like a smaller version of mine. I have a 1974 skeeter hawk that I am rebuilding. Its 16' and from what I can tell a little wider than yours. If your interested in my rebuild it can be found in the "soft deck...unsure what to expect" thread. Im down to the grinding of the hull and hopefully Ill be ready to buy my supplies here in a little while so I can start my layup and transom construction. Im fairly new at this my self but between Nova II and Oops, kind of my adopted mentors, I know infanantly more than I did 2 months ago when I started this project as a boat "virgin". I hadn't spent much time in a boat much less try to rebuild one. This place to the right place to be to learn the trade. Welcome. By the way I think the most informative thread here, and I am sure many would agree, is the "hull extension" thread by Oops. Its almost a how to guide on reb uilding a boat. Good reading

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Refurb bass boat

with the registration # Alabama can tell you what it is. could be Terry Bass.

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Thanks for the welcome guys. Seeing as this is my inheritance from my dad, I wanna do him proud and get this thing runnin' right.

I will check on the registration # today to see if the DMV can give me some answers.

Also getting a sawzall today so I can start digging in. I would like to get all the tools in one go, but if I came home from Home Depot with a bunch of stuff my wife would flip. This way I can say "But I need to get a *insert tool name* before I can do anything else to it." Who knows, I may be able to say that the tool is so I can do some home improvements.

I am just praying that the floor is the only thing damaged.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Refurb bass boat

BE CAREFUL WITH A SAWSALL!!! The blade can smack right through a hull.

First you should strip the engine and trolling motor off. If the floor needs to be replaced ........ use a circular saw with the depth set to cut only the plywood and start by making a hole and pulling.

i386 refinished a Crosby and has some great photos too.

Nice looking boat.

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Well, I started removing the old deck only to find this:

I got more done and it all looked the same...wet, nasty, rotted wood. I was going to try and tackle most of the deck today but it looked like it was about to start raining so I went ahead and covered her up. And for the record, I see what you mean about the sawzall Bob. I had some close calls and to be honest I will probably just finish with a circular saw to avoid gouging the hull. Fun stuff.

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Oh...I forgot to add that once I got more off it appears like the stringers are in good shape. If the rain lets up this weekend I will be finishing pulling up the old deck and post some pics to see what you fine folks think should be my next move.

Thanks for all of the advice so far.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Next move is confirming the stringer soundness, with the wooden handle of a mallet (rap them and listen for a rapping sound, thud/thump=bad), then foam (if you're so inclined, a new resin-encapsulated plywood deck and you're ready to refit her.

 

[stripers9]

Re: Refurb bass boat

That looks familiar unfortunatlely. I ripped into mine yesterday, but mines a Monark. I did the floor on this same boat about 10 years ago and used two layers of 1/4" exterior plywood encapsulated with fiberglass resin. I guess I missed a leak somewhere 'cause I'm back again doing the same thing. Mine pretty much resembles mulch just like yours. I'm trying to find something besides plywood to use this time in case another small exterior leak occurs. Maybe a reinforced foam sheet that I could do in layers, or a pourable foam. The pourable foam is big bucks though. If anybody knows a source for such foam sheets please chime in 'cause I have been unable to find anything that looks like it had any waterproof or water resistant qualities. Luckily yours has stringers where as mine does not, but it will when I'm finished. I will pass on a unique way of prying the smaller pieces of plywood that survived off the outer hull. I took a machete, which is fairly flexible, and hammered it up under the plywood to split the seal on any resistant pieces. Work it like a big spatula. It worked like a charm.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Well, I started removing the old deck only to find this:

I got more done and it all looked the same...wet, nasty, rotted wood. I was going to try and tackle most of the deck today but it looked like it was about to start raining so I went ahead and covered her up. And for the record, I see what you mean about the sawzall Bob. I had some close calls and to be honest I will probably just finish with a circular saw to avoid gouging the hull. Fun stuff.

Set the blade very shallow so it barely cuts the entire deck...... trust me MANY MANY MANY people have cut right through the hull. The restoration is not a "junkyard war" race against time. Doing it right the first time actually saves work.

 

[i386]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Hey neighbor! I don't see too many folks close to where I live post on here so I thought I'd stick my head in and say hi.

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Most definately not a race. I am going to be really careful on all the cutting.

And howdy i386. Yeah, I have not seen any other folks on here from the Hooch. Nice to see one.

 

[Hooch_Runner]

Re: Refurb bass boat

Well, I would be finished with the pulling up the old deck if the weather would hold. So far when I have the time to get out there and dig in, the weather has been real quick to turn into thunderstorms in the blink of an eye or just outright raining.

Patience is a hard virtue.