Repair Suggestions

[frzncstrd]

Looking for suggestions to retrofit some new wood by the interior drain. The fiberglass is good and the transom is solid. I started cutting to replace a soft spot on the floor and found some other surprises. The center stringer is also rotted near the drain. I do not want to replace the whole deck or entire stringer if it can be avoided, the rest of the stringers are solid along with the floor. I cut a small section of floor mid boat and things looked good.

Also, there does not appear to be any foam below the floor, but there are 2 foam blocks at the rear of the boat and below the gunwales. Is this sufficient?

 

[eavega]

I can't give you any advice on the stringers, but I can tell you that I had an old 1976 YarCraft tri-hull, and the flotation foam was indeed all located beneath the gunwales. I cut some inspection holes into the deck to make sure I had no rot, and there was no foam underneath the deck. All the flotation foam was under the gunwales. I would assume that was going to be sufficient to meet the flotation requirement for that boat, with the added bonus that you were not going to ever get saturated foam.

Rgds

E

 

[Woodonglass]

Welcome to iBoats! Sooo what have you done to ensure the other stringers and transom are "Good to Go"? Have to drilled core samples and found light colored dry shavings?? That's about the only way to know for sure. How big is this boat? How Old? What's your budget? Got any more pics?

 

[gm280]

I know you stated that the transom was solid, but I would certain drill some inspection holes in the bottom of the transom to verify there is zero rot started. That is the most probable area for rot to start. As for that rotted wood around that bilge area, take it all out and replace with quality exterior grade plywoods and polyester resin and fiberglass cloth. And I would also completely remove all the rotted wood in your stringers as well and replace that same way. But to get to that point you need to grind the old stuff out to good clean glass material so the new install will attach... Others will certainly respond on here. Listen to them, they know what they are talking about... JMHO!

 

[frzncstrd]

The motor was rebuilt in the late 90's from top to bottom. It was covered until the cover deteriorated. I have roughly $800 at the moment to work with on deck repairs, paint, new battery, trailer paint, trailer tires, trailer lights and of course motor tune up costs, and 2 pedestal seats that will replace the lounge seats. Coincidentally, this is the boat that I learned how to water ski with as a kid. It will be used for water sports and fishing. Most of the fishing additions will probably have to wait until next year unless I make out good for father's day. I am hoping the seals are good on the motor, so far I am working on getting the starter to engage the flywheel.

I have stripped most of the hardware down as you can see in the pictures and I will try the core test on the transom as well. The foam under the gunwales can be seen in a couple of the pics. There are 2 foam blocks in front of the transom that can partially be seen in the original pi

Thanks for the comments so far.

 

[frzncstrd]

No Title

null

 

[gm280]

I have to say that if the sample drill holes yielded damp shavings, then the transom is gone as well. But it is not a total lost cause if you're willing to refurbish this boat. If you seriously like the boat and want to rebuilt it back to new, then we can help you with that effort. But you have to make that decision. Because it is a lot of work and does require some money as well. But if you do finish this effort, your boat will be rock solid and give you decades of usefulness again... Just let us know which way you want to go...

 

[Woodonglass]

Well, based on the pics and the core samples, I'd say she's a Full Restoration Project. That's about 200 man hours of work and $1,000 $2,000 in materials. Your decision. You KNOW the boat. You have some sentimental attachment. It WILL be LIKE NEW when you're done. It WILL last for Decades. You WILL take a LOT of PRIDE in the work. We WILL help every step of the way. Take some time and think about it. If you have the time, willingness, and determination to see a major project through to the end then you can/will be successful.

Here's my rendition of the Starting List for what you’ll need for a typical restoration of a 16’, 4 stringer boat, doing the Stringers, Deck and Transom. You will need to increase/decrease quantities as the size of your boat increases of decreases

• Respirator (Full Face Preferred $100+) Or at the minimum a 1/2 face respirator with Goggles with the vents taped over.
  Latex Gloves (1 - 2 Boxes)
  Leather Gloves 1 Pair
  Full cover Hooded Tyvek suit. Rubber Band or Tape the Wrists and Ankles and put a wet towel around your neck.
  Talcum Powder (coat yourself TOTALLY with talcum powder prior to every grinding Session. This will help keep the Itch Off.)
  
  Equipment
  
  Prybars, Hammers, chisels, Putty Knives
  Flat tipped shovel to remove foam, Old Carpenters Saw (The Old Fox Hole Army Surplus Shovels work well)
  Circular Saw
• Multi Tool
• Sawzall
  Dremel Tool
  Router
  Drill
  Random Orbit Sander (80 grit all the way to 180 grit)
  Rasps, Files
  4 1/2" Grinder with Backup Pad and 24 grit resin coated sanding discs
  If you need to remove foam, a wire cup brush for the grinder will EAT the foam out
  
  
  
  Masking Tape
  
  
  Shop Vac for dust control or Dust Collector if you're fortunate enough to have one. It's good to create a Plastic Tent over the boat to contain the dust. There WILL be a LOT of it....A LOT!!!!
  
  Materials
  
  Wood
  
  3-4 sheets 3/4" Arauco Ext. Grade Plywood ( any good grade of Ext. Grade Plywood will work. ACX. MDO or HDO is also very good but more expensive. Do not recommend BCX. Floor underlayment is good too. Marine Grade is the best but pricey)
  
  You may also need some 1/2" and some 1/4" for seat bases and side panels.
  
  Resin and Fiberglass (This assumes you are using Polyester Resin for your re-build. If you are using Epoxy then you do NOT need the 1.5 oz CSM and instead of the 1708 you only need 17 oz Biax Cloth.)
  
  15-20 Gallons 435 Polyester Resin
  4 Gals Cabosil
• 5 gallons of Acetone
  1 lbs 1/4" chopped strand fibers
  25 yds 1.5 oz CSM
  15 yds 1708 Biaxial Cloth
  2 dozen 1 qt plastic mixing buckets
  1/2" x 5" Fiberglass "Bubble" roller
  2 Dozen Stir Sticks
  2 dozen Short nap 6" nylon roller covers and trays
  2 dozen 3" Chip Brushes (cut 1/2 of the bristles off
• Again this is just a Starting list. You'll need more "Stuff" as you go but this for sure will get you started!!!

This tells you how to do the stuff...Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms

 

[eavega]

Tough decision. On the one hand you will learn a ton and have a boat that will see you well into the future if you restore. The folks here will guide you and you will benefit from the collective knowledge of all the guys that have undertaken a rebuilding task. You are a little short on budget, but you have enough budget to get started, and you can do the work one project at a time as you get more budget. The alternative, as you indicate, is to part it out and use the proceeds to budget for something else. How much you can sell stuff for is dependent on where you live. Around here ( N. Georgia) you could probably sell that 115 Outboard (with controls) in functioning condition for $800 - $1000 (based on what I have seen on CL). A trailer in good conditions would fetch $500 or so. That puts you in the $2000+ range for a boat budget, which probably won't put you into a boat that is water-ready unless you are very lucky.

Just analyzing the alternatives. If it were me, I would probably part it out, keep saving some money, and continue to look for a boat that I could afford with flaws that I could live with and/or address a little at a time. You'll be off the water just as long as if you had undertaken the restoration. My personal feeling is that (especially early on in the boat owner's experience) even if you restore the boat, the boating bug will bite hard and you will want a newer boat, or a bigger boat, or a different style boat (you'll find out your use is better suited to a pontoon, or a center console, for example). At that time you will want to sell this boat, but will be hard pressed to get a buyer to appreciate the full restoration effort and the fact that the boat will last a very long time with proper care. All a buyer will see is a 40-odd year old boat with a 30-odd year old rebuild outboard. Now the one thing I haven't taken into consideration is the sentimental or nostalgia value of the boat. If you think you'll never get rid of it, then that has to factor into the decision too.

Good luck, either way

Rgds

E

 

[frzncstrd]

Thanks for the info guys, I will think it over some more and see what I decide. In the meantime I will read through some of the past posts and see what all is involved. Thanks!

 

[jbcurt00]

Look thru Joe's LoneStar topic:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...50118-1963-lone-star-medallion-all-16-of-fun/

And the Starcraft forum:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owners-groups-by-manufacturer/s/starcraft-boats

Put please avoid posting in inactive topics. Those that haven't been posted to for 90+ days are best used for research and as such shouldnt be written in.

DAHoyle hasnt been on iboats in over a month, and hasnt posted to his LoneStar topic since Feb, so I'm not sure you'll get an answer to your question in his topic

If you are considering swapping to a tin boat, start looking, they will only be more expensive and fewer choices until the end of the season.

Good luck which ever way yiu decide to proceed.

 

[frzncstrd]

No problem, I will keep an eye on that^. The boat I was looking at looks to be sold, but I felt it was overpriced for the condition and rotted floor. Lunds and Trackers in the area seem to go top dollar, but I have seen some that go for around 4K that have some minor flaws, but also include some added options. I have my motor running good, so it's ready for a swap out or to be sold.

If any of the guys have suggestions on things to look for when checking out aluminum boats, that would be helpful. Most newer models do not have wood except for the floor correct? Thanks

 

[MTboatguy]

Here's my rendition of the Starting List for what you’ll need for a typical restoration of a 16’, 4 stringer boat, doing the Stringers, Deck and Transom. You will need to increase/decrease quantities as the size of your boat increases of decreases

• Respirator (Full Face Preferred $100+) Or at the minimum a 1/2 face respirator with Goggles with the vents taped over.
  Latex Gloves (1 - 2 Boxes)
  Leather Gloves 1 Pair
  Full cover Hooded Tyvek suit. Rubber Band or Tape the Wrists and Ankles and put a wet towel around your neck.
  Talcum Powder (coat yourself TOTALLY with talcum powder prior to every grinding Session. This will help keep the Itch Off.)
  
  Equipment
  
  Prybars, Hammers, chisels, Putty Knives
  Flat tipped shovel to remove foam, Old Carpenters Saw (The Old Fox Hole Army Surplus Shovels work well)
  Circular Saw
• Multi Tool
• Sawzall
  Dremel Tool
  Router
  Drill
  Random Orbit Sander (80 grit all the way to 180 grit)
  Rasps, Files
  4 1/2" Grinder with Backup Pad and 24 grit resin coated sanding discs
  If you need to remove foam, a wire cup brush for the grinder will EAT the foam out
  
  
  
  Masking Tape
  
  
  Shop Vac for dust control or Dust Collector if you're fortunate enough to have one. It's good to create a Plastic Tent over the boat to contain the dust. There WILL be a LOT of it....A LOT!!!!
  
  Materials
  
  Wood
  
  3-4 sheets 3/4" Arauco Ext. Grade Plywood ( any good grade of Ext. Grade Plywood will work. ACX. MDO or HDO is also very good but more expensive. Do not recommend BCX. Floor underlayment is good too. Marine Grade is the best but pricey)
  
  You may also need some 1/2" and some 1/4" for seat bases and side panels.
  
  Resin and Fiberglass (This assumes you are using Polyester Resin for your re-build. If you are using Epoxy then you do NOT need the 1.5 oz CSM and instead of the 1708 you only need 17 oz Biax Cloth.)
  
  15-20 Gallons 435 Polyester Resin
  4 Gals Cabosil
• 5 gallons of Acetone
  1 lbs 1/4" chopped strand fibers
  25 yds 1.5 oz CSM
  15 yds 1708 Biaxial Cloth
  2 dozen 1 qt plastic mixing buckets
  1/2" x 5" Fiberglass "Bubble" roller
  2 Dozen Stir Sticks
  2 dozen Short nap 6" nylon roller covers and trays
  2 dozen 3" Chip Brushes (cut 1/2 of the bristles off
• Again this is just a Starting list. You'll need more "Stuff" as you go but this for sure will get you started!!!

This tells you how to do the stuff...Fabricating Decks, Stringers, and Transoms

Wood types this out so much, that it needs to be a Sticky!!!