Newbie Question

[Scottlaf]

I apologize to the forum upfront if this has been discussed in a previous thread (but I could not find any listing for it).

I just found out that I inherited my family powerboat (18 foot 1968 Seafair). It has no floor just the liner. No displays of any sort, and a 70hp Merc hanging from the rafters.

Background;Saltwater vessile used about 10 years ago. Since then it has been in an unheated garage on tires. I recently found the product Veriglas to remove the oxidation and restore the color. It states that this is for above the waterline only. What do I do about below the waterline?

The entire vessel has spider cracks in the surface do I need to seal (bondo) or is repaint and re-seal an option? I have tried to research online and within publications. All directions and suggestions appreciated ...No I am not going to accept sell her and buy a new model. Thank you for the help

[marshmat]

Hi Scott, welcome aboard!
Your situation is quite common on here. A good starting point is to check out the structural integrity of the hull. Poke around inside, look for water, mould, rot, delamination, etc. Stick an awl into wood parts to make sure they aren't spongy, and drill a few holes in the tops of the stringers to see if they're wrecked inside. Search 'stringer replacement' on here for more about this part of the job.
Crazing and cracks on the surface are pretty common, they're probably fixable so long as they are only in the gelcoat and do not penetrate into the fibreglass. I wouldn't worry about this issue until you've got the structure at least inspected, if not repaired. NEVER let Bondo or other car body fillers near a boat!
Check the motor out too, they can be a real pain to get going if they've been stored poorly. A friendly 2-stroke mechanic is a really good asset here. If you're going to fire it up though, make sure (a) you're using the right oil-gas mix for that motor, and (b) the lower unit is submerged somehow (a garbage can of water works fine if you don't have a flush fitting), you don't want to permanently kill it on its first run.
So don't be discouraged, but be realistic- this will probably not be a small job and you'll be spending a lot of time in your garage with this boat over the next year. It's worth it in the end though. Best of luck.

[Scottlaf]

The only wood in the ol gal are rails near the water line and the two internal railings. Everything else is sealed. The deck hardware are all weathered over.

There are 3 issues I can see, the mooring loop seems to be loose and twisted thus the surrounding fiberglass around such is cracked off a little. The other is by a starboard bow weep hole that has a larger crack in the fiberglass. The third is no electrical harness. Other than that shes in decent (solid) condition.

What is the best way to treat and or seal the hull?
How do I eliminate the cracks (paint and seal)?

I look forward to the experience from the forum
Thank You