restoring 1960 cabin cruiser boat kit

I was given a plywood epoxy 22 ft cabin cruiser by a family member, it has been stored indoors for 20 years . It was built in 1960 from either plans or a kit. the engine is a 1959 223 ford six with a muncie gear outdrive. the outdrive needed some parts that were unavailable, so my cousin intended on re powering with an out board. I was also given a 2 cycle mercury 1150 115hp outboard with powertilt , steering and controls from a ski boat he parted out 20 years ago . the original builder of the boat put it on a very tall single axle trailer with trailing arms panhard rod and coil springs , He used to launch the boat from the sand in long beach in the early 60's . the boat was called the amigo. my understanding is he used the boat to go to Catalina, San Diego and Ensenada. if that is the case It must hold a lot fuel . yeah dont think I am that adventurous, I may use it in one of the central coast bays here in California though. I checked the boat over and found no rot or cracks in the fiberglass . I will post some pics soon. I plan to get the outboard running in the next week or so and assess the condition. I realize I will likely need to reinforce the transom and build a mount for the outboard. Is an outboard a good solution for this boat? how would I determine the mounting location on transom?

thanks in advance

 

It might help if you post a view of the stern, from behind. Naturally anything that old needs to be thoroughly checked for deterioration, and even your engine sounds like it could be 40 years old, not too many of those old mercs going that saw service in salt water. If operable, that engine would be more than adequate to propel that boat, but as you say, needs work to adapt it to the hull.

 

here are some pics of the transom. suggestions appreciated

 

So there was a drive legs protruding through the transom, and it is now patched where it was ? That is a very flat bottomed boat, and could deal you a thrashing in choppy conditions. But it should be feasible to beef up and seal up that transom, bolt on a pod, and fit your engine, which isn't a very heavy engine by today's standards. I'd be inclined to fit a pod that is level with the bottom, but you will need to have enough length to it to accommodate the full tilt of what is a quite tall engine.

 

I haven't patched the transom yet, there is just tape over the holes, the boat was sealed up with tape while in storage to keep rodents out. I looked at some pod pictures , so the pod would actually add a bit of length to the bottom of the boat and add flotation. I could fabricate it out of aluminum rather quickly. my background is welding and metalworking, autobody. I have the tools and skills to do that. I was considering building an adjustable jackplate , bolting it through the transom then bracing it on the inside from the transom to engine mount stringers. I had considered re powering with an I/O but it would really be nice to have the extra space in the boat. With the Mercury 115 I wouldn't be able to use the boat in many of the lakes in my area due to emission restrictions. I could buy a boat for what it would cost to buy a emission compliant outboard.

 

The transom is probably not designed well enough to support the needed horsepower (on a guess).

And the needed horsepower is the same as the original hull ftmp.

And that is 150hp.

You will probably plane out with the 115, but I am guessing you'll be running wide open mostly.

I really like the boat; it looks great, but I am not sure it is a good idea doing an ob conversion.

You would need to avoid tearing down the transom as a full height transom is highly more desirable than a cutdown for safety. That means to do the ob conversion the best; you would need to use an ob bracket.

The bracket would first require beefing up and modifying the existing boat transom and perhaps stringers to support the changes.

The best way would be to find a bracket manufacturer willing to provide the engineering requirements.

If you are spending say 4-10k on the bracket and conversion; you'd be best off going with a more modern 4 stroke or at least designing for that weight.

 

The "tower of power" will easily handle the task, it is the flat bottom that worries me for open waters, and the transom will need to be beefed up. The boat does not have a deep forefoot, so it might not broach too badly, it does seem to have a shallow keel along the centreline. But really you would not rate it as an offshore hull.

 

the boat was free , the outboard was free, but everything going forward from here is expensive. I am confidant that I could build an aluminum bracket or pod that would be more than strong enough. I would be afraid to ask a manufacturer for engineering calcs. they are in business to make money I would expect that they protect what they know.I wish I had the original plans I can only see the two stringers that the engine was attached to I really have no Idea what is under the rest of the floor. I will take some pictures of the inside of the transom and stringers, perhaps someone that has done this kind of conversion may be able to offer some advise. I can do calculations for steel and aluminum but when it comes to composites my best guess would be to overbuild that part of it. I have rebuilt boats in the past and wasn't really sure I wanted another , but this one is in such good shape and has an interesting history, I am really having a hard time not doing something with it.

 

It might be an idea to thoroughly audit that engine first, if it runs, it will probably need work to ready it, even if mechanically sound, the water pump impeller will probably need replacing. Then get a manual and follow procedures for a compression check ( you can destroy ignition system components if not careful) and see if all cylinders are reasonably close in PSI. If not, it becomes problematic.

 

I didn't realize the bottom was nearly flat, till I took that picture today . my cousin used it in the ocean without any problem, it planed easily at low speed and was stable and smooth at 25mph but that was with a very heavy ford 6 inboard. which brings up the concern of how it will act with a lighter outboard pushing from further back without much of a keel. the boat was originally built by a machinist that worked for Hughes aircraft in the late 1950's he ran it up and down the coast , San Diego Ensenada and around Catalina Island it may not have been Ideal for offshore but has held up well for a lot of years. the trailer is really odd ,very tall, all rollers , no bunks, coil springs, sway bar, friction shocks from a 40's car. he use to launch it off a steep beach into long beach harbor.

 

I don't see a problem with a pod mounted outboard, but I would just run it as a continuation of the bottom, 18-24" wide more than enough. But as I say, work out what full tilt for the motor is so it does not hit the back of the boat.

 

But the age of this boat makes me wonder how sound it can possibly be, I would not go anywhere without some substantial foam buoyancy installed, and sufficient and properly placed so you don't find yourself in the cold water up there.

 

How thick is the transom at the cutout and what is it?

 

I will check the thickness of the transom today and post some more pictures of the inside of the transom. it is marine plywood and epoxy .

 

I am going to make an adapter this week to mount the outboard to one of my automotive engine stands so I can evaluate the engine and possibly get it running.