1972 Crestliner project

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by catman021, Jun 28, 2007.

  1. catman021
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Philadelphia,pa

    catman021 Junior Member

    I just got this boat from a friend saying that it needed a little work and it would be a really decent bay boat. It came with the original 115 Mercury OB and the trailer. I'm just beginning to work on the floor(see posted pics) and will be moving on to the engine next, followed by the seats, and finally upholstery. I'm just looking for advice as to how best restore the flooring and maybe some layout options. This is a first time for me, I want to do it right, and want it to last. Any suggestions? I was also given a piece of advice, by a guy working in a local marina, to get the engine running first because if that was going to be major money or even require replacement, then the rest of the project doesn't really matter. I plan to hold on to this for a while and am prepared to put money/effort into it but does anyone have any opinions on this as well?
     

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  2. Ehdrian
    Joined: Apr 2007
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    Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada

    Ehdrian Junior Member

    I am no expert, but I'm doing a similar type project.

    I made sure my engines and electrical were in good working order before I made my purchase, because the engines/outdrives are 70%-80% the worth of the boat. You have a 115HP outboard, so the cost is a little less than my twin I/O, but you could still spend $4,000 on a replacement at best for a used engine. I'm not sure how many feet your boat is, but my 24' is going to cost me up to $3,000 in wood, fiberglass, resin, tools and professional help. And this is doing 99% of the work myself.

    If you have cash now, I would recommend hiring a marine surveyer to let you know if you require a lot of time and effort to complete this project. But I can tell you right now that the black (rot?) on your baulkheads, the fact your boat is from the 70's and the stringers are only tabbed in with very little water protection will probably mean that you will need to gut the whole thing - saving nothing, and starting from scratch - replacing all the wood in he boat.

    I'm having blast with my boat, bringing her from the dead, and making her a fine ocean-going vessel. If you can survive the bouts of depression after 30+ hours of grinding fiberglass and resin, then the project isn't all that bad. :)

    Your trailer may need brakes and new electrical as well.

    Again, I'm far from an expert, but this is my experience.

    Cheers!
     
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  3. mtnrat
    Joined: Jul 2006
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    mtnrat Junior Member

    I also started with a bad floor and ended up replacing the transom, stringers and floor. Really check those stringers because it would be a shame to replace the floor and in short order get some handling issues from rotten stringers. Your already in there and from the pics they don't look too good.
     
  4. catman021
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Philadelphia,pa

    catman021 Junior Member

    The transom is good, I drilled out a core and it was solid, and you're right the stringers have to go. Have you used MDO plywood before?
     
  5. KnottyBuoyz
    Joined: Jul 2006
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    Location: Iroquois, Ontario

    KnottyBuoyz Provocateur & Raconteur

    Go read through this thread and you'll get a pretty good idea of what you might be into.

    http://forums.bateau2.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11294

    Great bunch of guys over there. If you buy your materials from them they'll provide you with all the technical advice you need. Joel posts on here so he may pick up on this thread as well.
     
  6. mtnrat
    Joined: Jul 2006
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    Location: Canada

    mtnrat Junior Member

    I used a composite material from Coosa composites. Very expensive, but will never rot.
     
  7. marshmat
    Joined: Apr 2005
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    Location: Ontario

    marshmat Senior Member

    Well, catman, it looks like you've got a fair bit of work ahead of you:
    - The exterior of the hull will have to be shored up before you start cutting out any structure. Trailer bunks won't keep the boat in shape while you do stringer work. You need strong, rigid 2x4 frames with large, uniform contact bunks for her to rest on so that the hull doesn't distort while you work. The motor needs to come off, it's best to make up a stand for it out of scrap 2x6s so you can work on it.
    - The structure will probably have to be gutted. The (probably waterlogged) foam goes. The rotten stringers and braces will have to go. The electrical system goes. The controls and linkages should be removed and kept in a safe place until you're ready to fix them up (they will get damaged if they stay in place while you work).
    - You'll have to prep the inner surface of the hull for fibreglassing. All that grease, grime and wax has to go, and I do mean ALL of it right to the last two-micron-thick film embedded in the pores of the surface. Even a trace of wax or oil and the new glass will just fall off the next year.
    - You'll have to make a new structural grid from scratch, and epoxy/glass it in.
    - You'll have to build a new cockpit sole and new interior.
    - You'll have to rewire the thing, install a fuel system that meets modern safety regs, etc. and reinstall the controls, engine, etc.
    - The trailer will probably need electrical work and may need bearing/brake work to be roadworthy.

    Sound like fun, or like more trouble than it's worth? If you think it's worth it, we'll support you all the way. Just make sure you know what you're getting into. You'll be spending a lot of time on it and odds are it won't hit the water until July '08 at best. Good luck :)
     
  8. VKRUE
    Joined: Mar 2006
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    Location: Central Illinois

    VKRUE Just another boat lover

    Catman021:
    You've got a real project there... by the pic's there looks to be a lot of rot.
    I agree with everything mentioned here previously.

    But, unless you have a sizeable bank account AND your retired or not otherwise committed to a work schedule (like most of us) JULY of '08' is probably stretching the truth a bit. With all of the obsticals that life has (wife, kids, work, yard, house....ect.) working on the boat often gets pushed aside......... NOT TRYING TO DISCOURAGE YOU THOUGH... NOT AT ALL.

    I've been working on re-building/restoring my 17' plywood power boat for almost three years now (see link below my signature). I don't regret buying the boat at all. I do wish that I had more time and energy to work on it too.

    This is a great forum too. A lot of very knowledgable people around here to help you.
     
  9. mike steiger
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: new york

    mike steiger Junior Member

    Hi,
    Vic is right,this will be a labor of love and you have to be comitted,with that said here we go.
    First you should have some sort of shelter to do your work,garage carport or a porta garage. Once that is done get the boat blocked up and leveled to the best of your ability. Was your core sample drilled below the waterline, I have seen this before when someone has told me they did this only for me to find out the transom is shot. I think you should go and start fresh and remove the transom first and replace it. On a boat with a 8 foot beam you will need 5 gal epoxy, 5 yards of 1 1/2oz stitch mat ,12 yards of 1808, and a core material along with a gallon bag each of cabosil and milled fibers. When doing your stringers do not go and gut everthing at once, do them one at a time so the hull does not distort. My writing really sucks but I will do my best to help you. Best of luck to you.
     
  10. catman021
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Philadelphia,pa

    catman021 Junior Member

    Project update

    Just to keep up the thread, the old floor is out, the foam is gone, the motor steering/controls are out, the wiring harness to replace the corroded ones on the motor are ordered, and I'm just waiting for my kit from the rot doctor to show up in the mail. I did quite a bit of reading regarding the CPES materials/associated products and elected to go with them for this project. Giving myself another three weeks, just getting a couple of hours in here/there after work and days off, I still plan to have this in the water by mid august. I know the pictures aren't very encouraging but the one big thing I had going for me with this was my schedule allowed me time to research and work on it as I make decisions, so waiting another year, taking into account work/family responsibilities isn't going to be an issue. I'm looking at putting a back to back lounge seat on the passenger side and a standalone pedestal at the drivers position. I'm going to get the seats from JC Whitney(for about $156.00+shipping and getting the seat/pedestal from Cabela's. They(Cabela's) also has the best price for the fuel tank I want to install, they have a 12 gallon tank for $45.00 that I hadn't found for less than 136.00 anyplace else I looked. I know it sounds like a lot to pull together from different places but I'm just saying that if you look outside the box, there's some money to be saved by looking around. I'll update again, I'll remember the pictures next time, once the floor/bilge pump(10.46 at Walmart @ 300gph capacity) is installed. Talk to you then.
     
  11. mtnrat
    Joined: Jul 2006
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    Location: Canada

    mtnrat Junior Member

    It is kind of fun sourcing everything you need. I got stuff from Washington, Texas, North Carolina, Maine, Georgia, Montana, Iowa, California and a few places I cannot remember. Great thing about the net.
     
  12. mike steiger
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: new york

    mike steiger Junior Member

    Hi,
    Great to see your having fun, on the bilge pump in a small boat you should always go with as large a pump as possible if it were me I would go with at least 1500gph in your rig. I run a 2000 gph with a float switch and a 1500 gph back up. Good luck with your boat.
     
  13. SamSam
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    Location: Coastal Georgia

    SamSam Senior Member

    catman, Ehdrian offered good advice. The priority is engine, trailer, boat. Engines, parts or mechanic labor are very expensive, they might not even be available on a 35 year old engine, and if it doesn't run, a boat and trailer are worthless. A trailer saves the $7-10 a foot per month dock fees and lets you haul the boat to the mechanic, as mechanics don't like to go to the boat. Boats like that are an environmental and landfill problem and hard to get rid of. People will pay you to take those kind of boats off their hands.

    I know it's late in the game for that kind of information. But if you put all the effort and money in the hull to fix it up swell, and then find it's going to take thousands more to repair/replace a worn out engine, it can get ugly. Hopefully you've allready got the engine working good.

    It looks like the stringer/floor has been replaced before. It's hard to believe a boat that old with all that rot has a good transom. Check at the very bottom of the transom and wherever stringers butted up to it or holes were put in it. Good luck.
     
  14. charmc
    Joined: Jan 2007
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    Location: FL, USA

    charmc Senior Member

    Catman,

    Mike is right. A bilge pump is very inexpensive insurance. You rarely need it, but when you do you'll want to remove the water inside the boat as rapidly as possible. 300 gph is 5 gpm. Put in perspective, 5 gpm is the capacity of the average bathroom sink faucet. Another factor is that mfrs want the highest possible rating at the least cost and size, so bilge pump ratings are measured in test labs, in ideal conditions, with no tubing or fittings to create back pressure. Real world capacities can be 15-25% less. A 300 gph rated pump can take 45 minutes to more than an hour to remove 3 inches of water from your boat. Even a small leak could overwhelm the pump.

    I recommend getting the largest capacity bilge pump you can afford. 1500 gph might sound like overkill now, but if ever you need it, you'll be glad it isn't smaller.

    Here are some good article on bilge pumps: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/bilgp.htm

    http://www.powerboat-reports.com/sample/bilge.html

    Good luck with your project!
     

  15. catman021
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Philadelphia,pa

    catman021 Junior Member

    Thanks again for taking the time to help a newbie learn the ropes the right way. I'll be researching a higher capacity pump today! BTW in putting the floor back in, anyone have any suggestions for providing access to the pumps? I'm thinking of either putting in a hinged access door or something similar??? Taking into account that I'll be installing the 12 gallon tank to the right side of the motor(looking aft) and the battery box/cooler storage to the left, what makes sense?
    As to the engine concern, I put an ad on Craigslist to hire a marine mechanic to bring the motor up to speed and spoke to three. I've set up a deal with one who'll come out to install the harness, change the lower unit oil, change the impeller, and fire up the motor to check it out further, and he's set a rate of $40 an hour for whatever he needs to do to get it going properly. Since he works at a local marina, he is willing to help with sourcing parts as they're needed and comes across as a decent guy, he even provided a list of contacts he's done work for as references on the type of work he can do. If anyone can think of any suggestions for installing the seats that would be appreciated as well, keep in mind the floor is going to be 3/4" wood and I'm wondering how best to handle the stress of the pedestal seating and mounting the lounge seating.
     
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