New Project Boat Rebuild

You're correct, it's 5%, but that's still huge over 24 hours. A properly epoxy encapsulated wooden plank, will have less then 3% over 30 days immersion and hardly measurable after 24 hours!

It still isn't a self supporting product, so has limited if any structural value. In a sole on a powerboat like Peter's, it's nothing more then a heavy, decorative finish product. Even if it could be tabbed to the hull shell, it would just buckle and flex the tabbing right out in short order, not to mention what it would permit the hull shape to distort into during this process. As lapped siding on a garage, where the loads are carried by separate structural elements, it's fine, much like hardy board, concrete board and the other decking and siding alternatives. As a substitute for a plywood or a composite sole, it doesn't really have a role to play except as a heavy, decorative overlay.

 

Marine ply can be expected to absorb almost 4% in 24 hours, and that's starting with a material which is already 12%+ water content.

... and his replacement sole isn't going to be constructed of epoxy saturated planks.

Also, how much structural integrity does the rotten plywood on his boat provide? (In my experience, production powerboat soles are screwed to the stringers and are therefore relied on for structural purposes only as shear panels.)

I don't suggest that it's a panacea, (because it is heavy, flexible and hard to glue) but based on my experience actually having touched the stuff, I can see that it has many promising applications including cockpit soles; provided stringer spacing is adequate to mitigate its flexibility.

 

I have already decide what I am going to use, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Thank God, Spring has finally arrived. The last week I have been able to actually get something done.

I did replace the rear seats. I built new ones. I did this back in January when we had a few days of decent weather,



I spent the meantime collecting materials and planning how to proceed. Wire, connectors, heat shrink tubing, dielectric grease, etc

Also hoses for the fuel system.

I took the tank out, and it is actually in good shape. It's a Tempo roto molded PE tank. Someone had replaced the original aluminum tank. But the fools didn't change any hoses or fuel fittings. All SAE J30 from the 70's The are all being replaced with USCG Type A1-15 J1527 hose

I have developed a Plan. I am starting at the bow and working my way aft. The first thing was to take the tank out so I could access the bow area, and get to the wiring. I took off the old bow light. It was really trashed. It looks like it got too hot and melted the lenses. Plus that, whoever last installed it used wire nuts! That's nuts.



So I bought a nice LED combo bow light. I installed the light a few days ago, but had to wait a few days to get to the wiring. I ripped out the old and put in all new, and no wire nuts. Each connector is properly crimped, greased and covered with heat shrink tubing.



It's amazing how long it takes to do things laying flat on you back, working over your head. It took about 3 hours to put in two wires about 8 feet long. Of course that includes putting in new wire hangers, clipping off the old wire ties, removing the old wire, inserting the new wire and putting new wire ties on the bundles, and putting new ring terminals on the wire.

I also took out all the old fuel fittings and put in new a few days before doing the wiring . The fuel fill



Seems simple, but not so. The size of the fill looked the same as the old one, and the package said they were the same, but they lie!. The connection for the ground sticks out too far and there are little humps spaced around the fill that make it slightly larger. So I had to enlarge the hole, and of course the screw holes didn't line up either. But it's in. I also put in a new vent fitting. At least that one didn't require any alterations.

After wiring, I put the new hoses on the fill and vent using good all stainless steel clamps. I am waiting for a new fuel gauge sender to arrive before I put the tank back in. I snaked the fuel hose through the hangers and tubes, that goes from the tank to the engine, but haven't hooked it up at either end yet.





I also bought an alternator but that has to wait.

Today it was so beautiful my wife and I polished the boat from the chine up. We went over it with oxidation remover, and then waxed it. It looks a lot better now, not new, but better.

So the process has begun. The weather is supposed to hold until at least Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

Making Progress:

I have accomplished quite a bit since the weather finally changed for the better. I have taken out a lot of rotten wood and soaked foam, preparing to put in a new sole and supporting structure. Here's the before photos;



After:



I am starting to put in the stringers and transverse structure to support the sole.

I have also done a lot of other stuff. I replaced the bow light and wiring, put in a new ignition switch, replace all the fuel hose and fittings, put a new fuel gauge sensor in the tank and cleaned the tank, replace the alternator, and cleaned and polished the hull. It's amazing how much better it looks cleaned and polished (just down to the chine).



I made a diagram of how I wanted to re-install the sole and it's structure: I'm an engineer. Gotta draw!



Finished the stringers and frames to support the sole.



with the sole in place and the old cover for the ski locker.



I also made a new top for the engine cover and put insulation on the inside. (it's not completely done yet)

 

Looking good, Ike.

 

Finally finished the interior. Now on to the Engine!
The following is the structure completed with the foam added. The foam is high density polystyrene encase in polyvinyl plastic.



The next step was finish the sole. It was glassed on both sides, the screwed to the stringers. I then glassed it to the remaining sole.



Then I laid down the carpet.



And installed the seats'

 

Hallelujah: It turns over. I did not actually crank it. I just bumped it several times with the starter. But it turns! That takes a load off my mind. Now I need to locate Top Dead Center so I can change out the distributor.

 

Pull out the #1 spark plug (make sure it's #1) and insert a slightly bent piece of 12 gauge copper wire, while you slowly turn the engine over by hand (remove the rest of the plugs and use a socket on the crank bolt). The wire wire rise up, seem to float for a bit, then drop back down. Just as it floats, you're close enough to TDC to set a distributor. Conversely, you could pull the distributor cap and again rotate the engine, while watching the rotor align with the #1 cylinder tower on the cap (mark #1 on the distributor body, before you remove the cap). If you try this by bumping the starter, you'll make a career out of it, so pull the plugs and get a big socket.

 

Thanks. Great Advice.

 

Carpet has kept me busy over the years. I've replaced countless soles as a result of moisture trapped between it and the plywood. Try as you might, the carpet, will act as an abrasive too and chew into the coatings and fabrics, eventually, providing me another soft sole to replace.

 

Probably so. I have been told that a few times over the years that carpet is a death warrant for soles. To make it last a little longer, I saturated all the wood with CPES (nasty stuff), and then coated it with Epoxy before assembling anything. I bedded the stringers in epoxy thickened with microballons to make a putty, then glassed the stringers in place, and glassed the sole on both sides. Then I glassed with 4 inch FRP tape all the edges. So if any water gets past that, sure it will rot, but not for a long time to come. I'll be dead and gone before then.

The foam is all bagged and sealed in polyvinyl as well, and I left some limber holes for any water to drain to the bilge.

 

I am jumping ahead here by WAHOO! IT RUNS. Put gas in it, hooked up a hose with earmuffs, cranked it up and it started and runs! Needs tuning but that's easy enough. Just happy it runs.

 

That's a good sign, but running without load isn't the same as pulling hard to target RPM in the wet stuff. Splash the puppy and find out, with some luck (and lubricated distributor advance weights) you'll get to speed.

 

That's the plan but as usual there's a problem. I have a fuel leak on the discharge fitting from the fuel pump. I am going to the local mercury place tomorrow and see if I can get a new fitting.