semi Re-build 1989 Aquasport 200-HELP! First Major boat project

ok- I really don't want to sound like *****, but I am pretty confused about a few things. I have had this boat for about 6 years. I pretty much stole it, and for the most part the boat is sound- Just old. I put a 12" jackplate on it when I purchased a new 115 Merc Optimax in 2007. Other than that, boat is original.

First issue- with the old OMC, and with the new Merc, if more than one person stands behind the leaning post water will come in through the deck drain holes. I understand this a pretty common issue.

I have been looking very hard at a custom boat, same basic hull design as the 200, but with no cap. The builder will put custom decks, wells, etc- basically however you want it. Is it possible to loose the top cap on this boat and start over?- or is that an insane idea.

What I want to accomplish is adding nearly flush mount decks to front and back, and replace the console. All this without adding too much weight.

I have no idea where to get the solid core for these new decks- and which product to use- or should i just go back to good ole wood.

So - what deck product to use, where to get it, should I take the whole cap off and do it, and just modify what is currently there?

thanks for the help!

I don't know why you didn't get any response before -- have you made any headway with your project striper??

My first idea - if the boat is sound and the problem is the scuppers are too low, put the ob on the transom instead of a bracket.
Or get a bracket with some buoyancy.
Or move the console forward a foot or two.
Or sell it to a skinny guy and buy a slightly larger boat with the deck you want
The original 2 stroke ob the boat was designed for likely weighted less.
Hulls with bad engines in this market go cheap, so look what's available already configured the way you want it.

Check for any foam that has picked up weight over time.

If you add fore and aft casting platform decks, would you keep the liner for the mid section and add scuppers on the sides?

Marine plywood is the cheapest way to get deck stiffness/$. It will last well if you coat it well with epoxy and keep water from getting it thru screw holes, mounting bolts or other holes. (oversize all holes and fill with epoxy, then drill the correct size hole thru the epoxy core.)

boat cap removal

i would remove old cap and do it like your are talking i have done it on an 18 ranger and a 20ft ski boat,,,,,,,,made flats boat out of both ., and love them,,,,yes i do glass work for a living,,,,,wood is cheaper, but coosa board is far superior, its a lightweight strong composite 3/4 good grade sanded exterior plywood works spectacular, but heavier but for someone on a tight budget it works great, at $30/sheet coat with highly thin poly laminating resin or epoxy, ,you dont have to put cloth on it , which lessens weight, and fairing work,for a complete redo of a 20ft you will need apprx 5 sheets,,,,,coosa is 200/sheet, and 10 gallons of resin, another cheaper option i have found for epoxy is using table top epoxy and thin it with acetone for sealing wood,,,,its almost as cheap as poly and most definitely twice as good, and no has uv protectant chemicals, great advice on the other post about screws, you have to do that with coosa board as well and use backer plate on some situations to really make it strong,,,,,so depending on your budget you can do it very reasonable for extravagantly!

.....you do realise this was over 5 years ago,and the Op didn't give enough of a dam to reply...and he probably doesn't own the boat anymore...

yes , i do , but who cares about how old a thread is if it is useful information, just like einsteins theory of relativity is over 50 years old that doesnt make it invalid or stale...great information is timeless, yes he has probably long sold the boat, but someone else may run across this and find information useful for their project, thats why i responded, , i do alot of these modifications , infact atleast 2 per year

100% correct here I am almost 10 years later and this information is basically exactly what I was looking for.