1967 Hobo Houseboat rebuild, and mods

I think they are hollow and filled with floatation foam. I can't stand in the boat without risk until it's supported. Then I'll know more.

 

Well, good news and bad.

Good news is I found a small warehouse to work on the boat. So I don't have to wait until late spring. It's about 12x30, so not huge, but I'll make it work. It's got a 10x10 door so getting her in should be no problem.

Bad news is the same day I signed the lease on the warehouse, December 19th I think, my truck was damaged in a hit and run. It's not totalled, but parts were on back order so it took a while. Not the end of the world, just a big inconvenience.

I'll get back at it soon.

 

Time to start planning my next moves.

 

Silentneko,

So, you need to know what condition the structure is in.
A small amount, very small amount of destructive testing is in order.
Small drill holes and a whole lot of tapping, listening for the tone indicating what's going on inside.
When drilling don't let any liquid get on you, especially in your eyes!!!

How'd the truck repair go?

BB

 

Well, there's not much point in destructive testing when it's all already destroyed, lol.

Seriously, there is not one bit of wood or core that is viable. Right now I'm working up a plan to support the hull so I can continue the clean up. As it sits I'm afraid to walk inside as my foot might go through the thin hull. It seems, atleast between the keel runners, it was a 3/8" plywood core with extremely thin fiberglass skins. Maybe 1/8" at best. Once supported well I'll continue stripping the interior, then bulk up the hull with a few layers of glass and epoxy. From there I'll build a support structure like later versions of this boat. Tons of work.

My trucks good to go. About 4.5k wort of damage, but no frame issues.

 

Hey, SN. Been watching the videos. Didn’t realize it was you until I happened on this thread.

That things going to take a LOT of work. Hope you enjoy it, then get to enjoy it.

I did a long weekend on one of those on the St. John too. It was great, but I have lots of friends who would disagree. . My wife also enjoyed it.

I’m in the process of building a 22’ houseboat to use the same way.

Jbo

 

I'd probably junk it. I had a 24' Starfire here, bought in winter. It had a rotten balsa core which appeared when it thawed. Removing the old core and keeping the boat true a big challenge. The core is usually under the structure; so the structure comes out. As you remove a section of core; you start to realize; removing all the core will make the boat sink on supports; perhaps unless the support jig is almost like a full female jig.

I did an hours calculation and an economic one. The boat would never be worth more than $10,000. The hours were going to be 3000. Materials and engines $10,000 plus, which made my time virtually worthless. It cost me $500 to end the nightmare.

 

SO hard to “end it” once you’ve started.

I value my hobby time at pretty much zero as I figure I’m mostly trading it for watching TV which is probably negative. But there are still times it makes the most sense to shut it down if it’s not really moving toward a real dream.

Jbo

 

I'm not gonna lie guys, I'm more and more leaning on passing the project to the next guy. I'm going to try a few more things and then make my determination.

The plan was to get it in the warehouse, then determine if I want to save her after some more investigation. Well here we are, lol.

You guys might remember from my other threads that what I wanted was to take the Hobo concept, and stretch it to about 22ft. I was looking around for a hull I liked when this Hobo popped up. I fell in love with it. I love the character of these boats, and we had a great time on the one we rented (business is no longer around). That said, the cabin is to small for us, and I'd need to stretch the hull too, to make it work.

With the amount of work it needs, I'm guessing it will take atleast 2 years and $12,000 to do what I want. These things go for $20-30k all fixed up sometimes, but I'm more concerned about the time lost building it, then the money. More vital is the question of will it meet our needs, or would something else be better?

I'll need it make a determination on it soon.

Fish or cut bait.

 

You can probably build for similar time and investment if you’re inclined.

Jbo

 

That is what's messing with my head. I've built 4 boats already so I have the skills to build or repair what I choose. I also know for the same investment I could design and build what I want. That said, for insurability, and possible resale, I was hoping to go with a production hull.

 

Chalk it to experience and make a nicer boat with the money it'd take. The time to fix this boat is major.

 

From the start the plan was to get it in the warehouse and figure out if it is what I want or needed. I'm not far into it money wise yet.

 

The 1/8" (3.2mm) thick glassing would not be such an issue if the core was sound so that loads get supported by the system rather than by a single unsupported skin.
Does the core damage stop in the bilge or does it go out to the sides of the hull? Are the runners solid timber and/or hollow molded into the hull?
Not being able to sit/stand inside the boat does make the decision process harder.
I had to brace mine when replacing the framework ( 4 beams and keel plate) but the hull thickness was such that I was not worried about falling through the hull and I had already replaced the berths so I had a place to sit and think and work.

 

I'm not sure if the core just runs between the runners, or all the way to the sides. The sides themselves are not cored from what I can see. The keel runners look hollow and filled with foam. The bottom, outside of the runners, is still very flexible, so even if it's not cored, it needs support and reinforcement.
I think I'll do another day of exploration then make the final judgment