Need Help Please

Hey everybody, this is my first post and didn't know where to put this. I know that it is kind of long, but please help me out.

I have a 1990 Quantum 18' bass boat that I bought early this spring, knowing full well it needed some work.

Basically, I need to replace the casting decks and seating bench. A lot of soft, rotted spots, that my feet have found.

Having done a lot of reading, I have the basic idea, but I'm still a little unsure of what the steps are, so here is my plan:

I'm going to remove the old deck and seating bench to use as a template.

Cut.

Seal with fiberglass and epoxy

Carpet or spray on liner (need some opinions here)

Replace deck.

I'm sure it is more work than it sounds. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Aside from the deck, I am also in need of a new flywheel. The motor is the original motor, a Force 120. The flywheel has a chunk missing from when the previous owner had it rebuilt. Apparently the flywheel was dropped and a chunk was taken out. The motor runs fine for now, but it is out of balance, and I'm worried about screwing up the internals. Any idea as to where to find a replacement, or a new one?

Sorry for the long post.

Thanks

 

Decks, floors, and transoms fail on small plywood cored hulls primarily because of leaks through inadequately sealed penetrations by screws etc. or cracks in the fiberglass covering. What I do is considered overkill by some.

Basically wherever there is going to be a penetration I drill an oversized hole and plug it with matte, resin, and thickened fiberglass or epoxy putty. I then make my penetrations in the center of my "plugs". I still use lots of goo and clean up the surplus with solvent. In my opinion voids should be ventilated with risers that turn 180* to give the moisture that will at some point work it's way in a route to escape.

Most of the spray on liners I have seen are kind of slick and usually black which can get might hot. Perhaps you are thinking of another product. I like splatter paint and sand myself but that is considered kind of old school by some.

Also in my opinion it is rather easier to do this than it sounds. Of course everything takes longer and costs more than you think but that is no reflection on you!

 

Thanks for your insight. Now that you mention it, it does make sense to seal the penetrations that way.

The spray on liner I am talking about is a truck bed liner type, like Rhino lining. I work out of the back of pick ups all day and this is a durable, almost rubberized coating. I have noticed that, even in direct sunlight all day, it still stays cooler than the sheet metal of the truck, but I still think I prefer the look of carpeting on the boat. It is just a matter of convenience or cosmetic.

So am I on the right track then?

 

Do a Forum search, the Rhino liner is handled quite several times here.
And leave the carpet where it belongs, at home! One of the best troublemakers on boats.

Regards
Richard

 

Hi Matt,

Since you bought an 'older' used boat it may be a good idea to take the deck out and see how they treated the indside at the same time.

What you want to do is something I have done before. The deck will serve as a template for the new one, just take care not to damage the hull when you do the cutout.

In one of my previous boats I removed the deck and found wood has been used to provide the structural strength. The wood got wet, absorbed water (nice and heavy) and was beginning to disintigrate. The wood was glassed over, but it wasn't enough for structural strength, back then we were'nt aware that fiberglass wasn't waterproof, so the wood rotted up.

This all I then ground out (yukky job). I then made stringers and beams using various cardboard shaped boxes, ie the floor support beams I used cigerette boxes I taped together and glassed onto the floor which was also made from glass. It is more the form or pattern of it that makes the structure strong and rigit.

The floor turned out pretty neat and very stiff and strong. I doubt if new dry wood would have been as light. It was defenately more work than wood would have been, but for me at the time the soothing thought of never having to cut the deck out again was worth the extra work involved.

While it is nice and dandy to do it that way, I would suggest you add some closed cell foam blocks to the inside cavities for emergency floatation. If worst comes to worst the extra cost of the foam is worth saving your investment from sinking. These foams weigh about 33kg/m^3 and floats 1000kg. Worth it to add. The more the merrier.

If you're going to work with polyester resin and glass, then the prep is important. There is a chemical they use to 'soften' or 'surface de-cure' the old dry fiberglass with (cant remember what it's called) but this will make a much better bond between the old and the new glass. New glass on old glass heve a stupid tendency to delaminate (tear apart) which can make the boat dangerous. I have also used pop rivits very successfully before and just glassed over them to hide them. Paint with a good quality durable paint and it will last very well. No shoes on the boat - rule number one. I see the city yappies fish with shoes on. Wear socks for the sun. Your deck and carpets will last much better.

The boat I had turned out quite popular, it was probably the first boat in SA that had a high deck to fish from. I sold it some years after the mod and it was sold about five times between various fishermen. I believe it is still in use today but I lost track of who has it now.