Missinginaction's restored 1973 Silverton launches Monday, August 4, 2014

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by missinginaction, Aug 2, 2014.

  1. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    OK, OK, I know that you're not as excited about this as I am......

    I just wanted to say something to the members here who were so helpful over the past 7 years as I took this journey in boat building.

    THANK YOU!!!!!!

    I could not have done this boat without the help and advise that I got from this site. There are so many people to thank and everyone who responded to my posts over the years added something to the build. I can't list everyone but a few names come to mind. Alan White, CDK, Troy2000, Gonzo, Michael Pierzga and of course PAR. I know I missed some folks but everyone's take was appreciated (well, almost everyone). Thanks also to Jeff for keeping this site up and keeping us all in line.

    I still have some prettying up to do, I can't get the flybridge seats I want until fall, bottom paint and head/galley plumbing needs to be done but I'm tired of looking at her here in the yard. So in she goes.

    What a long strange trip it's been.....
     
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  2. LP
    Joined: Jul 2005
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    LP Flying Boatman

    Congrats.
     
  3. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    You are welcome. It is always exciting to get in the water after a long project.
     
  4. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Have the other half take pictures of you, as the boat wets her bottom again. These will be the most valuable of them all, to those that know you. Have a beer on me, you've earned it and way to go - feels good doesn't it . . .
     
  5. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Yep, it feels good. Had an uneventful day. We dropped her in the well at noon. Took her out and into her slip. After a Christening I took my wife, son, mother-in law and two guys from the boat club out for a little spin.

    Well she ran smooth and our little spin turned into a couple of hours cruise. When we got back and everything settled down I pulled the engine hatch. Mopping up the bilge got me 2 or 3 gallons of water. The bilge pumps never came on. Since the rudder post was dry as a bone I figure a little water entered the boat via the PSS as it wears in.

    I think I'm going to go and sleep on my boat tonight. :)

    For me no news is good news!

    MIA
     
  6. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    You'll never get any sleep, until you know the leak was the rudder port breaking in it's seal. Good for you big guy, an uneventful day on a launch is a thing of beauty and not something that happens with the frequency it should. A testament to your efforts no doubt. Congratulations - you earned it.
     
  7. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Well I found the leak. Not the shaft or rudder post they're sealed tight. It's a little tiny drip (say about one drop every couple of seconds) that's coming in about an inch below the shaft log. Not at the machine bolts rather in the fiberglassed area below. This boat has a cavity below the shaft log that I believe was cast into the hull to allow clearance to install the log. I'm betting that there is a crack in the tail end of the keel that's letting a small amount of water pass. For now it's just an inconvenience. Shouldn't be too hard to fix but I'll have to wait until the boat's out of the water.
     
  8. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Missinginactions 73 Silverton on the water....

    Thought I'd add a few photos since I had time to take a few today.

    Thanks again to all those who helped me restore this 41 year old hull!

    First photo from 2008. It really wasn't even a boat. Just a fiberglass tub with a cabin sole a couple of new engine stringers and some partial cabinets. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but there is no cabin or decks or electrical system or much of anything. I wasn't even sure if it would ever be a boat again.....

    Six years later it floats, runs smooth and looks as good as I could make it.

    The last photo is included just to show I'm human and not 100% done yet. Need some paint on that cockpit floor and some new trim that's done but sitting in the shop.

    Need some proper seats on the flybridge too.

    Regards,

    MIA
     
  9. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Way to go Bart, looks great. That hatch seems to have been sanded, so slap a coat of paint on it and be done with it. How about some profile shots?
     
  10. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Here's a couple of profiles. Everything you can see including and above the rub rail is hand made/restored. I recycled the original side windows, stainless rails and rub rails. That's my teenage son up top there.

    She seems a tiny bit bow heavy to me, but shes still a work in progress. I want to add a 3' swim platform on the back and install a small outboard such as a Yamaha 9.9 hp high thrust for trolling. This would add perhaps 300 +/- lbs total to the stern. The stern seemed to squat before I restored her so I moved the flybridge forward a few inches and shifted the batteries forward to the center of the boat under the cabin sole (AGM's).

    I'll need to reinforce the transom some as well.

    How do you like my poor mans AC unit? Cools the cabin nicely and runs just fine off a 1800 watt inverter. As an experiment I ran the AC with the engine shut down. It ran on "low" for 1 hour and 45 minutes before the low voltage alarm sounded on the inverter. I use two 105 amp hour Decka's as a house bank (20 hour rate). I just can't run anything else while the AC's on. Oh well..... Takes 5 minutes to install or remove and costs about $100.00.

    Last thing. Speed trials. At 2000 RPM she makes about 8 MPH (7 knots). She's no speed demon but at that speed fuel comsumption seems reasonable. That 1.34 x the square root of the waterline length is something you just can't get around.

    I'll have to save my money over the winter to get some proper ground tackle, the outboard, new lines and other supplies to properly fit her out. My son would like to take a trip and we're thinking of the "Little Circle". This loop runs from Albany, NY west to lake Ontario via the Erie Canal then up the St' Lawrence to Montreal Canada then down through the Champlain Canal to Albany. People tell me it's 1000 miles and 100 locks. We'll see.

    Regards, MIA
     

    Attached Files:

  11. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
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    troy2000 Senior Member

    Damn, I get a kick out of seeing people's projects hit the water.

    Congratulations. And don't get so wrapped up in fixing, modifying and improving that you short yourself on time spent just using and enjoying the boat....
     
  12. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Ditto Troy's remarks. Also she doesn't look out of trim by much, if at all. Did you move the boot stripe? 2,000 RPM on a small block? What gear reduction are you running?
     

  13. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    That's the old bootstripe from before I started.

    As far as the RPM, for now I've just been running her easy. The 2000 RPM figure is just part throttle. I've always been more concerned about how far I can go on a gallon versus how fast. I suppose I should open her up just to see. I'll let you know in a few days.

    There's a Velvet Drive behind the engine (don't know the reduction) and a Walter V-drive behind that. The V-drive is 1.48:1. I believe the trans must be 1:1.
     
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