Opening the belly of the Beast

Thanks for the kuddo's and advice KFB. After closer scrutiny at those starburst cracks, they are just in the paint. It is only prevelent inside where there is no gel coat. The mfg. lobbed that paint on pretty thick, probably to seal and hide their fine craftsmanship. On the "poor design" of the Browning/Aerocraft.. My thoughts exactly...had I only known prior to purchase... as with the other rebuild boats on this forum, she'll be better then "new".
At one point I was going to salvage all the mechanicals and just buy another (used and bigger) boat. I was originally looking at 26 foot cuddy's. But then I could be buying the same problems a few feet longer. This one came up a bunch cheaper and I fell for it. I am committed now, epoxy, cloth, foam, lumber paint, etc. etc. and a few gallons of sweat.
One reason I am pictorially documenting everything is: I want the next owner (and myself) to know what we've got and feel secure about this boat, if and when I sell it. At my age, the value of life and good times has greatly increased compared to the day when I was younger and daring..

The other reason. I have gained great insight and saved a bunch of money and possible some grief (in doing things wrong). So, I wanted to leave a little something to the next " Hi, new to the forum" lucky sailor with a new boat and a soggy bottom.
I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from the fine folks, like yourself, on this forum. My hat is off to ALL of you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and especially to those that "been there done that".
Eric H
No progress today..crap weather!

 

Belly of the Beast - the Saga Ends

After two bouts with a scalpel wielding surgeon at the local hospital, removing moldy stringer splinters, I'm done rebuilding. My bride (checkbook captain) said I was finished with that project. "Park it and sell" she commanded. Weakened from medication and not willing to become subject of spouse abuse, I complied.

Trying to save a few bucks is not always the best thing one can do. I was shopping for a 80's cuddy for the past two years, then came across this hapless craft in need of repair, for a few pocket dubloons. I just couldn't resist the temptation to save some gold and restore it myself.
Labor intensive dirty, ichy work, spent the summer in the driveway, instead of the water and a few $K's on medical bills. Learned alot, thanks to you all on this forum. My hat is off to you that finish a total restoration. 20 years ago I would not have quit on a project like this. I prefer to enjoy life cruising & fishing on a boat, instead of working on it. Sooooooooo..
I bit the cash bullet. Bought a new Eagle alum trailer and a bone dry, turnkey sea-worthy 26' Wellcraft Nova II, just in time for winterizing.
End of story.

Thank you all for the help.
Eric H

 

Oh WOW, what a story... I remember the begining, and to see how it ended... your website should be standard reference for anyone thinking of rebuilding a fiberglass/wood boat (but dont let their wives see it).. glad you got what you wnated in the end, and sorry about the elbow, etc. Have fun on the water next year!
Grant

 

Why are you doimg this? Has it been in the family for years? Are you stuck on am island? Do you have ABSOLUTELY nothing slse to do?
Junk the boat!! Production run fiberglass boats are a dime a dozen. Strip the machinery off the hull & find another boat.
IF (and it won't) everything goes well in this "project", you still end up with a OLD BOAT of no value. If it has no personel ties to you AND it isn't a boat anybody else is collecting then it is money down a rat hole. By the pics I can see this was a boat ill designed and built to start with. Nothing you can do to change that. Why not put ypur time, energy and moneys into a real head turner if you want a restore project not a dog from the day it was molded.
The gas you burned towing this boat home is as deep as you need to get in it. A few bucks on her & you could have had some laughs, but she is too far gone and not worth the effort.

 

hellooooooooo ted655, did you read Erics last post? I think not. He did just what you suggest. But, unlike you, who seems to think he is an idot, I find his attempt a bit heroic....

 

Well done Eric H. Thanks for sharing your story. Nothing ventured, nothing gained right? Personally I don't think it was a foregone conclusion the project was doomed. I've been watching others do it as we speak.

http://209.190.4.227/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11294

You've obviously made the decision with a lot of thought and pain! Congratulations on the Wellcraft. Hope you enjoy it.

Rick

 

I gave up on one too

My first project boat went to the landfill in pieces. I bought a house and it just didn't make sense to put that much time into a boat that needed that much done to it before I would ever be able to use it. I can't live without a project, so I compromised and bought a solid, well built, running boat that I could do customization projects on in the off season. Like you, Eric, I learned a lot from the first boat, even though I never got it into the water. Now I get to play on my boat both in the water and in the yard.

 

Nobody that likes boats is an idiot. Given enough time & mony, anything can be rebuilt. It was doable, but not practicle. "It is never too late to stop losing money" It was a bad investment. We've all made them. I always looked at it as paying tuision for the school of experience.
I didn't agree that he should'nt buy another boat because it might be a lemon also. That's where that "learning" kicks in and you inspect (knowing better now), what to look for.
It was just "tough love", sorry if it was too blunt.

 

I have always been a project/re-builder of sorts. I made a good living rebuilding industrial machinery. Custom car, hotrodder since the 60's and did quite a bit of home remodeling. So, taking in a lost stray for a project was my normal M.O.
You're all correct. It was a bad judgement call from the start. I hope my story will save the next "newbie" a lot of grief and money. It is quite the job restoring an old tub. I indeed have learned a lot, and I suppose that part was worth it.
If your goal is to enjoy a "good boat", buy one. If your need is to be creatively challenged and you have the time, physical and financial wherewith all, get a project tub. If nothing else, you'll learn something about boats and yourself.
There is pride in accomplishment when any project is completed. But, there comes a time in everyone's life that reality must overide the ego in regards to tackling a project. I didn't realize I was that old....
Restoring an old boat is agonizing, labor intensive, time consuming, expensive and can be painful. For those of you following this thread and plan to undertake a boat project, take the advice of Grant Nelson, KnottyBuoyz, stevel, and especially ted655 and the others into very careful consideration, first.
Thanks again mates, hope to meet all of you on the water some time. I really enjoy this forum and will plug in my $.02's worth.
Eric H.
New boat, old school, go fast walleye killer...
If you're young and foolish, you're young and foolish. If you're old and foolish, you didn't learn anything.

 

Here's part of a post I made a few years ago on another forum.
'The whole process of replacing a transom in
fiberglass is NOT a romantic exercise in nautical craftiness but is
more akin to what went on in that Abu Grub prison, probably without
the dogs and *******s but you're still going to be in numerous,
uncomfortable positions and covered in ****.'
Any tendency to try and dissuade people from 'project' boats or 'too good a deal to pass up' boats generally brings on the pessimism police who accuse you of being a party pooper and a general drag on society and if you don't have anything good to say, please STFU. I figure pointing out the negatives can be a very positive thing and unrealisticly stressing the positives can be a negative thing. There are many threads around that start like this one. Some slog along for years and get accomplished (at least they get in the water and you never hear about the next problems they might have), but most threads are never concluded one way or another so I suspect they don't get finished. This one seems to me to be as much or more valuable than a 'successfull' one, but only because Eric was big enough to come back with 'the rest of the story'. Eric, I think you should reward yourself(s) by taking your new boat on a winter vacation to a warm climate and getting some practice for next summer. Don't forget the glasses. Sam

 

Sorry to hear how it ended. Once you get in to it you have to ask yourself if you are nuts. Well I started my project this summer and it is now finished and in the water going fishing this weekend. Although not as large a project as yours, mine was rotten to the core. Everything had to come out. I had no experience but the Price was right $49 and it came with trailer and Roller bunks. 16 foot. Took it all down to hull replaced all wood even transom. itched like hell for a month and dang that marine Pl;y is expensive. Spent about 800 in all the supplies and now have a decent boat that will last for years. Could I have gotten something for what I spent? Probably! But what a sense of accomplishment. I was not even looking for a boat, knew nothing about them except the float and sink. Now I have rebuilt one and am enjoying it very much. Thanks to forms such as this an much research on the web. Sorry to see your story end the way it did. But chock one up for the experience bad good it all helps.

 

Travism, I salute you, my friend. I'm glad it worked out for you. More then accomplishment, you KNOW what's under your butt...most don't. And you can wave at them as you go cruise by, safe and dry....

 

Nicely said Travism.
My (first) boat was an adventure too.
Yes it almost killed me, and my girlfreind,,
and yes I think I must have come pretty close to reaching an epoxy toxicity state (not to mention soaking and breathing in a whole lot of other stuff).
Yes we spent a $h!t load more money than we wanted to or than we thought we would have to.
And yes, though we are mostly done, it does feel like the job will never end.
Though with initial purchase price plus that of the costs of materials we got the boat for less than half the price (of the only other Seahorse I can find for sale)- if you count the amount of time we, our freinds and families put in (even at below award rates), then financially it could not have been worthwhile...

but,
now we have a beautifull 30 ft sail boat, a boat that two full time students like us could not have afforded otherwise, a boat that we know from the ground up, that we can be proud to call our own and that one day hopefully when we sell her we can get some small financial reward for our efforts, probably to just invest into the new project...

Also, we saved a lovely little (Dutch) girl in need of some care- and we feel pretty good about that.

Deeman, I am sorry the project didn't come through. We reached a few points where giving it up was looking like the only possibility. If we had the ability to buy another instead, then it may not have turned out this way.
Nonetheless, giving up on a project and dream is not a easy decision to make.
It really does seem like you have made the right decision.
Have fun on the water.

Hans.

 

Gas Tank pick up

I have an old 1984 Larsom that I am in the process of putting in a new floor and was trying to remove the gas tank. Well, I tried to siphon it out via the fuel pick up tube and was unable to, so I siphoned the gas out through the fill neck. I pulled the tank out today and discorvered the fuel pick up fitting I could not blow into it or creat a vacuum. Is this s special fitting? I know it works because I had the boat running hours before I tried siphoning the gass out. Also, should I put an in line fuel filter in it and remove the one that is directly on or part of the fuel pump? thanks

 

I too had a hard time syphoning the gas out. Had a full tank, 70 gals. I tried blowing compressed air into the filler line and hoping to get it to start flowing out of the vent hose..Nope! All three of the connections on my tank have a sharp 90 degree bend, blocking the syphon hose from going into the tank. I removed the sending unit ran a hose into the hole and doing it the old fashion way. Fuel filters..as long as you carry a spare and know where it is. On my cars, they almost always seem to clog at the most inoppertune moment. Disposing of the old fuel was easy..told neighbors I had "free gas" ..... everyone wanted to help!
Eric H