How to open a can of worms, boat edition

[OffshoreDrilling]

What year is this boat? It's like the never ending project...

94', she's no spring chicken.

Most people's boating experiences are small bow riders and pontoons. Totally different ball game. Some upholstery wear and tear, maybe one major mechanical problem, and an oops or two of fiberglass/gel coat damage.

This thing is nearly a floating (small) house. Kitchen appliances, plumbing and waste, water heater, bathroom, two breaker panels, two beds and a dinette, exterior windows. So the maintenance and potential problems of a boat and a camper in one and they're both 23yrs old.

 

[boostedguy05]

jesus!
[MENTION=19]Yaj Yak[/MENTION] bailed on this at the perfect time didnt he

 

[rdsnake]

94', she's no spring chicken.

Most people's boating experiences are small bow riders and pontoons. Totally different ball game. Some upholstery wear and tear, maybe one major mechanical problem, and an oops or two of fiberglass/gel coat damage.

This thing is nearly a floating (small) house. Kitchen appliances, plumbing and waste, water heater, bathroom, two breaker panels, two beds and a dinette, exterior windows. So the maintenance and potential problems of a boat and a camper in one and they're both 23yrs old.

Damn...Yeah sounds like a Yacht to me...

 

[JeffsLightning]

94', she's no spring chicken.

Most people's boating experiences are small bow riders and pontoons. Totally different ball game. Some upholstery wear and tear, maybe one major mechanical problem, and an oops or two of fiberglass/gel coat damage.

This thing is nearly a floating (small) house. Kitchen appliances, plumbing and waste, water heater, bathroom, two breaker panels, two beds and a dinette, exterior windows. So the maintenance and potential problems of a boat and a camper in one and they're both 23yrs old.

Does it have a generator?

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

It doesn't thankfully. It'd be impossible to work on this thing

 

[Mike K]

Fuck this. Fuck all this.

 

[Yaj Yak]

jesus!

[MENTION=19]Yaj Yak[/MENTION] bailed on this at the perfect time didnt he

I did indeed and I feel terrible about it.

I put 30-40 care-free engine hours on it for the month and a half i had it in the water, then put it into storage.

I wish I wouldn't have sold it to my friend here, cuz I do consider jared my friend, and all the headaches and issues that have reared their head, really make me upset.

I had no idea all of the conundrums he'd run into and I wish I'd have sank it instead of sold it to him.

He and I have had quite a few conversations about just this, and yeah, I am sorry that I sold it to him with so many things unknown and he knows that as well.

 

[MrMezger996]

wow, not much more to say here..... I tip my cap and salute you taking on a project like this. I could not say the same for myself if I was in your position.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

The boat just isn't worth enough to justify paying someone to do the work. I'd be guessing in the neighborhood of $4000 at this point considering that the job is mostly labor costs. I'll settle for my sub par non professional efforts and sweat equity plus a few hundo in materials.

If this was a newer, $50k boat I'd absolutely be paying a pro.

 

[cap42]

I hate working with fiberglass, props to you for tackling something that large

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Balsa coring and my non skid showed up yesterday. Vacation this weekend so hopefully next is warm and dry. Fingers crossed for getting this thing in the water by second week of May.

 

[MrMezger996]

Enjoy the much needed vacation!!

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Thank you sir.

 

[1quick]

I'm sure you know this but dont get crazy with the hardner in your resin especially with your boat being covered on the bow still, the guys I used to work with would mix it hot so it would dry faster and put the mixing cup outside when they were done, sometimes it would burst into flames it would get so hot during the reaction

 

[boostedguy05]

time to up the insurance on that bish!

 

[Eagle]

I'm sure you know this but dont get crazy with the hardner in your resin especially with your boat being covered on the bow still, the guys I used to work with would mix it hot so it would dry faster and put the mixing cup outside when they were done, sometimes it would burst into flames it would get so hot during the reaction

Damn! :eek4:

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

I'm sure you know this but dont get crazy with the hardner in your resin especially with your boat being covered on the bow still, the guys I used to work with would mix it hot so it would dry faster and put the mixing cup outside when they were done, sometimes it would burst into flames it would get so hot during the reaction

What's funny is I actually watched a YouTube video about this last week. I've been doing research for a while before starting the progress and subscribed to dude's channel who makes some updated (not 1995 potato camera) boatwork videos. He mixed up a quart of epoxy just a little hot, 288*

I've been mixing the recommended 2:1 ratio so no worries. I have gallon containers with metering pumps on them so it's super easy to do. 2 squirts resin, one squirt catalyst. It still gets hot enough to melt a solo cup. Doing the bigger batches in coffee cans to avoid that

Actually feeling optimistic about this project. It's the last hurdle on the boat. I'd be fine with not touching anything else after it's done. Or at least I don't have any squeaky wheels begging me to fix them.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Getting some work done. The balsa showed up Thursday last week. I cut two manageable sections making up roughly 1/3 of the area needing to be repaired. Wet the backside of the glass attached to the balsa, wet out the inner skin, then made some mayonnaise (epoxy thickened to consistency of mayo) with fumed silica. Spread that down and it fills any voids there may be between the skin and the wood to get a solid bond. Set the skins back down on top of that and set two car batteries on it to clamp it.

I'm going to run out to lunch and let this all set up for an hour or two. I'd like to get at least half way done with cutting and bonding the wood to the inner skin.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Got about 2/3 of it bonded. This project is going to take too damn long. Epoxy has to be cured between steps so I can really only work for 4-5 hours and then have to wait for another day.

I think I need one more day to get the rest of the coring in, a day to prep and bond the outer skin, a day to glass all the seams, and a day to sand and paint it all with nonskid

 

[SleeperLS]

Good stuff, but fuck all of that.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Amen.

 

[EmersonHart13]

This is like a how to build a boat thread

 

[Bub]

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Lacking on pictures, I can't take gloves off 10,000 times to get all the process. Drove up here after work at 2:30. Managed to cut and fit all the balsa core, bonded it in, sanded the two most fore set of skins (foreskins?) and got the tip(just the tip) attached. I think I'm going to have to buy another gallon of epoxy. I'm going to wing it with what I have and possibly pay a ridiculous price locally for the small amount I'll probably need to finish the job.

All the core bonded in, I threw the skins on top and a bunch of stuff to weigh it down keeping it intact with the epoxy underneath.

And the foremost top skin attached. Weighted down with a gallon water jug.

Im absolutely covered with fiberglass and gel coat dust head to toe. I went through 10 60grit discs to do the small amount of stuff I have done. Wearing a tyvek suit and full face respirator when I have to bevel all the seams.


Started work at 6am, stopped working here at 7pm. Fuck! Never been accused of being lazy.

 

[Eagle]

Nice work Jared. Looks like tough work, but it also looks like its going to pay off in the long run!