G-Man
09-05-2006, 01:26 PM
Hi Guys,
Just getting back connected again here. I have been working on rebuilding a boat on\off all year, and just got her ready for duty again. Thought I would share a few details and pics. May interest some, or let some know their boat troubles could be worse, or convince others to never get a boat. ;)
Story starts last fall ... while running around Boston Harbor in a 14 alum boat, I wanted something that can take the bay chop better yet still small enough to fish the lakes out my way.
I had been thinking about a used 17' Twinvee for a couple years and started looking. Those small cats are not easy to find. I found one and went clear down to Ga to pick it up. Whole rig for $5,700...not too bad.
Boat ran fine on water test, but on way back I noticed water coming out of a small whole on side of boat. I sealed the hole and ran a couple fishing trips last fall. Boat ran fine, but I would drain a couple gallons of water from each sponson ofter the trips. I knew I had a problem. First year, this boat would be in a cold winter, and I had to figure out the issue. Decided to cut a whole in the deck to inspect. I found mold, water, and wood rot. Decided to bite the bullet ... cut the entire deck off and get this boat right. One of the main problems was the cables were run under the deck, but the holes allowed rain water to just full the hull. Twinvee now makes em with a 3" pvc pipe for cables and that's what I needed to do.
The restoration involved hours of grinding out old stringers and junk to get a clean hull. Then started the process is laying more fiberglass, stringers, deck, etc. Basically put the boat back together again. Most of the work was done with a Rotozip tool ... I love that thing!
Talked alot with Twinvee and Jamestown Distributors in Bristol RI. I had never worked with fiberglass before and was not confident I could do the job. After I got a quote from a boat place to put a new deck on for $5,400 I figured I better get with it and learn how to do this. Fiberglass is really not so bad ... laying big pieces yourself can be very frustrating tho ... and I invented some new swears. The ole hull had spider cracks and discoloration, so I decided to buck up the cash to buy some good interlux paints to both prime and paint the whole boat over.
My comfort is that the boat is built better than Twinvee builds em new now. They don't even put any stringers in anymore, just 4lb foam on the 17' boat. The other thing that thrilled me is that the boat actually sits and rides better now than it did before, even tho I have added considerable weight in fiberglass resin and paint. I also completely filled all hull cavities with 2lb foam. The hull was only 1/2 filled before. That boat will not sink even if with a big whole in the hull now. No voids to fill with water.
Anyway, all's well that ends well right? The family likes the boat and it's running really great on the lake tests. This week I hope to bring her to the salt. Also, the motor seems to be solid ... thankfully.
Her's a few of the bad pics
Just getting back connected again here. I have been working on rebuilding a boat on\off all year, and just got her ready for duty again. Thought I would share a few details and pics. May interest some, or let some know their boat troubles could be worse, or convince others to never get a boat. ;)
Story starts last fall ... while running around Boston Harbor in a 14 alum boat, I wanted something that can take the bay chop better yet still small enough to fish the lakes out my way.
I had been thinking about a used 17' Twinvee for a couple years and started looking. Those small cats are not easy to find. I found one and went clear down to Ga to pick it up. Whole rig for $5,700...not too bad.
Boat ran fine on water test, but on way back I noticed water coming out of a small whole on side of boat. I sealed the hole and ran a couple fishing trips last fall. Boat ran fine, but I would drain a couple gallons of water from each sponson ofter the trips. I knew I had a problem. First year, this boat would be in a cold winter, and I had to figure out the issue. Decided to cut a whole in the deck to inspect. I found mold, water, and wood rot. Decided to bite the bullet ... cut the entire deck off and get this boat right. One of the main problems was the cables were run under the deck, but the holes allowed rain water to just full the hull. Twinvee now makes em with a 3" pvc pipe for cables and that's what I needed to do.
The restoration involved hours of grinding out old stringers and junk to get a clean hull. Then started the process is laying more fiberglass, stringers, deck, etc. Basically put the boat back together again. Most of the work was done with a Rotozip tool ... I love that thing!
Talked alot with Twinvee and Jamestown Distributors in Bristol RI. I had never worked with fiberglass before and was not confident I could do the job. After I got a quote from a boat place to put a new deck on for $5,400 I figured I better get with it and learn how to do this. Fiberglass is really not so bad ... laying big pieces yourself can be very frustrating tho ... and I invented some new swears. The ole hull had spider cracks and discoloration, so I decided to buck up the cash to buy some good interlux paints to both prime and paint the whole boat over.
My comfort is that the boat is built better than Twinvee builds em new now. They don't even put any stringers in anymore, just 4lb foam on the 17' boat. The other thing that thrilled me is that the boat actually sits and rides better now than it did before, even tho I have added considerable weight in fiberglass resin and paint. I also completely filled all hull cavities with 2lb foam. The hull was only 1/2 filled before. That boat will not sink even if with a big whole in the hull now. No voids to fill with water.
Anyway, all's well that ends well right? The family likes the boat and it's running really great on the lake tests. This week I hope to bring her to the salt. Also, the motor seems to be solid ... thankfully.
Her's a few of the bad pics