Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

[Nandy]

Well, the lower unit of my Babcock Mercruiser 50hp broke so I am going to fishing up this Cobia. I originally was going to just fine tune the 70 hp Evinrude on this Cobia which was the reason I bought it. But after a while the lines in this boat took hold of me so I am restoring it. However, being that we are in the middle of the season and I have no desire to fix that other motor I will just temporize a deck for this boat then after the season I will fix it completely. I will probably start a share project but for now I will post it here as more people might in some way benefit from this attempt.

If anyone has any information on this boat please let me know. I already went to the manufacturer website but the first time I posted I did not get any info and I doubt I will find any info now.

Stats are:
17 footer
Cobia Tradewinds SS-170
Close bow ( my only dislike for the boat so far)
Semi-displacement - Semi-planing V-Hull (anyone welcome to correct me)
Evinrude 70hp 1975
Model 70573-b
Manual tilt
Gator Galvanized Trailer for 17 footer boat. EZ loader

As of now I have no idea of the weight of the combo.

Lets show some photos:

These are the photos from craigslist. I got it for 300 if I recall right. The motor had one carb off. I was also told the original owner used it in salt water. I took it anyway and I was able to put the carb back and fire the motor without much problem.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

That was back in October 2007. Now these photos are from this week. As you can see, I had already started cleaning before starting documenting the restoration but not much.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

Here you have a few photos from the inside. The stringers need to be changed and I have not made holes yet in the transom but I am sure it will not be good. The last 3 feet towards the transom are mulch but the front seems to be fine. I will change the entire length of the stringers, but just like I said, not now but during the fall. As of today I was done removing most of the floor but did not take photos. Will take them tomorrow and update as soon as I can. All the wood that I plan to use for exception of the plywood, insulation and one 1x1x8 and a 1x2x8 is wood that I had siting in the garage so I so I am planning to spend about $100.00 top. I had to buy the carpet as I am a sucker for it...

The darn thing even had trees growing on it.

This part will be behind a hatch that I will make. I will have stuff there too large to try to fit through that small space.

At the end of the day I had 5 18 gallons trash bags full.

 

[cprince]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

That was back in October 2007. Now these photos are from this week. As you can see, I had already started cleaning before starting documenting the restoration but not much.

If I only had a nickel for every picture I have seen on the internet that featured a Ho(e) and a Heineken!


I understand the beer.... but the garden implement? That much foam to dig out?

 

[Marcq]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I like the lines of that boat, I was actually looking at one on ebay last week, looked exactly the same, at first I thought it was the same boat

Too bad for the future of that nice tomato plant tough

Nice project

Marc..

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

Cprince, It did help getting the debris to just one spot before I could use a broom. That thing was full of junk!!
Marc, the only thing I dont like about this boat is that it is not a bowrider. I rather have an center console or a bowrider. That way it works better for the family and I still can use it for fish comfortably. I have a plan to turn this into a bowrider, but if I can find a bowrider in good condition I might get crazy and find a way to get that hull. The thing is, after I fix the boat it will be harder for me to sell it as I know it will be a sturdy boat. Anyway, a few more photos.



These photos show the stringers a bit better. The front section of the stringers seem to be fine as I had set up my roto tool a bit too deep and cut into one and the wood looked dry.

The stern section of the stringers as well as the bilge section are the one that are really messed up. The wood in the starboard side of the bilge was mulch. I will replace the entire stringers anyway during the fall. I will have to temporarily replace the wood at the bilge now as it will support part of the temporary deck. Also, if you look at the way the drain was built you will notice that it is only one and it is about 3/8 inches hight. This probably accounted for most of the rot. I will do some changes to this design. I might also ad some support to that deck where the stringers are all mulch.

In the photo that shows the stringers in the stern around the area where you see the Heini is where the stringers get real bad...

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

This is what I plan to do during fall. I just draw lines, maybe I will get artistic and render a real good graphic interpretation of my idea. Anyway, I just traced black where I will cut. There is a depression in that area that should help with giving strength to the bow. Anyway, here it is.

 

[Nandy]

Maiden Voyage.

Maiden Voyage.

After continuing with any restoration I wanted to see that I was working with a sturdy combo. It worked well, not as good as I wanted, but better than the other boat combo. Here is what I wrote about the maiden voyage prior to restoration:

After rebuilding the carbs, changing the thermostat, upgrading to the new improve water pump, installing a tell tale water pump indicator (this motor dont have one), replacing all the lost or broken nuts, screws and bolts, cutting the rotting floor out, and replacing the hitch coupler to a 2" one I was ready to try that combo before I drop any more money on it.
Fired the motor up and got out of the "No Wake" zone. All fine, I gradually speed off and the motor died. I went back and pumped the primer and it was hard but I could hear the gas filling the empty carbs. I tried again and the motor died again with the same symptoms of gas deprivation. Took the cover off and saw that the gas intake hose (I replaced that and all hoses with automotive type, ok, shoot me now) that goes from the motor adapter to the gas pump was bent and collapsed at one point that it made a 180 curve. I connected the tank gas line directly to the pump intake and I was finally able to run without the motor dying. I took it to WOT for the first time and I was a bit disappointed. It reached 32 mph. I was hoping it will go to the upper 30's and was daydreaming it might reach 40mph. Maybe I am expecting too much from it. I do not have a tach so I kept it at wot no longer than 6 or 10 seconds. I have 2 props. One is labeled but the one it had on I cant find the label (any ideas where to look?) so at this moment I dont know if I am prop correctly. These are the stats, if anyone has a similar rig and can comment on their speed and performance I will appreciate it. I did that test without deck and without the typical load (2 adults, 2 teens, tube, food, etc) so I expect it to go down... RATS!!!

17 footer
Cobia Tradewinds SS-170
Close bow ( my only real dislike for the boat so far)
Semi-displacement - Semi-planing V-Hull (anyone welcome to correct me)
Evinrude 70hp 1975
Model 70573-b

I am by no means done fine tuning this motor. I still have to do a link sync (it might be off from previous owner), change plugs and look at any other adjustment including prop. But I will try to be realistic now and not to expect any improvement.
Any comments welcome.

Now for the "funny" part:
I'm having a problem removing the GA registration numbers off the hull (future thread on this tonight) so I cut some masking tape and cover those old numbers and use marker to make type my NC registration numbers. I also taped the NC sticker as i don't want to glue it in place there until I polish the gel coat. I know I was pushing my luck and if I found a really pushy officer I would probably get a ticket but being a week day, in the middle of the day, chances should be low to have LEOs in this lake.
Shortly after passing the "No Wake" zone I hear this emergency siren coming from the highway. I dont make much of it, emergency vehicles are common in the highway. In a second I see a multitude of EMS and LEOs vehicles and vessels going straight to the ramps, closing 3 our of 4 of the ramps. I was in total disbelief... They went north in the lake, I went south past the bridge and monitored the ramp activity. About 30 minutes later, after all LEOs boats and jet skis have left I head to the ramp. There were still 3 police officers at the ramps but they were busy talking to each other. So I was able to load the boat without incident. So much for no LEOs at the lake in weekdays...
Apparently a boat flip and sank. Here are the news. I hope everyone is ok.

http://news14.com/content/top_storie...s/Default.aspx
Edit/Delete Message

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I have been working on the boat just and hour here and an hour there so I have not done much headway. Here is what I have so far.

6/14/2008
I used that pink insulation to create a template to cut the plywood for the deck. Later I realized that the plywood I was going to use was $2.00 more than the insulation so could probably saved the $20.00 I spend there and do the scribe traces directly to the plywood. I did not take photos of the scribing tool I made and the process, maybe I will do that later just for academic purposes. I also did a template for the bow but I did not take a photo of it.

I made the support for the seats. Generally I just add a base to the plywood used on the deck but since this plywood is to thin I added some support.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

6/15/2008

I use liquid nails to glue the washer/lock washer/nut for the seat base. that way I can take the base off during the carpeting process and then put the base back without having to "complicate" the process.

Here is a "look see" of it. The other times I used a nut/washer combination that digs in the wood and stay there making the remotion of the base possible. I will use that again for the permanent deck...

This is a close up. I hope it works, I need to let it sit for at least 48 hours...

I moved the boat to my garage as I am getting close to laying the carpet and I don't want to take a chance with the rain. I have not bought a cover yet to this boat. I'm using tarp, which I need to replace already...

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

Today all I was able to do was to finish up the support for the plywood. I laid the plywood and started screwing it to the stringers, bilge and support. I only took one photo of the support. I will take photos of the laid plywood just before I start putting some carpet. That might be Monday or Tuesday, I don't think I can do anything this weekend... You will have more updates then.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I added foam to the deck sides to cover any imperfection of the template. Later on I cut the extra foam to make it flush with the deck. Then I started adding the carpet. Generally i would have one piece of carpet but I found these 2 pieces cheap so I am using them. I leave all the screws for the seat bases, hinges and etc screwed in but not flush with the deck. I place the carpet in top of if after gluing and then I feel for them and cut the carpet to expose them. Here are a few photos.

This is the screws coming out of the carpet after I felt for them and cut the carpet.

 

[oops!]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

are you still going to the open bow concept nandy?

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

Yes I am still going for that concept once I get to the point of doing the real restoration. I have found a few similar hulls that are already bow riders but they all need restoration and I already have "experience" with this especific hull. However, it is a big project and being down to just one boat might keep me from doing it... I guess Im not a 100 percent doing it, but i am very inclined...

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I just had about an hour last evening so I did not do much head way. I got to finish the deck carpet. I got started with the bow compartment and speaker carpeting but only got one side done as I only had 20 min. I will try to finish that tomorrow.

Here are some photos of the deck process.

The white plastic was placed in top and parallel to where the 2 carpets meet. I laid one carpet section over the other one and cut thru them with the utility knife. This makes the carpet alignment close to perfect. The plastic should keep me from messing the glued edge and potentially smearing the glue on the top of the freshly laid carpet. You can tell where the 2 carpets meet due to the different color on them. If not I assure you the chances for someone to tell where the 2 carpets met is very hard.
You can also see how I cut the screws out of the carpet. Since I have a big base covering a "large" area I did not go thru the problem of carefully cutting the screws out of the carpet as I bet that base will hold that carpet good.

Finished product. Note that I am holding the carpet on the side with one 1x2x8 and some clips. I will not add more carpet as this is temporary. The trick that I tried using liquid nails to hold the nuts in place worked fine for except of 2 nuts. One I could tell it came loose before I was done removing the screw so some masking tape help holding the nut. The very last nut also failed but there was no way to tape it as I already had screwed the other 5 and there is zero clearance for me to reach the nut.

I will get some pictures of that bow access once I finish it up. If I can get that done and get the lights working before noon tomorrow I will take my kids to the lake and see how it behaves. If I can get the radio hooked up that will be sweet!!

 

[blackpearl76]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

should have glassed the floor before you put carpet down floor will rot again

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I know, but if you checked what I am doing I was just temporizing it. I will redo the hole thing this fall...

 

[new boat guy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

why are you in a way doing it twice? why not just "do it right" the first time?

 

[Nandy]

Re: Cobia Tradewinds SS-170 Restoration

I will redo this boat this winter if time and money permit but it will be a total resto so I guess this one can be moved to the finished restorations by any of the moderators.
Thanks!