Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

[4runneradam]

I thought I'd share my project with everyone. Hopefully it will help some first timers like myself who are in the same "boat" as I was. This is my first boat. First time ever working with fiberglass as well.

The boat is a 1985 Bayiner Capri 1600 runabout. 85hp Force outboard. I traded an ATV for the boat a few years ago. I knew absolutely nothing about boats, and I believe the seller took advantage of that. I ran the boat for 2 seasons with no major problems (besides a bad stator) but then the third season I found some bad stuff. There was a large piece of plywood in between the seats covered in carpet that the seller told me was laid down because the ski locker broke. I took out the board and discovered a huge rotten hole in the deck. Also had a soft spot in the bow that I planned on patching, turned out to be another rotten hole. I pulled the carpet and found all of the deck was rotten. So I decided to park it in the garage. I had to pull the motor off to fit in the garage, and that's when I discovered the rotten transom.

Luckily the stringers were still in good shape, as were the seat boxes and all the woodwork at the bow.

My plan is to repair the deck in sections without removing the woodwork that is good, using inexpensive materials found locally.This boat is just not worth the time and money required to rip EVERYTHING out and redo it all and to use expensive high quality materials. I just want it to be safe and durable for a few years of use and still be in one piece to sell a few years in the future.




Here she is the first season out

The soft spot I was feeling in the bow after digging at it a bit

More rot

Tore the deck up

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Pulled the motor

Transom looked good at the top, but was mushy rotten at the bottom

Deck installed

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Thats all the work I have done for now.

I'm currently working on repairing the transom.

Here is the hole I previously patched in transom, ground down(happened when motor fell during tow, probably what caused leak)

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Transom hollowed out

Transom as seen under the splashwell from the inside

Here's the pump I'm going to use for a bilge pump

Thats all for now. I will post more pics as I finish the transom and install the carpet and seats.

 

[oops!]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

hi.....looks great......

just one thimg.....on the floor.....did u use any fiberglass mat besides at the edge?.......

u need to.

resin by itself is weak and will crack....it needs the glass

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Its bayliner mania its sweeping the nation.Hey man great looking boat.Like opps said resin and cloth for repair.I cant tell when its wet out.If you want to see a top notch redo check out f14s its a liner cuddy.i have part of mine loged somewhere.Been running the snot out of it and dont have its done pics up yet.Great to see you posting your build and better its a bayliner.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Nope, no glass on the deck besides the edges.

I did plenty of research here and there are people on both sides who say you need to glass and some that say you dont.

I tried to glass on 2 panels, but it just diddnt turn out well. tons of air pockets. It was just too much work to get it right.

There are a bunch of people here who used resin alone with years of trouble free service, so I figured it would be good enough for me.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

I think Epoxy resin is cool, but poly will crack w/o glass....

Cool boat!

 

[Mark42]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Nice work! These 1600's were popular and lots of them still around. I noticed that you did not replace the stringers. They look well covered in glass, and look like the stringers in my 1600 Cuddy Cabin (see pic below). I'm beginning to wonder if the stringers have any wood in them at all. Do you know?

Going to put a ski locker in there?

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Yes they have wood, and I drilled into them and found dry shavings.

No, no ski locker. Diddnt want to fool with it, plus I dont ski with it. I could always cut one in there if I want one later on i suppose.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

I got the transom installed and glassed in today.

Tomorrow I'll paint that area white.

Then I'll reinstall the bilge drain plug, drill holes for the motor mount and speedo sensor.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

I glassed the top of the transom where I had cut out to access the transom from the top. While in there, I discovered some cracks I did not know about. I glassed those too.

You'll also see a brass fitting I installed for my bilge pump.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Looking pretty good! Nice to see projects move fast. And I really appreciate the photos, seeing as our boats have a lot of commonality.

BTW, that pump Flow Jet pump is listed as 4.9 gpm, right? Thats 294 gph, which is rather light for a bilge pump. Bilge pumps are rather inexpensive in the manual models, you should look into a 500 gph model minimum. I know you said you don't want a ski locker, but you should at least put in a hatch to access the bilge pump.

Keep the progress photos coming!

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Thanks!

Trust me, this is not going by fast. It just looks that way. I have been working on this since the beginning of winter. I just started posting photos after I got some substantial work done. I've been spending a few hours after work each day for the past couple months in order to get it done soon.

About the pump, its going to have to work. I dont have the funds to buy a big pump. I got this for free, and actually I have 3 other ones. We use them at work. I could add another one inline with it if its not fast enough. Hopefully there wont be that much water to pump out.

I planned on just sticking the input hose right there near the drain plug under the splash well, and mounting the pump next to the battery. Its a self priming pump so it doesn't matter if it sucks air.


Is there any other reason why I'd need a hatch on the deck? If so, could you point me to a thread or some info on how to go about making one?

Thanks!

 

[Mark42]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

The area under the deck makes a good place to store the anchor, also fenders, and other stuff. Plus its nice to be able to open it up to air out and dry if there is ever water leaking in.

The simple hatch method is mark the size of the opening between the stringers, leave about 3 inches of deck "overhanging" the stringers on the sides. IE do not cut flush with the stringers unless you want a wide hatch.

Then cut the deck out with a sabre saw. Be sure to cut nice and striaght. Tacking a furring strip to the deck as a guide will let a sabre saw make arrow straight cuts.

Then rip some 1/2" ply into 4" wide strips, and epoxy to the underside of the deck with about an inch exposed. Then the cut out piece of deck just drops back in place. Sand the edges smooth and apply resin to exposed edges to seal from water.

Usually the section of deck cut out has another piece of decking epoxied to the bottom about 2 inches smaller all around. This makes the hatch rigid so it won't flex when stood on.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

I finished and painted the transom.

Laid the carpet down. Still have to get another can of spray adhesive and trim the carpet for a final fit.

Next up....re-installing the seats and cleaning everything really good. Simple green and then a magic eraser.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Cleaned the interior with simple green. Cleaned a lot of the gunk, but there is still a lot of stains. Tomorrow I will use the magic erasers. I really hope they work.

And my daughter Hannah got in the boat for the first time.

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Lookin good there,

I've tried those magic erasers, they work but the gunk sticks to them and then the eraser starts to brake apart. Hope you have a few of them.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

Truck caps do make nice hard tops.

Looking very nice. Remember if you use the magic eraser on gel coat, there will be a duller and lighter colored spot from polishing off some old gel.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Bayliner Capri 1600 deck/transom restore (LOTS OF PICS)

I have a 4 pack of the erasers. I used one last night, and at first, I was very dissapointed. But then I SCRUBBED, and I mean SCRUBBED until my wrist hurt, and thats when the "magic" happened. It works great! I realized that the vinyl is actually white, not cream colored! I'll probably end up going through a few boxes of these, but I think I'll try the Target brand, they were a buck cheaper.

I diddnt plan on using it on the gel coat. Just soap and water.

And the truck cap, yea, I already had visions in my head of chopping, widening it, and fitting it to the boat. But then I realized I'd have no top for my 4Runner