First boat project.

[Agare]

First off wanted to say been surfing this site and ShareaProject.com all day and wanted to say I learned a lot between the two sites today. Now for a little background.

Around 5 years ago the family boat broke and my parents never fixed it. Instead they decided to store it in our backyard. I am 23 and didn't have anything to do this summer so I decided to take the boat cover off and do my best to fix the boat. I started looking at the boat yesterday. At first it was suppose to be a mechanical problem with either the engine or transmission. However after I took the boat cover off I realized that the initial engine problem was the least of my concern. I quickly found out that my parents had forgotten to remove the drainage plug and over the last 5 years or so water had built up in the boat without being able to drain.

So far I've removed almost all of the carpet, the seats, and vinyl side compartments. From what I can tell all the plywood needs to be replaced along with a majority of the foam. I haven't attempted to remove the plywood floor yet and will be doing that Sunday. I expect to find out all the wood and foam will need to be replaced and the engine will probably have to be lifted out too. I attached some photos to show where I am and would appreciate any input. I will keep this updated as best I can and hope to know the full extent of the damage Sunday. (In the picture of the engine you can see how high the water got at one point and yes the carpet was disgusting).

 

[singinout]

Re: First boat project.

Hey! Welcome to iboats..from one newbie to another! ;-) Looks like a nice project! Been there done that on tearing out carpet and replacing flooring.

Gud luck!!

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

Little more back story on why I want to get this boat up and running. First off this boat was originally purchased by my parents, my uncle, and my granddad around the time I was born. My Uncle had it for a majority of the time and we got it 6 or so years ago. On our 2nd outing the boat broke and we haven't used it since. I talked to my parents and they said they would help me repair the boat and once I graduate college (this December hopefully) I can buy the boat off them for the cost of the repairs. If it all works out I like the idea of owning a boat my parents got when I was born and hopefully one day having my kids on it(years and years from now....).

That being said I have no experience at all with working on a boat. However my parents aren't your typically parents and growing up my parents flipped houses. Every 2 years like clockwork we would move houses and my parents would either sell or rent the house we just fixed up. About the time the boat broke they realized the housing bubble was about to explode so they dumped the houses they had and decided to get a motel. Well to make the story short the first motel was condemned and took over 2 years to completely remodel. The 2nd motel they bought was almost as bad and took almost 2 years to remodel. I'm hoping the knowledge I gained from my upbringing will help some in redoing the interior of the boat. Also I have zero experience with engines but my dad has basic knowledge and I have a friend helping who knows a fair amount about how to fix engines.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: First boat project.

You have a full blown restoration project on your plate.

First I would establish the motor and outdrive condition. What kind (brand) of outdrive? See if the engine will turn over w/o plugs.... squirt a tiny bit of oil in each cylinder and check the compression...... now is a good time to recruit a friend that knows motors.

If the motor and outdrive are in okay condition then we should tackle the rest of the project. The interior is nothing more than basic carpentry with fiberglass....... it's time consuming but easy.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First boat project.

I came in here to say what Bob just said above. Get her running first.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

Okay thanks I will look into that stuff on Sunday. I work all day today and tomorrow(Gotta pay the bills)...

 

[Nico2112]

Re: First boat project.

Looks like a nice boat + sentimental attachment (which makes it even better)

I'll enjoy this one.

Welcome to Iboats

 

[slvrwolf1]

Re: First boat project.

very nice boat. Good luck with your project..

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: First boat project.

Hello Agare...

Aye.. Drivetrain is first ..

1. DO NOT start that motor up until you change Oil and Gear lube ( the outdrive that is on your transom has moving parts even if out of gear .. and with no lube you could smoke your drive .. bang ! 2000-3000 bucks out the door ).

2. Inspect the gear lube ( should be dark blueish ). Put a drain pan under your drive and remove the 2 screws on the side of your lower drive ( one will be just forward of your prop on the drive housing ). If it looks milky then water has gotten into the drive.

You prob. have an OMC/merc drive and engine. Could you get a pic of your drive please ? If it says "Cobra" on the cover then DO NOT fill with gear lube in the regular way..just get back to us

3. Your gonna want to suck your engine oil out of the dipstick.. and change your oil filter b4 cranking it up. Look for water in the oil.

Something like this will work .. and no I dont work for iboats..

http://www.iboats.com/Moeller_Fluid...2620763--**********.724379168--view_id.341308

After your lube inspection we go from there..but It may get Very extensive depending on where water froze and expanded ..

How much is your limit for this restore could I ask..

YD.

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

First off it is a OMC. I will check the oil and gear lube before I try and start the engine. The Alternator is gone and I'm gonna have to pull the starter off and test it to see what shape it is in.

Just a heads up about water freezing and expanding. I live in Scottsdale, AZ. In the winter months it rarely drops before freezing. I highly doubt any water had enough time to freeze and expand enough to cause damage but I could be wrong.

I took some quick pictures(on a break from work). Hope these are what you wanted.

Also don't really have a budget set up yet. Still trying to figure out whats wrong and get a rough estimate on the cost before I put any money into the boat.

 

[maxum247]

Re: First boat project.

Great looking boat! good luck gettin'er right.

max!

 

[redfury]

Re: First boat project.

Is that the nefarious "stringer" drive I see? My nephew has one and likes the fact that the lower unit can be raised higher than any other drive set up.

The sentimental value on this boat is very high, so the costs involved in fixing it up are not at issue here. What has been suggested is to determine the condition of the most expensive part of the boat to determine if it is time to start this project, or time to set it aside until that time comes. If I had the same situation, I would not get rid of that boat no matter what was said about cost to repair...I'd find a way! Everyone has a different limit as to what they can and will tackle. It sounds like you have a solid background in carpentry, which will come in handy. The fact that you've read up on the forums as well as shareaproject means that you have a good understanding of what obstacles you may face...you are going into the project with the best tool many start theirs without....knowledge.

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

Thanks Redfury for the encouraging words. As of right now I plan on getting this boat fixed no matter what. If the costs get to high I will just take my time to finish. I've already realized that it won't be ready for this summer so I look at it as having a full year to get this boat exactly how I want it(and spread the cost too). To be honest I've entertained the thought of buying a new engine and even looked at the cost associated with it just to be able to compare cost. If I am able to determine that the cost to restore the engine will cost 3/4 or more of a new engine I may just save up and buy a new engine early next year. Right now my goals is to keep as many options on the table as possible. Tomorrow my friend is going to help me remove the plywood around the engine so we can better determine what we are dealing with.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: First boat project.

Agare..

Not really lol.. I was hoping for a drive down and pic of the back of the drive. but no worries ..

Basically .. do you have a "dipstick" on the very top of the drive ? Most times its a 9/16 hex head..unscrew it and bingo a stick. If you do have one..and you have 2 flat head screws on the drive ( one at the bottom..and one near the middle on the side of the drive ) You would fill the middle one first..let it start coming out the bottom hole..then switch to the bottom hole and fill till starts to leak out the middle hole..then cap that one..then continue to fill till you are in range of your dip stick. FILL IT SLOWLY. when it just starts to read on your stick..stop and wait a few minutes..then fill just a little bit ( a pump or two ) at a time ...

Sounds like a lot..but its ez.

YD.

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

Just wanted to post a quick update. Since it seems unanimous that I need to get the motor at least to turn over before I focus on anything else I am going to wait till my dad gets back in town later this week to help me figure out what to do(I know nothing of engines). I'm hoping he will be back by Wednesday. Just curious with the engine still in the boat is it okay if I remove the plywood floor or could the weight from the engine damage the boat more?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: First boat project.

Just curious with the engine still in the boat is it okay if I remove the plywood floor or could the weight from the engine damage the boat more?

The engine has separate mounts so you can remove the floor.

 

[eight tracker]

Re: First boat project.

bayliner capri a very popular boat here in the great lake state,i see lots of them around so i will be watching this restor.with interest,may just have to get one myself to rebuild,but one with an outboard.A lot less work with no motor to get in the way.My first and only project is a 1985 16ft bayliner fish-n-ski with a 85hp force outboard!
Theres a lot to be said about sentamental value in a project like this to keep you motivated,take your time ,have fun aan learn a lot with 'hands on' experience.
tom

 

[CaptOchs]

Re: First boat project.

How much fuel is in the tank? You'll need to pump it out and clean the tank. Even if your parents added a stabilizer it's only good for a couple of years. You don't want to suck up all that gunk into your engine.

 

[Agare]

Re: First boat project.

I am tearing up the floor and will try and pull the gas tank out so I can clean it out. Oh and assume my parents added nothing when the stored the boat. It broke and they stuck it in the backyard for at least 5 years.

 

[Mark42]

Re: First boat project.

Nice project! You posted that the alternator is missing. Make sure you replace it with the correct MARINE alternator, not an auto alternator. An auto alt will work, but it could also ignite fuel vapor in the bilge and blow you sky high. Get the marine alternator, even if its a used one.