1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Okay, new pics from today, I didn't get to work on it yesterday like I wanted, but I had help from my dad today and got the floor in and glassed.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Great work!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Looking good. But first things first...it's a deck, not a floor. Also, how did you find working with the polester resin?

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Okay, okay, it's a deck. The resin was easy to work with and I was suprised at the length of time I had to work with it. I thought it would start hardening a lot faster than it did. I was also suprised at the cheap brushes we used. I mixed resin 4 times to finish the deck, and the brushes didn't harden until we stopped using them. I was told that acetone would clean up the mess but I didn't have much luck. It did work on the gloves we used. I would recommend a good pair of gloves. I started with cheap 1 use latex gloves, but they kept ripping. I moved on to a pair of $5 gloves, they come half way up my arm and have textured fingers and palm, and they're reusable.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

I took all the pop rivets out last night and tonight. WOW there were a lot of them. I started trying to figure out the wiring today. I have most of it figured out, but the gauge lights don't want to work. The actual light bulb works, but not while it's in the socket. I guess I'll need to replace that.

A little off topic but, does anyone have a transom mount transducer for an Eagle Fishmark 320? I just found out mine is broken where it bolts to the bracket. I thought about fiberglassing it to the bracket and call it a day. What do you think?

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

A little help here please, I have managed to get one of the rub rails back on, but I'm wondering how to put the rubber insert back in.? I thought about using hot water to soften it, does that sound like a good idea?

Also, the at front of the boat the top and the hull don't seem to line up correctly. It kind of looks like it has an overbite. A guy that has done these before said it happens sometimes, just silicone the crap out of it. I'm thinking about mixing up some PB and slop it in there.:redface:

It's starting to look like a boat again!!

 

[singinout]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

I have already gotten the transom and floor out - wow what a job! I found out about the fiberglass box stringer system that they used. I'm thrilled that the stringers are not wood! I'm sure if they were, they would be rotten also. I have also found out why they, (Winner), said their boats wouldn't sink. There are "air bottles" everywhere! All around AND IN the stringers. I counted 40 of them around the stringers. I don't know how many are in them.

O my word! My boat had that identical jug stuff all thru it!! They looked totally the same! Maybe my boat was made by same manufacturer?? I have no clue what brand mine is. Them jug thingys were glassed in up under the top rail the whole way around and also laying between the stringers under the deck.

Just make sure they are actually watertight and not brittle before you put them back in! Mine would just break if you applied any pressure. Half of them were cracked and had water in them. YUCK!!!! Was not pretty!!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

I can't say much about your ''overbite'' without pics. How far over is it? As far as your rub rail, a heat gun or perhaps a hair dryer will help in your case.

 

[ftl900]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

When trying to get rubber to 'conform' in other applications, I've had really good results using Armor-All as a lubricant. It's very thin, slick as snot, and then soaks into the rubber to make it actually grippy after it dries a bit.

 

[ryan_eyres]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

In order to insert that rub rail, I coiled mine up in a bucket of really hot water. This kept it nice and pliable as I pushed it into the aluminum. You could also try to lay it out in the hot sun for an hour or so first.

-Ryan

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

I can't say much about your ''overbite'' without pics. How far over is it? As far as your rub rail, a heat gun or perhaps a hair dryer will help in your case.

I can fit my thumb in between the top (that overhangs) and the hull. I did notice last night that after I riveted the one side of the boat, that side of the nose was starting to come in where it should be. I am going to try and get the other side to the same point tonight. Then I'll take another look. I also thought that maybe if I bow the top a little. There are supposed to be some supports right about at the windshield and they aren't there yet. If I can lift it a little right there it might make all the difference. I'll let ya'll know as soon as I do.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

No luck with the nose overhang. I packed it full of silicone and called it a day. I have to get this thing done. I also asked guy that rebuilds boats and he said it happens sometimes. He's the one that suggested filling the gap with silicone. Here's some pictures. The one from the rear makes it look really bad. I need to do some sanding & painting. I had a support bracket made for the back end, when I thought it would help ( right before I found out how bad the transom was ). It will cover most of the mess you see on the back panel of the boat.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Well, I managed to get the rubber strip in the rub rail. I had the boat outside while I was drilling the holes in the back for the motorwell and the drain at the bottom. I guess the sun heated it up enough to let it stretch. I think I might have figured out what happened with the front end with the gap. I mounted a Minn-Kota quick release plate on the nose and I think it might have straightened out the nose more than it was before all this started.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

So I'm in my garage today working on the boat, the sun is shining in through the door, I'm lying on the floor of the boat running tubing for the bilge pumps and I see a bright spot in the front of the boat. I thought it might be coming through some random mounting hole that I haven't mounted anything in yet, but no such luck. I found a chip in the gelcoat.

What would be the procedure on fixing this? I have no experience with gelcoat repair.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

All my fiberglass work is done, (sans the chip in the gelcoat) the gunwales, the supports under the dashboard and any/all seams that I could possibly reach. I put the drain tubes (3) in and used a tool that I made at work to roll or mushroom the edges. The wiring is run. Now the debate is over paint on the floor with some sand mixed in or carpet. I'm not sure which to go with. Now on to hanging the motor. The motor is in the shop waiting on the boat. I guess I need to figure out the bolt pattern. It's a 1973 Evinrude 115. Would I just be able to drill the transom through the holes that are in the fiberglass (where they used to be)?

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

I now have a motor on my boat. I drilled the holes and siliconed the crap out of the holes and bolts and slid 'em in and cranked 'em down tight. I bead blasted the steering arm bracket and painted it. Now on to hooking up the controls, wiring and doing something with the seats and floor covering. (carpet, paint or some other kind of coating).
What are the group opinions on carpet in a boat?

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Well, I went to Lowes and picked up some cheap carpet. It was about $35. I'm not going to glue it down, the seats and the inner panels on the sides should hold it down enough, and if it gets soaked, I can pull it out to dry. I think. I put the same carpet in another boat and it seems to stay put well enough. I can always glue it down if I need to. Here's a pic from 2 nights ago.

 

[Ksmith0110]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Got the motor wired up and control cables hooked up. Sunday morning I fired it up on the muffs. The motor was still missing some, but I think it was flooding at the bottom carb. I shut everything off and checked it out, fired it back up, and proceeded to find out that the overheat alarm worked. I forgot to turn the water back on!!! So off came the lower unit and I had torn 2 vanes off the impeller. I'm waiting for it to come in now. Hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

Bondo is NOT, I repeat NOT Waterproof. Do NOT use it. He is so wrong.

 

[dude11]

Re: 1973 Winner Bimini 17' Trihull Rebuild

To start with,very nice work!! I noticed that your boat is sitting high on the trailer bunks--have you used it in the past? Maybe the ramps are at a greater angle at your lake.I had to lower mine is the reason I noticed.I was having to almost dunk my truck in order to float the hull.The trailer fenders were completely under water.dude11