Old boat fans?

[Chad Flaugher]

Hi all, and happy New Years! I'm new to the boating world, and I have to admit... I am an ADDICT! I spent the second half of last summer pulling tubes, trolling for fish, and just hauling butt around a lake close to my house, and we love it! I bought a 1974 Cobalt Tri-Hull open bow with a 190hp Ford 302cid V8, and all OMC components. I bought this boat for $500 bucks, and I'm proud to say that it keeps up with the majority of the 40K boats out there! Ha ha ha.... Enjoy that payment in January guys! Anyhow, I am replacing the steering system, and getting the entire boat re-upholstered this winter, so I'm sure I'll come up with questions for the fellow Older Boat enthusiast. Hit me up, lets have a chat! Whatcha got?

 

[jigngrub]

Before spending a bunch of money on cosmetic work for that boat you should check it for rot. Rotten transom, deck, and stringers. Nothing sucks more than sinking a bunch of money into making a boat look pretty and then finding out shortly thereafter that your boat is rotten and needs to be taken completely apart to fix it and it cost you another $2K on top of what you've already spent. We've seen this happen several times on this forum.

The usual scenario is that you only pain $500 for that boat because the seller knew it was rotten and needed a lot of time and money put back into it and they just wanted to get rid of it.

Start reading the different fiberglass restoration threads on the forum and you'll learn what to look for and how to find it. Then you'll learn how to fix it when you find it.

Good Luck!

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard. jigngrub makes a great point.

 

[Chad Flaugher]

The transom seems to be solid, as well as the decking. I'll take your advise however and read into those threads! My father in law used to own an upholstery shop, and has all the equipment and know how, That work will be free after the material purchase. I plan to alter the seating plan slightly, so the above deck framing I will handle gladly. Frankly, I'm not sure what I enjoy more... working on the boat or using it!

 

[jigngrub]

Frankly, I'm not sure what I enjoy more... working on the boat or using it!

If you like working on boats, you'll love restoring one! And using a boat you've restored yourself is the ultimate in boating pleasure!

 

[gm280]

If you like working on boats, you'll love restoring one! And using a boat you've restored yourself is the ultimate in boating pleasure!

I will absolutely second that as well jigngrub.

Depending how old your new (to you) boat is, I think you will be restoring/rebuilding what you presently have after taking a real serious look at any and all wood in that boat. Read how to determine rotted transoms and decks and stringers and do those tests and checks. If all is good, boat on. Bravo! But I'll be very surprised if there is no problems found. And that isn't just your boat. Most all older boats have the same issues with wood rot cleverly covered over with polyester resin and fiberglass material...

 

[Chad Flaugher]

I'm sure I'll find problems. I already have! Most have been minor, and yes there will be a few sheets of marine grade plywood involved with the new upholstery. Fine by me! I'm from Colorado, so we get several months each year that are "not boatable". Perfect for projects like this. Boats get real cheap right about now, I'm considering buying a project boat next fall, and "flipping" it for profit in the spring. Is there money in that? I know its big money in real estate and vehicles. Personally. I think it'd be a blast!

 

[gm280]

Chad, I personally don't know if there could be much profit in "flipping boats". Because the amount of serious labor involved to do the flip correctly I can't see how anybody could make a profit if you add in your time...

 

[Chad Flaugher]

One thing to consider... It's practically a desert here in Colorado. Humidity usually runs in the teens and twenties, and outside of a few spring thunderstorms, it's dry as a bone! The sun is the most damaging thing in our high thin air. It dries the upholstery out, and fades finishes. Rotting wood of any kind is kind of a rare find, outside of ridiculous and reckless abuse! I know, I know... that happens. I passed up a 21' cuddy cabin in decent condition for $800. Similar boats with new upholstery go for 5K or even more, especially in the spring!

 

[jigngrub]

One thing to consider... It's practically a desert here in Colorado. Humidity usually runs in the teens and twenties, and outside of a few spring thunderstorms, it's dry as a bone!

But don't you get a butt-load of ice and snow in the winter? The freeze/thaw cycle on melting snow and ice is killer on wood in a boat if left exposed, and we all know how old boats get pushed off to a corner of the yard and forgotten about and left to endure the elements. Poor old boats.

 

[Woodonglass]

Welcome to iBoats! It's refreshing to hear the enthusiasm you have for your new purchase. However what the guys are pointing out to you is all valid. I will also add that the OMC power plant is antquated and whe it comes time to work on the motor and out drive you will have problems finding parts. What have you done to ensure the transom is sound?

 

[hadaveha]

Make sure you check that transom I bought a Grady white one time, I was so proud of it I beat all over that team some it sounded great. Got it home you can guess what happend bad transom

 

[Chad Flaugher]

This is an Inboard/outboard boat... Not that much stress on the transom, right????? The steps are solid, the stainless steel rail is solid as well. I drilled three pilot holes down low on the transom and mounted the speedometer pick up... Again, all solid. I removed the thru transom steering cable. Yup, that was solid too. All the carpet is in great shape, and I have no plans of replacing that, just the vinyl. I have replaced many of the screws for the captains chair and the in-floor ice chest. No rotten wood there either, as all screws had plenty of meat to grab. I have removed panels for cable removal, and everything seems solid.

I've been in home remodel and repair for 22 years... I've seen hundreds if not thousands of water damaged projects. I've lost track of how many bathroom floors I've had to cut out and replace because of water damage. All that being said, you guys are scaring the HELL out of me!!!

In regards to the OMC power plant, I've had no problems there. Between Go2Marine, Ebay, Colorado Boat Center, and BRP, I've been able to locate o rings, drain plug gaskets, a thermostat, steering conversion kit, tilt motor gasket, etc. I've even looked up replacement parts that I don't need. If something major goes, I'd consider a swap for newer units. Not saying you're wrong, it did take work to line up those connections. It just so happens I enjoy the "detective" work.

This is my new hobby. My wife told me to get a hobby! Ha ha ha If I just wanted a hole in the water to throw money in, I'd have bought a new boat. That being said,can we turn the tables to a more positive note? What should I do? What should I look for? We've been out 12 - 15 times over the summer. We've had 13 people on it at one time! It still got up and plained out! We've been it 3 foot chop at near full speed. I just don't see or feel any soft spots. Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place? I don't really want to tear the carpet out just to look at the decking.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[Chad Flaugher]

By the way Jigngrub... Our winters are quite blown out of proportion along the front range. Our climate is listed as semi desert. Not much water of any kind usually. 75 miles West of here gets 16 feet of snow in the winter. Our mountains get all the rain and snow!

 

[Woodonglass]

40 Year old boats that have No Deck, transom,or stringer issues are rare. If you knew the history of her, and the PO had done immaculate maintenance and care and she was stored inside all of her life then I supposed she could be one of those rare finds. As for the power plant, I was speaking more along the lines of major repairs to the motor and outdrive. Transoms on I/O's usually have issues due to leakage occuring around the transom seals. You'll have major difficulties when trying to find something to "Swap" with. We are NOT trying to disuade you just trying to inform you of the facts learned from Years of experience. We're here to help you and as I always say it IS your boat and you're free to do with it as you see fit. YOU are there and can best decide what it's condition is. We can only go by what you tell us and what the pics show us. You have construction experience and KNOW what structural soundness is all about so as long as you are satisfied that the boat is Sound and that you and your passengers are safe when out on the lake...then that's the most important thing. Ask specific questions and we'll do our best to give specific answers. Sorry if I came off as "Negative Nelly" was not my intention. Just wanted to ensure that you being a "NEWB" were aware of some of the pitfalls of owning a 40 year old boat.

 

[Chad Flaugher]

So where would I look for this damage, and how? I'm pretty sure it, like most boats around here, has never spent an extended time on the water. It was trailered in and out for its use on the water.

Also, why so hard for a power plant swap? I managed to put a '93 chevy vortec motor into a '87 Toyota pickup just fine. Motor swaps don't scare me, but perhaps you know something I don't? I'm all ears!

 

[redneck joe]

start here

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gene...eeding-help-buying-a-boat-a-buyer-s-checklist

 

[jigngrub]

This is an Inboard/outboard boat... Not that much stress on the transom, right????? The steps are solid, the stainless steel rail is solid as well. I drilled three pilot holes down low on the transom and mounted the speedometer pick up... Again, all solid. I removed the thru transom steering cable. Yup, that was solid too. All the carpet is in great shape, and I have no plans of replacing that, just the vinyl. I have replaced many of the screws for the captains chair and the in-floor ice chest. No rotten wood there either, as all screws had plenty of meat to grab. I have removed panels for cable removal, and everything seems solid.

I've been in home remodel and repair for 22 years... I've seen hundreds if not thousands of water damaged projects. I've lost track of how many bathroom floors I've had to cut out and replace because of water damage. All that being said, you guys are scaring the HELL out of me!!!

In regards to the OMC power plant, I've had no problems there. Between Go2Marine, Ebay, Colorado Boat Center, and BRP, I've been able to locate o rings, drain plug gaskets, a thermostat, steering conversion kit, tilt motor gasket, etc. I've even looked up replacement parts that I don't need. If something major goes, I'd consider a swap for newer units. Not saying you're wrong, it did take work to line up those connections. It just so happens I enjoy the "detective" work.

This is my new hobby. My wife told me to get a hobby! Ha ha ha If I just wanted a hole in the water to throw money in, I'd have bought a new boat. That being said,can we turn the tables to a more positive note? What should I do? What should I look for? We've been out 12 - 15 times over the summer. We've had 13 people on it at one time! It still got up and plained out! We've been it 3 foot chop at near full speed. I just don't see or feel any soft spots. Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place? I don't really want to tear the carpet out just to look at the decking.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Well the transom sounds good if you've done all that to it, and usually the biggest problem with a rotten transom on an I/O is that it leaks water into the boat.

Now for the deck and stringers. If the carpet still looks good, there's a good chance the boat has had new carpet put in it in the not too distant past and this can be a red flag. There's a lot of people that will lay down new plywood decking over the old rotten decking and rotten stringers. This will make the deck feel a lot more solid than it really is and give the new carpet a nice smooth surface to lay on. People do this to make a quick buck on resale, or because they're just too dang lazy and stupid to do the job the right way. It's pretty easy to check to see if this has been done to your boat without lifting the carpet. Look in the ski locker where the deck has been cut to make the hole and look in the engine well at the deck edge too. If you see 2 layers of plywood, you've been double decked and you can bet your bottom dollar everything below the top sheet of decking is rotten rotten.

Another thing to check for on an old I/O is rotten motor mounts, this is a common problem and easily checked by drilling them. Drill a hole close to a mount bolt and another hole down low close the bottom of the mount. If the wood is good fill the inspection holes up with 3M 5200.

If everything checks out good you've got 1 in a million 40 yr. old fiberglass boats that isn't rotten. However, if you do find problems... there isn't hardly anything on a fiberglass boat that can't be fixed.

I like your attitude Chad and wish you the best of luck with your boat.

 

[jbcurt00]

Is your trihull rated for 13people? 1950lbs of people sounds like a lot for a trihull, plus all the other gear

 

[sphelps]

Welcome aboard Chad ! From your description sounds like ya got lucky and found one in good shape .. It does happen but it,s very rare . I would continue with cautious optimism .. Even Woodonglass found a diamond in the rough with his Flamingo .. A 1961 with a good solid factory transom ... Allyou can really do to be sure is drill core samples . One thing you should consider is the foam under the deck . If it's wet then it will start rotting the stringers if they are not sealed properly ..
That being said Tri-hulls are great boats very stable with plenty of room inside ..
Btw . please post up some pics of your boat ! We love pics ! A lot of the guys here are doing there own upholstery here so when the time comes fill us in on what ya got going !