End of Season - Project begins (long)

[tailgunner]

I have a 1975 22' Aquasport that I just bought. I have 3 projects in mind. 1 - Center Console 2 - Leaning Post/box 3 - Fix deck soft spots (I should say replace floor).<br /><br />For the center console and leaning post/box, I plan on 1/2" plywood covered with glass. I have read and heard not to use treated plywood. What is this glass plywood I've heard about? Is it worth the cost? I am no longer afraid of doing my own glass work.<br /><br />For the deck I have several thoughts. I know I should just remove the whole thing and replace the stringers and deck. That is much more of a project than I want to deal with this year. Can I overlay the existing deck (for now) with marine plywood without creating a new problem providing I seal the seams correctly? <br /><br />Thanks.

 

[DJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Tailgunner,<br /><br />I wouldn't overlay the existing floor. That would be a band aid on a cancer. Plus, it will be twice as hard to remove the floor when you do decide to tackle it. Sorry.<br /><br />I would look on e-bay for pre made center consoles and leaning posts. <br /><br />There are, quite frequently, outfits advertising their new consoles and leaning posts for very reasonable prices.<br /><br />Use the search words: boat center console and leaning post.<br /><br />If you decide to build, 1/2" would be fine, if supported in critical areas by 2" X 2"'s.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

When I did my center console conversion, I used regular 1/2 inch ACX for the console, and painted it liberaly inside and out with a good polyurethane paint, thats all I felt it needed as I don't leave it in the elements.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Thanks to both of you for replying.<br /><br />I have looked online and found many center consoles but none that suit my needs. Same goes for leaning posts. One of our "go fast" boats at work has a leaning box that I like. I guess I'll take measurements like Norm does and make some mods.<br /><br />I have access to a major marine manufacturing plant. We make everything from ROVs to deep submergence equipment. This allows me to get things made out of stainless steel and aluminum for cost and a six pack. However most of the guys only work off autocad plans and have little imagination. They are very good at troubleshooting design issues but not at creating designs.<br /><br />Yes, I know I should just bite the bullet and replace the deck. Guess I'll just do that. JasonJ, did you put your project on a web site?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Just type in "Project Skanky Beast" in the search, and you should get all of my fun fest. It obviously isn't as large as yours, but the concept is the same. I basically took an old tri-hull bowrider and converted it to a center console. It was a ton of work, but everything went as planned and it is a much more usefull and enjoyable boat.

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

tailgunner, at the prices you could get, a floor made of aluminum plate would be as expensive as a marine ply floor, incredibly strong and painted with a white antislip paint or covered with a carpet, cool and comfy<br /><br />oh yeah, really LIGHT, sorta like getting a motor 20 horses larger for free<br /><br />just a thought, those big joints always have scraps lying around<br /><br />::whistling innocently::

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Thanks JasonJ. I am impressed with what you did.<br /><br />Castaway, I was thinking along these same lines except I am saltwater based and this boat stays in the water all season (March-October). Not too sure just how well that will hold up. I'm going to ask one of our marine techs this question and get back to the group with what I find.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

"scraps lying around"? I have no idea what you mean...... Although I did manage to build a motorcycle table lift last year for under $50.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

The aluminum would be cool except you can't really glass to it, and in order to maintain the torsional strength of the boat, the floor must be screwed and bonded to the stringers, and fully glassed to the sides and transom, except for aluminum boats, they can go with an aluminum floor because the floor is bolted to the aluminum support system of the hull. Now, for a quick fix, you could just lay the sheets of aluminum down, screw them to the existing floor, and run a bead of good marine sealant around the edge. You could also do that with plywood, making sure to seal all sides and edges with a good exterior polyurethane paint or whatever. In the end, anything less than a proper repair just buys time.<br /><br />How bad are the soft spots? It is possible to cut those sections out and replace them, as long as the stringers are sound. I would find out how bad the damage really is before making too many plans.

 

[pjc]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Good point JJ. I had lotsa plans stuck in my head for the slikker. Then started choppin' away at floor. Plans changed as well as scope of project.<br /><br />If I had decided from get go to gut floor as soon as boat followed me home I'd be way ahead of where am now. Being I'm in WI and working undercover outside my season is soon to end till spring.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

I'm hearin' ya Pat. I had to wait until spring to start glassin' my project due to temps and working out of a carport. As soon as I was done glassin' I moved to a house on the water with a dock and a garage. It figured. I will be taking Skanky Beast out of the water in a few weeks due to the lake being dropped to winter depth. I can clean it and initiate Phase II of Project Skanky Beast: Doing something about the finish.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

JJ,<br />There are about 4 good soft spots. From what I have seen of the stringers they were not substantial enough to start with. This is a '73 or '75 22' Aquasport. These year hulls are notorious for holding water due to stringers not having proper ventilation. That is, they will hold water in certain spots for long periods of time.<br /><br />My thought is to cut out the floor 4" from where the deck meets the hull at a 30 degree angle. Replace and add stringers and then place down new deck as well as flotation foam. The techs at work confirmed what you said about aluminum.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

That could work, but it makes me feel that you could just cut flush with the sides, and lay in new floor material and glass it in like it was originally done. If you do go with the way you describe, You may want to mix a batch of thickened resin and apply it at the 30 degree seam, in between the new and old material. That way you get a decent bond between. You may also want to run a strip of mat between the stringers and new floor material as well, and screw the flooring to the stringers. I used stainless screws every six inches, that may be overkill, but hey, its what I wanted to do. Then sheath the entire floor all the way across and up the sides and transom at least 6 inches. You should have a good strong floor, and the foam will provide support as well. <br /><br />There is a debate whether to foam with the floor installed or before, either way is fine. I applied mine with the floor installed through 2 inch holes every two feet. I raised the bow as high as I could so the liquid would always flow down and mixed the foam in two cup intervals. I poured through holes closest to the transom first. As the foam expanded and reached the holes, I took the cutout from the hole saw and placed it in the hole with a 25 pound dumbell to hold it in. I continued this process towards the bow on each stringer void until complete. I then applied thickened resin to the small gap around the hole plugs, and then applied a piece of mat to cover it all up. this was all after the floor had been fully glassed in. This way I prevented blowout from pressure buildup, and I knew every nook and cranny was filled with foam. It made for a good lightweight rigid structure.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

JJ,<br />I'll take some photos after Isabel has departed.<br /><br />I have a 60 gallon gas tank located dead center under the deck. It was replaced 3 years ago but I am thinking of looking for a non metal replacement. Also, there is a trough running from the center console to stern along the starboard side for controls. I want to avoid touching this.<br /><br />What brand of foam did you use? Is it self leveling?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

I used the US Composites foam. The foam expands in all directions at a fixed rate, so if pours in an open area, it ends up as a big mound. That is why I elevated the bow, so it would pool as a liquid, and as it expanded it would expand to the floor, stringers, and hull and then expand forward towards the bow. This ensured a uniform filling of the void. If the boat was level when I poured it would level out as a liquid and then expand into mounds that would have made it more difficult to control and keep from blowing out the floor or bulging the hull. The other way is to pour before youlay the floor, and when it expands above the tops of the stringers, you cut it off level with the stringer tops and use the chunks as filler in other stringer voids. My way seemed easier and ensured a nice solid fill throughout.

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Some pix as promised of my $1,500 project boat.<br /><br /> http://www.nbrigham.com/boat/index00.htm

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

jeeze, nice nuts indeed, otherwise tho, looks like a real fishin machine ... <br /><br />guess the best thing to do is just remove the whole wheel hub assembly, and put a new one back on the spindle, lol

 

[tailgunner]

Re: End of Season - Project begins (long)

Yeah, that's what happens when the "kids" use the trailer and never rinse it off. Salt can be nasty stuff. I actually had to cut the valve stem covers off as they were frozen from the salt.