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  1. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Little bit more progress today. I feel like I'm taking this thing down to a bare hull one inch at a time. And I believe that I can smell my angle grinder's soul leaving it's body bit by bit. I'm also constantly amazed by the volume of foam that I continue to dig out of various crevices...
  2. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Today was an excellent day weather wise; it's a shame that I had to work inside for most of it. But I did get out to the boat during my lunch break, and again after work. Continuing demo on the rear seat boxes and the remaining foam. Seems pretty clear that someone has tried restoring this...
  3. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Solid advice, @88 Capri I do plan on keeping my filets somewhat reasonable - substantial enough to get a good layup for tabbing everything in, but nothing overt, hopefully. Considering that the deadrise angle around the stern is quite shallow, there's not a ton of real estate below deck to...
  4. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Had a window of about 30 minutes today, which was dedicated to picking out more bits of foam, and evicting a few squatters who appear to have made themselves at home. Pics don't do it justice - these guys were easily over a half inch long. It's a right mess out there still, and water's pooled...
  5. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Rain, rain, strong storms, more rain. The forecast had originally said Saturday would be clear, but now that's changed, too. I think I'm headed back to the boat today during the first slight break to at least do something. I'm feeling stir crazy.
  6. sopwithcamel74

    Need help with transom repair...

    Replacing with new wood protected with fiberglass resin + fiberglass cloth seems to be the consensus 'best' way. There are a lot of other quick and dirty ways that have been offered if you don't want to go that route, but you only need dig a bit into other posts across the various restoration...
  7. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Ah, you mean the sender, fill hose, vent hose, etc. I'm guessing that one's down to where the tank fill resides and where it vents? My tank fill is on the transom right beside where the outboard hangs; the vent is to the port side of that, right beneath where the hull marries with the cap...
  8. sopwithcamel74

    17ft Bayliner Capri bowrider project

    Following, if you're still around... Not sure how you might have progressed since these posts, but we're not that far apart in where we are, on similar vintages of the same boat brand. A few things about the look of your boat suggests to me that the year might be off a bit; if you manage to...
  9. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    The tank can sit quite a bit further back in mine because of the absence of an engine bay and outdrive. What passes for a bilge in mine is maybe 8 to 10 inches between the half bulkhead containing the tank and the transom. I'm toying with the idea of making substantial changes both below and...
  10. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Got some time in today continuing the demo. Spent another couple hours out there earlier in the day, then had to take an extended break due to a pretty wicked headache. Not sure if it was the sun, the restricted breathing from the PPE, or the fuel fumes. Got back out a couple hours ago - the...
  11. sopwithcamel74

    Building a '93 Caravelle 1750 Classic Bowrider

    That was a heck of a ride of a build to follow. The scope of your abilities and your drive to make your ideas come to fruition are astounding; well deserved Splash of the Year title, champ. And she's an absolute beaut of a build, to boot.
  12. sopwithcamel74

    1987 Power Play XLT-185 - floors, stringers, and upholstery

    I can now say that I've read your thread start to finish... Fantastic build. Hella inspirational, and - as with so many of the other shared stories here - a fantastic tutorial on how to go about doing many of the small projects that together comprise a high-quality restoration. Here's to you...
  13. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    I started the day wanting to accomplish two things: 1) get the gas tank out, and 2) safely liberate the control box from the upholstered panel that I took out the last time. I didn't accomplish either, and for a while it kinda got me down. But, looking back on where I started vs where I ended...
  14. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked. Still not a lot of light left by the time my workday ends. I stayed out till after sunset, and worked for a while by lantern. Got a good chunk of the deck out. Got down to the stringers. They are fully encapsulated in what I'd say is the best...
  15. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Good advice. I'm trying to be optimistic; I was messing with the run of fuel line that connects to the outboard itself, and might have simply caused a disintegrating hose to dislodge somewhere below deck. Looks like I'm going to have a window to get back out to it later today, then we have a...
  16. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Was mucking about on a break from work and caught a strong gasoline smell in the wind. The wife had called it to my attention a few days ago, as it seemed to be coming from the direction of the boat. I checked it out at the time, couldn't find anything conclusive, so I (wrongly) dismissed it...
  17. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    I really appreciate it. I've kept up with your build; will definitely reach out if the need arises. I've done an absurd amount of research, and have a fairly detailed journal with measurements and specifications, along with lots of notes in the margin. But I'm a believer in there rarely being...
  18. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Thanks! Can't disagree; what I was able to strip out tonight was pretty light work for the most part. A few oddball things - the jump seat backs appear to have been mounted with marine adhesive. And someone at some point tried to compensate for bad fiberglass work with a row of finishing nails...
  19. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    Today was the first day since Saturday that I could get back out to the boat. Didn't have a lot of time after work before darkness fell, and the only tools that I took with me were a broom, a dustpan, a claw hammer, a sledge hammer, and a 30 gallon trash bin. No eye protection, and I was...
  20. sopwithcamel74

    The Waiting is the Hardest Part...

    I raised the front of the trailer before noon; it continued to drain until it was too dark to see anymore. I honestly can't wait to see what it looks like underneath the floor. And by 'can't wait', I actually mean 'am prepared for a nightmare'. The trailer is going to need a lot of work...
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