1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hello iboaters,

Got to work all ?her? for most of the day today. It is amazing to me how long it takes to do anything. For example I began at about 8:30 this morning and the weather was great. By the time I finished around 4:30 the clouds closed in and it got very cool. Just my luck, when I started painting the weather was wonderful; now that my paint must cure for a while the rain comes. Go figure! What I did today was patch a few holes in my transom. (Not to worry they are not rot holes, I put them there in the first place.) When I mounted the Johnnyrude to the boat I needed to drill holes through the transom for the mounting bolts. To access the lower portion of the transom I had to drill access holes through the bottom of the splashwell so as I could attach the nuts on the inside. All of the stuff I read here about rot attacking the poor transoms got me flipped out so I made my project today to fill these holes before my boat was hurt. (thankfully there has been no rain this season yet, so as to collect water). The area inside the hull where the nut now resides was dry and the wood inside that I could see was dry also.
I tried my hand again at fiberglass again. I really do not like it at all. I did not have the problems this time with the resin hardening before I even got it out of the cup. In fact it went on very easy (but very messy). The photo shows my fiberglass job completed. It is not pretty to look at but the glass and resin dried as hard as a rock so I think I must have done it correctly. I used woven cloth and the resin. I used 3 layers over the holes?..Sorry for the delay; my mother in law just came and had me unclog the bathroom sink. When I dropped the trap it looked like the hairball was having kittens. Yuck! Anyways what was I saying?and lastly JDA1975 had his redneck transom clamps and I have my redneck shop heater/make my resin dry quicker machine. It looks stupid but the lights are 1200 watts (they put out sizeable heat for a light bulb) 15/20 min dried and a little over 2 hours without light to cure.
Dave

sorry about the small photo (for some reason it would not allow me to get the larger size)

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey all,
The fiberglass work in photo is ugly but it is hard and fairly smooth so I am happy with it. Since this is for me and it does not have to be perfect (although for my first attempt it is ok I think). In the photo I don?t know if you can see or not in addition to the big holes I patched about 6 little holes from where screws were removed.

After the glass was dry I then painted the entire splashwell (the pretty white of the hull) and the backsplash wall of the splash well as well.
Dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Lastly today I got down under the boat and photographed this thing sticking out from the bottom of the starboard hull. The camera was fighting me today and did not want to take photos (but I forced it to anyway. In response it took horrible shots as revenge. I did not have a tape measure on my hip so I put my hand up to give you a little bit of a reference size. I have fairly small hands by the way. It appears to be hard plastic up near the hull and rusty metal on the bottom.
Does anybody know what this is? And what should I do about it? Getting into the hull from the top is now really not an option. Can I leave this alone? Will it leak?
Thanks all
Dave

 

[Yamikaze]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Sounds like you had a productive day. Fiberglass can be a challenge. The more you do it the easier it gets. I have no idea what that little box is hopefully some on the forum has some info for you.
Keep up the good work. John

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Thankx John,
Your stuff looks great! I wish I could fab like that. What you posted today looks very classy.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi Dave,
I hope you and yours are going to have a wonderful New Year full of Health, Happiness, and Boating...

Relating to the strange little block mounted on your hull...I would venture a guess...

1-Place to mount a Anode...OR,

2-Place to mount a Transducer...OR,

3-PO's idea of a joke???...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Yeah I'm not sure either. My guess would be a very old transducer for a depth finder. Can you get to it from the inside? If so, I'd want to remove it and patch the hole.

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

where on the bottom of the boat is this item located? if its towards the stern its more likely a transducer. Also look to see if there are any outlines, patches, or anything that sticks out to you to see if there were others on the boat.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey GT, EZ, Woody (PM) and Cowboy, thank you one and all for checking in on my little problem. I am very appreciative to you all for responding so fast. It is really quite astounding to me that when one of us noobs blurbs something out, you all answer the clarion call immediately. That is truly why this place is such a great environment (for me to learn). I have picked up so much already from you all it leaves me a little astounded sometimes.
Anyways to address you all individually here goes:
GT: I personally vote for option number three! (Thank you also for your little prayer; I will always accept any of those on my behalf, anytime and with deep gratitude).
EZ: I really cannot get to that portion of the hull from the inside (with my entire pretty new floor laid down already). If you go back in my photos on the 1st page photos on post 1 and 15 that I know of there, is a very old (I think depth finder; basically a blue square box) bolted onto the PO?s ideal of a helm dashboard (and old Square D electrical box door; very chic). You can see it in the photos. It was not hooked up to anything just a blue box on the door panel facepalm: ). When I looked in my access ports inside the hull there were no wires down there that I saw.
Cowboy: It is on the starboard pontoon (hull?) almost directly in the middle of the boat from front to back, and basically a little above where the hull curves under to meet the other side of the hull (I would say keel but I don?t think this boat has one). Just a flat spot running down the center of the hull (pontoon). Also this was the only one I found. I painted the entire boat this summer and I did not see any other places where one was or is.
Woody: To seal ?PC-11?. What is this? I have not seen this one on any of the threads I have seen so far.
Silly question coming please forgive me; could I not just cut a little FG cloth/resin it in so as to never A: see it B: worry about it leaking. It really does not stick out very far. It would be kinda like a little fiberglass wart (it?s gross, sorry best simile I could come up with on a moment?s notice).
Thanks again all, take care.

Monterey
I guess a more nautical term could have been barnacle.

 

[boatnut74]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi Dave, Looks like you are making some good progress. I agree it has been a weird winter, it is supposed to be in the 50's here all week and I'm hoping to take advantage of that to work on the Silverline. I really like how the cabin wall turned out, it really makes the boat look great.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hello Monterey,

I just saw your question 'bout the fuel tank in JDA's thread...

To avoid a possible uprising by the local mob, I decided to return here and try to answer...

The rubber, is mainly to provide insulation from the rubbing and flexing that occurs in a boat. If it is mounted firmly to the hull, all of that movement could cause structural damage to the tank, that is why most of the guys who mount a fuel tank into the hull, Isolate it with some type insulation...an automotive floor mat, not rubber, cut into strips, seems to be one of the top choices, glued to the spot where the tank goes with some type of contact adhesive...

The blown up tank was about an iboater with an aluminum boat, that apparently he touched the boat with an aluminum ladder while working near the boat, and somehow caused an explosion in one of the two onboard fuel tanks...I haven't seen the thread in quite some time and I don't know if they ever reached a definite conclusion as to the cause, but if you have any lingering doubts, you could ask about fuel tank grounding in the electrical forum, where the voltage gurus hang out...here's the link to the original thread of the 'sploshun... http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=524752

And finally, PC-11 is a marine grade Two-Part epoxy that is usually available at hardware stores or maybe online...it comes in two cans, Part A and Part B...you mix equal parts together and let cure...really strong, permanent, and waterproof.

PS- I just found out rubber is cathodic and can cause aluminum to corrode, thanks Wood...

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Got to work on her again today (no work), it took me a very long time for such a little result. I added a support brace to the transom. It was originally on the boat. It looked like the PO had big 2 motors on the back and wanted the extra support (at least that is how it looked from all the holes drilled back there. So I went to the boat store and got some Attwood marine sealant calk, and ran out to the folks, (my private boat yard). Along the way I bought a handful of bolts and nuts and washers to install the brace at my little local hardware store. I sanded the steel down measured where I wanted the brace to run. I drilled the first hole completely through the transom and I was happily greeted by beautiful clean wood chips coming out the drill hole (no rot). When I installed the bolt, I leaned that the bolt’s threads did not go as far back as I needed so off to the hardware store I went to exchange for all threaded bolts. I got home and drilled the far hole on the other side and mounted the brace (no rot in any of the holes I drilled today). Here is where the hard part is. The holes did not match up after it was fully bolted down. It took me hours on 4 lousy bolts. I would torque one down and then the other side would not work. I would torque both ends and the middle would not match holes. On and on, finally I got it and the strap was finally installed and I painted the strap while installed and I also painted all the splash well because the paint was not fully cured from yesterday and did a little smudge damage while futzing around with the brace and the dreaded bolts. I silicone the bolts and painted it all again like I said above.
The photos seen here are after the brace and the dreaded bolts is on but before painting. My photographer (dad) did not send me all the photos and all I got were these few halfway shots. I know the strap is a bandaid repair (even though the transom seems solid) but in my rookie psychie I feel better knowing there is a thick strap of steel supporting that heavy motor. Ask me how I know the motor is heavy. I found out when the damn thing cought my finger when it fell back into position today (mucho blood and a few blood blisters) but what the heck. Chicks dig scars, right?
Gettin late
dave
Dave

 

[boatnut74]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Glad to hear your transom is dry Not glad to hear you injured yourself I guess that comes with the hobby though.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Its ok, BN, I hardly feel it anymore....the thumb that is.
I also got to work a little on the steering system a little. I am matching the original system on the green boat with the hardware from the donor boat (which is period era). It is a little creative but I really think it is going to work. I will finish it up this weekend and post photos then. I got to run going to be late for work.
dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Can anybody tell me why the PO would put this apparatus on the lower unit? I cannot for the life of me think what it could be for. All the bolts are there I do not think it is holding the lower part together. I thought it could be a homemade muff set, but It looks like a quick release for an air tool. What you all think? Could I cut this thing off? It will not unscrew.
C-ya
Dave

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

too high to be a muff, only person who would know for sure would be PO...might call him? Interesting to say the least, surely he had a reason to go to those lengths lol

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

JDA, I think he has passed away by now. So it might be a very long distance call to be sure.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Is that an Air Line socket?

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I think so. It is what it looks like to me Woody.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Can anybody tell me why the PO would put this apparatus on the lower unit? I cannot for the life of me think what it could be for. All the bolts are there I do not think it is holding the lower part together. I thought it could be a homemade muff set, but It looks like a quick release for an air tool. What you all think? Could I cut this thing off? It will not unscrew.C-ya Dave

I believe that is the attachment device for a steering link to an auxiliary/kicker motor. It appears to me to be a quick release air fitting that would be very handy for such an application. Take it off if you do not need it for the same purpose. Just sent you a PM.