Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.
Hi Everybody,
Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it. Well here is how things stand today. I have a very close friend (long story short) whom was one of my best friends in my adolescence. I made his acquaintance when I was about 14. From about 14 to 24 I was never far from his home. He and his family ?adopted? me so to speak and I became like one of his kids (I am around the same age as them). I had a great friendship with the whole family (kids and adults) at once. Well to make a long story short (to late) I sort of drifted away when I got married so that even though I would call periodically I always felt ashamed that I did not spend time with them the way I used to. I used to spend holidays with them etc. My friend used to own 4 boat shops (and he was the dealer of many brands like Sanger, Boston Whaler, etc.). Today I got time off to go work on the boat and while I was driving out to the old neighborhood, I thought about him and decided the boat could wait and I decided to go for a little visit, I turned into a whole day excursion. I remember growing up and he was always complaining to me (while working on boat motors in his driveway) about he was always working on other peoples stuff at his house (for free). So I never told him about my little boat project, especially since I have had such a prolonged absence and I never wanted him to think that I only want his boat expertise. Well today I was a little nervous showing back up at his house (he is retired now so he is home all the time now?.the lucky dog). Nervous is an understatement, I almost drove past his house without stopping. Well I did and I got to tell you it was like I was a little boy again. I had a great time and it was like not even a moment has gone by that we were separated.
Later on in the afternoon as I was getting ready to leave he walked me outside in preparation to my departure. When we got outside he showed me a little 14 foot tinny that he had got at some point during my absence. I actually found it funny in the whole time I knew him he never had a boat. He talked about how his now adult son had wanted to take grandpa and (his) brand new grandchild fishing as their bonding thing?..so he ran out and got a sweet little tinny with a nice 20 merc on the back.
I kind of forgot my boat secret and told him about the running joke around here about the rivets and socially acceptable and easier to get girls into etc. properties of the tinny. At that point he wanted to know why I was on a boat forum site and my secret was out.
He immediately wanted to go to my parents and see my boat. So we jumped into his truck and ran over. During the drive over when I told him about the whole not wanting to bother him etc, he told me those comments were not for me. (And I think he was a little hurt that I did not bring it to him first).
His exact words were ?my boat was really cute? and that it would be good for running around the delta (sturgeon fishing). I thought that was a good comment coming from him (back in the day he sold 6 million in sales every year). He looked at my motor and told me that this was one of the first motors he ever worked on and then proceeded to go over my motor appraising it.
THE GOOD:
He wants to teach me how to fix this motor (his comment was he is going to be the elder statesman and I the younger?.I take it he is going to tell me what to do and I do it while he watches) he said something about his body does not bend any more.
Also good he has about 300 K worth of old OMC/Merc parts in his storage yards (including a huge library of the shop manuals that his guys used to use) and he thinks he has everything we need to get her running?..FOR FREE!!!! I told him about the motor mount Bill was talking about and the barrels/ throttle cable ends that I could not find for the control cables. Those he told me he can get from a friend who is still in the business (and who owes him many big favors?.also for free, if he did not have them in storage).
We went digging in his garage, sheer pins, water pump kits, gaskets, points and condensers were a few of the things we found right off the bat.
The BAD:
He began instructing me today by having me drain the lower unit oil, I don?t think it looked like oil; it looked more like peanut butter. There was water in there. But the bolts/screws did not have gaskets so he said water to have gotten there by that alone. He also had me stick my fingers in the goop and rub it between my hands feeling for metal shavings. No shavings were found and when I removed the lower screw there was no shavings down there also. He had me take the prop off, and remove the fishing line that was bound up behind the prop. The sheer pin was still there. We could not get the transmission to engage (so he told me we may have to rebuild the whole lower end but he would not know until we dropped the lower end and had it laid out in the driveway).
In the end he wants me to bring the boat to his house Sunday and we are really going to tear into it then. This of course makes me very happy but what even makes me happier was that I found out I still had a friend that I thought I lost.
What I crew I am going to have on my maiden splash; myself, and my three best friends (who are all grandpa?s now). One gave me the stained glass in the door. One stood in the sun and helped me seal wooden decks, and now one who is going to help me rebuild the motor. And all are busy dreaming with me of the trips we are going to take together.
Sorry about the long post guys,
But I had a lot to share.
Dave
