1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of questions!

[Roadblock]

Update!

After doing some digging and talking to the VP at Mirrorcraft I've discovered this boat is NOT a Ski 'N Troll at all. As it turns out it's a Mirrorcraft Titan 15. Possibly a 1969, but I'm leaning towards 1970.

We found almost this exact boat I have listed in the 1969 catalog at the Titan 15. It would be an exact match however the one listed in the 1969 catalog features yellow colored deck and gunnels. My boat has cream colored gunnels and deck that match the rest of the hull. All of them seem to feature a green colored interior that is an exact match to mine.

Part of the reason I lean torwards 1970 is because on the cover of the 1971 catalog, the boat featured to the far left is an EXACT match to mine. The gunnels and deck are cream colored and match the hull so my guess is the boat featured ON the cover of the 1971 catalog is probably a 1970. Unfortunately that is the ONE catalog Mirrorcraft is missing from their library, the 1970 sales catalog.

I found a copy of the 1970 sales catalog listed in the library of the Minnesota Historical Society so I've contacted them to see if I can get a copy.

My plan is to restore this boat EXACTLY as it would have looked from the factory right down to paint matching.

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I scored Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll boat and trailer off a family friend for $750.00 dollars. Not sure what year it is and the registration does not say either. Anyone have any thoughts? It looks different then other Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll boats I've seen from the same age range. Both the EZ Loader trailer and the Merc 500 outboard are 1970's, I've confirmed both of those but I'm not sure on the boat.

Anyhoo! It came with a Mercury Thunderbolt 500 50HP, a Minnkota Endura Trolling motor and a fish finder. Motor works pretty damn good and it's 125psi across all four cylinders. Hell the motor was worth twice what I paid for everything.

Boat is a little rough though. Needs some work but for what I paid and the fact I'm semi-handy with stuff, I'm going to to a full restore.

First off I'll start by posting some pictures and then I'll reply to the thread with my list of questions so please make sure to read ALL my post! I'm looking for info on how to start this restore process!

The full album can be seen here, and I would definitely appreciate you guys going threw it and posting any thoughts or comments. Then I also posted a couple highlight pictures!

Full album:

http://s268.photobucket.com/user/roa...oat/The%20Boat

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Like I said it's a little rough.

One of the major issues I spotted was that the transom is rotted out. The bolts are loose and I've got water leaking in around them. I can see it running down the back wall of the boat.

I've looked into my options for repair and I think I'm going to go with some type of wood BUT my first question is how do I get to the inside wood?

Would I be correct in assuming that I need to drill out all the rivets that hold on the trim piece in the back top where the motor mounts? Then unbolt the wood and it pretty much just pulls out right?

Both side of the wood beams are rotted, the center where the motor is "seems" rock solid but I see water running in from behind it and I noticed the washers on the boat motor are loose so I assume that is rotting from the back side under the wood too.

 

[Roadblock]

Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

So I'm looking at the floor in this boat and it's rock solid but it looks like someone put plywood OVER the old deck boards.

I noticed another layer of wood underneath that is so rotted it feels like dirt. What all is under there? Anything other than wood? Any Foam? Can I just pull up the whole floor and gut all of it out? Around the edges I see some type of matting that might be foam.

Also in my bilge pump area, it almost looks like there is a thin layer of tin or some type of sheet metal on the floor. What is this for? I can poke holes threw it with a screw driver and then there is a slight quarter to half inch gap before I hit the hull of the boat. What is under that layer?

It looks like someone laid down new ply wood and then used screws to screw it down to the ribs that stickup in the boat. You can kinda see what I mean by looking at where the pump is located. Also the pump is screw into that layer of sheet metal I spoke of above.

Also all the foam up front seems dry rotted too. Need? Replace? Leave alone?

Anyway the boat seemed um, heavier? Yeah heavier than it should have on the water. Almost like there is a TON of water soaked um in something under the deck. I just couldn't get it to plane out on the water and it wasn't as fast as I've felt other boats with 50HP motors but also I'm sure I need more of a tune up too!

Couple videos and a picture. The other video is a couple posts down due to the forum limitations.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Like I said it's a little rough.

One of the major issues I spotted was that the transom is rotted out. The bolts are loose and I've got water leaking in around them. I can see it running down the back wall of the boat.

I've looked into my options for repair and I think I'm going to go with some type of wood BUT my first question is how do I get to the inside wood?

Would I be correct in assuming that I need to drill out all the rivets that hold on the trim piece in the back top where the motor mounts? Then unbolt the wood and it pretty much just pulls out right?

Both side of the wood beams are rotted, the center where the motor is "seems" rock solid but I see water running in from behind it and I noticed the washers on the boat motor are loose so I assume that is rotting from the back side under the wood too.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... Yer Right,... She's Rotten,....

You just start drillin' out rivets, 'n unboltin' or cuttin' the bolts to get where ya gotta be,...
You'll probably have to pull the splashwell too,..

Then reassemble with new wood,...
Just DON'T use P/T wood, it'll rot the metal,...

Aluminum closed end pop-rivets, 'n ssteel bolts for goin' back together,...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

So I'm looking at the floor in this boat

Ayuh,.... You've got a thread 'bout Yer restoration of This hull,...

Don't keep startin' New threads with more questions,...
Keep it All in This thread,...

I merged yer 2nd thread into this one,... Continue to use This thread,...

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

 

[Roadblock]

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Funny you say that. I just got yelled at by a moderator on another forum and treated like I was stupid for making one thread and then adding another reply to it asking another question that was more specific than then original post.

His reason was how in the hell could I expect anyone to see I had asked a new question and actually get a reply to it when it was somewhat different than my first post.

He told me I had to start a new separate thread hehe.

So for anyone reading, I guess take a look at all my posts because I'm sure I'll have tons of questions!

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... Yer Right,... She's Rotten,....

You just start drillin' out rivets, 'n unboltin' or cuttin' the bolts to get where ya gotta be,...
You'll probably have to pull the splashwell too,..

Then reassemble with new wood,...
Just DON'T use P/T wood, it'll rot the metal,...

Aluminum closed end pop-rivets, 'n ssteel bolts for goin' back together,...

Can I assume P/T wood is pressure treated? What kind of wood should I use and what should I treat with?

Also what do you mean when you say "splashwell"? Do you mean that flat shelf like area on the back of the boat forward of the motor that has two drains back into the water in it? Which are also rotted out, the plastic drains that is. They crumble when you touch them and any water that gets UP there goes into the boat threw the holes. Guess I need those plastic things too.

Splashwell is this thing where all the wires, gas line and cables are sitting up top right?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Funny you say that. I just got yelled at by a moderator on another forum and treated like I was stupid for making one thread and then adding another reply to it asking another question that was more specific than then original post.

His reason was how in the hell could I expect anyone to see I had asked a new question and actually get a reply to it when it was somewhat different than my first post.

He told me I had to start a new separate thread hehe.

So for anyone reading, I guess take a look at all my posts because I'm sure I'll have tons of questions!

Ayuh,.... No disrespect intended,...

Here in the Restoration forum, rebuild threads can, 'n do take on a life of their own,...
Keepin' everything in 1 thread, Keeps All the back-story, 'n history together,...

Ditto in the motor, 'n drive forums here at iboats,...

Carry on,...

Ya P/T = Pressure treated,...
Lotsa options on what to use,...
I fell into a pile of Black Locust awhile ago,...
Other folks will have other options,...

The Splashwell is where the water splashes, ahead of the transom, the "Pan" that's in yer way,...

 

[Roadblock]

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Re: Mirrocraft 60~70's Ski N Troll boat... What is under the floor deck?

Ayuh,.... No disrespect intended,...

Here in the Restoration forum, rebuild threads can, 'n do take on a life of their own,...
Keepin' everything in 1 thread, Keeps All the back-story, 'n history together,...

Ditto in the motor, 'n drive forums here at iboats,...

Carry on,...

Ya P/T = Pressure treated,...
Lotsa options on what to use,...
I fell into a pile of Black Locust awhile ago,...
Other folks will have other options,...

The Splashwell is where the water splashes, ahead of the transom, the "Pan" that's in yer way,...

I really HOPE I don't have to take that out! It looks like I can just take that cap off the very top of the transom and unbolt the wood and it SHOULD pull straight up and out.

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

OK another question for those of you that know.

The deck floor. Is there going to be some type of wood frame under the boards too? I'm wondering WHAT the floor attaches to to make is flat being that the bottom of the boat is V shaped.

*EDIT*

Different brand of boat but can I guess it's going to look something like the following picture underneath? I have a hole cut into the wood in the back for a bilge pump and I see I have some type of aluminum beam running forward about in the SAME spot that this boat does.

The wood just sits across those?

*** Not my photo, found it via Google.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Yep, those longitudinal pieces are called stringers. Most all boats have em! Most guys use Ext. Grade plywood for their Decks and Transoms. The BEST sealer is 2 Part Epoxy. Pricey but...It's the Best. There are other methods if you want to use them. The Aruaco Brand of plywood is really good. Lowe's and Home Depot usually carry it. Do a search on the Forum for Deck replacement and you'll find a LOT of threads on the subject. You MIGHT be lucky enuf to be able to get the transom out without removing the splashwell. For sure your gunna have to remove the knee braces below and any other attachments to the wood. I'd recommend using Aluminum Drain tubes when you go back. You can see that the plastic ones just don't hold up very well.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

I think there's been work done previously on this boat:

AND a good bit of it appears to be PT. IF there's been previous work, it may or may not look similar to the boat you posted the pix of w/ stringers:

Plus it ^^^ looks like a Starcraft, and different makers do the below deck support structure differently. This is how Sea Nymph did their similar sized boat:

^^^ COMPLETELY different.....

The splashwell drains are available at many boat/marina stores, and online. Iboats carries them:

You'll need the Moeller flanging tool:

or a DIY version if you buy the aluminum drain tubes:

Plastic ones don't have to be installed & then flared, they slip/screw/fit together w/ a flange already on both sides of the hull.

You may need an aluminum hull specific drain tube if you decide to replace the bilge drain too
Drain Fittings Kit

Going thru the rest of the photobucket pix...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

YEP, PT wood lurking about:

You've got some work ahead, and there may not be a whole lot of the interior left in re-useable shape, but you can get it torn down & put back w/ some time & effort.

Depending on what you want this boat to be when you're done & how quick will determine how much it costs to redo...

BTW: Use the IMG code for your PB pix. It'll let you post them BIG in your post like you did for a few pix earlier. You posted a link to the boat folder, and when scrolling thru the pix, I ended up in your photobucket main folder that lists all 50+/- of your photobucket folders.

Might make the BOAT folder public & the rest private (I think you can set each folder separately) if you want to leave your 1st post link to all 53 boat pix and you've got stuff you'd rather not be public in the rest of the folders.

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Well this is odd, I thought I made a post last night to some of this.

Nothing private in the Photobucket account. Just boats and guns. God bless America!

OK the P/T wood issues. I used a small pry bar to pry up on the wood on the back end of the boat and look under it, it looks like the rest of the hull of the boat. Nothing seems to be rotted on the aluminum. I should be good to go as far at that goes right?

The wood in the transom isn't P/T is it? Looked all original to me.

So why use plywood over a single wood plank? It appears to be single wood planks right now.

Also looking at the following picture, it appears that plank laying on the side with the two visable bolts threw it in and then the smaller bolts on the supports, unbolts and slides forward right out from under the splash-wall.

Then that other larger plank, there is a metal cover riveted onto the transom/aluminum outer area, looks like you drill those rivets out and pull that boat straight up and OUT of the back.

Drop the new wood, drill the holes, pull it out and re-seal the drilled area then drop it back in and start putting in screws and bolts with sealer on them and finally put the top transom cover on and rivet it back into place.

Hell I could probably get away without even re-sealing after drilling. I bet the repair would still out last me. This boat will get use maybe 10 time a year and be stored inside on a trailer.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

The wood INSIDE the transom shouldn't be PT originally, but it looks like when ever someone added the PT wood on the back of the transom, it looks to me like they changed the transom plywood to PT lumber too:

AND the plywood notched around the knee brace, the battery/fuel tank frame and the 2X2 under the splashwell's edge ALL look like PT to me in your pix. What are the garden hoses for that run fore & aft???

Since I don't know when the work was done, or what type of PT was used, I wouldn't hazard a guess whether the wood can remain IF it hasn't yet started to corrode the aluminum AND it is in fact PT. It might not be, I can't put my hands on it to see one way or the other. Typically the aluminum will corrode where the wood is in direct contact w/ it. Like behind the plank on the outside of the transom, or on the inside against the transom skin & bottom of the splashwell. Only way to know if it is or not is to remove the wood.

I don't know much about how MirroCraft built their boats, so I can't say for sure 100%, but: the way the deck (floor) is notched around the knee brace, the 2X2 battery box, fuel tank frame & wood supporting the edge of the splashwell, the 2 pcs of PT wood on the back of the boat, the garden hoses, plus that to me it looks like the wood in the pix I just posted ALL appears to be PT, makes me believe that someone, at some point, has done work on this boat.

None of that ^^^ is a huge deal, unless you DON'T want to tear into it. Start by pulling the OB & getting the PT off the outside. That will tell you a great deal about where to go from there.

For any given size, plywood should be stronger & more dimensionally stable then typical dimensional solid lumber. A laminated plywood transom 1.5" thick 'should' have been what MirroCraft used if they built their boats similar to most other tin boat makers. However, again, I am not all that familiar w/ MirroCraft boats.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Look around, lots of good stuff in here:
PM AGray if you have any questions you think aren't getting asked specific to your MirroCraft, his looks similar:
[h=1]1960's MirroCraft Ski 'N Troll Resto-Mod[/h]Also take look thru SouthBuff's thread:
[h=1]14' Mirro Craft 1965 (I think?)[/h]And look thru the MirroCraft owner's group:
[h=2]Mirrocraft Boats[/h]


Based on a quick scan, it seems Mirro did use plywood for transoms.

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

I really like what A Gray did with this floor. Instead of deck flooring, he laid down boards like a house deck would be. Kinda still makes it easy to get to stuff and lighter! I almost wouldn't mind doing it that way.

Also I see no foam anywhere... Wonder if the front has foam under it. They do from the factory. TONS OF IT! Sprayed on everywhere! Almost can't store stuff under the front, tons of foam!

Oh and mine has a kitchen counter under there too holding something up LOL! Seriously....

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

Having all the flotation under the bow will make it float w/ just the pointy end of the bow sticking out of the water, and a minimalist deck made of typical house deck Trex (or equal) won't allow for the installation of any below deck foam.

BUT bow foam is better then NO foam, and you can also add some tucked up under the gunwales. Then you might get lucky & have enough flotation value to skip below deck foam.

 

[Roadblock]

Re: 1960~70 Mirrocraft Ski 'N Troll Restore, First boat and I've got tons of question

By gunwales, you mean the sides of the boat right? I see foam is running the length of those too. The same spray foam the bow has.

I really want to go outside like right now and rip the transom and deck out! It's killing not to do it but I know it will be out of service for a month or two and we finally got fishing weather here.

The wood that is there now has obviously been there a while and the bilge pump works GOOD so I think I'm going to start sourcing out wood, sealer, nuts, bolts, seat etc and buy the stuff before I rip into it.

I guess I can start by taking some measurements of how thick that wood that is there right now is so I can figure out what sheets of plywood I need. Also it looks like buying some of these items online will be cheaper then locally.

OK one last wood question!

SO the main support to the transom, the piece that slides in downwards is going to be a stack of maybe 2~3 sheets of plywood but that 2x4 looking plank that has the bolts threw it sideways is going to stay a plank right?