1974 Chieftain 25 "Adventurer" Restoration

[IslandExplorer]

any new news on your project

Some but very little. The winter this year broke records in New England and kept me deep in survival mode the whole time. Didn't manage to get hardly anything done on her since I sounded off last, I'm ashamed to say. As winter approached I mounted the helm and navigator seats, secured the railings, added a teak mount for the throttle controls, cut the deck into correct sizes for hatches, put in supports with a sub floor draining channel to protect the (currently absent) engine from drips, and added gas tank access hatches. Replacemwnt engine is still just a stripped down block on a stand in the barn.

Hopefully this weekend or next there will be some 2026 progress finally! ️

 

[IslandExplorer]

Seat pedestal backing plate

Port fuel tank inspection hatch

Aft deck panel cut into 5 pieces for 3 hatches.

Deck engine hatch drip/drain channel

This shows the depth and generous grade of the channel

 

[IslandExplorer]

Railing buttress. Rivets are so quick, compact, light, and convenient. Get yourself an air riveter.

Teak plank for Merc morse control clamped. The angle mount I think is mahogany I cut and varnished. Multi timbered conglomorate of a craft for sure.

Getting tucked in for long winter.

 

[IslandExplorer]

Uncovered for spring, this is how she sits currently.

Interior is still not done but mostly complete.

 

[Gibbles]

It's coming out amazing.
I see some tint in your near future.

I used ceramic (3M) tint, keeps lots of the heat out of the cabin.
Lots of different types, carbon being the other type.
Don't cheap out on it, ebay is a good source.


I took a crash course on tint install last year, not too bad after some youtube videos.
I believe i did 30% on my islander.

 

[IslandExplorer]

Thanks! And I think you're right, it is pretty toasty in there without those big windows wide open and a good breeaze. I want to do tint and also restore the window screens on the sides for sure. I'll look into that ceramic tint, thanks for the tip! I actually have never installed it myself and don't really know squat about it to be honest.
Just finally started back to work on her this weekend. Just got the engine and its parts unearthed from the cascade of other projects last night. Hoping to have the motor rebuilt and reinstalled in the next week or two. Hopefully have some significannt progress to show soon! ️

 

[IslandExplorer]

Hopefully there'll cover the hoise battery bank needs. 2850 amps. Wondering what my alternator is going to think of that...

 

[IslandExplorer]

New roller rocker compatible valve covers just in for the ol 888. Basically have all the parts to finally get her back together now. Slow but steady...

 

[IslandExplorer]

Some progress:

Battery Compartment

Cabin 750 GPH forward pump location, directly below batteries in v beth.
New marine cables made.

Locking batts in place with teak blocks. This keeps them squarely in place and keeps them off the raised aluminum edges.

Thats about 3000 amps right there.
Pump 2 of 3, this is the rear high-water activated pump.

The 3700s size and output really dwarfs the 500 (main pump). Hopefully never need it.
Windlass controls, VSR, windlass breaker. Have had so many of these parts for a while now, nice to see them finally go in.

2 more thru hulls. Head sink drain, forward bilge, and bar sink drain, L to R. All pump outputs are purposely on starboard side. A previous boat, the SS Colander, had serious leaks and pump outputs on both sides. Nowhere was safe to be moored along side her in a small boat!