1981 Bluefin Sportsman rebuild

[Watermann]

These type boats don't rely on pour in foam to make them rigid or seaworthy like a glass boat does. Rigid foam board is the most effective way of adding flotation and for allowing for water to pass to the bilge unimpeded.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

These type boats don't rely on pour in foam to make them rigid or seaworthy like a glass boat does. Rigid foam board is the most effective way of adding flotation and for allowing for water to pass to the bilge unimpeded.

All I want is more flotation than what it has now, which is the minimum the industry required at the time. Rigidity is not a must.

 

[kcassells]

2# foam is more than you need and foam board is also more than adequate. 4# is structural. anything above that is way overspent.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

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Today I set the new wood in the transom and stripped some paint. Tomorrow I plan to bolt it in and more paint removal. The epoxy added to the wood made it a fuzz oversize for the transom channel, and it needed some assistance for a deadblow hammer. But it's in there.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

Is JB weld an accepted hole filler for aluminum boats? Because I am finding several holes in my aft of the stuff. I can pic it out with an awl. I found it as I sanded..

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

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Stripping a little each evening after work.

 

[Watermann]

Paint stripper will soften 2 part epoxy like JB or MT. I've used a lot of MT on my boats and once hardened, sanded and painted over it's just as durable as the aluminum.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

Paint stripper will soften 2 part epoxy like JB or MT. I've used a lot of MT on my boats and once hardened, sanded and painted over it's just as durable as the aluminum.

I will just fill them with fresh jb weld then, thanks.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

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More stripping done today, as time allows.

 

[Watermann]

Nice, sure has a shine to it. :thumb:

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

Nice, sure has a shine to it. :thumb:

Yeup! And I'm going to pain that. Grown,,, I already spent money on paint, primer, etch prep, alodine, and new boat logo stickers.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

No Title

More stripping, and almost down. If this old boat could talk. It is dented, patched over rivets, and been welded on. I wonder how these battle scars came to be. I sure hope it doesn't leak. I missed my chance to fill with water to see if there are leaks, and now after stripping the bottom, I suspect some rivets may be leakers.

 

[Watermann]

What sort of goop is that around those rivets? I don;t like the look of that ... ahem "repair"

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

What sort of goop is that around those rivets? I don;t like the look of that ... ahem "repair"

It looks like a torched burnt mark, it's a black stain, I think the patches they had there on those rivets came off. I'm going to take my magnifying glasses and check each one out. Maybe wire brush them heavy and a tiny bead of jb weld around each one. Probably not the best way to set rivets.

 

[Watermann]

Ok, it looked like it was some kind of goop. Sealing leaky rivets from the outside never works and if it does not for long. If the rivets are loose or tipped from being struck they could be bucked again with simple tools, a bucking device of some kind and a hammer to tap on the head.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

No Title

One chore done, on to the next, finding and filling holes.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

No Title

Soooooo,, right in the middle of my Blue Fin build, I stumble onto this Starcraft that was calling my name so I bought it. I must have a good marriage as she is still talking to me. But have been given a stern warning not to touch the Starcraft until the Blue Fin is done.
1975 Starcraft Capri with a POS motor that someone before me intended to defile the craft with, but I rescued the boat before they drilled Force mounting holes in the transom. Believe it or not, the paper trail says that I am the fifth owner of this boat, all transactions in just 2017. The trail goes back to 2008, I wonder how many owners this boat has seen?

 

[Watermann]

That tri hull thing is itchy glass

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

That tri hull thing is itchy glass

Yes in deed. The floor seems solid, but it shows swelling and slight humping. I'm afraid to look under the floor. I'm sure it has seen its share of rain.

 

[Crawfish Dundee]

Progress report, yesterday I plugged holes with rivets and tiny blemishes with JB water weld, sanded the shine with 100 grit on the orbital sander, wiped the hull down with denatured alcohol, ( I have no access to running water) then poured the Alodine, then rinsed it off with a garden sprayer, turned the lights out and went home. I have zinc oxide primer ready to go, but will wait for the weather to stabilize before priming. Looks like rain the next two days.