1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Time to put the pedal to the medal on this restoration.

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Almost finished the transom grinding.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Looks dusty!

... and dust means progress right now.

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Crazy dusty. I vacuumed up at least that much dust five times today. I have to say thanks to JnG, WoG, Frisco, and everyone else who's been commenting and sharing advice on my thread, it really helps me keep my motivation up.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Don't let the peanut gallery be your motivation, think about that awesome fracking Wellcraft you're going to have when finished!!!

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Finished the transom grinding and got a start on grinding the rest of the hull. Looking at the weather forecast, I'm very tempted to take some time off work the next two days. Saturday it was around 80, which was miserably hot when all suited up for grinding. Today it was around 70, which is much more tolerable. Forecast is calling for upper 60's Monday and Tuesday, which is right where I like it for being in the grinding suit. Plus, my next two weekends are shot. I so can't wait to be done grinding.

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

I have a new appreciation for the phrase, "Back to the grind."

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

MrThunder Boat Works hired our first employee today and there's now a good chance the fiberglass grinding will be done by the end of this weekend. Once that's done, I can start putting this baby back together.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

You do realize that subbing out the nasty work is cheating, don't you?:watermelon:

Do you plan to put her back together with the same stringer and bulkhead configuration as when you tore it out?

Are you going toinstall floatation foam? I know the boat didn't come with any, but that doesn't mean you have to leave it out of your build.

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Yes, I'm definitely cheating subbing the work out. I spent a good chunk on safety gear for him (same gear I wear) and worked along side him for several hours. I finally had to return to my regular work so I could continue to pay him.

A similar stringer and bulkhead configuration is in my plans. I have not been persuaded to put flotation foam in. What's the pro on it? I've pretty much only read about the cons.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

The pros and cons of floatation foam is a very unbalanced discussion, as I see many more benefits to installing the floatation than I see pitfalls.

Pros

#1. It could save your life and the lives of your passengers... just this one benefit outweighs all of the pitfalls added together and then multiplied by 10.

#2. Your boat won't sink to the bottom of the lake if there's an accident or emergency.

#3. Floatation will give you additional support for your hull and deck making it stronger.

#4. Floatation foam seals the inside of your hull in case of a breach... if you knock a hole in your hull by hitting a partially submerged log the foam will block the hole off from the inside and your boat won't take on water and you'll be able to get yourself and your passengers back to the launch without sinking.

#5. Boats that sink to the bottom leave the owner liable for EPA pollution fines from spilled gas and oil, these fine can be hefty in certain areas and they include the cost of cleaning up the spill.

#6. Your boat will be quieter on the water, floatation foam is a sound attenuation product.

Cons

#1. If you neglect your boat and leave it exposed to the elements (like you're really going to do that after all of the hard work you've put into it) your foam can become saturated/waterlogged adding weight to your boat and promoting rot below deck... but, it takes a long time for floatation foam to saturate... were talking about a period of years of constant exposure.

End of cons.

I personally would never own a boat without floatation foam, and if I bought one that didn't have it I would install i myself.

Todays boats that're built with an abundance of floatation foam float like this:
Lund Boat Floatation Video - YouTube

Yeah, I know that's an aluminum boat and yours is f'glass... but they build a lot of f'glass boats that float like that too. Boston Whaler, Key West, and a bunch more.

The older aluminum and f'glass boats that were just built with the bare minimum of floatation to keep it afloat float(ed) ike this:

 

[Triangleboater]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Must say, that lund video was pretty awesome. I'll take it!

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

I'm contemplating it heavily. IDK. Compelling reasons to do it and the later versions of this hull that I got to ride in were indeed quieter, but noise was never an issue in the first place. I'm beginning to sway towards foaming it, but have big concerns about weep channels and holes.

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

The grinding work is almost done!!! The grinding was begun at the transom and today the bow was reached!

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Looks like a couple of larvae feasting on grinding dust in your boat!

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Major milestone reached today. After going through seventy 24-grit sanding disks, twenty-five disposable fiberglass respirator masks, eight head-to-toe coveralls, and about fifty man hours, I am thrilled to report that the hull grinding is done!!! Thank to the two helpers I had, the restoration project is back on schedule.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

Whoo Hoo!!!

Now the fun part of the build back begins!

I'll be dropping in for impromptu surprise inspections and expect everything to be ship shape and adhered to the highest specifications and standards!

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration

 

[jbillingsley]

Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration