"1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

[proshadetree]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

sidewinder-boats.com is where a few restores are going on. Loads of information and a great bunch of guys.

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

sidewinder-boats.com is where a few restores are going on. Loads of information and a great bunch of guys.

Thanks for that, I'll head over now and take a look. They are nearly identical boats. Only difference being slight on the transom, and the sidewinder doesn't have the three wooden deck trim items. I'm going to replace the wood strips on the front and at the rear with a section of custom made section of TekDek I think.

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Well another 12+ hours went into the boat today, and boy do I feel it!

Got the old bulkheads cut out and ground down, then continued to grind out any bits I'd missed elsewhere. The poor grinder has started to suffer from the dust.

Got a layer of CSM down on the new transom and the biax tabbing in.

Also managed to get a layer of 1708 down over the top of it all, but by this point I was so tired and cold that I forgot to take a final picture!! Ah well, I'll take one first thing in the morning when I head back down.

Next to go in is the new bulkheads and supports, and the new stringers and formers. I'm hoping to have them all glassed in by the end of play tomorrow. Fingers crossed!! Now, I am going to retire to my pit and get some well earned sleep!

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

More work today!

Got the stringers, new bulkheads and rear panels all in place and bedded down.

Got the rear panels glassed in and tabbed (photo's show this in progress. No comments about it only being half done lol)

It was bitter cold again today, so it made working outside a real pain, but we're still making progress. Just a little slower due to the cold. Maybe that's a blessing as it seems to work quite well with how long my resin takes to cure haha.

Now for some pics!

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

I'm hoping that I can get all the glassing other than the floor done tomorrow. I'm not sure if it's just me, but does anyone have trouble sleeping after working with polyester resin? Ah well, just going to have to live with it till this project is done

Now all I need is the weather to warm up a few degrees

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Monstrously Fantastic Progress!

At this pace you'll be getting that Bikini wet in no time...

And yes, polyester resin, when applied without using the proper respiratory aids causes anxiety and headaches...don't ask me how I know...

Plus the lack of sleep is also caused by the anticipation and worry of whether or not we did a good enough job...

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Monstrously Fantastic Progress!

At this pace you'll be getting that Bikini wet in no time...

And yes, polyester resin, when applied without using the proper respiratory aids causes anxiety and headaches...don't ask me how I know...

Plus the lack of sleep is also caused by the anticipation and worry of whether or not we did a good enough job...

Thanks

Well both my father and I feel rotten. Same symptoms: bad/no sleep, killer headache :facepalm:

I agree with you on your last point too. I like things to be right, and If I can't get them right first time it really frustrates me. I want this boat to be perfect. It's now re-engineered to be a hell of a lot stronger than it was from factory. You could quite happily site a 4cyl Verado on the back of that transom now!!

I'm pleased with the work so far, but I feel I could have got further if I'd pushed myself a bit harder.
This thing is going to be in the water finished by the end of next weekend come hell or high water.

I've got the target, just need to pull out all the stops, drink gallons of coffee, and get cracking

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Yeah, unfortunately, we get somewhat complacent and the poly fumes don't seem to bother us, but they are there and we end up paying the price...

Oh Well, couple shots of some premium adult beverages might help, along with a few aspirin...

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Yeah, unfortunately, we get somewhat complacent and the poly fumes don't seem to bother us, but they are there and we end up paying the price...

Oh Well, couple shots of some premium adult beverages might help, along with a few aspirin...

That was exactly what I did. Just got up now after a good 9 hour sleep!

No time like the present to pull on the old work clothes and get cracking!

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Well I didn't get finished with all the glassing today which is a real shame. Ran out of catalyst, a real error on my part :facepalm:

I got all the CSM down on the stringers, inside of the bulkheads and rear box sections. I also got a layer of 1708 down inside the rear box sections too.

One thing that really helped was that I cut out at home all the sections that I'd be glassing onto the stringers. This was much easier than doing it in the wind/rain down at the marina!

I'll take a drive through to the fibre glass suppliers tomorrow and pick up a few things.

On my list:

• Catalyst
• Flow coat
• Pigment
• Mixing cups

I'm also going to get a new transom plate fabricated rather than weld up the holes on the previous one.

My dad had a good idea about using a hatch for access to my bilge pump. That way I can take the floor right the way back to the transom and still have access to the pump should I ever need to clean or replace it.

New goal is hopefully by the end of tomorrow to have all the glassing done. Time will tell

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Well quite a bit was done today, alas not all the photos to prove it! It got to about 9:30 tonight before we left as it started to get dark, and it's pretty hard to glass in panels when you're working from sodium lights!

• The new rear box sections are all tabbed with CSM, biax and 1708 now.
• One of the formers is cut and glassed in.
• The rear section of the stringers are all tabbed and glassed in.
• The foam has been poured into the new rear box sections and capped off
• The lids were attached and tabbed and glassed on
• The bulkheads were glassed in from the rear (front still needs to be glassed)

Here are the photos before we started work today:

Still need to 1708 the rest of the stringers, the front side of the bulkheads, and glass in the rest of the new formers. After that I can start laying floor!

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Looking Fantastic! You are Cruising right along...

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Looking Fantastic! You are Cruising right along...

Thanks GT1M, it's just bloody hard work! Done another 13 hour day on it today with my dad helping out. We are both totally exhausted. He was in a pretty grumpy mood today too as the weather has been awful. Icy temperatures, wind and non-stop torrential rain. It's set to be the same for tomorrow too. Bummer.

I made an Arabian nights style shelter with a few tarpaulins, but the water always finds a way in! haha

Here are some pics. Again, didn't get the chance to take many as I was gooped up with resin for most of the day.

This one shows the formers tabbed in with CSM before I put down the 1708 on top. Also ran strips of mahogany along them for the floor to be secured to:

This shows the new rear box section tabbed in and knocked back to remove any jagged sharp bits. I'm going to put down a 2x2 twill weave over this after I've glassed the floor in just to tidy the looks up. Anal I know, but I've got a big sheet of it sat here doing nothing so why not!

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Working late at night under a sodium light, with a small halogen lamp in the boat:

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Re: 1986 16.5' Dateline Bikini full gut and rebuild. My first

Quite a bit of work again today. Yet another 12 hour shift!

Managed to get the foam into the floor: (other bit's are hidden, and some not yet done in this pic)

Floor now all cut and installed with marine adhesive onto the stringers and PB to the hull. Also filleted the floor into the sides of the hull:

Floor now tabbed in using CSM:

Just need to lay down the two layers of CSM on the floor and finish the fronts of the bulkheads and that should be 90% of the glassing done!!! woooohooo!!

 

[GT1000000]

Re: "1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

You Sir, are a boat restoring Machine! A heartfelt tip of the cap, you and your Dad have done incredible work under way less than ideal conditions...
You are an inspiration to any who would attempt this insane venture we have decided to embark upon...
Congratulations fall short of the Awe I have for your perseverance and quality of workmanship...
The day of redemption is fast approaching and you and your Dad should swell with PRIDE!
Continued success and Godspeed, my friend!

 

[fishfeatures]

Re: "1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

this could be the fastest overhaul I have seen on here yet. It's looking great.

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: "1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

You Sir, are a boat restoring Machine! A heartfelt tip of the cap, you and your Dad have done incredible work under way less than ideal conditions...
You are an inspiration to any who would attempt this insane venture we have decided to embark upon...
Congratulations fall short of the Awe I have for your perseverance and quality of workmanship...
The day of redemption is fast approaching and you and your Dad should swell with PRIDE!
Continued success and Godspeed, my friend!

Thanks GT1M, very kind words there! We've been down again today and done another 12-13 hours! I'm almost (and I mean almost looking forward to getting back to the office!). We've been really luck today and it hasn't rained much. Temperature even got up to 7 degrees Celsius. There is no rest for us though, we'll be back down there again bright and early tomorrow to continue plugging away.

this could be the fastest overhaul I have seen on here yet. It's looking great.

Thanks Fish. Feels to me like it is taking forever though. If we hadn't had this run of crap weather, I think the boat would be back in the water by now :/


List of things finished:

Floor is glassed in now with two layers of CSM. It went a bit cloudy where it overlaps with the CSM tabbing. I think this is because it went down onto to tacky resin? It was totally wet through and rollered though, so it's not dry (which I admit is how it looks due to all the odd strands laying around from where we were lifting the matting in and out lol)

Got the new hatch hole reamed out after glassing. Inspection hatch was put in place to drill holes. As were the two drain holes and the gland for the bilge pipe to exit the floor.

Got the bilge pump installed but not wired yet.

Now the big work! Got the cap put back on. Wooohooo!!

This took a lot of pushing, pulling, clamping and easing to get back into place. Once we were happy with how it was sitting it was placed on a bed of marine sealant/adhesive then riveted down. I'm nearly minus a finger from the rivet gun. Hey ho.

You can see in a couple of pictures that the dash facia is out now. I still haven't decided on a dash layout yet that makes best use of all the gauges I've got.

I think I'm going to use the gauge pod from a Subaru Impreza STI. This would sit nicely on top of my dash and house the fuel, voltage and temperature sensors. Whilst on my right, I'll have my bilge pump panel (new, original one is too 70's) and my trim gauge. That'll leave my tacho and speedo in the slightly starboard-centre position, with my radio enclosure on the port side.
At the moment I'm thinking of laying up a set of carbon fibre panels to make this from, that is if I can find a sheet of glass/mirror long enough to do it on!
There's going to be plenty of photoshopping done to test the arrangement before I do any of it!

We're going to head back down tomorrow to continue work on the underside of the front section. My Jedi senses are telling me I'm going to have resin in my hair for the next 18 months!!

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: "1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

Got quite a lot done today which is great, I really feel like I'm looking at a boat again!

Here are a few pictures of the rear area and transom after some light sanding. This is all going to be hidden by the big stainless transom plate that I had fabricated (must take a picture of this, the welding is fantastic!)

Some light filler was then mixed into the resin and applied to roughly smooth out the area, then rubbed back (only the front has been done when I took these pictures):

First coat of Flow Coat was then applied:

 

[kwik_uk]

Re: "1986 16.5' Dateline/Sidewinder sports boat. Full strip and rebuild

Now for the fun stuff... KEVLAR!!!

Ok, first off as a newb to Kevlar, I was shocked at how hard the stuff is to cut. My scissors just lol'd out when even looking at the stuff. Plan B: I hold the Kevlar taught while my dad cuts it down the middle with a carpet knife *gulp*. Anyway all my fingers are still here which is a bonus.

Measured up for where the seats are going, and used bolts with the bases that you glass down. Hence the Kevlar so they won't pull through, like ever.

The kevlar was bonded with resin then glassed over with CSM (only the one on the left has CSM over it at this point.)

All four kevlar strips bonded and covered in CSM:

All this work and only one mishap with the rivet gun. Could have been worse! haha



I go back to work tomorrow which is a real shame. All I needed was another good three days work on this and it would have been back in the water complete