1987 Sea Ray Sorrento Bow Rider Rebuild Project...

[vandentr]

Well, she was gone, but not forgotten...

So to bring you up to date, the last thing I was able to do before putting her into storage for the winter was getting the transom bowling pin routed out to match the fiberglass cut out, as well as PB'ing the parameter and then fully tabbing and glassing it in with 1708.

Unfortunately, while completing the second layer of 1708 across the transom the resin started to kick before I was able to get the glass fully wet out on the starboard side, hence there is a lack of transparency that you can see on that side of the board.

I made the best of it and completed the task with a new batch of resin, but was frustrated with myself for not paying closer attention to what was going on with the timing and allowing myself to be in too much of a hurry.

Oh well, lesson learned. In spite of the error, I'm not concerned about any structural integrity as the strength of the 1708 versus the chop-gun garbage that was in there from the factory is not even comparable.

At any rate, I have her back now and am getting ready to begin the stringer and bulkhead placement, which will be interesting to figure out as I'm feeling a bit rusty after 9 months of hibernation and all of this COIVD nonsense.

Will I get this sucker done and be able to enjoy it before the end of summer?

Time will tell!

 

[PC on the Bayou]

Awesome progress!! I'm working on my '90 Maxum which is very similar to your Sea Ray. You're a good bit ahead of me; so, I'm going to keep following your thread as I proceed with mine.

Sure must be nice having CNC availability to do your cutting. That would be a very nice asset.

 

[Jeff Fro]

Looking pretty damn good to me. One thing to remember, no matter how big of a hurry you are to get it on the water, don't take any short cuts. Keep doing it the right way!! Sounds like you have a lot of experience in your corner.

 

[kcassells]

Like Jeffro says. I've seen alot of guys shoot for a date which is a good driving force unfortunately
it's hard to always make the schedule. Life things pop up and such.
Just do it right and at the end you'll be proud to have a boat better than factory.

 

[vandentr]

OK, I'm ready to bring you up to date with where this project stands.

It should be noted that I've decided I will NEVER take on another project like this again by myself, and I’m saying that even though I work for a yacht manufacturer and have access to all the tools, knowledge, and materials that a guy could ever need to make this rebuild a success.

The PTSD I developed from discovering the rotted condition of this beast has caused me to be OCD about every aspect of the rebuild, which just makes everything that much more annoying and time-consuming.

If you decide to tackle a full-on rebuild like this, and are not an experienced craftsman, make sure to have extra EVERYTHING on hand (including patience) as there will be at least a few moments that will make you wonder why you were born.

At any rate, I have been pouring myself into this project.

In this post the pictures represent the following steps:

1. Templated the stringer and bulkhead structure out of 1/4” foam-core, sitting on 1/4” shims to allow for the bedding mixture.

2. Performed the initial cutout (there were a few boards that needed to be recut due to screw-ups on my part) of the stringers and bulkheads from 3/4” marine-rated plywood.

3. Cut water drains into the aft section of various stringers to allow for any future drainage (you can kinda see them on the NewStringer5 image, I've circled them in red)

4.Trimmed, test-fit, re-trimmed, and clamped the stringer/bulkhead structure into place.

Just getting those stringers and bulkheads positioned, level, and cut to the right height was ridiculously time consuming. I lost a good 5-10lbs from constantly getting in and out of the boat.

Regardless, it's still better than grinding in my opinion!

 

[vandentr]

In this episode of "As July Passes By" I have managed to get the entire stringer grid permanently set in place and prepared for the cleats and braces that need to be cut and test-fit into place.

I have been putting almost every spare minute I have into this rebuild. It often feels like a two-step forward, one-step back process. You literally have to be a couple of steps ahead of yourself mentally at all times in order to keep the project rolling, and that applies to the next rebuild steps on your to-do list as well as the supplies you're going to need to accomplish it.

Me and Jack Daniels have become really good friends this summer!

In this post, the pictures represent the following steps:

1. Sanded all boards (front, back and sides) with 100 grit orbital sander.

2. Resin-coated all sides of each piece.

3. Clamped the entire structure back into its final resting place and used ziplock bags with a corner cut off as a squeeze bag to bed the stringers into place with a thickened mixture of resin and 1/4” chopped strand fibers, then filleted a radius along all mating surfaces to ease fiberglass layup and minimize air pockets.

4. Sanded all cured fillets to a smooth radius with a 1/2” belt sander to remove chopped strand nubs. The "WEN 6307 Variable Speed Detailing File Sander with 1/2-by-18" Belt" (see pic) is a must-have in my opinion!

5. Set the floors of the ski locker and fuel tank (made of extruded fiberglass, which is virtually indestructible and damned itchy) into a bed of the same thickened resin mixture around the parameter and again filleted along the mating surfaces.

6. Cut 1.25” holes in two starboard stringers for the new 5/8” vent hose under-floor access to the hull-side vapor vent.

7. Applied one or two layers (depending on location) of 1708 fiberglass to all stringers and bulkheads.

8. Applied a single layer of 1708 over the fuel tank and ski locker floors.

9. Capped all stringers and bulkheads with 1 layer of 1708 fiberglass.

10. Sanded all sides and bottom of the fuel tank and ski locker compartments with 80 grit orbital sander.

11. Rolled on two coats of unwaxed and one coat of waxed white gelcoat to the fuel and ski locker compartments.

12. Test fit fuel tank and installed neoprene-lined aluminum brackets to anchor it in place.

 

[Jeff Fro]

Looking great!! Jack Daniels has probably helped with a lot of the boat projects more than folks will care to admit. Sometimes doing it right means a lot of exercise...in and out of the hull does get tiring. We've been close to putting the cap back on ours for a month now...just not as close as I thought we were. Take care of the little stuff that you can't see when the floor goes back on. Only you will know what you didn't do. Drive on!!

 

[kcassells]

Sure does look purty!

 

[vandentr]

OK, so here we are, three years later!

After dragging the old hag out of storage this past May (2021) I wasn't actually able to get back to work on her until early July due to work and having a wife that's got us booked for something every weekend!

It turns out Jack Daniels can help you manage a wide variety of annoying scenarios...

At any rate, the next couple of updates will bring you up to speed from where I left off last year and where I am today.

So, after getting the stringer grid bedded and glassed in (all with 1708) along with a successful test-fit of the fuel tank, it was time to template and fit the floor, including the cleats, then put it all together.

I used 1/4" white foam board in 4x8 sheets to do the templating and then marine-grade 3/4" plywood with two coats of resin on all sides for the floor.

For the floor install, I made cleats and supports from mahogany which were then attached and bonded (with Seal Bond 105 and Spax stainless steel deck screws) to the stringer sides to protect the integrity of the glass-capped stringers. After that was done I used more Seal Bond 105 on the tops of all stringers and cleats before laying the floor boards down and securing them to the cleats with Spax Stainless Steel deck screws.

Once the floorboards were in and secured I mixed up yet another batch of thickened resin with chopped fibers and proceeded to fill the gap between the floor and the hull along the entire perimeter of the floor from bow to stern and against the transom, shaping a nice curve into it for the 1708 tabbing that would follow...

Stay tuned, more updates coming soon!

 

[nd_guy]

OK, so here we are, three years later!

After dragging the old hag out of storage this past May (2021) I wasn't actually able to get back to work on her until early July due to work and having a wife that's got us booked for something every weekend!

It turns out Jack Daniels can help you manage a wide variety of annoying scenarios...

At any rate, the next couple of updates will bring you up to speed from where I left off last year and where I am today.

So, after getting the stringer grid bedded and glassed in (all with 1708) along with a successful test-fit of the fuel tank, it was time to template and fit the floor, including the cleats, then put it all together.

I used 1/4" white foam board in 4x8 sheets to do the templating and then marine-grade 3/4" plywood with two coats of resin on all sides for the floor.

For the floor install, I made cleats and supports from mahogany which were then attached and bonded (with Seal Bond 105 and Spax stainless steel deck screws) to the stringer sides to protect the integrity of the glass-capped stringers. After that was done I used more Seal Bond 105 on the tops of all stringers and cleats before laying the floor boards down and securing them to the cleats with Spax Stainless Steel deck screws.

Once the floorboards were in and secured I mixed up yet another batch of thickened resin with chopped fibers and proceeded to fill the gap between the floor and the hull along the entire perimeter of the floor from bow to stern and against the transom, shaping a nice curve into it for the 1708 tabbing that would follow...

Stay tuned, more updates coming soon!

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Looks great