1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

[secondchance22107]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

i have to agree with the rest this is really a time consuming and money hole that you have... i have been thru many hurricanes since i have lived in louisiana and most of the boats that looked better than that were trashed from 100 footers all the way down...the one thing i have learned from this site is if there is a soft spot in the floor the chances are its a total rebuild because everything else is rotten also...from what i see in that boat i would bet it went thru a hurricane or worse....i am like you i am new and trying to restore something that i can say i did it and enjoy it till i sell it.....from day one i have needed to ask questions and get advice and still that is not enough to do it like a professional and i will not put the boat in or near the water till i know it is totally seaworthy....oh btw i have been a licensed crewboat captain in the oilfield for over 38 years till sickness took my license so i do know a good bit about boats but repairing fiberglass is a whole new ball game ......

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I'm watching this video on youtube and will basically follow his same instructions.Sunfish Sailboat Fiberglass Hull Repair - YouTube The only difference is that I might be using marine grade plywood and possibly some sort of filler. If I don't go that route than I might just use nothing but fiberglass and epoxy to fill the whole thing in like he does. Tell me whats different about my hull damage and his. To me they are both just cracks that need to be filled. The transom and stringers I will have to take a look at when I get the boat nearby. Until then i'm looking for any product and/or work related advice that I can take into consideration before I begin this project. I'm sorry, but this thing is getting washed, repaired, mega jury rigged and sent out to sea.

The dif 'tween the sunfish and the searay is about 3000 lbs or more, major stresses on the searay and barely any on the sunfish.

To tell you the truth, I don't think your boat will ever make it to your aunts house in one piece. I have this mental picture of the boat breaking apart at the cuts while being loaded on the trailer at the scrap yard... maybe I'm wrong though, but there's also going to be the unloading of the boat at your aunts house too which will be hard on the weakened hull to.

Have you gotten any estimates on having the boat moved yet?

 

[parrisw]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I would like to own a boat and not owe on it. Every boat that I looked at online would be gone the next day. This is the only one no one would buy, but they did destroy the hull by the time I got there. Honestly i'm looking for advice on how I should go about with the repairs. I don't understand where all these 5k to 20k quotes come from. I think I can get the hull fixed for under $500 unless you are kind enough to inform me as to why not.

I highlighted your answer, you answered it yourself. You need to get your head in the right place man before you waste tons of money and time on a project that will never be completed.

 

[n00boater]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

No one's life is in danger. I will be the only one on the boat and i won't put it in the water until it gets the repairs. It's going to cost $250 to move it to a place where I can begin the repairs. Epoxy makes a very strong resin. Epoxy Strengths: Compressive Tensile Flexural Bond - Epoxy.com Education By putting down multiple layers I think it will create a very strong permanent hold, but I won't know until i try it out. Thank you Friscoboater for those numbers. I hope to cut that hull repair figure in half. What i'm most interested to hear is any opinions on whether or not to push the two halves of the crack together and repair from there or keep it the way it is and use some sort of adhesive filler. Thank you to everyone that has contributed so far.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Don't push the 2 halves of the crack together, what ever the width of the crack is at the bottom is what it should be at the top.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Yes there is lives in danger, and the Coast Guard that has to rescue you. Boating is not a JOKE, please do not ask us to fix it incorrectly.

 

[n00boater]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I will fix it correctly and permanently. The boat will not go out without proper repairs. The bottom of the crack is more narrow than the top. So do I push them together to make them the same distance as the crack at the bottom is or do I fix it the way it is?

 

[marauder11]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I would like to own a boat and not owe on it. Every boat that I looked at online would be gone the next day. This is the only one no one would buy, but they did destroy the hull by the time I got there. Honestly i'm looking for advice on how I should go about with the repairs. I don't understand where all these 5k to 20k quotes come from. I think I can get the hull fixed for under $500 unless you are kind enough to inform me as to why not.

I agree owning a boat is better than owing but, I would rather owe on a boat than owe on a loan or line of credit or dump all my savings into a 30 foot planter in the front or back yard. As too the letting you know the prices i am not an expert. I reglassed my deck on my small 16 foot tri hull. Maybe 6 feet by 8 feet max. Told wife 100 bucks max to re do. No plywood was needed or carpet. I finalized cost at 360 bucks. I used resin like it was water lots of it fiberglass matting is not cheap. Then if you screw something up you have to redo it more money.
The biggest thing is your safety and the others you plan on taking out. The biggest sign should have been that all the others where gone and this was still there.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I will fix it correctly and permanently. The boat will not go out without proper repairs. The bottom of the crack is more narrow than the top. So do I push them together to make them the same distance as the crack at the bottom is or do I fix it the way it is?

You'll have to push it together some, but not all the way. Make the crack the same all the way up.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

From all of your previous statements it is quite obvious that you have no experience with fiberglass repair or costs.
IMHO you will need 30 gallons + of Epoxy and 50 yds of 1800 Biaxial cloth JUST to repair the hull AND you MUST know what you're doing and how to do it in order for the repairs to be sound and make the hull seaworty. Most PROS's would not attempt to repair this hull and a Rookie should FOR SURE NOT attempt it. Your Dream is that....Just a Dream and NOT economically or realisitically feasible.

 

[SgtRollo61]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I understand how you feel!... I have an old Cobalt Trihull that in its day was a beautiful boat.. I have a hard time telling myself its not piratical to bring it back to its former glory...(I hate to kill old boats) but it looks like I'm gona strip everything off usable and chop it up..:facepalm: In the shape the boat you are wanting to save most agree it wouldn't be safe on the water..( a seem or joint could come apart and leave you or your family in danger).. Best of luck if you do go on with this project, but remember keep safety in mind..

 

[n00boater]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

What type of fiberglass cloth would you recommend? With a link?

 

[tazrig]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Even IF you could fix all the structural issues. The original engines weigh 2,000 lbs. When you take them out, the boat will be sitting sern up and bow down and won't steer correctly. Also how do you plan to mount the outboard on the stern of the boat? It was never designed to have an outboard back there. Assuming it could even handle the stresses, you would have to mount it so low on the transom (because of the draft of the boat) that the first decent sized wave to hit the back of the boat, or even just backing up, would surely put your engine underwater and total it.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Assuming it could even handle the stresses, you would have to mount it so low on the transom (because of the draft of the boat) that the first decent sized wave to hit the back of the boat, or even just backing up, would surely put your engine underwater and total it.

It'll be ok if he puts a tiller steer arm on it, then he'll just look like your average tiller boat owner and no one will say a word.:laugh:

 

[proshadetree]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Dang if I didnt screw up and vote less than a grand. That would be true if you only wanted a fire starter.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I absolutely cannot believe the mileage this thread is getting. Either you veteran iboaters are simply humoring this troll, or the world really did end on 12-21-12 and we are all in the idiot zone now. :lol:

This is as nice as I can be about the matter.

Good day!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

What type of fiberglass cloth would you recommend? With a link?

As I stated before, most Pro's would NOT tackle repairing this boat and NO WAY should YOU a total novice attempt it. YOU will NOT be able to effect the needed repairs. You do not have the experience required. Fiberglass , Epoxy , Composites, Carbon Fiber - U.S. Composites, Inc. has the Epoxy you need and the cloth but IF you had a clue about fiberglass repairs you WOULD realize the costs involved and time and effort is just not worth it. And This in no Way could be used as a working Shrimp boat. Just NOT gunna happen.

I'm OUT!!!! This IS a Total waste of time!!!:facepalm:

 

[GWPSR]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I am a bit curious if the OP's surname is Rogers. The style of writing is familiar.

 

[pyrotek]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

Maybe he is serious. Look at it for a second from the point of view that you are not familiar with fiberglass construction. It might look like if you just patch the holes than it has to float. It doesn't sound like your concerned with spongy decks or looks. You just want it to float and go 8 mph. The problem is it only takes a very small crack or hole for the inside to fill up with water and it start sinking.

I was with a friend who bought a small 18 ft jet boat. First time out, a small crack emerged and it slowly started sinking. Engine half under water, WOT going 5 mph back towards the boat launch. There was no water in the cockpit. Turned out the seller bondo a major crack across the entire hull. He was a body shop and did a quite nice asthetic job. Water filled up all the foam between the fiberglass layers and it started going down.

You can try fiberglassing it if your dead set on it, but I agree its not going to work for very long. And it is going to be an expensive mistake. Boat salvage in the water is expensive - and that if the oil/gas doesn't leak.

 

[n00boater]

Re: 1987 Searay sundance major hull repair advice needed.

I'm thinking the kind of fiberglass I will need is fiberglass mat and not cloth or anything else. I have another idea of how to fix these large cracks. If I sand both sides of the slices down to a point all the way up and down starting a few inches out and sloping down to a point at the tear. I can lay fiberglass mat and epoxy combing the two halves. Starting with the smallest mats combining the two tips and working my way up the slope with bigger and bigger patches until it's completly filled and bonded. What would be the difference between that and the rest of the hull? I can't think of any reason why that wouldn't be a permanent fix to the the gash. I have high hopes about this idea. I think it will work. Can anyone tell me specifically why it might not last?