1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

[Kotte]

I bought my boat back in 2009, trailered it from Muskegon, MI all the way down to Alamogordo, NM. We had some fun with the boat up in MI and everything looked and felt perfect. Down here in NM I discovered that my deck has a few soft spots. NO PROBLEM at all, right? Wrong!:facepalm: I cut out the deck in 2009 and ever since I did not touch the boat again. Well today was the day when I started again on this project. Everything went smooth until I was stupid enough to cut through my hull. What a grate start with my project. I hope you guys can help me through my restoration attempted.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Welcome to the iBoats Dry Dock!!!

The Cut in the Hull is NO Problem. Easy Fix. It will be LATER!! Get all that Foam out and drill test your stringers to see if they're rotten. Also drill test your transom. What engine does it have??

READ this thread. You'll learn a lot

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=458229

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Thanks for your post. I am glad to hear that the cut is an easy fix. The transom is good, the left and right outside stringers are also good, The right stringer next to the walk through was toast except the front 1/3 like you can see at my 2nd pic. left one is toast, I can not separate the hull so I guess I will try to use some pourable material to fill the remaining glass skin from this stringer.
The boat has a 200 HP Johnson VRO outboard.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Did you drill test the transom and ALL of the stringers?

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Yes sir. All shavings of the transom where good. The stringers get replaced where I found bad wood. One of my problems is that I need to replace part of the deck underneath the walk through. I need to try to lift this section up and figure out a way to cut out the rotten wood. The next BIG problem in my opinion is to fix my talented cut through the hull.
I would also like to cut the deck back to the sidewall of the hull, I have no idea how to do that. Maybe I should just leave the lip I have there and gals over it.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Hello Kotte and welcome to Iboats ..

Your looking better then some that have cut through the hull . Its in a nice flat area and not next to a strake or chine.

Tape the cut on the outside ( to prevent resin drain ).

Grind INSIDE around the cut about 5". Lets say the cut is 24" long..you would grind/scuff with 24-36 grit discs 34"x10" in your repair zone.

Wipe with acetone .. Using Poly resin layup 1 layer of 1.5 oz mat..followed by 3 layers of 1708 ..then top it off with one more layer of 1.5 oz mat.

After that cures up grind/dish out the cut approx 4" wide ( 4"x28" on your cut zone ).

Glass that with just 1.5 oz mat until its built up.

Sand and fair..prep and spray gelcoat ( Gelcoat color is going to be "Aztec surf white" ).

Im going to skip the How to spray and finish gelcoat for now.. ( I might make a spot repair gel spray How to guide in the next couple days ).

Any questions just post away..

YD.

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Thanks Yacht Dr.
The problem is, at least how I see it, that this piece I cut through is actual a solid fiberglass pies. It appears to me that is like 2'' thick. Ho deep do I have to grind the area?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Thanks Yacht Dr.
The problem is, at least how I see it, that this piece I cut through is actual a solid fiberglass pies. It appears to me that is like 2'' thick. Ho deep do I have to grind the area?

Its NOT 2" thick LOL ..

I know its solid lams of FG .. but its not Nearly 2" .. not even close..

Not even 1" thick.. .. not even 1/2" thick unless your posting the wrong pics ..

YD.

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Well, I just measured the thickness there. it is between 3/4 and 7/8 of I guess solid glass. Could the PO modified the area there?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Is this the cut from the inside???



Is there a ridge there or something?? I'm not understanding the 2" thing.

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

yes, thats the cut from the inside. I just measured that the thickens of glass and hull is around 3/4" to 7/8". I didn't know that this was solid glass.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Its hard to tell because of the black but is that area fairly flat or is there a ridge

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

The cut area is kind of flat. To the left of it there is a ridge. You can see the ridge in the first picture.
I will grind the black stuff off tomorrow and take some better pics.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

That will be a big help. YD's instructions on the repair should be spot on still. the ridge might be a bit of an issue but not much. When grinding just take it down tile it's good and clean. Just don't go all the way thru and make it worse.

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Hey Kotte

That looks so much like the rotten stringers in my boat.... Weird how the port side only rotted to the helm and the starboard went to the bow... They can be spliced so no worries

The starboard stringer will be a bear and working under the bow seats is a PITA! But it can be done

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

I am not locking forward to work under the bow area. Still try to figure out the best way

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

I am not locking forward to work under the bow area. Still try to figure out the best way

Might be able to use one of those small 18V circular saws to cut under there and in the ski locker....use a sawzall and the grinder to finish the cuts. Set the blade about 3/4" deep You will be able to block up the walk through.... works better with a helper while someone lifts the other sets the blocks.

Once you get the deck and foam out from the starboard side we can talk about how to attack that stringer

"I would also like to cut the deck back to the sidewall of the hull, I have no idea how to do that. Maybe I should just leave the lip I have there and gals over it."

The plywood ends about 1/2" short of the side wall (gunwale). I used the angle grinder and followed the edge of the wood.... just scored it a little at a time......you kinda get a feel for it as you go...

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

The plywood ends about 1/2" short of the side wall (gunwale). I used the angle grinder and followed the edge of the wood.... just scored it a little at a time......you kinda get a feel for it as you go...[/QUOTE]

Thank you Rick for the information.
Another question I have is when do you know that you prepared the hull enough? How can you tell when you reach "good" glass?

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

All right, here are the pictures of the cut in the hull. All the black glue stuff is now removed.

I hope that helps to clarify the situation.

Thank you
Kotte

 

[Kotte]

Re: 1989 Four Winns 200 Horizon Restoration

Here are some more pictures from my progress today. I am still not done for today, just on a little brake.


All comments and help is welcome.

Thanks Kotte

PS: Note to my self

DON'T touch a hot saw blade :facepalm: