1995 Crownline 202BR Restore

[beta]

Productive day today. Got templates for all my stingers and bulkheads cutout and test fitted. I decided it was going to be near impossible to get the height just right right so I'm making them all a little tall and will cut them to height once they are installed. I'll use the existing stringers to set the deck height.



Need to cut a template for the ski locker floor. I decided to put a bulkhead at the bow end of the ski locker so it's totally enclosed. The previous ski locker was open all the way to the bow. This will allow me to foam the areas in front of the ski locker and everything outside of the gas tank area. Also I will not have a drain hole in the forward bulkhead around the gas tank. It's clear that water was flowing up and down the keel and under the ski locker previously.

 

[beta]

Got the stringers and bulkheads cut out and fitted. Forgot to double check the length on the ski locker sides after the bulkhead was fitted. They ended up being about 1/2" short. I was able to salvage the longer one by using it in place of the shorter one so only wasted one of them.

 

[beta]

After dry fitting everything and cutting the tops to match the existing stringer height, I've wrapped all the new stringers in CSM and dry fitted them again. Had to do some sanding/trimming on the cut end of a few of the existing stringers to get a proper fit but everything is falling into place. I tried to leave a little extra room between the existing stringers and the new so I can CSM over the ends of the existing stringers where I cut them. I'll do the same on the tops of the existing stringers which I've already sanded down.




On the bulkhead, you can see where I made cutouts for the fuel lines.


The one new piece I have not wrapped in CSM yet is the strip that goes along the keel. Being 10ft long and curved is going to make that fun. That's on the schedule for tomorrow along with putting out Christmas lights.

 

[beta]

Been making some good progress but need to catch up on my postings.

All the stringers/bulkheads are installed with PL. I wrapped everything with CSM before installing. Everything from the gas tank bulkhead forward is glassed in place.



About half the back section is done and plan to finish that up next weekend. Once that's done, I'll put cleats in to secure the deck.



Tough on the back and knees but it's coming along. My technique with the bubble buster has improved a lot. Biggest challenge is the constant in/out of the boat to make PB, make resin, get supply x or y. Having a second person available would make a HUGE difference. Also, I'm getting the timing down on how much to glass at a time. Balancing the amount of PB and resin to make while assessing how fast I could apply it in a given situation took a few trials (and their associated errors) to get right.

I pored foam into the space below the ski locker floor. That went pretty well. I taped up the opening really well and glad I did. The foam is incredibly sticky and would be a nightmare to get off any surface.



After finishing the stringers, I plan to wrap the inside of the ski locker (wall to floor to wall) with CSM, followed by a gel coat to ensure a robust encapsulation.

Speaking of gel coating, are their any instructional resources recommended on how to do this properly? From what I've researched so far, I'm leaning towards applying 2 layers of unwaxed gelcoat, then a 3rd layer with wax. Does that sound reasonable? What I'm really unsure of is the technique to get the gelcoat down so it looks good and is functional. Also, what roller(s), etc are best to use for this? And lastly, some idea of how much gelcoat is needed for a given area (i.e. per sqft).

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

How I would gel that ski locker.

1. Have 2 quarts of gel with wax ready, split roughly into pints. 4 cheap chip brushes.

2. Mix one at a time with 5cc of mekp.

3. Brush it on thick. Start with the high sides, then the bottom. Worry about coverage first, then making the brush strokes somewhat uniform. If you're quick, you can use one brush for 2 cups, but better to have extras ready. Also keep an eye out for pin holes, they're hard to fill. Brush over hard spots in all directions.

4. Clean up. Set the cups down on something not easily combustible. The cups will get really hot. Don't bother trying to save the brushes, they're toast. Clean off any spots on your skin with some acetone.

You won't get a factory smooth finish because that comes from the mold. The only way for you to get that kind of finish now would be to spray it and sand/buff it. I would also recommend some mat to help your gear drain and keep it out of the little bit of water that can't drain. Something like this.

American Floor Mats

American Floor Mats brings you 25 years of floor mat experience. We are proud to offer you the most comprehensive selection of high quality door mats.

www.americanfloormats.com

 

[Pmt133]

I got an acetone sized jug, (gallon) did 2 coats unwaxed and 1 waxed on the bilge. I also did the anchor well up front, 1 waxed and 1 unwaxed and all the boxes under the birth, 1 coat waxed. I rolled mine out though. That left me either enought to roll 3 coats on the hull where it was either worn through or where I had done some touch up work.