1995 Crownline 266BR Restoration

[Michael.bovine]

Thanks Tpenfield I'll look for a 3" cresent wrench. Think I'll be relplacing most all of the bellows since the boat was sitting for a long time.

 

[Michael.bovine]

Got the motor out. Beating on the motor mounts they sound solid. Should I take the fiberglass skin off them to do a thorough check or what is the best way to make sure they are solid? Going to get started on the real demo soon. Pics to follow soon.

 

[Michael.bovine]

No Title

Here are some pics of where I am to date. Just have to remove the gimbal housing and start wood demo. Just have to decide about the motor mounts. They sound solid but I will be drilling holes I guess to test them. Transom also feels solid now that I can get to some exposed wood so I will be cutting the skin off it to give it a thorough check.

 

[tpenfield]

Looks like 'fun'

You will make it better than new. :thumb:

 

[JASinIL2006]

Here are some pics of where I am to date. Just have to remove the gimbal housing and start wood demo. Just have to decide about the motor mounts. They sound solid but I will be drilling holes I guess to test them. Transom also feels solid now that I can get to some exposed wood so I will be cutting the skin off it to give it a thorough check.

I would drill holes in a variety of locations, especially down near the bottom. If the shavings all come out good (dry and light-colored), I don't think I'd tear into the mounts. If you see anything that suggests rotting wood, then I'd tear into them.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Just re-read the entire thread.... if you get under the floor and the stringers are shot, you'd be a lucky person to find the motor mounts in good shape. Same for the transom. I will be crossing my fingers for you that the stuff under the deck is in decent shape!

I'm going to follow along, too. This looks like an interesting project on a really nice boat!

 

[Michael.bovine]

No luck with the motor mounts. Drilled them in several places and they are soaked. Too bad but I had figured on replacing them from the beginning, it would have just been a lucky bonus if they turned out good. Let the fun continue.

 

[tpenfield]

Makes sense . . . wood = sponge . . . so if part of the wood structure is wet, then most likely a lot more of it is wet. Boat manufacturers could prevent the propagation of moisture if they better isolated the individual piece of wood that make up the structure. But they don't.

 

[Michael.bovine]

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So I had a little time this afternoon and I got a little over half the deck off and as expected complete rot! The only place on the deck that had glass was at the seams and everything has been so saturated that I didn't have to cut anything. The deck came out in full sheet with a little help from a pry bar. I found steel plates under the plywood under where the driver and passenger seats were located. Is this typical or necessary? Made a short video that i will try to post and some pics.

On a different note when i demo the front floor I am going to have to cut the fiberglass in the bow seating area in order to get to the wood floor system. When I do this should I cut it closer to the top than the bottom to give myself more room to work? Any input from those with experience doing this would be great.

 

[Michael.bovine]

Here's my attempt at a video.

 

[Michael.bovine]

No Title

Well I have been able to do a little more demo. I removed the gas tank and removed the fiberglass deck from the bow of the boat. The severity of the rot is actually helping with the demo. There was carpet under the fiberglass deck in the bow and when I removed the carpet the decking came with it. I have removed a few pieces of foam and they have been saturated for so long that they came up with little effort in whole pieces. hopefully by the end of the week I will have all the demo done and be ready to start the lovely process of grinding:grumpy: I did a short video just to show the severity of the rot because pics don't do it justice.

 

[tpenfield]

That is one rotted boat . . .

How does the fuel tank look in terms of pits or corrosion? Seems like it was sitting in water along the keel . . .

 

[Michael.bovine]

That is one rotted boat . . .

How does the fuel tank look in terms of pits or corrosion? Seems like it was sitting in water along the keel . . .

The fuel tank is in great shape fortunately. I think the ribs in the hull must have kept it out of the sitting water.

 

[Bayou Dave]

WOW!! It's almost like the boat ws submergerd for a long time. You have made very good progress.:thumb:

 

[Michael.bovine]

WOW!! It's almost like the boat ws submergerd for a long time. You have made very good progress.:thumb:

Thanks DRS. It was left uncovered for years which is such a shame.

 

[steely85]

Good luck with the boat!! I have enjoyed most of my project so far. The most difficult thing for me that put me a week or two behind schedule was the fact that I had nobody in town with a engine lift tall enough or long enough to get the motor out of the back.

I hope u have a better way of doing it than I did. Your motor is a bit heavier than mine.

Second. You should take a bunch of measurements of the top of the hull. (Gunnel to gunnel) you can use the bolt holes from your side panels as reference points. That way you can make sure the boat didn't pinch or flex. I think this may have happened to me and my gas tank was just a hair taller than I had cut my stringers. My floor will now be 1 cm taller than it was originally.
I doubt this was the case since my window still closes perfectly, I think it was just a bad measurement on my part.

 

[JameO]

WOW, I look at your pics and it's like I'm in my boat:grumpy:. I'm gonna be along for this restoration. We are doing he same thing, and I know how much work I have to do, and your boat is bigger yet. It will be well worth it when your done.It looks like your making good progress.Did you cut out the cap in the front ? I couldn't tell in your video if that was one piece or two. From what I could see that was a really straight cut , if that's what you did. Do you know how your going to glass your stringers yet?

 

[Corjen1]

Tagging along for the ride if you dont mind...Love these Crownlines!!

 

[Mts678]

any updates man? That will be a badass boat once your done!

 

[Marshmellow80]

Nice Boat. Lots of work.Tagging along!