1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

[revans14]

So I got this boat from a guy for free and decided to do a restoration project on it. I am new to the boating world and have done a lot of research to try to do it the right way but would love some help. This boat is a 1983 Hardhead that has some holes and cracks in the hull that need to be fixed, needs a new floor, core, stringer system, paint job, and more. I want to turn it into a fishing boat for the summer so really need to get crackin! So far I have taken the floor and core out, flipped it and drilled and grinded out the holes. They are fairly large so don't be startled! Any advise of some steps I can go by would be awesome!

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

More pics will have more of the holes grinded out

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Welcome to iboats revans14.

May just be me, but I can't see any holes in the hull from these pictures. You've come to the right place for help....but you can rest assured more details and pictures of the actual damaged area will be asked for..

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

It's a def. project

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Well you certainly have a lot of work ahead. It appears there has been some repairs prior to your ownership. Not to be the bearer of bad news but I would seriously look at several points here.

#1 is this a style boat I want to keep.
#2 do I have the time to perform these extensive repairs.
#3 is this hull worth the cost of the repairs.

You said you wanted to be in the water this spring so your window of time is very narrow with this much work ahead. Just some food for thought.

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Yes, I really like the boat because it's very sturdy and wide. I'm currently in college and working but have free time. and I'm planning on doing whatever it takes.

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

I can tell that the previous owner has done some repairs and stuff but I plan on making sure they were done correctly. The middle of the hull all the way down is very thin/weak made out of some type of paneling and I want to reinforce that somehow just not sure how. I also plan on patching the holes with an epoxy resin/hardener mix just not sure which one will be best.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

I would stick with polyester resins.....and as far as the "thin paneling" I'm not sure I know what that is? Is this paneling fiberglass or some sort of patch that has been added?

Reinforcing the structure isn't a problem, but first we have to know exactly what we are dealing with.

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

If you will look at the picture of the boat from the inside you will see that long center part of the floor that is all very very thin. I am not sure of the material but it is almost like it is a mold made out of some sort of paneling material maybe a fiberglass reinforced sheet I am not sure. All I know is that it's not sturdy :/

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

And to add to that I can see a tracing of the area cut out when sanding it looks like the entire section had been previously cut out.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead


Welcome to iBoats!

That LongCenter section that I have circled will need to be cut out. You have to get all the way to the hull. That is part of the deck support structure. You should be able to see daylight to all of the holes in the hull. To repair the hull properly you will need to lay glass and resin on the inside of the hull as well as the outside. BUT... befor we go there... You really need to consider if you want to repair this hull. It has some SERIOUS issues and there ARE LOTS of other boats out there that are in much better shape for NOT MUCH MONEY. I bought mine, Boat, Motor & Trailer for $250. To repair this hull correctly you will easily have $1,000 or more in it, and 100 hrs or more of your time. Is this something you want to do??

If so here is a video to help you get a better understanding of how to fix some of your issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzOMlMzrLoE

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

I'd rather reinforce the center section than to cut the entire thing out. Im planning on glassing the damaged spots with two layers then glassing the entire center section and sanding smooth then prob. reinforce on the inside as well

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

"That Long Center section that I have circled will need to be cut out."
Woodonglass

X2

"I'd rather reinforce the center section than to cut the entire thing out."
revans14

Ok So don't listen to the guy who knows a thing or 2 about boat hull repairs :facepalm:

Why is there never enough time to do things right,but plenty of time to do them over

I'm not trying to be rude or a d*** head but you ask for help and then want to do it your way.....

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Again, The holes in your hull CAN NOT be repaired from the outside. They MUST be done primarily from the inside and then from the outside. But again, this hull appears to have OTHER issues that need to be considered. If she were mine I would trash her and move on. To much to do and NOT WORTH IT!!!!

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Okay look, I planned on comming here for help..I'm doing this for a project. I obviously can't find anyone that is willing to give me some advise. If I wanted to buy a brand new boat I would have. I guess iboats.com forum RESTORATION section is not the place to come when you're trying to RESTORE your boat.

Thank you for your help woodonglass. I do plan on repairing the hull from the inside first of course. applying several layers of biaxal (my best friend works for a fiberglass company and has givin me for free) and west systems. and then the outside.

 

[Rellik546]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

i believe they did give you some advice, and did advice you what to do... they didnt tell you to throw it away and buy a new boat, them simply asked is it worth it to you to fix that hull, when u can get another one in much better shape for a couple hundred bucks. if you dont mind dropping alot of time, and money into it then go for it im currently in the middle of a restoration. there are many "right ways" to do a repair, but there are many more wrong ways. and the reason these guys have suggested that you perhaps scratch it or get a new hull is based on safety... it the foremost concern of any boat repair/restoration. you need to realize that these guys have no idea of your ability level, only you do! if you do decide you want to fix it. then so be it, thats why iboats is here.

Theres no need for attitude from anyone. There are many well respected members of this forum that actually do boat building/restoration for their living. id advice you to take all advice and ponder them. it doesnt mean you have to do it... perhaps they are saving you trouble. in all honesty that hull looks pretty beat up...just take a gander on craigslist im sure u can find a decent hull for 200-400 bux that only needs a few hundred in work. instead of your free one that needs 1000 in work. but either way you go we are here!!!!

if ur gonna fix it

u need to remove that circled area as to get to the actual hull from the inside. once u do the inner hull repairs, you can either use the piece you cut out as a patch and glass over it a few times. the only problem is with any major fiber repair, u need to glass from the inside...and if u fix the hull from the inside there is no way for u to access the inside of the giant hole u cut to fix the hull. unless there is some other way that im not aware of, which im sure there most likey is as i am not a professional, i also am a college student. who loves boatin

 

[rickryder]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

revans14

I'm sorry if my comment offended you. Like Rellic said no one knows your capabilities and we always look at boats from a safety standpoint. I am also doing a project/reso and rely heavily on the imput from the pros here on iboats. When one of them tells me that I need to cut something apart to repair it right I don't question it or suggest I do it differently, I follow their lead because they have done it many times. Again I was not trying to offend you,just pointing out to listen to the guys who rebuild boats. I wish you all the luck on your project!

 

[produceguy]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Do you plan on keeping this boat for a long time?

 

[revans14]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Thank you very much for the feedback I do appreciate it. I guess I just got my hopes up because it was my first boat and all and I didn't think it would be too much trouble to fix after seeing all of the videos and researching. I'm very good at fixing things and didn't think it would be a big problem. After seeing how epoxy works I thought that if I taped the wax paper and cutting board (like displayed in the video) over the holes from the outside and applied the epoxy or polyester and glass on the inside and then just glassed over each spot a couple of times on the outside after it dried and sanded it down it would match the rest of the bottom of the boat. It just seemed pretty easy but I guess there is alot more than goes into it. I also think that there may have been a misunderstanding about the long center section. I just realized that I had taken pictures of the boat on the inside before I had grinded out the damaged spots. I can see daylight through each hole from the outside and if flipped again you would be able to see daylight the other way. I do apoligize for getting offended I just thought the boat had potential and wouldn't be hard to fix.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1st Boat Restoration Need Help--1983 Hardhead

Post some more pics. IF you ARE on the HULL on the inside THEN your description of your planned procedure IS correct and the holes CAN be fixed. BUT... it appeared to me that the hull also had major blistering and also the possibility of some delamination. If this is NOT the case AND you want to spend the MONEY, TIME and EFFORT on a hull that will be worth not much when you are done BUT you can use for a fishing platform then... GO FOR IT. YOU CAN make it a floater of that I am sure. Anything can be fixed with enough Money, Time and effort. Post those pics of where you're at now and let us see what is going on.