22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

[Beaver Islander]

HISTORY:
I have brought my 76 SC Islander MKIV out to the west coast to outfit it for a new life in salt water.
Merc 165 I6/ w/ a transom mounted 10hp kicker.(picture attached)
It spent its' entire life (now with 414 total hours on the boat) taken care of by the original owner, a retired SC dealer from Yipsilanti, MI, well kept and garaged. It was used as a day boat, until I bought it two years ago, and has now spent about a total of three summer months docked at Beaver Island marina. I have checked out the engine, OD,installed new bellows and surrounding parts, installed some electronics, downriggers and caught a few 14-18 lbs beauties this past summer.
Needless to say, it is in great overall condition, though it could use a hull painting.
.
PLANNED USE:
I am going to be using this boat as a day boat, mostly, with possibly a few times when it will stay in the water for as much as a week at a time as I will use it to adventure camp along the Baja coast. It will be used as my main fishing machine , two or three times a year when I am down in the Baja. It will be living, under a sun cover and tarped, in a desert climate, when in storage.

To outfit this boat for saltwater use, I believe I will need to:

1) put on a good coat of bottom paint...two part epoxy primer, after the usual total prep.I (I want to seal it up good)
I will be using a combo of chemical removers and walnut sand blasting.
Any suggestions on what is the best technique or specific salt water environment materials to use (or NOT to use) would be greatly appreciated. I am going to pull the floor, check everything out, gluvit, lose that 1970's gold carpet,and install vinyl on the flooring, etc.


2) I have the "raised deck" model with the double backed fold out captain chairs, which btw, are great for taking a nap. This deck seems somewhat higher(?) than most of the other Islanders I have seen. Because of this, I am hoping to install a drain and scupper system for the cockpit area. I am not sure if I can install floor drains and have still have the scupper drain above the water line. Has anyone attempted this before?

3) Set up a shallow sub deck live bait/kill box, combo'd with a wash down pump. suggestions? Install a ready made or custome build?

4)Install trim tabs. Here is where it gets tricky. Seems the hull configuration on the Islander has a beautiful curve to it.. which makes trim tab installation a bit tricky. Has anyone got suggestions on what size trim tabs would be most effective.
12" span seems a bit small, yet the 18" mount, the area would be affected by the curve of the hull.
If you know what works or doesnt, I would be greatly appreciative for the advice.

5) Should I install a freshwater cooling system for the boat?
I am not sure if I would have access to fresh water EVERY day that I would pull my boat out, however, I would give it a good rinse on the muffs every day I could and of course, when it was put away after I was finished for the time I was spending down there.

Anything else anyone wants to chime in (exscuse the pun) on anything about salt water and Islanders ...I am all ears.
btw: I read Jason's COMPLETE blog, and a few others , too.
time to stop lurking and jump in.
thanks for time...

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

I can only comment on a few of your questions . . .

Trim tabs are nice . . . especially on a bigger boat. 12" tabs . . . get them as far out toward the chines as you can. maybe use some starboard material on the transom to give yourself a straight surface to mount them

Fresh water cooling . . . that would be a good thing to extend the life of the engine. I just put FWC on my engines as my 'new' boat is going from fresh to salt water for the first time.

Bottom paint . . .probably a barrier coat (interlux interprotect E2000) and an anti-fouling paint

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Trim tabs 12x12? or 12x9?
your opinion that some say puting a fwc on a "used boat" will lead to more problems with clogged water ways?
thanks for the input
J

 

[Tabman]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

J.

Do you have as picture of the transom? I received your P.M. and just found this thread, so I know the length and set up of the boat now.

Are just the chines curved or is the whole run of the bottom of the transom?

 

[Tabman]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

I found a picture of the transom of an Islander and have marked to show where the Trim Tabs would go.

You could use an M120 (10" x 12") or a 12" x 12" kit. Either one would work very well on that boat.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

your opinion that some say putting a fwc on a "used boat" will lead to more problems with clogged water ways?
thanks for the input
J

My opinion is that those are just opinions . . . your results may vary.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Man, would you look at the butt end of that's boat! Sheesh, UGLY!

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Thanks Tabman,
Gotta do some measuring to make sure I have the room for a 12" chord as it will be in front of my transom mounted kicker....

and Jas... seen one stern, you've seen the all
or
they are all the same in the dark.....

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

JAS,
since your lurking here... or anyone else
Do you happen to know the distance from the gunwhale to the deck in a "stock" islander?
Do you know anything about 22 islanders where the deck seems higher than others?
I have seen it mentioned a few times here and there on the forum,

Do you think the deck height might afford a wash down deck set up?
(figuring how to seal around the doghouse bottom would be problematic)

I havent been able to go do the physical math required yet, as I am just finishing up the last details of my wood boat resto and havent had room to bring the Islander over to the work zone.

Saltwater fishing can get real bloody.....especially if you catch a fish
Thanks

 

[Tabman]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Thanks Tabman,
Gotta do some measuring to make sure I have the room for a 12" chord as it will be in front of my transom mounted kicker....

and Jas... seen one stern, you've seen the all
or
they are all the same in the dark.....

The 12 x 12 and M120 actually measure 11-5/8 inches fore to aft.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Man, would you look at the butt end of that's boat! Sheesh, UGLY!

Isn't that your Islander, pre-Stringerectomy?

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

I was prepping to haze the neandrathal owner for buying an outdated, NLA, garbage driveline, but then...

Isn't that your Islander, pre-Stringerectomy?

:nightmare:

_______________________

So yah, BI, on your wash down idea...

Can it be done? Yah, I do believe it can.

However, my thoughts are that the effort to try and seal everything up in order to install scuppers may not be worth it. These boats were designed to drain to the bilge then get pumped over board via bilge pump.

Just my thoughts though eh, cheers!

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Yea, Your right, I understand the design.
However, anyone who has smelled a boat that was merely deck washed down the bildge after a few bloody tuna came over the rail knows that things get pretty bad, very soon. They didnt name the tuna fisher guys website bloodonthedecks.com for nothin'

Then perhaps, a system where deck scuppers go, separate, into a collector, like some bigger boats do with their shower drain, then pumped over board. When the collector bowl (pan?)gets stinking too much, an access hatch to take it out and bleach it down.
or perhaps, an easy access rear deck area, back around the doghouse that could be lifted in order to get a high pressure washer down in the bildge area without too much hassle.

The drain ideas came from the Islander 26 I took to Beaver Island this Fall.(earlier thread) The PO installed below deck drains using pvc lines starting in the cuddy floor compartment, the sideboard compartments,(boxed and sealed), and on the main deck. They all drain into a main line going down the center of the hull and into the bildge. The interior, including the deck, is King Starboard, so wash down was well thought out.

I just need to alter design a bit, albiet sans all that cool King Starboard, from there on to the 22'. What I havent fiqured is whether or not there is the same room under deck to do it on the 22...
....and finally, in my "perfect world" the ability to actually use scuppers above the water line, hence the deck height issues I keep coming back to.
Just thinking here. I will post as I come up with an idea. If any one has an idea or a variation , Im all ears.
thanks for your reply. Attached are some pictures of the forward cuddy drain design on the 26'.

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Finished up the old Chris wood boat (finally) and will start removing the carpet and flooring on the Islander tomorrow.

Ordered the Bennett M120 sport trim tabs today. Just a comment on trim tabs in general... I have put them on every big water boat I have owned over the last 30 years. From 18 ft. off shore skiffs to 28 ft sport fishers, the safety issues alone make them worth the effort. Coupled with performance and trolling advantages, IMHO:it is one of the best investments serious big water folks can make.

The transom and flooring on the Islander are in top notch, solid condition. I plan on refurbishing the floor with CPES (Dr. Rot), buck any rivets (the boat has a few seeps, not any real leaks.) Gluvit, ZC, and paint the hull interior, replace any flotation that needs attention. Vinyl flooring. Havent decided whether or not I can successfully do a total seal of the floor for a washdown style deck (TBD). Compromise, is the word here.
There is an old thru hull tranducer from the PO that will either be replaced by my own Garmin, or I will use it as a thru hull for a live well and wash down inlet port.
Inspect, reroute and/or replace any wiring, cables, install a wash down/ live well pump and floor drains in the forward cabin and cockpit.
The hull exterior is a project for the spring.
I will post some before pictures soon and then some of the teardown as it progresses.
Thanks to all those who have blazed the trail ahead of me on this type on undertaking.I have stole every idea....

 

[cutbait76]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Hey Beav... get that thing going! I want ya to buddy boat Starcrafts with me this Salmon season

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Having finally finished the 1960 Chris Craft Capri 19 footer,(with its' 1960 factory stock Chrysler Imperial dashboard and steering wheel )
I jumped directly onto the Islander.
Tore off the decks, bulkheads and gas tanks, emptied the flotation (all good) out of the hull. The wood was in excellent condition, so I will sand it and treat it with Dr. Rot. The tanks were rust free and I am not sure if I will do anything to them, at all.
Had to go to N.C. for the Holidays,but took a few quick photos... here are the mandatory pictures for the Starmada along with a few glamour shots of the Chris. The Chris is going on the sale block, and I am planing on being buried at sea with the Starcraft.

Next is leak test, rivet bucking , then on to Gluvit and beyond......
Just before I jumped on the plane, I visited a West Marine store to check out various sub deck/ pumps, drains and hoses, etc...
Took the day long airplane ride back to the east coast to engineer preliminary plans. I will post as I finalize the details.
Man, this is fun!!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Man that Chris Craft is stunning!!:joyous:

Question: So what's the Rot Doc for?

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Yes, the Chris Craft is a real piece of work and history.
Unforutnately, it is also like floating a piece of furniture.......lots of work and you really have to be careful not make a scratch.

Dr. Rot is a CPES product that I will be soaking the deck in as a preservative.
Then it will be covered by marine vinyl.

CPES™-Wood based epoxy products to repair and resist wood rot.

 

[Beaver Islander]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

here is the website

CPES™-Wood based epoxy products to repair and resist wood rot.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 22 sc islander salt water conversion/ trim tabs and other tips needed

Beautiful piece of furniture is a great way to describe that, she is awesome!

Just as a heads up, the CPES is frowned upon around here on iboats for the most part. Basically because it's often used as a band aid fix for rotten wood. I'm thinking at least one fella tried the CPES for new/good wood and noticed the penetration was not at all as advertised. He was pretty disappointed as I remember.

In your case, since your deck is solid, you might rather seal it up then go from there. Most of the metal boat guys go with 3+ coats of epoxy but that's only one option. Poly and fiberglass is great, even porch and floor paint can serve the purpose.

Cheers man:joyous: