My question is concerning the deck, bouyancy foam, & striping. I just purchased my first boat this weekend, a 1968 Hydro Swift 15.5' closed-bow shallow-v with a 1971 Mercury 65hp outboard. The engine seems to run very well, the hull appears to be in good shape (other than some seemingly natural cracking in the gelcoat & a few scratches). The seats were severely cracked & torn, so I immediately removed those. The seller had registered it last in April '08 and had it out the entire boating season that year, but he did not renew the registration after 04/09 and consequently let it sit for an entire year. As a result I believe perhaps some small critters have burrowed into the foam under the decking, as the deck was full of dead leaves, twigs, acorns, and small pieces of white styrofoam. During my initial cleanup, I removed perhaps 15 wasp/hornet nests (none active as it's still too cold here in Utah), and I'm sure there are most likely some more up under the closed-bow & bilge area, perhaps even along the sides along the top of the inside "pockets" (I don't know the technical term for any of these things). The decking itself seems to be in fair condition; however when I removed the seats the bolts holding securing them simply pulled out of the wood, and it looked to be somewhat rotted. There is also a "squishy" feel as I walk around the deck, yet I don't feel as if I'm going to fall through. So, after doing some initial online research, I not only found this website, but also discovered that there is most likely going to be a need for me to replace the striping, the foam, and decking before I take this boat out this year. I am a boating newbie, and therefore would be greatly appreciative of any advice, information, tutorials, etc that would help me in this project.
Just to weed-out some of the advice, I have already decided to use marine-grade plywood and I will be coating it with an epoxy on all surfaces to ensure that this new decking will last for several years. I am looking more for technique, perhaps step-by-step guides, video tutorials, website links, or maybe someone who lives in the Salt Lake City, UT area that wouldn't mind mentoring, assisting with a weekend spring project, or recommending a local store or resource for this type of project. Obviously, nobody is made of money, so any cost-saving advice would be greatly appreciated.
Just to weed-out some of the advice, I have already decided to use marine-grade plywood and I will be coating it with an epoxy on all surfaces to ensure that this new decking will last for several years. I am looking more for technique, perhaps step-by-step guides, video tutorials, website links, or maybe someone who lives in the Salt Lake City, UT area that wouldn't mind mentoring, assisting with a weekend spring project, or recommending a local store or resource for this type of project. Obviously, nobody is made of money, so any cost-saving advice would be greatly appreciated.
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