68 Offshore restoration

[SHSU]

Good progress. You going to put any rubber siding in your front floor hatch? That anchor looks like it will do a number on the alunimum/paint up there.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Not the final placement for the anchor, it really just ended up there to avoid any ER visits while kids played up front. (Hatch was down, covering it.) I'm not really sure where final placement will be, it might just be permanently stored in an anchor nest once I make one. Otherwise, I plan to cut some access doors between the footwells and the side storage in the bow (with proper radiusing and reinforcement). If I go that route, then I will make some leather "sheaths" for the points.

 

[SHSU]

That makes sense I would worry about my kids dropping it on my head as they "played"...lol... You have room to add the cool storage area. I didn't on my SS16.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Tried some basic wood graining, not sure if I'll keep it this way, I'll decide after it dries. If not, I'll just paint the whole thing grey, maybe give some scrapes for texture.

 

[Sharpie223]

Not much in the way of updates due to car repairs taking priority. I did decide my final direction for the gunnels. If I patch the holes, putty or weld, and then paint, the finish will never look right. So it's back to a covering. The budget has inflated a little more, so I went looking for eva or vinyl flooring. I didn't like the vinyl colors, and eva flooring was too thick. I then found some 3mm eva sheet foam. I'll use this and contact cement, probably just give it a putty patch just cause.

EVA sheet

 

[jbcurt00]

SOTY 2025 candidate next Dec.

 

[Sharpie223]

SOTY 2025 candidate next Dec.

That's the goal.

 

[SHSU]

Same as you realized I would never be able to "hide" everything easily. That why I covered my gunnels too

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Some progress.
Revised bow flooring is complete. Latches still needed. Then I sanded/countersunk/cleaned the gunnel holes and patched with putty.
Now I'm working on covering with EVA foam. There's some air bubbles, but I think I can fix that with more contact cement. It was a little sparse in areas. I'm not going to be too particular on this as long as it stays down. I might use this foam for the bow trim as well. Should stay cooler than vinyl and I can glue it straight to the sides.
And plexiglass for a new windshield is ordered!

 

[SHSU]

Good progress. Will have her back in the water by Summer.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Finished up the foam today. Had some more bubbles. I think my issue was not letting the contact cement dry enough, mixed with the foam being slightly oversized and under constant pressure. Redid those and I'll check them in the morning. It's not fantastic but better than a thousand holes. Once cleats, downriggers, and other things are attached it should stay down even better. While working on the bow I also came up with an idea to make a raised anchor caddy that I can also mount nav lights to, and possibly a spotlight and horn.

 

[SHSU]

Looks better then the original PVC board you were going to use.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

A couple progress pictures. Reattached dash and working on instruments. I will mount a gps speedometer and somehow hardwire it (usb powered). I also have a digital tach to hardwire (battery operated). I'll probably go the easy route and find an automotive usb outlet rated to the correct voltages. I got the steering wheel on and then realized I forgot the cover for the dash mount. I plan to just leave it until such time that I find a nicer steering wheel, because everytime I remove it, another crack in the plastic forms. Then I started a cover for the top of the dash, where I've cut clearance holes due to raising the dash. It's plywood glued to carpet, I wanted to use eva foam, but didn't have a big enough section left over. I'll hit the wood with something to waterproof, then figure out how I'm going to attach with screws. Not shown, I marked some sections to cut out for a glove box and also footwell storage. I'll get to that next weekend.

 

[SHSU]

Any particular reason you want a speedometer? So many free gps apps on the phone or a Fishfinder with navigation will have it as well.

SHSU

 

[Sharpie223]

Fishfinder probably is fine, but I like everything at the dash, especially if it's sunny and I'm fighting glare, also just feels like a complete dash then. I've been using a phone app in test runs, but I don't have a mount and it isn't the safest.

 

[Sharpie223]

Not quite related to the boat. I found some clear, tintable enamel base made by krylon yesterday, and have been using it as a cheap medium for mixing mica and candy pigments for testing possible car colors. I am surprised by how well it flows to gloss, even after accidentally touching before it was cured, the fingerprints flowed back to gloss. I can't even find any orange peel and I know I sprayed some in. If anyone is looking to do an enamel paint job on their boat and don't like the typical colors, this might be good to use. Just have to buy mica powders and candy concentrate and play with colors.



Trying to make a nice deep metallic olive, but one that doesn't look "military"