81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]Wednesday Update[/h]It rained much of the day, but finally quit for a while late afternoon. I managed to get a few things accomplished, mostly on the companionway. I got out my router table (working behind the salon today) and rounded the appropriate edges of the companionway parts, as well as shaved 1/8” off t part of the frame that will go up against the main bulkhead (that bulkhead has a 2” high lip that protrudes just a bit). I glued some pieces that will be part of the companionway but glassed onto the edge of the main bulkhead (at the doorway opening). Then I cut all my pieces of CSM for the companionway parts. Then more rain.

After rain seemed to clear, I got the staircase frame out and did some cutting on it. Then, more rain…again. Trapped inside, I did glue and clamp two ?” ply pieces I had cut to replace a wooden section of the cockpit deck.

I know this doesn’t sound like much, but a little bit of work every day adds up and will eventually get me to my goal (Oh the power of positive thinking). I hope to resin and glass the companionway parts, the water tank bulkhead, and the cockpit deck repair pieces in the morning, weather permitting.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]Just A Little Work Before The Rain[/h]Managed to get a little boat work in before it started raining mid-afternoon. Resined the companion way parts, one side. Then waited for them to tack up before putting on one layer of CSM.

That’s it. Quick and simple update.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]Disappointing Monday[/h]Had things to do this morning so didn’t get to the boat until mid-afternoon. Radar looked clear so I thought I was going to get a lot done. But, as is typical here in South Florida, rain cut us short.

Our plan today was to get the companionway frame resined (resined – is that a word – my spell checker doesn’t like it) in, so that meant sanding the gel coat off everywhere we would be FG’ing to for the frame. First, we taped up the salon doorway so all the gel coat dust wouldn’t go into the salon. Then sanding. We also sanded where the staircase will be FG’d in on the port side and where the built in cooler will be on the starboard side.

I also cut the corners off the back end of the bridge in the center where there was a companionway cutout in the bridge deck. It was there to give a little more head room when entering the salon. Anyway, I needed to cut these (3” x 3”) corners to allow for the doors to swing open into the companionway structure. Opening up the bridge cap like this allowed us to see how the bridge deck was constructed. To our surprise, there was no wood in the structure, just some FG ribs.

The reason we were surprised is because we have a soft spot in the bridge deck, starboard side, aft. We figured there were some rotten bulkheads there and we weren’t sure how we were going to deal with them. It turns out, this soft spot has one less rib than the rest of the bridge deck and that spot was under an L shaped seat. So we think Sea Ray took a shortcut when building the boat, not expecting anyone to be standing there. Since we are rearranging the bridge, we need to fix it. But, it will be simple. FG up a piece of wood and resin it in.

So, despite work being cut short by the rain, the bridge deck news made the day turn out OK.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Hiya CK,

Since you mentioned it... http://www.thefreedictionary.com/resined ...

tr.v. res?ined, res?in?ing, res?ines To treat or rub with resin.

Glad to hear you have been able to sneak in some progress between the rain...

And really good news about the missing bulkhead...I think...

Any plans on making it down to my 'hood' for the upcoming boat flea market...this weekend, May 18-20...?
http://www.miamimarinefleamarket.com/

Have a Great week...

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Hiya CK,

Since you mentioned it... http://www.thefreedictionary.com/resined ...

tr.v. res?ined, res?in?ing, res?ines To treat or rub with resin.

That's excellent news because I rely hat to mispel wrds. I'll have to train my spell checker

Glad to hear you have been able to sneak in some progress between the rain...

And really good news about the missing bulkhead...I think...

Actually it is. When I said bulkhead, I was probably putting the wrong image in your head. Its more like a rib, just FG, about 1" high.

Any plans on making it down to my 'hood' for the upcoming boat flea market...this weekend, May 18-20...?
http://www.miamimarinefleamarket.com/

Have a Great week...

I am interested in getting down there. The best day for me would be Friday. What's your schedule like?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

That's excellent news because I rely hat to mispel wrds. I'll have to train my spell checker?

mi 2...

Actually it is. When I said bulkhead, I was probably putting the wrong image in your head. Its more like a rib, just FG, about 1" high.?

Got it...

I am interested in getting down there. The best day for me would be Friday. What's your schedule like?

Definitely tryin for Friday, starts at noon...if I can break away from the grind...I'll let you know for sure Thursday eve...

I'll PM ya with my contact info...if I haven't already...:facepalm:

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

mi 2...





Got it...





Definitely tryin for Friday, starts at noon...if I can break away from the grind...I'll let you know for sure Thursday eve...

I'll PM ya with my contact info...if I haven't already...:facepalm:

Noon is good. Hate getting up for those 8 o'clockers.

Will watch for your pm.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]Peanut Butter Recipe[/h]To this point, I have been mixing my PB with Cabosil, Microballons, and chopped strand. The last few days, I have replaced the chopped strand with milled fibers. Wow! Much easier to work with. I’m, getting smoother fillets that don’t need any sanding before laying FG over them.

I have found that the chopped strand is the filler that really thickens the PB quickly. So, I like it a lot. It takes a ton of Cabosil or Microbaloons to thicken resin, but a little extra chopped strand and the mix gets thick quick. Milled fibers seem to do much the same quick thickening as chopped strand, although just a little less.

I’m sure that PB with chopped strand is much more structural than with milled fibers. I used it on my stringers and bulkheads, and will continue to do so. But for cosmetic applications, it will be milled fibers. Also, I was recently told on another thread that mixing with milled fibers is good for plugging small holes because you can actually get it to go into the hole.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]There Is A Sun - Finally[/h]After 3 weeks of rain preventing almost all work on the boat, we have finally seen some sunshine here in South Florida. When it wasn?t actually raining, rain would be threatening soon enough my resin wouldn?t have time to cure enough that I could take the pieces inside the salon. Customers are so rude. They just can?t appreciate the aroma of fresh resin curing in the back room. So, I watched it rain thinking I?m glad I?m building an ark!

Over the last several days, we have made some progress:

Staircase ? I have the staircase at the salon and have given the entire structure a coat of resin. I also PB?d all the inside corners in preparation for a layer of CSM and a layer of 1708 on the inside. If you recall, the inside will be storage so I want it looking fairly finished. We will spray the inside with gel coat, but don?t plan on sanding the inside. I figure orange peel is OK for the inside of a storage area. Also, I don?t want to be called obsessive compulsive.

Companionway ? The other day, I got the rest of the companionway frame in place and began the filleting process. Today, we cut, fit, and resined the Divinycell foam panels into the frame. Since the companionway sides are sitting fairly high, I figured it was worth the expense of the foam to limit the weight. A 4? x 8? x ?? sheet was about $110. So far, this stuff seems great. Its stiff and very light. I lifted the sheet with my tennis elbow arm like it was a piece of paper. Cutting and trimming it is simple. Resin seems to adhere very well to it. I have not yet put a layer of FG over it as we have to finish a bit more fillet work before it will be ready for that step. The only problem we had was getting it home from FGCI. We didn?t figure it would like being tied to the top of the SUV for the 20 mile highway ride home. And, it wouldn?t fit inside. So, from memory, we made some quick calculations of the sizes of the first few pieces we would need and cut it in the parking lot. I?m sure the pros going in and out of FGCI were laughing to themselves and thinking ?ametuers?.

In the close up below, you can see where I cut out the corners of the bridge deck to accommodate the swinging of the plexiglass doors. Before I close thee up, I will use the opening on the starboard side to repair the week spot in the bridge deck.

I am progressing along with both the companionway and the staircase at the same time, because a soon as the companionway is in, I know I will be wanting to get the stairs in without delay. So, both should come ready at the right time. I guess that?s the project manager in me.

Water Tank Bulkhead ? The bulkhead slid right in perfectly with no further fitting. We PB?d it in place, but never got back to it to do the fillets. On the list.

We had a thunderstorm threaten mid-afternoon, but it slid by us. We finally had to stop about 4:00 PM, getting overwhelmed with the heat and hunger. So we made a quick trip to McDonald?s for some munchies and the biggest size drinks we could get. But as soon as we got back, black clouds in the distance told us to check the radar. Sure enough, we had a good excuse to call it a day.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Great progress - Keep the post comming & more pics please.

LK

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Great progress - Keep the post comming & more pics please.

LK

Thanks LK. I will try to get more pictures. They definitely add to the story.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Saw these pop up today on evilbay & couldn't think of another place to drop them.... They are smaller then what you mentioned you were looking for, twin 200-250's, but I thought they might do the trick, esp if the reserve isn't too high & the feeding frenzy doesn't get out of hand...... Not particularly close to you though....

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Saw these pop up today on evilbay & couldn't think of another place to drop them.... They are smaller then what you mentioned you were looking for, twin 200-250's, but I thought they might do the trick, esp if the reserve isn't too high & the feeding frenzy doesn't get out of hand...... Not particularly close to you though....

Yep, ideally I'm looking for a pair of 200s. I have also thought I could go down to 175's which would be similar power to what was on the boat before (twin 170 HP I/Os), although I'm told that HP in outboards today is not the same as the same HP in yesterday's I/Os.

Anyway, twin 150s may still be an option for initial short term use if the price was right. The minimum power configuration on the boat was 264 HP, so 150s would be OK. What's the most you would pay for these 150s?

Thanks for keeping me in mind.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

I have no idea, the real question would be how much would you pay for them, as a short term, it will work option. I don't know how OB vs I/O hp ratings work, but as '92 150's, I think the general rule is that's a fairly accurate HP#. Unlike my 1961 75hp Evinrude StarFlite for the FireFlite. That 75hp was at the crank, so 10-15% is lost before the output makes it thru the prop, so I'll really 'only' be prop'd @65HP. And if you get a 2nd project boat (admit it, you've considered the consequences of getting another project) it'll need to be substantial, so it takes both of these 150's when you get the 'new' larger motors for the 81 Sea Ray

Else who's going to by 1 counter rotating prop motor:facepalm: if you only need the 1 for the 2nd project.

Here are 2 newer 150 Johnson motors:
1999

1996

$3200-3900, oddly the older motor (maybe because it's not re-manufactured) is the higher priced, but is Buy it Now or Best Offer. So no bidding war, and the other doesn't have a reserve listed I don't think. So I don't know, $4750 for a pair of '92 150's???? But that is a WAG (wild @ss guess.


There are several pairs of over 200hp on as well. These are down your way in Naples, but wow $30K, and I bet it won't be far off if/when they accept a Best Offer.....

But depending on your budget, these 2005 275's might do ya pretty well. Their starting bid is just above the 99 & 96 150's, Reserve?? Buy it Now $10K............

EDIT: ^^^^ the 2005 275's ends in 10hrs

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Man jb, your putting ideas into my head with the 2nd project thing. All right, I have to admit, we gave it some thought this week when one of our salon customers said she had a boat to sell and hoped to get $3000 out of it. She knew nothing about it except that it was a 26' boat. It sounded like it was a center console, so I thought, hmmmm, maybe two outboards. Put the engines on my project and sell the hull. Unfortunately, when talking to her boyfriend later, he wanted $6000 and it was a Baja go-fast, single I/O. But it got us thinking.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Can't work on mine, so I tend to muddy the waters elsewhere I don't know OB's in this size range & this recent a vintage (actually not much known about the relics that are littering my garage either, truth be told) but the 2005 275's are worth a look I figure. @Pompano Beach, close to you?

Sorry if the water was unexpectedly turbid

Have a great week...

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

[h=1]Weekend Update[/h]Not tons to report. Mostly more work in the same areas of the project. Weather was fairly good, so I got some work done between the raindrops we did have.

Saturday, I worked in back of the salon on the staircase. I finished the PB?ing all the inside joints, followed by a rough and scuff grind and acetone. Next was to put down a CSM tab at each joint and gave that about 45 minutes to kick. Then a layers of CSM up the inside of the steps, followed by a layer of 1708 in the same spot. Good and strong now, but will get the same layers outside later on. The inside of the staircase will be storage, so I want it to look fairly finished. I will spray the inside with get coat to help with that.

The staircase is getting heavier now with the FG. Harbor Freight had 4 wheel dollies on sale for $7.99 so I got one, added a few longer boards, and put the staircase on it. Now I will be able to roll it in and out of the salon by myself.

Sunday, I worked at the boat continuing on the companionway. Lots of mixes of PB (with milled fiber instead of chopped strand) to make fillets. These pieces have a lot of edges, so lots of fillets. Port side is ready for FG, but still need more filleting on the starboard side. Also, since I mixed my first PB batch of the day with chopped strand, it wasn?t making nice fillets on the companionway, so I used that batch on the water tank bulkhead.

I did do one other mix for that bulkhead, but a very thin one. The bottom four inches of the bulkhead sits up against an existing structure in the hull (was the floor outside the head). Since the edge of that structure was irregular, I made a mix I could pour into the gap. The pouring method seemed easier than PB and sand, PB and sand, get it flush with no air gaps, etc. Pouring is easier.

Sorry for not posting pictures. I will try to get some during the week and post them.

Today (Monday) I couldn?t work on the boat. It was a big day for Mrs Kick Back, so that occupied the day. Can't say what ?that? was yet but will do a post on it soon.

Don?t you hate it when someone teases coming stories to keep you watching?

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

Can't work on mine, so I tend to muddy the waters elsewhere I don't know OB's in this size range & this recent a vintage (actually not much known about the relics that are littering my garage either, truth be told) but the 2005 275's are worth a look I figure. @Pompano Beach, close to you?

Sorry if the water was unexpectedly turbid

Have a great week...

I had a teacher in high school that repeatedly said "Is that clear as mud? Then it covers the ground". So muddy on...

Actually from our salon, I could be in Pompano Beach in, say, about 5 minutes. Close by. I will definitely check them out. I'm wandering if 275s would be too big. Max offering on the original boat was the two 170 HM I/Os. I would probably have to buy the next bigger size outboard bracket. I'll check with Armstrong on that.

 

[rrumba]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

hey kick back,

Here is a couple of OB for you........

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-HONDA-4-STROKE-EFI-225hp-OUTBOARD-25-V-TEC-BOAT-MOTOR-STANDARD-ROTATION-/380444436433?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item58944167d1#ht_500wt_1185

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: 81 Sea Ray 26 Sedan Bridge I/O to OB Conversion/Restore (Pics)

I've always had a good feeling about Hondas. Icm not sure why. I can't recall hearing either good or bad about them. Do you know how they rate as OBs go?

However, in this case, it was a single engine. I hope to buy a twin set, one counter rotating. But thanks for watching for me.