A few restoration/prepping questions.

[Burks]

I'm to the point that I don't want to risk taking my 1977 Monark McFast 5 out without repairing the transom. I do have a few questions:

1. What is the best way to lift a boat off the trailer? My garage isn't long enough for the trailer (it's too short by 6"....stupid old garage).

2. Do most people build a wood structure similar to the way the trailer is to hold the boat?

3. I've read a few rebuild threads but I'm sort of foggy on one area. How do you reattach the cap once removed? Can you buy new bumper strips?

My plans are to simply redo the transom for now with SeaCast (and wood if it has wood), and do the rest of the boat this winter if needed. As far as I know, the boat has fiberglass stringers, which seems to be a positive. The transom is weak from age and too large of a motor (115hp).

I'd feel comfortable taking the boat out if I did NOT have to use the gas motor, but Clear Fork is too big to use the trolling motor the entire way. It flexes but not to the point I think it would break (I'm 200lbs and jumped on the motor tilted all the way up, got 0.75" of flex there). Then again the speed limit is only 8mph, can't be any more force than me jumping on it. *shrugs*

I'll document this rebuild so you can give constructive critisism and advice. Hope to receive sound advice while I do this. May need some basic step by step instructions at certain points. Deconstruction is the easy part, it's putting everything back together that sucks (just like building a race engine...).

Thanks all.

 

[Burks]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

I'm to the point that I don't want to risk taking my 1977 Monark McFast 5 out without repairing the transom. I do have a few questions:

1. What is the best way to lift a boat off the trailer? My garage isn't long enough for the trailer (it's too short by 6"....stupid old garage).

2. Do most people build a wood structure similar to the way the trailer is to hold the boat?

3. I've read a few rebuild threads but I'm sort of foggy on one area. How do you reattach the cap once removed? Can you buy new bumper strips?

My plans are to simply redo the transom for now with SeaCast (and wood if it has wood), and do the rest of the boat this winter if needed. As far as I know, the boat has fiberglass stringers, which seems to be a positive. The transom is weak from age and too large of a motor (115hp).

I'd feel comfortable taking the boat out if I did NOT have to use the gas motor, but Clear Fork is too big to use the trolling motor the entire way. It flexes but not to the point I think it would break (I'm 200lbs and jumped on the motor tilted all the way up, got 0.75" of flex there). Then again the speed limit is only 8mph, can't be any more force than me jumping on it. *shrugs*

I'll document this rebuild so you can give constructive critisism and advice. Hope to receive sound advice while I do this. May need some basic step by step instructions at certain points. Deconstruction is the easy part, it's putting everything back together that sucks (just like building a race engine...).

Thanks all.

Bump. especially need an answer to #1.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

If you end up replacing the stringer system you will need to support the hull better than on a trailer because the hull can flex and get out of shape when the rotton stringers are removed. At a minimum you will need a support shaped like the bottom in at least three places, more is better. Called a cradle. While the trailer is securly attached to the tow vehicle pull the boat back a couple of feet. You can jack up the boat at the transom and midway or closer to the bow and move the trailer ahead in stages, then re-support the boat and move the trailer ahead. Might take several times at this. If it's just the trailer tongue sticking out of the garage consider cutting off the tougue and having it either welded back on or making it into a folding tongue type so you can always put the boat into the garage if you want to. I have a friend with a fourwinns that has a folding tongue and it works great. Another way is to make a slip fit tongue. Like your truck trailer hitch. A good welding shop can install a tube that your tongue slides over. Held in place with 2 - 5/8" grade 8 bolts when using it.

 

[Burks]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

If you end up replacing the stringer system you will need to support the hull better than on a trailer because the hull can flex and get out of shape when the rotton stringers are removed. At a minimum you will need a support shaped like the bottom in at least three places, more is better. Called a cradle. While the trailer is securly attached to the tow vehicle pull the boat back a couple of feet. You can jack up the boat at the transom and midway or closer to the bow and move the trailer ahead in stages, then re-support the boat and move the trailer ahead. Might take several times at this. If it's just the trailer tongue sticking out of the garage consider cutting off the tougue and having it either welded back on or making it into a folding tongue type so you can always put the boat into the garage if you want to. I have a friend with a fourwinns that has a folding tongue and it works great. Another way is to make a slip fit tongue. Like your truck trailer hitch. A good welding shop can install a tube that your tongue slides over. Held in place with 2 - 5/8" grade 8 bolts when using it.

Thank you sir!

I get what you're saying about moving the boat on to a cradle. I'll pull the engine off first so that saves me a good 12" worth of room or more. Having a tiny garage (barely wide/long enough for a sport compact) sucks, but it's what I have to work with. I really want to get this project done.

If the stringers are toast, I'll just have to kiss this fishing season good bye. If they are acceptable until the end of the season/winter, I'll be extremely happy.

Now taking the cap off. Would you recommend something like an engine hoist? Secure the cap in multiple places with braces to keep it from flexing, then take it off? I don't think the beams could support the additional weight (nor do I want to test it!). Wish there was an easier way to do the transom but I don't think there is....

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

Get some pictures. You might be able to cut the cap on either side back by the transom and either repair it when your done or use some creative molding ideas to hide the cut spots. Figure this out before you cut it. Choose a place with a minium of angles and dangles, nice and straight is easiest to repair. I cut mine under where I mounted my downrigger supports. Can't see where I glassed it back together when I was done. Thats if you only need the cap off to get to the transom and can repair everything else with it still on. If you have to remove the whole cap you can double your rafters with 2 X 4 or 6's and place a couple of doubled 2 X 4's as posts on either side of the boat to support them. Yes, remove the engine first, need it off to work on transom anyway. Engine hoist good for this, although my engine hoist has plenty of capacity I don't how I could use just one to lift off the cap in one piece.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

I think that once you get the boat cradled and the cap removed you'll decide to do everything that needs to be done, cradling and uncapping is a lot of work to do twice.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

It would REALLY help to see some pics. A Free Photbucket account makes it easy to post your pics. Just copy and paste the IMG code when you hover over the pic.

 

[NathanL]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

If you are only 6" short can you cut off the tongue on the trailer and replace it with a folding tongue? That's what I would do. If you are doing transom work and possibly stringer work I like to leave the boat on the trailer. If you can't do something with the tongue I would take the motor off and put it on a stand to get the room.

 

[Burks]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

Good ideas guys. The motor will have to come off anyways to remove the cap and dig out the transom. If I have to cut the tongue off, no big deal. I'd like to make it changeable anyways.

One last question.....for now.....when pouring the new transom I can just use brass tubes for the lines and such to create voids and then just keep the tubes there without removing them? Fairly certain I understood that correctly when I was reading stuff.

I'll take some detailed photos of the transom area today after work. Maybe even a video of the transom flex for the heck of it.

Now to figure out how to remove the cap!

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: A few restoration/prepping questions.

until you post pics its hard to give good advise on what you can do. i added 2 extra sets of bunks to my trailer so i could keep the boat on the trailer while working on the stringers and transom. you will need to add a jack with a wheel at the front of the trailer so you can take the boat in and out of the garage while working on it (this will make clean up easier after any grinding and allow the use of more tools and stuff). the transom maybe accessed by cutting the top of the transom and using a chain saw or if its real bad you might be able to get most out with a pressure washer (thats not a good thing to do im a small area).