Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

[Glasply_Rob]

Hey All,

Just wondering if there is anyone out there still that owns, likes and wants to share some pics and info on their Glasply's?
I think they are great boats, especially for the money given the workmanship of their hulls and other details.
I have a 76 21' hardtop that I am doing some remodeling on this winter so it's good and ready for 2007 spring and fishing in Puget Sound.
Here is a small pic of mine in it's slip. "Mean Green Fishing Machine"

Thanks guys and hopefully see some more show up!

 

[jearl]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

I have a 78 2' hardtop. I live in the Tacoma area and will have to get together and share some time out on the sound. I don't have any pics handy but my boat has 700 hrs and was freshwater boat stored inside in cour de alene until i bought. my wife and i love the boat and i have to say she's in pretty awesome shape. onlythe original canvas is showing any wear and we plan on replacing soon, your boat looks pretty sharp. is the interior original or did you reupholster?

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey Jearl,

Sounds good. I moor mine at Tyee in Tacoma in the summer times as its close to fishing areas. I've been known to stop by the Shipwreck watering hole if you know where that is.
My boat is all original but after I took it out this last fall I decided to do some work on it. I doubt highly that I will reupholster it but I am putting down a non-skid deck paint and some rework of the doghouse. Some of the gauges weren't working that great so I also replaced those. All in all it's a good smaller boat, especially for the money compared to others.

See ya.

 

[jearl]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

sounds good. I'm going to pull my engine this winter so I can change the transom plate which is pretty sloppy and lets the boat wander around too much for me. we had been keeping our boat at Ole and Charlies on a trailer and slinging but I pulled it out last month. we haven't had very good luck fishing near comencement bay and i am thinking of keeping out at seiku next season but not sure. anyway we'll have to keep in touch and struggle through some of the trials these old boats can give you. Jim

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey,

Good luck on the transom. My buddy just did his and it left me with nightmares. We easily could dig the wood out with screw driver or any blunt object. Ugly! I have not found any soft spots (knock on wood) on my boat and the stringers seem to be in good shape but then I can't get to them too well. I just know they sound solid when knocked on.
As for fishing we had a great year last summer in the Commencement Bay area. Granted it's no open ocean or Seiku but given the amount of time it takes me to launch and start fishing, I will take it any day. We caught more than a few kings over 32" long and good weights. I run two downriggers at about 55-75 feet on a white / green hootchie. That's it.

<cheers> and Happy New Year!

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hi,

One more question.
My 21' has the Mercury 888 outdrive.

It tilts fine but does not stop automatically at bottom or top. Isn't there a stop switch in there or can I put one in so the drive swings up and stops on it?
You have any experience with these?
Where can I buy them?
Proper name?

Thanks

 

[Mr Smee]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Greetings, Glasply Owners! I looked hard for a Glasply for almost two years here in California, and finally realized I was going to have to raid the Pacific Northwest to find one. I bought mine from a guy in Corvallis, Oregon: it's a 1986 19' Hardtop. I use it on SF Bay and the Sacramento Delta.

Many down here thought I was nuts for going so far to find a boat, but they clearly don't understand the lure of the Glasply, the best boat for the money ever made, IMHO.

Anybody know more about the Glasply brand and models? I don't know what my model is, but it's kind of odd: it has no windows on the front of the cuddy.

Best,
Mr. Smee

 

[Mr Smee]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Oh yeah, I forgot: have you heard of a Glasply gathering in the greater Seattle area? Apparently there's an owner's club that gets together once in awhile. I'd love to know more about that, and would appreciate it if you'd let me know if you hear anything.

Thanks!

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hi,

Glasply's are great boats if you really take a hard inside look at how they were constructed. Generally if kept up they hold together very well. Mine is built like a tank but I wish I could upgrade some of the cosmetics.
If you want to see something funny, check this link out of an old Glasply sales brocure. http://glasplyowners.com/images/1976 Glas-Ply_shrunk.pdf

On the topic of the owners group I know the guy that had set it up but am not sure he's going to do it any longer. He's a nice guy and has some great history in his collection that I someday would love to see.

Do you have any pics of your boat to post? Let's see her!

Take care

Rob

 

[Captain Bob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

8)
Hey, I just found this site and I'm glad to see some other GlasPly owners out there. Mine is a '77 23' with Alaska bulkhead. I bought it last summer up in Birch Bay. It is in excellent shape, the re-power has approx 100 hours on it now. I have a slip @ Sandy Point Marina and I love this boat. I've added some upgrades since purchase:
Radar arch
Raymarine Radar
GPS & Chartplotter
9.9 Suzuki kicker
Scotty electric downriggers
full canvas
Glasply Rob; Is that the boat I saw for sale in Tacoma last yr? Beautiful Boat! I'm mrtrouts on boater ed.
Thanks for the link, that's a find! Saved it in my "boat" file

Hope to meet some of you guys this year.

Perhaps a "GlasPly Rendezvous" ?

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey Captain Bob,

Welcome brother. 23' are nice boat, heck they all are if kept up.

Man you put some money into yours with the radar, gps and electric downriggers not too mention the canvas which can run a lot but sure is nice to have. Is that a 4-stroke kicker you have? Do you like it? I want to upgrade this season as well as upgrade to electric downriggers.
How about pictures? Can you post some of your boat?
By the way, I have an original 76 shop manual (binder) for my boat that covers all the repairs which I plan to scan into Adobe Acrobat and share with anyone who is interested. To me it's like the Glasply bible if you like to tinker. Let me know if your (or anyone else) is interested.

Yep I bought mine from a guy I used to work with and is the "Mean Green Fishing Machine" that was for sale in Tacoma.
Great boat but I have done quite a bit to it already to suit me better.
I ripped up vinyl floor and doghouse vinyl and will paint it this year with a non-skid paint (probably not green though as I have enough of that...probably light gray).
Replaced my kicker mount. I was an old unit with non stainless bolts and it was frozen solid plus there would be no way it could hold a 4-stroke motor which I want to go to this year as well. I have an in hull tank for the kicker but it would be nice to not mix anymore, less noise, electric start, electric trim, speed, etc. You know, more toys.
I replaced all the fuel gauges as they weren't working that well and thank god the senders were ok as I wasn't looking forward to digging those out.
Stained the interior wood to a darker color as the original wood was looking a little bleached. If not for the "glasply green" it would look pretty good.

Good too see more owners showing up but there has to be more.
As for the Glasply Rendezvous I haven't heard anything but I will buzz the founder of that and see what he is thinking.

Later!

Rob

 

[Captain Bob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey Captain Bob,

Welcome brother. 23' are nice boat, heck they all are if kept up.

Man you put some money into yours with the radar, gps and electric downriggers not too mention the canvas which can run a lot but sure is nice to have. Is that a 4-stroke kicker you have? Do you like it? I want to upgrade this season as well as upgrade to electric downriggers.
How about pictures? Can you post some of your boat?
By the way, I have an original 76 shop manual (binder) for my boat that covers all the repairs which I plan to scan into Adobe Acrobat and share with anyone who is interested. To me it's like the Glasply bible if you like to tinker. Let me know if your (or anyone else) is interested.

Yep I bought mine from a guy I used to work with and is the "Mean Green Fishing Machine" that was for sale in Tacoma.
Great boat but I have done quite a bit to it already to suit me better.
I ripped up vinyl floor and doghouse vinyl and will paint it this year with a non-skid paint (probably not green though as I have enough of that...probably light gray).
Replaced my kicker mount. I was an old unit with non stainless bolts and it was frozen solid plus there would be no way it could hold a 4-stroke motor which I want to go to this year as well. I have an in hull tank for the kicker but it would be nice to not mix anymore, less noise, electric start, electric trim, speed, etc. You know, more toys.
I replaced all the fuel gauges as they weren't working that well and thank god the senders were ok as I wasn't looking forward to digging those out.
Stained the interior wood to a darker color as the original wood was looking a little bleached. If not for the "glasply green" it would look pretty good.

Good too see more owners showing up but there has to be more.
As for the Glasply Rendezvous I haven't heard anything but I will buzz the founder of that and see what he is thinking.

Later!

Rob

G'mornin Rob,
Thanks for the welcome. You bought Mean Green the same time I bought mine. I was looking at them online, and this one was just a lot closer to home. I love the color of "Mean Green" she looks to be in excellent shape. Is that an origional color for GlasPly? It's the only one I've ever seen that's not white. I do want to see it up close sometime, love to look at other GlasPly's and what the owners have done with them. This is my first bay boat, so I have a lot to learn.
My Kicker is a '91 Yamaha 4 stroke. It's a little under power for this boat, GlasPly built a heavy boat. I'd like to get a 15 horse, someday. I intend to run it off the main fuel tank, just need to get it plumed.
The Shop Manual! Man that's a find! I definately would like a copy if that's not too much trouble. Would you like some $ to cover your time and effort?
Yes, I did spend a fair amount of money in upgrades this past season. The guys at Boaters World Know me by name lol.
I've got way too much $ tied up in it now so I guess that makes me a "boater" The radar and chart plotter combined with the fish finder... I like it, I like it. It's cool to map the bottom and be able to follow the contours. I hope to catch a fish or two as a result.
I also had a lot of "old fuel" issues to deal with and a lot of debris in the fuel tank. The previous owner hadn't used it for over a year. I believe I have that resolved now. He did put about $6,000 into the engine and outdrive. It has less than 100 hours on it. It's a Ford 351 winsor (sp) with an old OMC 235 OD, so I'll have to replace that some day. It has plenty of power for me. The previous owner also painted the interior white and gelcoated the deck white as well when they replaced the fuel tank. It has the "Alaska Bulkhead" and I "think" I like that better than canvas, not sure though, both have their advantages.
I'll post some pic's as soon as I can get them hosted.

Bob

 

[Captain Bob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

oops!

 

[Captain Bob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

At the Marina

Skagit Bay, Hope Island

Can't wait for summer!

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey Captain Bob,

Great looking boat! I wish I had those windows and Alaskan head. If you take off my side canvas I could literally fall out to my right as it doesn't really have a wall there. I guess if I really wanted to remodel I could fix it but I don't think it's worth it when you look at the list of things I should do. Love the radar and mast, looks great and I'm sure that comes in really handy if in bad weather.

Have you checked out your stringers at all? Unless you cut into the floor I don't think there is a good way to check other than the ball ping hammer test looking for dead spots. I haven't found anything soft but I hear if there is something to go thats it. I recently did some work in the transom area and didn't find anything wet or rotting so I think I'm in good shape.
If you have checked yours out let me know what you found.

Thanks and keep in touch.

Rob

 

[Mr Smee]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hi guys,

Great looking boat, Capt. Bob. I'll try to get some pix up soon: mine's living under a tarp right now.

I love the radar arch. Did you have to have that custom made, or did you find one on the market that fit? It's arguable that I don't need radar, but -- hey!

I have now heard that there will be a Glas-ply Rendezvous the weekend of August 3-5, 2007, at Lopez Island in the San Juans. Got this news from bryan@glashawk.com.

 

[Captain Bob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Thanks for the compliments guys, She photographs well...
Rob,
No I have not checked the stringers, I need to do that. The transom is in good shape though. I remember when I opened up the compartments under the berth, I could smell the fiberglass, it smelled new. I was blown away, to still smell after almost 30 years of cure. Don't think she has been used that much. It has not been moored for any length of time, so I don't suspect any rot in the stringers. Is that a good assumption? I do need to re-upholster, but that's gonna have to wait a year or two.
Smee,
The Radar is nice, I have a real fear of fog, but I was mainly after the GPS/Chartplotter. I found the radar arch at Pacific Marine in Bellingham, wa. They're a "recycler" of used nautical goodies. This arch was sitting out back, it fit perfectly. I gaged at the price at first, then saw what new ones go for, and I bought it! for a mere $900 :'( It folds down toward the stern. All I had to do was fabricate the rear mounts (I have been a stainless fabricator in the past). Need to wire the 360 light and move the antennas up there.
Marking the calendar for the August Rendezvous at Lopez!
Can't wait to get back on the watter!
Bob

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hey Bob,

I think that's a good assumption. If we were talking some other boats and hulls I probably would say that but from what I have seen of Glasply's they did a great job in the construction. I would just get a small hammer and lightly tap on areas of the transom looking for "thuds" or dead spots indicating that the wood may be rotting. Do the same for the stringers but I wouldn't cut into anything to look at them.
My floor is all sealed with a few exceptions for drainage. I do not detect and sagging, soft spots, etc on the floor anywhere so I am not going to start cutting into it just to check. I would probably make it worse.
Another thing that I would check is all the holes or patched holes in transom. Mine had some that looked pretty good but showed some signs of loosening up. I fixed with 3M 5200 or epoxy and I think I am good to good for a long time.

I put the rendezvous on my calendar as well and look forward to it but not sure I would go the whole time as I really dont wan t to sleep on the Mean Green. She's a great boat but not really a cabin cruiser.

As for the shop manual, I will try to start scanning in the pages to Adobe Acrobat and then post it up somewhere for all of you to download if interested. To me it simply the best resource and valued treasure I have on the boat.

Look forward to seeing you guys in the future and sharing stories and probably a few suds.

<cheers>
Rob

 

[Glasply_Rob]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Yo Guys,

Hey, not trying to steal any iboats thunder here what so ever, but there is Glasply owners site out there now with some pretty good info on these great old boats. You can see it here: glasplyowners.com No direct linking, referral only. Thanks......SBN
They have a couple of pretty cool downloads such as an original sales brochure and a really old merc repair manual.
Thx

 

[SeaSarah]

Re: Any or how many Glasply owners out there?

Hi Everyone

I'm Steven,

I own a 1975 21 express. As featured in the November 2004 issue of Pacific Yachting magazine.

When I bought it I didn't know anything about Glasply or even boats for that matter. I thought give it a wash and go. It was a mess but the hull was in great shape so I rebuilt it.


Here are some photos