Complete Restoration of 1982 Galaxy 16' bowrider with Mercruiser and Pre-Alpha

[devildogae]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and new to boating. I recently purchased a very cheep boat ($200) and trailer. The interior was completely gone and the floor was partially cut out. It was full of wet leaves and branches. I was told the engine sat for two years. This is my first boat and I knew I was going to have a project on my hands...but I had no idea what all that entailed.

This thread is going to serve two purposes for me. One to document the restoration of the engine and the boat itself, and a place where I can ask questions, because I am going to have a lot of questions. I have already done some demolition work, and the engine block is at the machine shop. I have not taken a lot of pictures yet, but I will. So that's my introduction, let's just dive right in...

Here are the pics I have thus far. Here is the boat:



The engine was full of milkshake. Two of the cylinders were full of water. Tons of rust and gunk. The block is good, no cracks. Was able to bore past the rust to 0.030 and I will be building it back up with lots of pics, but here is the block as I disassembled it.

 

[devildogae]

I haven't taken images on the inside of the hull yet, but those will come coming very soon.
Now here is an image looking forward. I seems that the middle stringer is rot, so I'm sure that I have to remove the cap. This I am going to need advice on the technique.

and


This pic below is not my boat, but it is from the same make and model. Mine is identical. My question is this, why are there holes in the fiberglass bow?

 

[devildogae]

Also, can anyone help me figure out where I need to support the boat while it's on the trailer to take the cap off and not have the hull flex out and dist ort the shape?

 

[jbcurt00]

On the chance you have questions or problems while working on the engine, the engine forums would be a better spot to document the engine work.

Link your boat rebuild topic in the engine topic and reference the engine build here.

If it was just remove, dress/clean up, then here would probably be fine... W a stripped bare block, it looks like it will be much more involved.....

Good luck w the rebuild. Link your transom topic whem you get to that too. But I'd keep all the boat work posts here, including the transom. Makes it easier to track, follow and help along the way....

 

[devildogae]

What do you guys this, this is the culprit for rotting my front middle stringer as images above indicate?

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I'll come along to help...or at least watch.

Honestly you will more than likely find more than the middle stringer rotten. The loose bow ring could be some of it, but then again may just be the affect as the water soaked foam rotted everything from the hull up. This is pretty much expected out of a boat that is 34 years old. The foam will absorb water over time, and once in, there no where for it to go but the wood.

A bunk trailer will provide some decent support while you decap it. You may want to add some support between the bow and the bunks. You will have to remove the rub rail, then drill the rivets and lift the cap off. The foam in the bow may make it stick a little.

You got a big project ahead of you.....including the engine. Good luck with it.

 

[devildogae]

I'll come along to help...or at least watch.

Honestly you will more than likely find more than the middle stringer rotten. The loose bow ring could be some of it, but then again may just be the affect as the water soaked foam rotted everything from the hull up. This is pretty much expected out of a boat that is 34 years old. The foam will absorb water over time, and once in, there no where for it to go but the wood.

A bunk trailer will provide some decent support while you decap it. You may want to add some support between the bow and the bunks. You will have to remove the rub rail, then drill the rivets and lift the cap off. The foam in the bow may make it stick a little.

You got a big project ahead of you.....including the engine. Good luck with it.

Thanks for the reply. I guess I need to build some more bunks for the bow section then. I have started to pull the rubber rub rail off and found the rivets. There are also snap button screws all around the boat. Right under the rub rail. From the inside, looks like these might be holding the cap on. I will get more pics up next week. And a bead of silicone under the rub rail. I have a feeling I need to build an A frame hoist to get the cap up because the trailer is on a decline. Can't do this in my driveway due to home owners association and neighbors.

Back to the snap button screws, they don't have a means of unscrewing them that I can tell. Possibly the top pops off, I need to get some more pics up.

 

[devildogae]

Also, just use a rivet gun to put the cap back on when it's time to replace the ones I drilled out?

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Yeah, HOA's would be bad for a boat restoration. I can tell you first hand, you'll need a lot of room for stuff you're pulling out of the boat.

 

[devildogae]

So I was able to take off the rub rail and drill out the rivets. It had a ton of those things. So If I wanted nee railing, they sell universal ones? Anyways, the back of the cap was easily lifted up, but the front very very difficult. The foam kept me from getting it separated so I had to get the big dog out. Got my 2.5 ton floor jack out and got that puppy free. I'm not sure what my plan is, but I'm thinking just to build the cap up and work under it. As you can see in the image, this incline is where the magic happens...

 

[devildogae]

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[Baylinerchuck]

Nice work. Make sure you get the tub stabilized so it doesn't deform when you start cutting stringers and rebuilding. Take lots of measurements. You don't want to run into issues when your ready to reinstall the cap.

 

[devildogae]

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New paint sure does make her pretty!

 

[devildogae]

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OK, I finally got the cap and hull completely separated. I waited till the weather was warmer. You can see the yard incline that I'm working with. I have already started the grinding process, I got the transom area done. That's a no joke job right there. Here are a couple fun photos.

 

[Slager]

Nice. I like your gantry. Grinding sure is a pain.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Wow man, most impressive cap lifter I've ever seen. Nice.

 

[devildogae]

Wow man, most impressive cap lifter I've ever seen. Nice.

Thanks, was much easier to build than I was expecting. Been at it grinding again today. I've come into contact with different glass. For example I've been grinding through what looks like CSM on the transom area. I've been trying to get through it all down to pinkish glass. I've seen a lot of delamination in the corners. The sides and bottom seem to have woven matt, real thick layers. But I haven't see this on the transom at all.

So when it's sanded and ready for glass, what should I use to reactivate the resin? I will be using poly laminating resin.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Just use acetone or MEK to clean it before glassing. I like the MEK because it seems to soften it some. Either will work fine.

 

[devildogae]

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I have the hull completely sanded down, the pic is just a partial sanding. I bought some plywood for the transom and some Douglas Fir lumbar for the stringers. Trying to figure out if I should have some sort of drainage system coming from the front. Their wasn't drainage from the original system.

 

[Woodonglass]

Hopefully you'll be foaming the hull If so it's practically impossible to utilize drainage I personally would not worry about it