chuckndiscs
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2008
- Messages
- 383
Ok...so I have a serious case of the boat bug! 
I cant stop looking at boats, trying to upgrade / etc. I currently own a 1969 Larson Volero 177 fiberglass with a 1969 100HP Mercury on it. The motor is fantastic and runs without issue but the boat has 1 soft spot in the floor (size of a baseball) and the same in the transom. I gouged out all the rotten wood in the transom and replaced packed in best I could Marine tex to make it last / hold for a couple more years (hope this actually works..was worth a try). The transom rot is luckily not right where the motor sits BUT its still transome rot. So Im a little worried that I dont know just how much rot I got going on and I dont want to end up with a bum boat next year or any year. Im guessing there is some issues unknown with stringer probably getting soft, etc.
Anyways...so not having much money (I inherited current boat so to say) I have been watching for a cheap aluminum hull boat to purchase and move my motor over too. Again, the motor is in great shape and still runs really well. I found this add and I have been doing some research / thinking about making it work for me:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/boa/1803455000.html
NOTES FROM ADD:
* Floor has soft spots
* No Seats
My questions on Crestliners and aluminum hulls (this one specifically) are:
1. Do they all have aluminum stringers?
* If so then I can replace the floor easy enough this winter
2. Do they have wooden transoms?
* Then I will need to do some serious looking at the transom as I dont want to go down that path again
3. Rivets leak...I know but you can patch them easy enough, right? Should I ask to fill the bottom of the inside of the boat with water and look for leaks or is that too much?
Im not against doing some work to get this boat to a decent condition but want it to be worth it. Thinking I would paint the old color trim, replace the floor, buy some new seats, and repair the bow seats. Then move my motor over (Not sure if its easy enough to swap motors if I bring the controls with...not sure if steering needs to be brought with as well or not). Thinking then I would have an aluminum hull that would last me longer than my current motor...
Thoughts, comments, other things I didnt think of, worthyness of undertaking this (other than I like to put the time in so that wouldnt be an issue but more along the lines of boat should last if I put in time on floor and paint and transom)?
Thanks!
Chuck-n-Discs
I cant stop looking at boats, trying to upgrade / etc. I currently own a 1969 Larson Volero 177 fiberglass with a 1969 100HP Mercury on it. The motor is fantastic and runs without issue but the boat has 1 soft spot in the floor (size of a baseball) and the same in the transom. I gouged out all the rotten wood in the transom and replaced packed in best I could Marine tex to make it last / hold for a couple more years (hope this actually works..was worth a try). The transom rot is luckily not right where the motor sits BUT its still transome rot. So Im a little worried that I dont know just how much rot I got going on and I dont want to end up with a bum boat next year or any year. Im guessing there is some issues unknown with stringer probably getting soft, etc.Anyways...so not having much money (I inherited current boat so to say) I have been watching for a cheap aluminum hull boat to purchase and move my motor over too. Again, the motor is in great shape and still runs really well. I found this add and I have been doing some research / thinking about making it work for me:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/boa/1803455000.html
NOTES FROM ADD:
* Floor has soft spots
* No Seats
My questions on Crestliners and aluminum hulls (this one specifically) are:
1. Do they all have aluminum stringers?
* If so then I can replace the floor easy enough this winter
2. Do they have wooden transoms?
* Then I will need to do some serious looking at the transom as I dont want to go down that path again
3. Rivets leak...I know but you can patch them easy enough, right? Should I ask to fill the bottom of the inside of the boat with water and look for leaks or is that too much?
Im not against doing some work to get this boat to a decent condition but want it to be worth it. Thinking I would paint the old color trim, replace the floor, buy some new seats, and repair the bow seats. Then move my motor over (Not sure if its easy enough to swap motors if I bring the controls with...not sure if steering needs to be brought with as well or not). Thinking then I would have an aluminum hull that would last me longer than my current motor...
Thoughts, comments, other things I didnt think of, worthyness of undertaking this (other than I like to put the time in so that wouldnt be an issue but more along the lines of boat should last if I put in time on floor and paint and transom)?
Thanks!
Chuck-n-Discs