How to restore this 1961 hull?

[wjhuskey]

Hello everyone. I have a 14 ft 1961 Crestliner Mustang fiberglass runabout. It was my father's and it has been stored in a barn most of it's life so it's in good original shape for its age. However, the boat is over 60 years old and the hull is covered in very tiny stress cracks. It needs freshened up and reinforced. I was told by a local fiberglass shop a few years ago to get it belly up and use a roller to apply the product. Problem is, I don't remember what product they mentioned nor the prep instructions. Anyone here have ideas/advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[Scott Danforth]

everything you need is in this sticky.

links 14, 15, 13, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b will be the most pertinent

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

Stress on a boat that old is normal. Gel is basically plastic, and all the flexing, sun, and age will do that.

They're likely talking about an anti foul or epxoy bottom coat. Prep would be to sand well with 80 grit, clean and mask, and roll on according to directions on the can.

 

[wjhuskey]

Stress on a boat that old is normal. Gel is basically plastic, and all the flexing, sun, and age will do that.

They're likely talking about an anti foul or epxoy bottom coat. Prep would be to sand well with 80 grit, clean and mask, and roll on according to directions on the can.

Ok thanks!

 

[Chris1956]

I had a Crestliner of about that age, years ago. The hull was cored with Balsa wood. It was mush in the 70's. If your hull is cored, you need to make sure it is still stiff and useable.

 

[airshot]

Very cool old boat, they were popular in my youth, brings back lots of memories. Would be very cool to see her up and running again, but for the safety of your family, fix it the right way or not at all. Don't gamble on safety!

 

[wjhuskey]

I had a Crestliner of about that age, years ago. The hull was cored with Balsa wood. It was mush in the 70's. If your hull is cored, you need to make sure it is still stiff and useable.

Yes mine had balsa wood in it too and it was rotted... the fiberglass shop put in marine plywood when they replaced the floor.

They had recommended putting a fresh coat on the exterior of the hull to strengthen it so that's why I made this post...so that's my next project (a layer of epoxy I believe, as Mike mentioned) I've already got more money into the boat than it's even worth and still need to get the motor tuned up so hoping to save some money by applying the epoxy myself.

I agree airshot! It will be a one of a kind on the water and brings back memories for me too

 

[jimmbo]

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

Yes mine had balsa wood in it too and it was rotted... the fiberglass shop put in marine plywood when they replaced the floor.

Did they also do transom and stringers?

They had recommended putting a fresh coat on the exterior of the hull to strengthen it so that's why I made this post...so that's my next project (a layer of epoxy I believe, as Mike mentioned)

It doesn't really add any strength. It's main purpose is to seal the bottom. Gel is porous, and water can penetrate it over time. The epoxy is a better water barrier.

I've already got more money into the boat than it's even worth and still need to get the motor tuned up so hoping to save some money by applying the epoxy myself.

It's not too difficult, but you'll need unobstructed access to the bottom of the boat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

easiest un-obstructed access to the bottom of such a light boat is to use the two transom eyes and the bow eye and hang the boat from the rafters of the garage.

 

[racerone]

Well ---If it was built with balsa core and now has all these cracks.----The balsa core may be rotten and the hull may fail when hitting a wave.-----Careful if you decide to use it in this condition.-----I would do some cutting and inspection of balsa core.----Then decide if it is destined for landfill.

 

[wjhuskey]

Did they also do transom and stringers?


It doesn't really add any strength. It's main purpose is to seal the bottom. Gel is porous, and water can penetrate it over time. The epoxy is a better water barrier.


It's not too difficult, but you'll need unobstructed access to the bottom of the boat.

I'm not sure about stringers but pretty sure they didn't touch transom but they inspected it and then replaced the floor and then recommended the roll-on coat on the outside. So epoxy doesn't strengthen the hull? That's why they were recommending it (whatever "it" was). I wish they hadn't gone out of business and I would call them. This has been 7-8 years ago since they done the floor.

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

Nothing you do to the outside will make the hull any stronger. What yhe epoxy is doing is sealing it from water intrusion. The epoxy, I think, is harder than the gel, and won't scratch quite as easily. Maybe that's what you're remembering.

You might also have heard that epoxy resin is stronger than the polyester that was originally used. While true, it wouldn't make much difference unless you were building a new boat with it.

So it's still a good investment for the bottom.

 

[Chris1956]

When I had my '62 Crestliner with its rotten coring, the bow would make a small left or right turn, when hitting a wave. I replaced about 1/3 of the stern hull coring with a piece of 3/4 plywood and a gallon of poly resin. Now the stern was solid. The bow still deflected with every wave.

 

[cyclops222]

Are some of you saying that small strips of BALSA wood creates hull strength ? I find that hard to believe. Used to create hull stringer shapes ? Why not use cheaper real local wood strips to form the stringer shapes ?

 

[racerone]

I have used 1-1/2 plastic pipe cut in half.-----Used to make ribs / stringers.-----The fiberglass is laid over the pipe to give it the shape / strength..----No different than the balsa wood.

 

[Chris1956]

The balsa coring in my Crestliner was 1X2 strips laid on the bottom of the hull fiberglass "skin", giving it fore-aft strength, and some side-to-side strength as well. The coring forms the entire bottom of the hull, from the vee shape to gunwales. The boat had no deck. The vee shape was on the inside as well. There was some floatation in the bow, and an air chamber near the transom.

Balsa is real light and pretty strong, but rots real well if it gets wet. An inner skin is meant to keep the balsa dry, but if anything penetrates either skin, and the balsa gets wet, if fails.

 

[Chris1956]

To be accurate, the balsa coring in my '62 Crestliner went from chine to chine, not to the gunwales. The sides were solid 3/16" or less fiberglass. The original owner rolled it over to paint the bottom, and the hull deformed side to side, which was unusual. It was fixed with some FG cloth.

If you like the boat where the economics don't matter, rip out the inner skin, engineer some stringers to support the hull, foam it up, install a plywood deck and fiberglass the deck.

I would also, find a place to install some foam floatation. The air chamber on my Crestliner cracked and leaked. It would not have floated anything.

Just saying.

 

[Scott Danforth]

my first hydrostream was a balsa core......that was rotten