Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

I can see the pics now .. Its a looker for sure and considerably nice for its age.

However .. you still have the Rot issue on the deck which IMO is going to require to uncap the boat.

After the uncapping your 50/50 on the stringers ( partial or full replacement ) and 50/50 on the transom.

If your deck/ski locker has that much rot it suggests to me that some PO forgot to take the drain plug out..or didnt unplug the drain. Standing water for an extensive amount of time ?. Too many variables for the reason Why the wood is now shot but the vinyl and carpet looks very nice.

You should really consider an out of water survey. I dont like the idea that a Glass Shop giving out prices over the phone with prices that range in 2500-6500 .. They should know ( If you took your boat into my shop for an estimate I WILL tell you what you Need and what is required for the repair. I can 90% guarantee your going to pay the 6000+ ..

Self surveys normally turn out under diagnosed.

Keep us informed

YD.

Can I drill into the transom to check it? It would be nice to know now if it's going to need replaced. Also, after seeing the pictures, do you still think it's not safe to use a few times this Summer? We really would like to take the kids out on it but only if it's safe.

An out of water survey would be nice but I'm not sure where to take it. We don't have anywhere in our city. The closest boat place is over an hour away and that place is the one who did the partial floor replacement for the previous owners. I don't think they did good work and I don't trust them for other reasons also. There are a couple small places at least an hour away but I'm not familiar with them.

I've been dying to look in the rear corner under the carpet where the soft spot is so tonight I did. I pulled up the carpet and the cracked fiberglass (or whatever it is on top of the wood). Some of the wood was dry but still falling apart but as I got to the rear corner, the wood was still wet. I was surprised to find that the majority of foam I found was dry. The foam in the very corner felt a little damp but not soaked by any means. I will try to get pics tomorrow. It got too late and dark tonight and the skeeters were about to carry me away!

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[boatnut74]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

You can drill into the transom to check for rot. Take a small drill bit (1/8 or 3/16) and drill into the wood. It should be about an inch and a half thick, be careful not to drill all the way through. You want to see dry, light tan shavings. If they are dark and wet, the transom will need replaced. I would drill a few towards the bottom, close to the drain tube, and also some around the drive. If everything is good, fill the holes with 3M 5200 sealant. Be sure to drill the holes from the inside of the boat . I'm sure you knew this but just wanted to be clear. Good luck!!

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

You can drill into the transom to check for rot. Take a small drill bit (1/8 or 3/16) and drill into the wood. It should be about an inch and a half thick, be careful not to drill all the way through. You want to see dry, light tan shavings. If they are dark and wet, the transom will need replaced. I would drill a few towards the bottom, close to the drain tube, and also some around the drive. If everything is good, fill the holes with 3M 5200 sealant. Be sure to drill the holes from the inside of the boat . I'm sure you knew this but just wanted to be clear. Good luck!!

Thanks boatnut. I hope I can get my drill in there. I'm going to wait until I get the 3m before doing it though so I can fill them right back up...and I'll be sure to drill from the inside.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Can I drill into the transom to check it? It would be nice to know now if it's going to need replaced. Also, after seeing the pictures, do you still think it's not safe to use a few times this Summer? We really would like to take the kids out on it but only if it's safe.

Hello Faithful ..

Yes you can drill in the trans without worry with a 1/4" bit about 3/4" depth ( you can mark that on your drill bit with some tape ).

Yes .. at this point I think your safe to take the kids out this season and start doing the repairs in the off season.

Sorry about the " Im sure your going to spend the 6k" .. IT was intended to Advise you that if you took it someplace that could not tell you the extent of the damage and was quoting about 2-3G IF the Cap didnt come off. That is what I was suggesting. You will more then likely be told that the uncap full stringer/trans needs to be done. Be Very aware of Who does the repairs.

If your Pics and tells and discriptions are on the up and up ( nothing personal here ) .. then Yes your ok to power your boat. I have seen a whole lot worse that this when the owner Forced discovered a problem ..

Good luck..

YD.

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Hello Faithful ..

Yes you can drill in the trans without worry with a 1/4" bit about 3/4" depth ( you can mark that on your drill bit with some tape ).

Yes .. at this point I think your safe to take the kids out this season and start doing the repairs in the off season.

Sorry about the " Im sure your going to spend the 6k" .. IT was intended to Advise you that if you took it someplace that could not tell you the extent of the damage and was quoting about 2-3G IF the Cap didnt come off. That is what I was suggesting. You will more then likely be told that the uncap full stringer/trans needs to be done. Be Very aware of Who does the repairs.

If your Pics and tells and discriptions are on the up and up ( nothing personal here ) .. then Yes your ok to power your boat. I have seen a whole lot worse that this when the owner Forced discovered a problem ..

Good luck..

YD.

No need to apologize. I understood what you were saying. I know we will be better off to fix it ourselves. It will cost much less and we will know it's done right and everyone will be safe.

In your comment about pics and descriptions being on the "up and up", I'm assuming you were referring to them being accurate. Am I correct? What might have missed or left out that might change your mind about the safety of the boat? Any other things I need to check or look for that you can think of?

Here are the pics I took of the corner I kind of tore up yesterday. Sorry I didn't get the wood cleaned up first...it was rainy today so I just lifted up the cover long enough to get the pictures.

Foam is dry except for in the very corner where wood was still wet...just a little damp there.

I've tried to search for what to use to seal under the rub rail but couldn't come to a conclusion. Seems to be some debate as to whether or not to use silicone. It will just be a temporary thing to keep water out till we get to working on it this Fall. What would you recommend?

Thanks again

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

In your comment about pics and descriptions being on the "up and up", I'm assuming you were referring to them being accurate. Am I correct? What might have missed or left out that might change your mind about the safety of the boat? Any other things I need to check or look for that you can think of?

Here are the pics I took of the corner I kind of tore up yesterday.

Precisely what I was talking about.

We all knew your deck was probably gone .. ( new pics uploaded verifies in one spot that it is ).

Your Main concern is the Stringers and the Transom .. You really need to inspect them to see how far they are gone.

Of course the Trans and stringers are probably shot ... but how shot is the question.

You see.. glass guys are like lawyers .. we really need to know everything. Its real hard to suggest one thing then more information comes out and then we need to change the approach.

I have Flipped Flopped in this thread a few times already .. ( given suggestions of full survey to full resto to Its ok for now ).

You really need to find the extent of the damage ( look at stringers especially at the Motor mounts and the transom ) for any info you can relay to us .. as many pics with info will really help. Or your going to get a Safe " full blown resto is in order ".

Keep posting ..

YD.

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple weeks. We took the boat out a couple weekends ago and the boys had a blast. The motor ran great until the very end .....it sounded like it was reving up and down without moving the throttle ( sorry if I'm not using the proper terminology here) but since we were done anyway, we just took it to the dock. It was very hot that day and we had run it pretty constant for 2 or 3 hours. Maybe some vapor locking? Anyway, found a couple things out while we had it out and after. We noticed that water was really coming in and pooling along the sides pretty bad...especially with sharp turns. I had filled the 8 or more inches of missing caulk the day before we took it out but had suspected that all the caulk really needed to be replaced since seeing water come down the carpet on the sides after the first time we took it out. I told my husband to turn sharp and I put my hand up the side where the cap meets the hull and water poured over my hand. No question then as to why there was water pooling on the deck along the sides. When we brought the boat back in and I was cleaning it all up, I noticed that the hour meter read the same as the day we bought the boat...imaging that. The wires from the meter look like they were all hooked up to other wires so I'm not sure what's wrong....unfortunately, now, I do know that there are more than the 320 hours on it. Just made me even more mad at the whole situation.

I ordered two books....The fiberglass boat repair manual, and Runabout Renovation. I've seen these two recommended on iboats. Can someone tell me if these have will have enough information about how to fiberglass or is there another good book for that. Thought I might as well be reading up until it cools down enough to start on the boat. It's been close to 100 and above for more than the last 2 weeks with no break in site. Add our wonderful Nebraska humidity to that and... Yuck! I'm so not a heat person!!!

Just a quick question before I end this post....be honest with me here guys.....is this project something a female can handle? I will have my husbands help if I need it but I will be the one doing most of the work. I'm pretty handy....I've put up ceiling fans, replaced dryer heating elements, put in laminate flooring and fixed several things in our camper including putting in a new converter, fridge circuit board and fixed part of the roof that was leaking and rotten and put in two new roof vents among several other things. I'm not trying to brag here....just want to know if you think I can do this. I know none of this is comparable to stuff like fiberglassing and boat restoration, but I'm willing to learn and I love to take things apart and fix them....there is just a satisfaction you get from doing things yourself.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Absolutely YOU CAN DO THIS !!! You sold me with your resume... If you have the desire to do it, then consider it done. I wouldn't have attempted my restoration without all of the knowledge and help here on i-boats. You're in the right spot, and with everything you have done, I'm sure you've amassed enough knowledge to tackle this project. Your willingness to learn is the key. In the end you will have a "Better than New" boat and the pride of knowing it's done right. If you are diligent in documenting your restoration, then the forum thread itself, due to the documentation will assist in selling the boat down the road should you ever choose to do so. I Say GO FOR IT...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Indeed. It's not complicated work, just messy and a little tedious. You can definitely do it. Take lots of pictures when you take everything apart. If you aren't comfortable pulling the engine and drive, you may want to considering hiring a mechanic to do that for you and reinstall it when you're done with the boat. A friend of mine went that route and it worked great. I think the mechanic even stored the motor for him.

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Absolutely YOU CAN DO THIS !!! You sold me with your resume... If you have the desire to do it, then consider it done. I wouldn't have attempted my restoration without all of the knowledge and help here on i-boats. You're in the right spot, and with everything you have done, I'm sure you've amassed enough knowledge to tackle this project. Your willingness to learn is the key. In the end you will have a "Better than New" boat and the pride of knowing it's done right. If you are diligent in documenting your restoration, then the forum thread itself, due to the documentation will assist in selling the boat down the road should you ever choose to do so. I Say GO FOR IT...

Thanks ingalp! I will definitely be taking lots of pictures and posting them. I'm sure I'm going to need lots of help from all you guys. Just hope you don't get tired of all my questions.....remember...us women need more detail. At least I do.....give me detailed instructions and I can usually "git er done". (gotta love Larry!)

Glad you think I can do this....I needed some good news. The day before we took the boat out, our air conditioner broke and a new capacitor had to be put on the next day before we could leave for the lake. Then we got to the lake and when I opened the camper fridge door I about got knocked out with ammonia smell. Yup....camper fridge cooling unit (I think) went out. Those are expensive boogers! A little good luck though...my neighbor thinks that his parents are going to part out their camper and if so, we could get their fridge for about $100.

Anyway, thanks again for the vote of confidence. Have yourself a great rest of the week!

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Indeed. It's not complicated work, just messy and a little tedious. You can definitely do it. Take lots of pictures when you take everything apart. If you aren't comfortable pulling the engine and drive, you may want to considering hiring a mechanic to do that for you and reinstall it when you're done with the boat. A friend of mine went that route and it worked great. I think the mechanic even stored the motor for him.

Thanks ezmobee! It's hard to start a BIG project like this not knowing if you will be able to finish it. You guys make me think I can. I will be taking lots of pictures. I've done that with other projects so I know how everything goes back together. Anything specifically that it's important I take pictures of? As far as pulling the engine, that isn't something I would attempt by myself (sounds like fun though!) My husband would be the one doing that. He does have a good mechanic he takes our vehicles to so I might have to run that suggestion by him. Maybe he'd just rather have him do it. If the transom isn't bad, would the engine need pulled? I'm hoping that's the case but I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks again!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

I know a Lady here in Oklahoma that built a 14 foot Wood Runabout from SCRATCH using Plans from Glen-L Boats. I'm sure with all the help here you can restore your boat. It sounds to me like you are VERY HANDY. Here's some drawings that will VISUALLY help you understand some things.



(Click the Pics to Enlarge)


Decks




Transoms



Stringers




Filleting

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

If the transom isn't bad, would the engine need pulled? I'm hoping that's the case but I'm not holding my breath.

I'd operate on the assumption that your transom, or at the very least the motor mounts, are bad. You'll be pullin' it.

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

Woodonglass...thanks for the pictures! It really helps to SEE how things are supposed to be done. I think I might have saved some other ones you posted for Parisw too.

Building a boat from scratch....COOL! Now that would take some determination. I can't imagine the amount of pride and satisfaction she got from doing it too.

So you are from OK? Hope you won't hold it against me if I'm a Husker fan.

Thanks again for all your help. It's greatly appreciated.

 

[faithful]

Re: Just found out our first boat has rot...how bad is this?

I'd operate on the assumption that your transom, or at the very least the motor mounts, are bad. You'll be pullin' it.

Wouldn't you know, my husband just sold his engine hoist a couple months ago at our garage sale. He is going to talk to his mechanic about taking it out for us and seeing what he would charge and if he has a place to keep it for us too. We may still end up just doing it ourselves. We'll have to see. At least he's okay with the idea of having to pull it. I think he is also going to take part of our wood fence down and put in a big gate so we can back it into the side yard to work on it. We have an odd shaped yard. No back yard. Most of our yard is on the other side and front of the house. We have a small yard on the other side of the house and that is fenced in so it would be nice to have a little privacy while working on it. It would also be handy to park it there in the Winter instead of in my dad's quonset. Too many mice out there.