New to this site, 1958 Glasspar?

[Jim L.]

Hello All,<br />I'm new to this site and have questions about a boat I just got.It is a 1958 glasspar Avalon in what seems to be very good shape for it's age. My son and I can walk around in the boat and the floor does not seem to sag or feel soft in any places. I haven't had it in the water yet because the padding under the seats was rotten and we wanted to fix the seats first.This is my question, is there any way I can check the underfloor structure,wood and such to make sure there is no rotten places before I take my family out on the lake.I've seen many postings & pics of many boats much newer than my 1958 with the transoms and floors removed because of rotten wood and fiberglass. I'm new to boating and just want to concentrate on getting experience launching, piloting and tralering and not wonder if this boat is safe!I love this boat and plan on completly restoring it, but want to get it in the water a few times before winter hits here in Ohio.Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jim L.

 

[Evinrude Boater]

Re: New to this site, 1958 Glasspar?

To be sure you can cut an inspection hole in the floor, have a look and then seal it up but if the floor is sound, you might just be making a weak spot for nothing. Have your son walk by you on the floor while you're standing still or vise-versa. The person standing still will notice if the floor moves. Have a look at the bottom of the hull for cracks, blisters or signs of previous repairs. If carpet covers the floor, peel it back and have a look at the floor material. Is the fiberglass coating firmly bonded to the plywood? Look at the edges of the floor, does it look original or are there signs of replacement? You might see different color fiberglass along the edge. Same for the transom, is the fiberglass firmly bonded? Push on the motor and watch for flexing in the transom. Put it in the water and look for water in the bilge. Take it for a test ride. Does it have water in the bilge now? Take it easy on her until you're satisfied it's sound.<br /><br />Good luck with your new boat. I hope you enjoy some time on the water before the snow blows across the lake from Canada. <br /><br />Classicboater

 

[Sean Riddle]

Re: New to this site, 1958 Glasspar?

Ditto Classic!!!! Check and re-check the deck , hull and transom and when you feel like she is solid , check her again . If there are no soft or flexible places on the deck and no holes or cracks in the hull you probably have a sound old boat. When you replace seats you can also check around screw holes for signs of rot , and if none is found remember to seal up screw holes good(with 3M 5200 or similar) when new seats are installed to prevent water from seeping into deck and leaking into bilge area. Also , check for cracks in the fiberglass or gel-coat on top of the deck..... This could lead to trouble further down the road if cracks are not repaired. You can also tilt boat up in the air and see if any water drains from the bilge plug(if so equipped) area, and if so you may want to make an inspection hole to check for further water damage. Your water test of the boat will let you know for sure if you have any leak problems. Hope this helps, RR

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: New to this site, 1958 Glasspar?

its a glasspar...... i DOUBT it is sound. and before you bash me for bashing glasspar, i have a 1960 glasspar citation, with soggy wet floors.<br /><br />the company did a poor job making these boats.nearly all of the glasspars in existence today have either been restored or need to be. mine is still usable, but the stringers are mush(think"mulch") the stringers werent covered in glass, they are bare wood. and they were also built right when fiberglass was discovered, so they werent really experts at it yet. they are very light weight for there size( hmmm)<br /><br />go to www.classicglasspars.com or www.fiberglassics.com<br /><br />ive gotten loads of info from them folks over there.