Restore 1988 Bayliner Capri SKI

[eavdic10]

Hi Boaters, I purchased a boat that according to seller was in top shape. Well 2 days later I found out that that the 1988 Bayliner Capri 19ft Mad Max Edition with 150 HP Force under the carpet has rotten floor. I have read on some projects where transom is shot and some where they just have to replace the floor. I have attached some pictures of the boat if you guys don't mind telling me what you think I should tackle and check for. I live in michigan so I got time to work on this and I would like to start soon. I ripped some things out just to see what I am dealing with. In some pictures you will see foam but does not seem wet so I am not sure If I should rip that out or leave it in. basically I want to do a nice job with it because I want to keep it but also I don't want to spend $1000 on it because the boat only cost me $1500.
My question, would it be possible that I just need to rip the floor out and replace that along with the seat boxes. What you think.

 

[glnbnz]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

First of all welcome to iBoats...you have come the right place for information on your boat.

In my limited experience with my boat...with the floor being rotten...the rot will go a lot further than you might think. I can't quite tell by the photos what you have going on. Is the rotten deck all rotten all the way to the back?? You will want to do some drill tests on your stringers and transom.

Please post some more photos there are lots of experienced people on this forum.

 

[vcaptain]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

You definitely have to to the deck, so you'll need to figure out how to get it all out and start testing for water damage as you go. Doesn't look great, but I've seen lots worse. Check out the 2nd post on this forum about how-to's, there's a ton of information on everything you are about to encounter.

 

[eavdic10]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Thank you much for your reply. It is really bad in between the seats from front to the back and under the seats as well. Once I removed the plywood it looks fine (no softspots) below that floor on the second white coating floor. Sorry not sure what it is called. I am planning to take the floor out but the stringers I think they are called that run from front to back look fine. Is it ok to remove that foam under the seats and make more room for coolers ... Transome looks fine there is no softspots on it. I will try to get more pictures of the boat and post as I go but wanted to see what you guys think.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Welcome to Iboats! your first post sounds a lot like mine was, unfortunately the problem reached much farther than my untrained eye knew! Thanks to the helpful folks here I have been able to progress with my own rebuild confident in the advice I received.

First thing I found was that not so wet foam, was wet toward the bottom, get yourself a length of 1.5" or so PVC, grind it to a sharp edge and run it down til you touch the hull...give it a twist and lean it back for good measure and pull that foam core sample out...check how wet it is!

Using a drill drill some exploratory holes along stringers and transom, only drill in enough to get good shavings but do not break the outer skin, if stringers and transom come back good seal the holes and be done with it!

More pictures is good, some overall shots of the boat and your suspect problem areas...close ups are nice but to really see the extent we need some farther shots~!

 

[oops!]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

hi bud....

welcome to iboats....

yep....its a mid 80's bayliner.

your thread is titled "how bad is this guys"
uh....is this on a scale of one to 10 or just an overall how bad is it compared to all the other full gut jobs?

I doubt that you are gonna get away with a grand here bud...

see that white stuff on the edge of the rotted wood?....that is mold. mold means really really damp.
really really damp.....means the foam is saturated......I know it looks good from on top.....but as the judge mentioned....the water will be at the bottom. ill gaurentee you that the foam is wet.

im also thinking transom.. that means stringers too.

if the wet foam is all.....and all you have to do is the foam and the deck....you will be right around a grand with a new rug.
if you go into stringers and a transom.....add another 500 easy...

 

[Decker83]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Welcome to i-boats eavdic10.

I hate to be the guy that says you have more of a problem than you think. But IMHO you have major rot in your boat.
In pic #1 all of the wood is rotten there. In pic #3 looks like a ski locker and the stringers or gone there too.
The only way to know if there is rot in the stringers or the transom is to do a drill test.
Take a small drill bit and put tape around it about 1/2" to 3/4" down from the tip and drill into the stringers in a couple of places.
I would use a 3/8" bit to do this.
Look at the shavings to see if there wet or if the wood is mush. That wood must be replaced. If it comes out dry and clean it probally ok.
You need to do the drill test everywhere the deck is wet. Close to the hull and close to the top of the stringers.
You also need to do the same test to the transom. Make sure you drill from the inside of the boat for the transom. Do not drill through the transom.
If you are lucky enough and don't find rot or water in the wood you can seal up all the holes with 3m 5200 or poly resin or even epoxy.

The foam under the seats was put there for floation in case the worst happen and the boat flooded. This is supposed to keep the boat from sinking.
You could remove it if you like. It's your boat. I would not do this in mine.

If you are really lucky and only need to replace the deck and carpet it will take all of $1000.00 to do it. That is if you do it yourself.

You are LUCKY that you found this site. There are so many GREAT GUYS here that can guide you through anything you need to do for your boat.

Have you gone back to the guy that sold you this boat. Did he give you anything in writting about the condition of the boat.
You may have some legal rights about this.
I hate to see what happen to you. Alot of crooks in this world.

Best of luck to you.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Uggh, another person that came here to late! No offense. Like said above you need to and probably will have to rip this boat apart to restore it fully. imo, not worth it on a older bayliner.

You said the previous owner sold it to you as being in top shape. How did it look when you brought it home. I am assuming you didn't have asurvey done. was the interior carpet not smelly like mildew?

The reason I ask is there are laws to protect consumers from being ripped off. I hope you didn't pay much. Sorry, just hate to see people taken for a ride when they have limited knowledge on boats and there construction. Good luck.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

IMHO, You'll be spending more than the purchase price. She's a 24 yr. old Bayliner that needs a full restoration. 80-150 hrs of work and 1500-2000 bucks in materials.

On the Good side... If you restore her, She'll be better than New and should last for another 24 yrs or longer.

Your call.

There's a link in my signature on how to fabricate your new deck, stringers and transom.

 

[eavdic10]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Thank you very much guys, I purchased the boat yesterday from a guy 3 hours away from me. He dropped it off and I checked the boat out but its frozen here in Michigan now and was really hard to do anything. Today I got more time and lifter the carpet up and saw this. I paid the boat $1500 with trailer and engine which according to him is good but then again this is probabley not true either. I just added more photos of the exterior and the outboard, seats. Upholstery looks really good almost brand new maybe it was redone. I assumed the boat is well taken care of on the outside so I assumed it was the same case inside. I will check the foam and transome and stringers tomorrow and will post my findings . Thank you very much for the link to how to fabricate a deck.

 

[Decker83]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

I can say one thing.
She is a nice looking boat on the outside and the upholstery is good looking. If the motor is good and you have the time, money and the tools AND a really BIG desire you could have a really awesome boat.

 

[rrumba]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

welcom and i hate to say it but it does seem you got taken. is there any way for you to get your money back? there are other boats, better IMHO than the bayliner for what you paid. the rot is visiible in the stringers from your photos. like everyone else has stated above it is going to cost you more than you think. we can provide good sources for materials, but there will be lots of labor and GRINDING involved. if you take it on, we are here to hellp you out.... Sorry for your situation. Hope all works out.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

I'd say it is a good boat for restoration, Check out friscoboaters thread, he was in the same boat, pun intended. bought a beautiful pile of rot! but it is OK, you can build her stronger faster, smarter! I would say the upholstery was redone, looking at the first pic in second set of pictures, the vinyl there looks pretty loose and lumpy (not bad, just not factory made), and corners aren't factory, they wouldn't have that 45 degree line in em.

The restoration can be a fun task, I bought mine knowing it was going to need some, it was not that pretty, but did not understand the extent to which the hull was rotten. I have been working on mine now about 5 months and see an end in sight this spring! when I am done, I will not only have a boat that's strong, I will have one that is one of a kind, totally custom, and a heck of a lot cheaper then I could have bought a new one for.

My thread on here shows a lot of work, done by a complete novice. I haven't even driven a boat before, let alone rebuild one. If I can do it, anyone can

 

[vincechig1975]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Welcome to I Boats, and well judging from what I see it looks like our boat, well somewhat, everything in ours is rot as well and the foam was wet and so is the transome so this isn't going to be a cheap fix. I also went around and checked things out a bit farther and found alot of other issues as well. Take alot photos, and document as much as you can, it will be a really big help for you. I also have learned
a great deal on this site from everyone, many thanks guys.....good luck and be patient and ask questions. Check out Friscoboater's restoration pages and oops' hull extention project. I learned so much from this site iboats, and the guys on here it's kinda mind blowing but really cool, and for me I like to take on challenges and take my time doing it the right way. I have some photos of the damage to our Cobia Cuddy ....this is a total gut job.

 

[eavdic10]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

I definatley like this boat, I knew going into it that the boat is 1988 but I guess I am just dissapointed the guy lied to me. I will see if atleast he would refund some money and I will try to tackle of what is left. I will test the stringers , foam, and transome tomorrow and see what happens. I want to have it ready for summer which here in Michigan is June

 

[oops!]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

that is not an 88.

i think its a 91 or 92.

what is the hull vin number located on the back right hand corner.....above the swim ladder, below the rub rail

you still have 1500 worth of boat there.....the trailer is worth 500 and you can get a grand out of the motor and seats and gauges...ect.

you didnt get ripped off.....you just were not told the truth. but you get what you pay for.....and its worth 1500.

i fixed a 90 i/o worse than that and sold it for 7800 in canada.

i think its a great candidate for a resto.....expect 1500......and you will have a brand new boat....

but if the title says 88 and its a 92...you have problems.

 

[eavdic10]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Hi oops, I have the title in the guys name and registration title says 1988 Hull number on registration is PLOA89CLJ889 and the registration expires in 2015. I have not checked it against the boat it self.

 

[oops!]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

Hi oops, I have the title in the guys name and registration title says 1988 Hull number on registration is PLOA89CLJ889 and the registration expires in 2015. I have not checked it against the boat it self.

i really dont see that being an 89, they didnt use curved windsheilds till 91......even my 90 had squair corners.....i would check thaose numbers against what is on the hull......even then....there might be something fishy going on

it could be a different assembly plant.....but it is really wierd.

its a great looking boat tho......the capris had the absolute lines....they actually changed the styling of the industry
some of the manufacturers are still trying to catch up.... i think it was larson that just came out wiht a 2011 boat that looks like the capri....a cap that bayliner designed 20 years ago

 

[eavdic10]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

and yes it starts with P instead of B on the title but all the other description matches. which is strange too ....I have to call bayliner tomorrow to sort this out...supposedley its some special edition MAD MAX bayliner

 

[oops!]

Re: How bad is this guys?

Re: How bad is this guys?

the last two numbers are the year.

i have spoken with bayliner execs several times.....lol...they are passionate about boats...

they can give you all kinds of information on the hull...

if you decide to do the repair on it......we will help you....plan on two months of full weekends....and some evenings.
cash up front needed is about 300 for safety gear and grinding stuff.

the next out lay will be around 500 for wood.....fiberglass and resin.

after that .....2 part pour in foam for about 350.