Boat Projects

[CBulla]

So, it appears my wife and I have yet another thing in common with some of the divers on this board - we have a boat project in progress. I can hear the groans and moans now, "ooohh.. a hole in the water that your throwing money into," and "Do you know what you've got yourself into?" and well.. yeah, we're completely aware.

Soooooooooo.... here are the specs on the beast of burdon we've taken on:

Boat make: Chris-Craft
Model: 1967 Commander 27
OAL: 27'
Style: mid-cabin cruiser
Power: removed - in search of new power plant and transmission
notes: Cosmetically rough, but nothing that sime TLC with a sander with fine grit sand paper and a buffer with wax wont bring back to that "WOW" state. Pilots station is rough and weathered, hard top was removed by previous owner and needs to be replaced. Inspection of the hull and engine compartment revealed that the vessel is structurally sound and restoration would be minimal.

Pictures:
- http://home.earthlink.net/~nytalchemy/images/boat-portside.jpg
- http://home.earthlink.net/~nytalchemy/images/boat-stbd.jpg
- http://home.earthlink.net/~nytalchemy/images/boat-cabin.jpg

Recent developments - A 5L 305 230hp motor has been found that would fill that engine well up! The motor is set up for an I/O but can be easily converted over by replacing the bell housing and fly wheel. The headers need to be pulled, taken to a shop and worked over giving the opportunity to regasket as well. The water pump looks like it needs to be replaced as well, but thats no big deal Still looking for a transmission in the 1.5:1 or 1.3:1 area.

How about you other project boaters? What have you got? Maybe we can help each other out looking for "parts" If anything, its neat to hear about others projects.

 

[scubafool]

Looks like you have a really nice family cruiser in the works there. I imagine you are going to add a ladder or swim platform so you can dive off of it, right?

It's a good thing the structure is sound. Replacing stringers, transoms, & floors gets to be a lot of work. I bought a 1969 14' Larson off of my brother last year, thinking that all I would have to do would be replace the floor. Haaaahaaaaahaaaa! The boards underneath the floor looked a little bit rotten. Asking a few questions, I learned that those boards were stringers, and that they were basically the backbone of the boat. OK, definitely gotta replace them. It took most of a weekend with a big handgrinder just to cut the old fiberglass out & grind everything down smooth. While I was glassing the stringers down, I noticed some rot in the bottom of the transom. So I cut the inside skin off of the transom. It was 25% rotted away. I've got 1/4" plywood cut out to laminate (in 3 layers) a new transom together. Now I have to buy some of that high dollar epoxy resin with wich to do the laminating. $60+ a gallon! Once the transom is done, I'll actually get to replace the floor.

After putting all of this work into it, I plan on hauling it to my brother in NC for a complete gelcoat & paint job, & then I want to replace all of the nasty looking hardware.

If you want to take a look at a couple of pictures, I have a small webpage set up. Go to http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/phish/myboatpage.html

Anyone else got a boat project going?

 

[CBulla]

WOW... I'm glad I dont have any of that work to do. I think at best my only replacement will be the glassed down wood where the motor mounts in the vessel - outside of that its engine/transmission slip in the prop shaft and mount the prop, run some new wiring, mount new lights and some cosmetics.

 

[scubafool]

Hey, if you get a chance, post a picture of the wood you have to replace & keep me updated on the process. One of these days I AM going to get a bigger boat for offshore diving, & every scrap of knowledge is a help when buying a boat. Just ask me. LOL.

 

[herman]

Boats are a constant work in progress, seems like I always have something to fix on mine.
If you are doing rewiring I have 2 suggestions to save you loads of headaches later.
First, I fill all splices or crimp connections with electrical silicon grease before installing the wires and crimping. The best applicator I have found is an old syringe with the needle removed. You can get them at animal supply stores (Tractor Supply around here)This prevents humidity from corroding the connections. I also coat the base of all lamps and all equipment connectors with it as well before connecting them.

Next coat EVERYTHING involved with any electrical connection with "Liquid Electrical tape". This stuff is a god send. It comes in several colors but I just use black. I coat all screw terminal connections -starters, breakers, fuse pannels, whatever. I also tape all slices (the ones with the silicon in them) the then paint the tape with the liquid tape. Is this overkill? Don't know but I never have to redo a connection, even if it is submerged.

 

[CBulla]

No problem, it looks like a pair of 4x4's that were glassed into place. I need to take a picture of the motor well cleaned out anyway. Its big enough *I* can crawl around down in there without any problems.

 

[scubafool]

Thanks for the tip, herman. I'll probably do a complete rewire on my money pit before I call it complete, and I HATE doing things over again.

 

[Padipro]

My Father-In-Law gave me his 83 Wellcraft 230 Aft Cabin about a year and a half ago. It had a great engine but no outdrive, someone thought they needed it more then he did. It had been sitting in storage for about 2 1/2 years before I got it. It took me about 10 months to get it back into shape. I replaced the outdrive, mounted, aligned, tuned and tweeked the engine. Rebuilt the entire transum assembly. Rewired nearly the whole thing and removed and refinished all the wood work. It still needs a good buffing and a coat of wax, the gel coat is pretty nasty, but other than that I finally got it in the water several months ago and it's been working great. Now if these stinking winds would die down so I could really start to use it I'd be happy.

A few pics of my Project Boat.

 

[scbababe]

WOW... I'm glad I dont have any of that work to do. I think at best my only replacement will be the glassed down wood where the motor mounts in the vessel - outside of that its engine/transmission slip in the prop shaft and mount the prop, run some new wiring, mount new lights and some cosmetics.

Cosmetics!!!(LOL) Getting a boat is something hubby and I plan to do in a very near future. Maybe not a new one but after hearing all this... did you say? engine/transmission slip in the prop shaft and mount the prop, new wiring, lights...(Is that all!!!!)

I do want my hubby back after the boat ride, should we hold out and get a new one instead. I do understand the maintenance of a boat is a ride in it's own right but it sounds painful $$$ very painful$$$$$. :11:

 

[CBulla]

scbababe - it all depends on if you go to US Boat or one of the other stick-it-to-you stores (because is says marine on it) or not. Reality is putting a motor in is really not that tough if you have the tools like the marina I'm doing the working on this project has. Once the transmission is put onto the motor (6 bolts I believe) we hoist the motor up on the lift, move the boat under it, the slowly lower the motor down into the motor well. After its aligned, its a whopping 6 bolts and thats done. The propshaft slips through from the outside and has a set pin and cotter pin to attach it to the transmission. The prop mount is pretty much the same thing. The 3 most time consuming bits to my boat are as follows: Sand/buff/wax of the gelcoat to give it that pretty shine again (I'm giving that 16hrs); tear down of the headers, take to shop for work over, then remount with new gaskets and some other stuff that I am electing to do on the motor (approx 5hrs); rewire of the navigation lights to the termination block and wiring of the guages to the new harness and mounting them in the new dash board (approx 6hrs).

One thing I should point out is that I did get a 1967 model boat, which doesnt sound to old until you think about the environment this vessel has been in. In reality I picked up a steal because of the shape she's in! Personally though, I think boat prices are 3x to 4x what they are really worth though, blown way out of proportion, especially for newer ones! When you get down to it, there isn't much to them and they are pretty easy to work on if you dont complicate the situation.