Haines Signature 1850L Rebuild and Refurbishment on going project.

[burleygu]

Many of you will think I am crazy for undertaking such a task when I could of spent some more money and bought something 'ready to go' Which is true however I went the other way.
For awhile I have been looking for a 90's era Haines Hunter and after looking at many boats above and around $15,000-25,000 I just couldn't bring myself to pay that sort of money for a boat with unknown history, The original motor or worse yet a supposedly newer motor that had all the signs of a high hour motor with a new hour gauge installed 200 hours ago. Another problem I found with these boats was that a boat around 20 years old the structural integrity of the timber is always a gamble. As I have seen countless reports of new floors in boats where they have chosen to ignore the condition of the stringers.
So after crunching some numbers I decided that a project boat would be the way I was going to get what I want. And know exactly what I had when I was finished with it.

In this thread I will post up the progress of the rebuild and fitout and hopefully I will have it all done in a timely manner!

So this Is what I purchased a 1990 Haines Signature 1850L An Original 2 owner boat with the majority of the original documentation from when purchased new.

[Adam_G]

I will be watching with interest. Little re build I am doing at the moment would probably fit in that boat 3 times..lol

Good luck and happy sanding.

Adam

[Tangles]

Tim

i really look forward to seeing what you do with this, wish i was good on the tools as its something i wouldnt mind doing one day

cheers
mike

[Jarrah Jack]

The've got an unusual transom design. I think Mustang5 did a similar transom a few boats ago so it may be worth talking to him.

'bout time we had another project to follow on here. Good luck with it Tim.

I've heard but don't know for sure that they were a light hull so it may be worth adding some extra weight in glass in the right places to get a better performance.

I know what you mean about trying to find a good old HH. People want more than they cost new over twenty years ago, with the same motor and trailer.

[Jarrah Jack]

Tim

i really look forward to seeing what you do with this, wish i was good on the tools as its something i wouldnt mind doing one day

cheers
mike

Don't underestimate that dremel of yours Tangles!

[madmackrel]

Tim is that not a Haines signiature ?

[burleygu]

The story with this boat was that it had been in storage on a property for around 5 years possibly more. This was due to the owner moving to Perth, The owner of the boat gave it to Her daughter after realizing the boat was going to waste. The daughter and Husband did not like the thought of the work that needed to be put into the boat hence they put it up for sale. (things like soft transom and soft floor) The boat came with full storm covers bimini etc which I assumed is how the boat was stored as they where quite weathered. So everything on the inside of the boat is in great condition minus the moisture. The boat also has no holes in the dash and no signs of having a sounder or any other random things mounted onto it just a very original unmolested boat. I also have all the rego stickers from the last 6 years on there original paper work suggesting they havnt been attached to the boat suggesting it hasn't been used for that period. Boat is still registered until the end of the year.

[madmackrel]

Has this one got the 135 black max merc on it? It is just like the first boat I crossed the south passage bar on. Good to see mate and am looking forward to the rebuild.

[burleygu]

yes mate its a haines signature 1850L My mistake! I have a tendency of calling them all haines hunters even tho there are very big differences.
A lot of work has already been carried out so will post up progress abit by bit till I catch myself up.
Jack I have spoken with mustang via PM in regards to the transom he did on his awhile ago and he reassured me its all easy enough.
Perry It has a 150 mariner with 390hours runs very smooth needs a new impeller obviously after sitting for so long.
Its an 1850L But overall length in metric is from back of transom to nose/point of hull 6.2mtrs and from back of transom to front of bowsprit 6.45mtrs

[burleygu]

Once I received the boat I pretty much stripped the boat down straight away to see what I was in for. Motor was removed with one of those hydraulic motor lifterer's makes life very easy. This was all done to ensure no extra weight or load was applied to the hull when firbreglass work was to be carried out. It was delivered to me on a tilt tray due to the trailer being unregistered and needing abit of tlc.

[Captain Seaweed]

Looks good Tim!!! I am excited about this project of yours, you never do things by half and it always ends up being a top job!

[LittleSkipper]

Just as a point of interest your photo's are posting sideways? Try rotating them before posting?

I too certainly look with interest on the re-build of this awesome boat?

[Tickleish]

Yeah its hard tilting your head all the time

[Muddy Toes]

Six months time, half a boat in the front yard, all the best intentions, convincing yourself you'll get back to it one day while you and Marty are off exploring every imaginable fishing spot along the East coast of Australia in the captain's new boat..............

Seriously though Tim........it's a great looking rig,,,,can't wait to see the progress and the final product.

Trapper ready? Pull....................BANG!!!!!!;D

[burleygu]

Six months time, half a boat in the front yard, all the best intentions, convincing yourself you'll get back to it one day while you and Marty are off exploring every imaginable fishing spot along the East coast of Australia in the captain's new boat..............

Seriously though Tim........it's a great looking rig,,,,can't wait to see the progress and the final product.

Trapper ready? Pull....................BANG!!!!!!;D

I'm working near the gunshop today it's a dangerous thing to much urge to buy toys. So I just might have to! Let us know mate when you have a free weekend and we will go out shooting at my old mans. Have clays and a basic clay thrower. But the boat shouldn't take to long. Hopefully :S

[thelump]

Good stuff Tim. Aiming for an early September finish I hope :)

[tropicrows]

Tim Tim what have you done. Your gonna be a busy boy for many of a weekend. I hope you have an understanding girlfriend, when shes helping fibre glassing and has resin in her hair.
Live the dream, I did and it was great. There will be many a frustrating hour, don't rush it and do it right the first time. looking forward to seeing lots of pictures.

[burleygu]

Understanding girlfriend? Bruce When my gf moved in with me a few things where made clear. Fishing comes first If the weather comes good and we had plans id probably go fishing. The freezer in the house is firstly for fresh fish fillets tough if you don't eat fish. She was saying the other day she needed a new hobie I suggested boat restoration? Got one of those looks you know? Anyway Shes understanding she doesn't get a choice. One side of stringers has already been replaced

[tropicrows]

Understanding girlfriend? Bruce When my gf moved in with me a few things where made clear. Fishing comes first If the weather comes good and we had plans id probably go fishing. The freezer in the house is firstly for fresh fish fillets tough if you don't eat fish. She was saying the other day she needed a new hobie I suggested boat restoration? Got one of those looks you know? Anyway Shes understanding she doesn't get a choice. One side of stringers has already been replaced

Tim, that's what you say now. lets wait a few months and see if anything has changed. Happy wife (girlfriend) happy life.....

What are you replacing the stringers with timber or polypropylene honeycomb panels. Have you seen this thread "Rip it up's boat rebuild factory"

[burleygu]

Have seen that thread bruce Im replacing all the old timber with marine ply however the 2 middle stringers are going to be 2 sheets of marine ply laminated together with fiberglass in the middle. Everything will be installed with one layer of glass then ill be taking the boat to my mates as he has a chopper gun and we will do all the wovens and other layers of chop strand with that nice and quick. all the valleys between the stringers will be getting flow coated as well to ensure that everything is sealed! Using other materials can save on a lot of weight however I wish to keep the weight in the boat.

[mustang5]

Looks good mate! And make sure you post plenty of pictures! I rebuilt a 1950R which is of very similar design. Good fun to be had.

Check the stringers under the seats and at the rear towards the transom. Check whether the top transom cap has screws on top because if it does that generally means the transom may be rotted.

Not to fear though, its pretty simple really, so long as you can shut the horrid images of glass and ply shards flying everywhere, and picture the final outcome!!

Ive had 200hp hanging off the glass alone as the PLY was like Liquid inside the transom. Solid built boats once a bit of work has been done.

Attached a couple of pics for what to look for :)

90639906409064190642906439064490645906469064790648 9064990650

[mustang5]

And if you were thinking of going to the limit in HP with a 4 stroke, glue in a couple of these.

Mine held a 225 yammy 4 stroke on the back which was the limit of its 270kg weight restriction.

9065190652

[cobiaman]

Looks like a good project tim, cant wait to see what the finished product looks like!

[burleygu]

The boat was bought with a stuffed transom and soft floor the girl who was selling the boat was led to believe it had a new floor which it actually had plywood sikaflexed onto the old carpet where the soft spot was. I made an offer on the boat and she had a fiberglass repair guy come out and look at the boat. And I ended up getting the boat for a price I was happy with. So within saying that there was always going to be fiberglass work to be done there was a hope that the stringers would be intct which some where. However due to the workmanship on the boat the decision was made to replace everything! As the original fibreglassing from the factory was horrific. Even places where they had forgot to lay fiberglass leaving bare timber exposed and they where in the worst possible places. Upon Further inspection other reasons why the boat had rot in it was due to the fit out in the factory the fuel tank was screwed through the floor straight into the top of the stringers allowing water into the top of the stringers The boat originally had pedestool seats in it and when changed or replaced the holes where never sealed up The conclusion was this must of been a Friday built boat.
In the photos you can see the old holes from the pedestool seats and holes into the top of the stringers and drainage holes under the kill tank that where just drilled and never fibreglassed leaving exposed timber.

[burleygu]

A motor stand was made out of some scrap steel with wheels on the bottom so I could move it around the shed keep it out of the weather and also replace the impeller on it when we get a spell of wet weather and its to wet to work on the boat.

[burleygu]

It was decided to attack the internals of the boat first as this was the most time consuming part. And first on the list was to cut out the soft floor and have a proper inspection of the stringers. There was no shock as I had already decided that I was going to re do the whole boat Some stringers where soft some where not. I was going to attack the boat one side at a time so the boat did not distort or twist once some of the stringers where removed the boat was also made to sit on all the keel rollers before any work commenced.

[burleygu]

Because I was replacing all of the stringers from front to back and I wasn't separating the hull (top and bottom) the decision was made to cut the cab wall just under the footrests So I could install a new bulkhead and continue the stringers right through to the bow. The decisions to do this was due the the whole cab wall being fibreglassed to the outside of the hull, The cab wall having no moisture in it And the ability of having the footrests hide the cut and join line when installed upon completion. Also the cabin floor is about 2 inchs higher then the outside floor.
I decided to do the 2 outside stringers first before I cut out the rh side center stringer This was done so I had the center stringer to work heights off and not have the hull twist etc

[Captain Seaweed]

tim if you can install a self draining deck

[Boat Hog]

tim if you can install a self draining deck

And some attachments for the Davits on the back of Captain Seaweeds new boat ........


Good to see you finally got your Haines Tim! Good luck with the rebuild/reno's. I look forward to seeing the fully restored version out on the water at a future meet and greet.

Cheers,

[burleygu]

Doesn't even compare to your old one Jim was quite disappointed when I couldn't purchase your old one. And as I mentioned previously I could of paid 15+ grand and gone fishing yesterday However by the time this is finished It will be completely solid.

[burleygu]

tim if you can install a self draining deck

Marty not really something on the list plus it would be to hit and miss in regards to the height of the scuppers Especially if there is a motor upgrade to a heavier 4 stroke.

[burleygu]

Stringers ground back and old fiberglass sanded to ensure good adhesion when new stringers are fibreglassed into place

[burleygu]

Another problem with older fiberglass boats is if you could imagine the bare hull with no timber work in it. And the manufacturer builds everything inside that hull in one stage so transom stringers bulkheads are all glued into place then all fibreglassed at once to save time and make the building process more efficient. This means that the joins between the transom and stringers for example as shown here are a timber timber join. if for example you have a transom that gets moisture in it this can then spread to the stringers as there is no fiberglass barrier separating anything in the main structure of the boat. As far as my experience goes there is no extra strength gained from having it all glassed at once given that the timber to timber joins are only glued or stapled. In the pictures you will see where the stringers butted up against the wood in the transom. Im going to fully seal the inner transom wall off to keep the stringers separate also once the stringers are done on both sides there will be extra transom supports added to the outer middle stringers attaching to the inner transom wall.

[burleygu]

Stringers being cut and test fitted with floor clearences checked off of the middle stringer that was left in place. Note the red circle this part of the old stringer had no drainage hole in it as there is a big low point here from one of the planning strakes on the bottom of the hull. even after being on a tilt tray from tin can bay to morayfiled being unloaded and loaded when I removed the old floor there was still water sitting in this part of the hull as there was no drainage hole for it to escape. This is a big design failure However Everywhere water can sit or pool up there was a 50mm drainage hole cut to ensure all water runs to the bilge. I will be flow coating underneath the entire hull to fully waterproof everything And having large drain holes instead of tiny plastic bungs ensures nothing will block up and allow water to sit inside the hull.

[Jarrah Jack]

You're cracking along there Bg. No biggie but I would stagger those joins in the stringers. How's the itch going?

[burleygu]

You're cracking along there Bg. No biggie but I would stagger those joins in the stringers. How's the itch going?

Jack the 2 outer stringers were replaced as per the old ones. The middle stringer was installed the same way as the 2 smaller outer ones but I'm going to be replacing the 2 middle ones with laminated sheets of marine ply so there is no joins.

[tropicrows]

If your not already, buy your resin in bulk and make up your own fillers & glues.

[burleygu]

If your not already, buy your resin in bulk and make up your own fillers & glues.


Don't you worry about that Bruce. It's all about who you know. That's why I'll be flow coating all the very bottom of the hull between the stringers.

[burleygu]

So the further I get into this project the more re assured I am that I made the right decision with choosing a boat that needed work as apposed to spending around 20k. I mentioned earlier about the boat not having drainage points where the water pooled up and how that was a big mistake from when the boat was manufactured.

In your boat where does the water drain to and where is the water most likely to sit in any boat? Bottom of the hull perhaps?

Well with it raining this afternoon I did some more cutting making room for the main center stringer so I decided to cut the fuel tank floor out exposing the keel of the boat and what do you know I find another design flaw in the boat the bottom of the hull has no drainage whatsoever taking into account the icebox/killtank drains directly to the bottom of the hull along with the floor inside the cabin and any water that gets through the bilge back into the hull. Absolutely crazy!

[tropicrows]

I could say what do you expect it's a "Haines" but that would not be fair. My Swiftcraft had plenty of drain holes BUT the timber was not sealed in these areas so any water was just absorbed into the timber over time and guess what "it rotted out".
You wounder about the modern boats and hope they have improved somewhat. Now days most good brand boats don't have any timber in them, but do they have the drainage holes ???

I think you have one but if not are you able to make a small well in the floor by the transom. As my deck was not self draining and any water was trapped in the well and pumped out as required. Saved having wet feet and allowed you to wash the floor to remove blood & guts etc.

[burleygu]

You are spot on bruce there is a bilge near the back of the transom where everything drains into all the drains where those small 25mm plastic bungs I will be putting in 50mm drainage arches instead of the bungs, But what a horrible way to build a boat just that little bit more time spent on it when it was made and half the issues would of never arrised.

[burleygu]

another design issue which led to the demise of this boat another compartment with no drainage cut open to still find 3 inch's of water in there god knows how old this water is its as black as black! This compartment should of had a screw in bung down the bottom to check now and then and let any water out as required.

[juggernaut]

.......so I decided to cut the fuel tank floor out exposing the keel of the boat and what do you know I find another design flaw in the boat the bottom of the hull has no drainage whatsoever taking into account the icebox/killtank drains directly to the bottom of the hull along with the floor inside the cabin and any water that gets through the bilge back into the hull. Absolutely crazy!

....and I just thought it was one of those flooded keel designs. ;D

[Jarrah Jack]

Hard to believe how badly it was built and doesn't say much for the intregity of any of those old Sig hulls. I've just brought a later mdl and hope its a little better.

Tim ..Would you say the hull was built lightly or just badly in some respects? It would be interesting to know the bare hull weight before and after you finish but then you would need to compare the ride before and after I guess?

[burleygu]

Jack I would say the design is good everything there to make it great was but the finish seems to be rushed and the small things were overlooked they had drain holes in some spots in the timber but glassed directly over them so they where blocked and other places where there was drain holes but bare timber was exposed. Once im finished the boat will be stronger and better then when it was new But as I said earlier if I spent 20 grand on a mid 90's haines I would have the same boat I have now you just never know whats under the floor. And in the end I will know exactly whats under my feet.

[Jarrah Jack]

You'll have done very well and will have a boat that will last for a very long time.

Another thing with the Sigs is the colored gelcoat that goes powdery. My '97 520 had it on the side that got the sun and hopefully it was fixed before my 2001 540 was built. Its lived in a shed so hard to tell at this stage. No amount of polishing cures it.

[burleygu]

Jack I did a little test spot and what I did was lightly sand the area with 1000 grit wet and dry then gave it a really solid cut with a polisher then rubbed some wax into it and it came up 100%

[LittleSkipper]

Are you replacing the old Mariner outboard?

[burleygu]

Are you replacing the old Mariner outboard?


Mate I'm going to use it until it starts giving me dramas. It runs and sounds great and only has a genuine 390 hours. The overall condition of the motor is amazing for its age. Once it's back on the boat it will be getting new head gaskets thermostats carbie tune etc. and will be on there until it gets worrying. If I do replace it it will probably be with a brand new 175 2 stroke Yamaha.

[tropicrows]

In that case you better put a bigger fuel tank in, if your going to 1770.... ;D ;D

[2IC]

Hi Tim was having a beer with Bruce & Dave on the weekend,, the boys were saying you had a new/old boat that you were doing up,, mate you are doing a wonderful job there, when complete will be a great boat & I agree with Bruce that a bigger fuel tank will be the way to go ,,, so when you upgrade the to a 2 stroke or better still 4 stroke your fishing range will be a whole lot wider,, anyway mate enjoy the project
Cheers

[burleygu]

Thanks for that bill. I have always loved the mid 90's haines and I thought this would be the best way to go about it. the fuel tank that came in the boat is around 230 - 250 litres. and its still the original tank from when the boat was made. I agree with you that 2 strokes use a lot more fuel then a 4 stroke, However a 2 stroke motor matched with the correct size hull can also get pretty reasonable figures. My neighbours boat is a 20 something foot savage marlin with a 200hp 2 stroke Yamaha I believe its a 96 model. We can go from bribie out to hutchies fish all around the cape area down to tangas and back to bribie plus all the running around for the day for roughly 80 liters. But at this stage I think the old mariner will get a few fishing trips in anyhow

[burleygu]

Ground out the remainder of one of the center stringer and polished all of the surrounding areas ready to start cutting and fitting one of the main stringers. Cause im doing this a little bit at a time Im forever filling the boat with dust So im regulary cleaning it everytime before I start to fit timber work or fiberglass. I decided to give the boat a quick hose out this afternoon whilst the boat was tilted up substantially. take note on how much water is not draining away due to it having no or blocked drain holes. It is bloody horrible workmanship. And I urge anybody with a hull around the same age to inspect what the bottom of theres is like.

[tropicrows]

Agreed Tim, not a very good design at all. Glad your having fun and enjoying yourself.

[netmaker]

great stuff tim. I also am a fan of buying old and cheap and spending the dough to repair and replace so you know what has and hasn't been done. be careful tho as if you keep going the way you are, you won't be able to keep any live fish under your floor anymore...

[Horse]

Gee Tim, haven't you finished it yet? You've been at it for over a week now. I hope the glass dust isn't causing too much discomfort

[burleygu]

Dave im sure if fish found there way under there they would have abit of a smell to them after not so long! Was I meant to have it finished in a week! nothing like pressure will be a few months to get all done. Especially if this wet weather keeps up. I cant get the boat right under my carport so when it rains it slows things up greatly! also doesn't help that the idiots in bunnings cant store there plywood correctly and every sheet has huge bows in it due to only being chocked in one corner. So will have to go elsewere to get some ply as I need it for the middle stringer so needs to be perfectly straightish.

On another note the back seat that came out of the boat is FREE! to a good home if you know anyone with a old sig who may be interested condtion is reasonable.

[burleygu]

Didn't achieve anything today but some more photos from when I purchased the boat. I think the sink will be the perfect place for some ice and a 6 pack! Also of the back seat free if anyone wants it or it will be sent to the tip

[thelump]

Only a 6 pack Tim????

[tropicrows]

Nice and sunny today tim, get into lad. Get the girlfriend helping you, I had my daughter's mixing resin while I glassed. So much fun to be had. Will send you some pics from 1770 on bills phone, its the only phone I know that gets reception 60km offshore.

[Scott Ashe]

Good luck with your boat rebuild mate. I agree at least you'll know that you'll have a solid boat after undertaking the work yourself. Ive always thought the Haines Signatures were are good looking boat. ( I will never be able to afford one though. I'm pretty happy with my ally craft)). Hopefully it won't be too long before your bringing some nice fish over the side. Cheers

[burleygu]

I went and purchased some more plywood for the center stringer thismorning. Originally the boat only had a 18mm plywood stringer eitherside of the fuel tank which was joined much how I joined the smaller stringers. So I decided on laminating 2 12mm sheets of marine ply together for the stringer this making it around 25mm thick with the fiberglass core. With this stringer being just under 5 meters in length it will be shaped in 3 pieces back, middle and front. And once im happy with them I will laminate them all together to form one whole stringer. 250 mm was left for the joins in each piece and they were laminated together by painting resin on the first layer then laying the glass down applying resin to the glass then rollering out all of the bubbles and spreading the resin evenly then applying resin to the second layer or plywood then screwing them together until they cure then the screws will be removed. If you wonder why the fiberglass doesn't go right to the edge then that is because that part will be all getting cut off once the shaping of the stringer starts. have to let them all cure for a day or so before I can remove the screws and start cutting them to shape.

[Adam_G]

Burleygu,

What type of ply are you using?? And where did you get it? I'm at the stage of sanding the primed hull with a guide coat on my little rebuild and should be flipping to over to attack the inside soon. Would prefer to have all the materials ready in advance.

Thanks
Adam

[burleygu]

Adam im using marine ply throughout the whole boat and im purchasing it from peninsula plywoods in clontarf It is a little bit more expensive then buying stuff from bunnings but his products are much better quality also he has a huge computer guided table saw to cut anything you want to size. he cut all of these stringers takes him a minute and I have nice straight timbers

[Nathan Tuskes]

Can i ask why marine ply? Normal structural ply(CD) uses the same timber,although marine ply usually has a AB or AA face which means slightly better qualitywith no imperfections such as small knots etc the actual strength is the sameand has no reflection on the face rating that marine ply carries. Marine plyuses the same glue to stick the veneers together. it’s all a timber veneer atthe end of the day it will still rot if exposed to water

[juggernaut]

Marine ply typically carries the same stress rating along its width and length - hence why it is used in boat building. Concrete formwork ply also has a similar qualities as it is stressed in all directions.

Structural ply typically has thicker outers and thinner inferior inner plies (C or D grade) and as such it usually carries a directional stress rating with greater stress rating along the face of the grain than compared to across the grain. Because of the inferior inners it is also more susceptible to water penetration if any surface coatings/sealers are compromised

[burleygu]

^^^^
What he said!!

Ive used marine ply throughout because I always thought it was more resitent to water or rot and had more layers. Also Because Im keeping a photo record of the rebuild and associated costs and receipts If I ever decide I want to sell the boat down the track it would give the new owner piece of mind the job was done right. You may be right that structural plywood would be just as good however in my books it doesn't cost to much more for marine stuff so that's what ive gone with. Also If you had structural plywood with knots in the timber these can be perfect places to have air bubbles in your fiberglass as it has to sink into the knot and fill some voids.

Mines the simple mans explanation!

[Adam_G]

I'm really interested in seeing how you glue and glass in the stringers, pictures and explanations would be great.

As the boat hull is at an angle to horizontal (dead rise) do you plane the stringer to the same angle as the hull or glue it in and fill the void at the lower end before glassing?? (hope that made sense). Also what type of glue if any is used? I used Qcells and resin to bog/fill/fair my hull but none of that was structural.

I am lead to believe you are meant to round off the top of the stringers so the glass can go over nicely but if this is done how do you fix the floor back down??

Sorry for so many questions but I am getting closer to needing these answers for my small rebuild.

Thanks Adam

[mutineer]

When I got some New ply for my hatches, kill tank etc the other week , I went to a guy who really seemed to know his stuff...generic marine ply ( Bunnings etc ) is all about the glue used no different to structural outdoor. The stuff I got off him is all about the timber used and had proof of it unsealed lasting years in a marine environment. ...strong light , but at a premium price .it is a case of oils ain't oils from my limited. Experience....but sealed properly any ply would last a fair length of time ...job looks awesome can't wait to see the end results ..

[burleygu]

Adam when I fit this stringer I will do some more photos for you showing how I go about it. Yeah are correct that you have to round the top of the plywood as fiberglass doesn't like going over 90 degree corners. I use a resin and talcum powder mix for my 'glue' to stick the stringers down normal baby powder works fine as a filler in the resin but you can buy talc in a 20kg bag which is cheaper. I try to get my stringers as close to the hull as possible and where the hull is on an angle I use a router to bevel the edge of the plywood. Once all the stringers are glassed in and your up to doing the floor the same talc resin glue/bog mix is used you apply it to the top of the stringers then place your floor on top. you can use screws into the top of the stringers until it sets then remove screws and fill with resin or you can just place heavy items on the floor and the resin/talc mix fills any voids gaps etc and dries solid as a rock my fiber glassing mate says that the talc resin mix is fine using as a filler under stringers etc up to a 10mm gap in worst cases.

[Adam_G]

Thanks. I still have heaps of Qcells left over, would these be suitable instead of talc?? Look forward to the photos.

[Rip it up]

Which resin Adam?

[surveyor]

hi burley
great job coming along well.in your application probably makes no diff as the load is vertical but it can be a good idea to angle the overlapping faces instead of the right angles it makes the join longer and stronger on all planes .also the putty would be better to contain some milled fibreglass to give it some strength as well as fill properties .
keep up the good work

[burleygu]

thanks mate I debated about doing the angled cuts but given the complexity of what its going to take to cut this stringer into place I decided to go with straight cut joins. which is better then what was in the boat originally.

[Adam_G]

Which resin Adam?

Polyester.

[burleygu]

Little bit of stringer work this afternoon. I took some photos of how I go about getting my stringers cut to size/shape. I mark the hull in 200mm increments and then I measure from the top of my newly installed stringers to the LOWEST POINT of the hull. This ensures I have enough material on my stringer to sand/plane off for the taper of the hull. I write down all my measurements and the fluctuate quite a bit. This is due to how much fiberglass I removed in places when I sanded the hull other bumps high spots etc. when the hull was manufactured. I transfer this all onto my ply marking out the ply in 200mm, then its just a matter of joining the dots and that's your stringer. Cut it out and you have a roughly cut stringer. It then goes into the boat and you can mark out the areas were you need to remove material etc. to make it sit more snug to the bottom of the hull. You can see my marks on my ply match up with the marks on the hull and for a rough fit there is nothing more then a 3-4mm gap anywhere. Once sanded and tapered it will fit nicely. You can also see how my pieces are going to fit together with the 250mm overlapping joins. I'm sure there are better ways and different ways to do this but this way works for me with what I have and I've been getting good results.

Adam Ill be a little while yet before I glue these suckers in as I have 2 more to cut out Chance Ill be gluing them in sometime on the weekend!

[Adam_G]

Thanks Mate, these are the tips I need. Still real keen to see the taper to match the hull and gluing process (poly resin or epoxy??)

I've got half the hull sanded to P320 with abranet and guide coat, if things go to plan, finish sanding and spot prime on the weekend ready for top coat the next weekend.

Adam

[burleygu]

Adam here is the run down on how I have been gluing in my stringers. Im sure people do it differently but this is how ive been attacking them.
To make the glue/paste/peanut butter/filler whatever you wish to call it I simply mix talcum powder with the resin until it turns out like peanut butter hence one of the names. you can use Johnson's baby powder normal talcum powder or you can buy talc in bulk in 20kg bags. You mix the resin and talc before you add the hardener. Someone mentioned about adding fiberglass shards into the mix to give it more strength. I agree with this if you were using it to fill holes etc. But the main focus for this is to use as a glue/filler which doesn't need to be structural as the stringers are getting fully encapsulated in fiberglass. I apply it liberally to the bottom of my stringers tapers etc then flip it over and press it into place. Once its positioned I use the over burden or left overs in the tub to form the ' fillet ' along either side of the stringer this fills any gaps and gives the fiberglass mat a nice curved edge to bend around rather then a sharp angle. Once its dried it needs a sand before you can fiberglass over the top just to ensure the glass bonds well. It dries solid as a rock as its mainly just resin the talc is purely to thicken the resin so its workable.

[Captain Seaweed]

Looking great Tim!

[Adam_G]

Thanks Mate I understand what you mean. Are you using polyester or epoxy resin for the glue??

I'm geared up to paint my little project this weekend, will update that thread once done.

Thanks
Adam

[burleygu]

Have not had much to update of late. Mainly because there has been stuff all achieved, The stringers in the right side of the boat have all been glued in. However the project has taken a little turn. More on that later.

The pushing issue atm. Is to get the trailer towable. I bought the boat from tin can bay and I opted to have it bought back to Brisbane on a tilt tray because I wasn't comfortable towing it. The trailer frame has been home made and to there credit they used nice heavy gauge C channel. However some of the welds to me are to cold and did not penetrate into the steel well enough. You can also see the angle they have welded down the center of the trailer under the cross members, when the boat is on the axles hit the angle and the trailer basically has not suspension as the axles hit the frame. Also The trailer needs more bracing in areas as well as the mudguards strengthened. It also appears that when the previous owner built the new trailer frame they re installed the cradle (springs axles wheels) backwards? What are your opinions on this? The 'eye' Of the springs is to the back of the trailer and the 'slipper' part is to the front. As far as I knew they are suppose to be the other way around?

[burleygu]

Trailer has had bracing welded over all the joins and the cradle has been removed ready to be spun back around. Hopefully have enough time tomorrow after work to get a few bits and pieces from the trailer shop then give it all a bit of a sand and a fresh coat of paint and re assemble.

[Rip it up]

Burley you can lay your fibreglass wet on wet with your bog mix if you like. Saves the sanding step.

[burleygu]

Yeah thanks mate I realize that. I never have the time to end up fiber glassing straight after I bog down the stringers As most of my work is done in the afternoons after work and its getting dark pretty quickly lately! And a 6mtr long stringer is a lot to glass in with only your own set of hands!

[Rip it up]

I know your pain burley. Try working 13hr days with 3 project boats in the shed. I have really good Neighbours that let me grind until 7:30pm. Then its resin time after that.

[burleygu]

well I have horrible neighbours that insist my power tools are faulty and it distorts there tv signal. But has absolutely nothing to do with there tv antenna being right next to my shed and point straight across it!

[tropicrows]

Tim, solve that problem by giving them earmuffs and run air tools and bloody big compressor ....;D ;D

[Nathan Tuskes]

dunno if its mean mentioned or not but i always found it easier and rememberbeing told from someone in the game to mix the resin and catalyst first thenthe talc or whatever filler your using that way its alot easier to get thecorrect mix right thru the batch then mix in your filler. i remember thosenights where i was up till mid night glassing in stringers..

[burleygu]

I have a glorious little plan that will resolve all of my issues hopefully by the weekend! But Bruce! I love your idea! Bigger compressor hmmm

[burleygu]

So doing a bit of the work on the trailer each afternoon and she is basically done and fully refurbished. I still need to put brakes on which I would of done this weekend. But Pro bar at caboolture isn't open on a Sunday so that will have to wait. As I need 2 new hubs with discs. Calipers and cable. I could get them from super cheap bcf etc. But its so easy dealing with the guys down there tell em what you want and they box it up for ya and you get home and the parts are actually right!
Will be putting the boat back on today then taking the old girl for a little drive!

[burleygu]

So after getting the trailer sorted today I took the boat for a drive. Why would you take a boat for a drive you say? Well I decided to leave the boat with a professional to get the rest of the work done. Not because I couldn't do it myself but time room space was becoming an issue at my place so this was the best solution. Plus it should be floating within 2 weeks!!!! Adam came highly recommended to me and his work certainly speaks for itself. Took a couple of photos out of his brochure. Has some very well made waterproof draws. Which Ill be getting 1 or 2 installed into the boat while he has it. I will still be updating the thread with photos most afternoons for those who are still interested. At least this way you will get some quick progress pictures!

[wags on the water]

Project looks good Tim.

[burleygu]

Looks even better now its not at my house! lol

[FisHard]

That's my style of DIY!!!

[burleygu]

So with some room finally gained back in my carport/shed, I could appreciate the work I originally put into the motor stand and removed the gearbox as I was told the motor needed a new impeller also the gear box had hardly any oil in it and what was in there was brown and horrid. Weather that's from sitting for 6+ years or a gear box seal may be faulty. but ill find out when I top it back up and flush the gear box oil a couple of times. The impeller was non existent with all fins broken off I removed all the pieces I could find However I did not find all of the impeller So I will have to make sure I've got everything.
I was Very impressed with how nice the inside of the leg was! I was amazed for a 20+ year old motor there is next to no corrosion inside the leg exhaust ports etc. The hour gauge shows 390 hours. So the motor was either flushed very well after each use or maybe used in freshwater? No seized bolts everything came undone very easily.

[burleygu]

stopped in today down at Fmi as the boys had started work on the boat. they got the transom cut out and all of the stringers I put in fully fibreglassed with chop strand wovens and 2 more layers of chop strand. The decision was also made to cut the 'wings' (transom corners) out of the transom as well. I don't think They have a huge roll in strength as the timber in the wings is only 15 mm thick. We also had a look at mustangs old thread from when he did his transom on is 1950r. But decided to do it so we could seal off the flotation tubes down the inside of the hull as originally they were only sealed by the old timber in the wings they are going to glass over the flotation tube holes before re adding the timber into the wings of the boat.

[burleygu]

Boat was on hold for a bit due to other commitments Adam had But things are well underway again. Both sides of stringers are in and are now fully glassed in full length wovens down each side of the stringer going to be 3x stronger then when it was new. Floor has also been cut out fibreglassed underneath before installing. Next step is to flow coat between all the stringers and up the sides to make under the hull completely waterproof. Once the floor is in the boys will be replacing the whole keel in the boat. Seems we may as well do it seeing as tho its this far apart. They are also going to be filling the old holes from the old toilet the exited through the front of the hull. Save me ever worrying about ball joint valve things ever leaking or corroding out. Motor has been fitted with new thermostats new water lines through the whole motor new impellar gaskets impeller base. heat wrap installed over electrical wires which I thought were to close or were touching the block.

[Chong]

Any updates Tim????
Cheers

[burleygu]

For you chongy!

Things have been slow for good reason.

Adam and his wife have just welcomed a new baby to there family so congratulations to them both!

For the last couple of days Ive been giving Adam a hand to get things back on track. We finished fitting all of the floors and making the floors for inside the cabin. Instead of having the small useless storage under the front floors I opted to just have inspection hatches installed to save the drama. We cut the inspection holes in the front and rear floors now so they can be properly sealed with fiberglass. We flow coated between all of the stringers making underneath very waterproof if any moisture is to get under the floor. Both sides of the floor has been fibreglassed prior to it being fibreglassed into the boat will be nice and solid! Once it was flow coated the floor was glued on top of the stringers on a bed of talc bog. This fills any little gaps between the floor and stringers and eliminates having to use screws which are the cause of many problems further on in its life. Once the floor was set and overspill of bog was used as a filler to fillt any gaps etc along the edge of the floor. New transom timber has been also glued in which consisted of woven glass 15mm ply 3 layers of glass then 15mm ply then another layer of glass then all glued in and clamped. Tommorow should see all of the keel being cut out ready for replacement and re design.

[Chong]

Thanks Tim,
looking great, will be good to see her on the water;D
You are a man of many skills.

By the way when you got a spare five minutes can you give us hand with this....::)::)::)

Cheers,
Chong

[burleygu]

New plywood installed as mentioned previously this was made up of glass 15mm ply 3 layers of glass 15mm ply another layer of glass then all bedded in a resin talc bog mix and clamped and left to set for a few days.

[burleygu]

So cut the keel out yesterday and polished up all of the center of the boat ready for the new keel to be cut and fitted. Cut out the flat part of the keel for which most of the early haines had. Then cut out the rear and forward bulkheads the rear bulk head had a big notched section out of it this is to allow the filler pipe for the tank etc to clear the bulkhead rather then running it through a hole. with the bulk heads cut the vertical parts of the keel could be cut to the correct lengths to fit between the bulkheads. Once everything was right it was all seated into a bed of resin/talc bog so no water can get in and around the keel. The old keel had 5-10mm gaps down along side it which would most deffinately have water sit in there. We don't want any of that this time round!

[burleygu]

After the keel was pressed into its bed of bog any other gaps were filled with bog also then the area was ready for fiber glassing the process for this was spray everything in resin, Then spray everything in chop then resin again then roller it out, Then spray in resin and apply woven cloth down and over all the critical points then spray in resin, Then spray in chop again then resin and roll out to finish removing all air bubbles. Should be nice and strong!
Im Loving the chopper gun so quick and easy!

[cobiaman]

Cant wait to see the end product tim, gonna be a great boat!

[burleygu]

cheers buddy I cant wait to see the end product aswell! shouldn't be to far off hopefully. have put some hours into it the last few days

[ozscott]

Mate - thats not going to break in a hurry! Nice job. I love seeing the oldies getting a new lease on life.

Cheers

[tropicrows]

It save heaps of time when you can get hold of a chopper gun. looking good Tim.

[burleygu]

Every bit of timber for the boat has now been cut out minus extra knees for the transom and the cabin wall fill in's. Fuel tank floor cut and glassed underneath same with the cab floor. front part of the keel glassed in today ready to be flow coated under the fuel tank will also be getting flow coated in the morning before the fuel tank floor is glued down. We also glassed under the transom well and glass it to the transom wall this provides a lot of extra strength between the top and bottom parts of the boat. If you remember the old keel design it has these horrible diagonal bits that stopped the flow of water. we removed them and put in 2 parallel pieces along side the keel to substitute for those things wont have any water sitting in there now. Tommorow should see the whole inside of the boat finished off glass wise except for little bits like cabin walls extra knees battery mounts etc.

[burleygu]

This afternoon we started off by flow coating the keel in the bottom of the boat making sure all the drain holes were fully sealed with flow coat. We also decided to flow coat the underneath sides of the cabin floor and the fuel tank floor simply because they are the closest to any moisture in the bottom of the boat, they have also been fibreglassed underneath prior to installing. The floors were both installed on a talc bog mix again so the over burden could be used for the fillet then we sprayed the whole inside of the boat!!! So everything is now fibreglassed inside except for seat bases cabin walls and extra knees on the transom. Starting to look like a boat again!

[Captain Seaweed]

Hey Tim, what is the picture 4th from the left in the top row? Looking good mate, inacse you cant see from there, I have my hand in the air for a trip out once she is done! Any expected dates to be ready or is it too hard to call? I am planning a M&G at Couran Point South Straddy and it would be great if you could make it there in the new boat.

Cheers
Marty

[burleygu]

Are you talking about this one marty?

this is under the motor well. If you imagine the top and bottom pieces of the boat the top is just glued onto the bottom down the back and all around the sides. Adam reckons that if you fiberglass under the motor well to the back transom wall it stiffens the transom up a heap. Just one extra thing he does with his work. So what you are looking at is the back keel where it attaches to the transom wall and the underneath side of the motor well.

Geeze a time! I was hoping it was going to be done by now But ill say around 3 weeks I just have to wait until Adam has time to gelcoat and finish off the transom. Ill be finishing the inside of the boat this week and will hopefully have it all flow coated by the weekend. But im deff down for a trip. New fuel tank is being made for the boat this Saturday.

[burleygu]

Started tying up all the little things this afternoon cut out the cabin wall in fills and as you can see the idea with using the original footrests to hide the join works quite well. Should have the extra transom knees battery bases cabin walls seat bases all glassed in tomorrow. The whole inside of the boat will be getting flow coated either tomorrow afternoon or Saturday!

[Captain Seaweed]

cant wait Tim, you never do things by halves!

[cobiaman]

Yea, cant wait to see the finished product!

[Jarrah Jack]

Will it be at the M&G? Hope so.

[burleygu]

which M&G mate? lol

[Escape with LG]

Wow mate somebody has been working hard.... looks solid. Top effort buddy.

Are you not bangging a new 4stroke on her straight up????

[burleygu]

Nah Luke the old mariner will get a few runs! Tidy motor for its age when it starts giving me dramas it will be replaced. With all the work we have done to the transom it will easy take up to 225hp

[burleygu]

Finished off fiber glassing inside the boat today cabin walls glassed in another bulkhead up front glassed in and extra knees on the transom added for strength for eventual motor upgrade. We made the extra knees go over all corners of the motor well to provide maximum strength. I was going to put square seat bases in the boat also but I decided Im not going to use the original seats as they are to big and bulky. Just take up to much room. So the inside just needs to be sanded out tomorrow then its ready for all the inside to flow coated with a heap of non skid on the floors.

[Escape with LG]

Nah Luke the old mariner will get a few runs! Tidy motor for its age when it starts giving me dramas it will be replaced. With all the work we have done to the transom it will easy take up to 225hp

Wicked. ...... keep it comming mate its looking like a top rebuild.

[Jarrah Jack]

which M&G mate? lol

THE one Tim at 1770.

[burleygu]

THE one Tim at 1770.


Don't know if it will be going up there mate. Will be using it for river to mud if its on this year tho.

[burleygu]

Late start this morning But I managed to get all of the inside sanded taking off all the fiber glass needles everywhere ready to apply flow coat gave the inside a good clean got rid of all the dust etc. Also cut out the fuel tank floor cover and the front storage cover and glassed both sides so I can flow coat these when I do inside the boat as well the front storage compartment was where the dunny use to be. Ive just gone with drop in floors as I want to eliminate the need for hinges and screws. But its starting to feel like a boat again!

[Shark Poker]

Looks good.

[burleygu]

Well doesn't a quick coat of paint make something look a lot better!

Flow coated the inside of the boat today!!!!

If you are wondering why there are 2 large spots I missed, Well that area I am going to tape off both sides and on the fuel tank cover and flow coat them grey with a heap of non skid in them give it a bit of a 2 toned affect to break up all the white. So that will hopefully happen tomorrow.

[Bull]

Looking great Tim

[burleygu]

Finished off flow coating the inside of the boat this afternoon Taped off the areas I wanted to paint a different color and made sure the flow coat had lots of non skid in it came out great. Not to harsh on the feet and plenty grippy enough when wet.

[cobiaman]

Looks fantastic tim!

[Apollo]

That is coming up a treat. You are proving yourself to be a very useful mammal and nothing like what the others said about you when you left the bar early at 1770.

Steve

[cobiaman]

That is coming up a treat. You are proving yourself to be a very useful mammal and nothing like what the others said about you when you left the bar early at 1770.

Steve

Tim doesnt need to know what people were calling him after he left that night....

[Tangles]

Tim she is coming up a treat mate, wish i had the skills to do something like this, will be a credit to you

Mike

[Boat Hog]

Looking great Tim. Damn near enough a new boat now!

Cheers,

[burleygu]

I can take the criticism its ok.

Thanks guys its getting there slowly. Absolutely everything under your feet in this boat is new, The top will fall apart around the rest of it. Started back working on the transom this afternoon. Its the last thing on the list. Then a lot of cutting and polishing to get a shine back into the old girl. James from origin boats will have my new fuel tank done this week. So that will be installed once its completed. Also Sikaflexd all the inspection hatches in as well. Didn't use screws in these just a lot of sika with some weight on top until it set.

[tropicrows]

Looking good Tim, very nice.

[Chong]

I can take the criticism its ok.

Thanks guys its getting there slowly. .

Tim,
that looks like crap, I hate grey and white, change it change it f#%&$ change it !!! and for f@%) sake hurry the f#% up!!...I’m sick of reading how bloody good you are at fixing f&#&( * boats, now get a job and another thong for that matter...


Love,
Chong
:):):):):)

[tropicrows]

Well said Chong, you said what I was thinking and was too afraid to say.

[thelump]

Righto I'll ask. Whats that post lookin thingy at the back?

[tropicrows]

I'll take a guess, and say that's where the power cables will run thru. I did that on my rebuild, mounted the batteries under the port seat and ran the cables back to junction box under the transom. But then again i could be way off the mark.

[burleygu]

With chongs kind words and encouragement! We got all the transom glassed in today! Because we tackled the transom from the outside The transom had to be done in steps- Glass inner transom wall to make stronger, Make new transom timbers and laminate together. Glue and clamp transom timbers in place etc etc. Once all that was completed you are left with around 7mm to glass up or as we did, Used the old transom skin and glued and screwed it to the new transom timbers until it set. This can only be done if the old transom skin is in good condition and has no osmosis in the fiber glass. To lay it up with new glass is just a messy time consuming process for no real extra gain. Once the old skin was glued in and set we polished all the joins out to fiberglass everything back together. We also bored out the engine well drain holes to a 35mm hole and glassed inside them to make them fully sealed. We also fiberglassed over the top of the transom and into the motor well to fully seal the transom and also add extra strength. Tommorow involves sanding the transom back ready for gelcoat.

[burleygu]

It is actually a tube to release air from under the hull when coming up onto the plane. I heard it was a design flaw in these boats that the back of the hull would suck to the water and that was the solution. The underneath of the boat has a pod like design which can cause suction I guess. it goes through the bottom of the hull to the water. So we were thinking of extending it and making it a drain/berley hole from the baitboard.

[tropicrows]

It is actually a tube to release air from under the hull when coming up onto the plane. I heard it was a design flaw in these boats that the back of the hull would suck to the water and that was the solution. The underneath of the boat has a pod like design which can cause suction I guess. it goes through the bottom of the hull to the water. So we were thinking of extending it and making it a drain/berley hole from the baitboard.

Well who would have guessed that.

[burleygu]

Transom all sanded back with small amounts of filler applied to get a completely flat smooth surface. Its just about ready to be sprayed in gelcoat then its fit out time!!! wooo hooo

[Spaniard_King]

Tim, It's almost worthy of a Honda on the back :)

[burleygu]

I know Garry! You just need to find me one of those low hour cheap models! ;) 150-200 horsies should do it! Putting the old 150 2 stroke mariner back on her for a bit. See how it goes

[burleygu]

So the transom is all finished! Adam finished it off for me doing the gelcoat etc and boy did it come up like a shiny sheet of glass! Does awesome work Highly recommend Adam from Fmi at caboolture. Also decided to put a 12mm thick nylon motor backing plate on and got the motor all bolted back up this afternoon! Plenty of white marine grade sika to seal everything off. Excavator made easy work of it. Actually starting to look like a boat again! Possibly on the water lets say Monday.

[juggernaut]

Whats the thinking behing the nylon backing plate - reduce vibrations?

[Spaniard_King]

Whats the thinking behing the nylon backing plate - reduce vibrations?

If applied correctly aides in sealing the transom, reduces vibration and reduces wear on the actual glass.

[burleygu]

Whats the thinking behing the nylon backing plate - reduce vibrations?

My main reason for it was so the motor did not damage the glass or gelcoat on the transom and as Garry mentioned you ensure a really good seal around your bolt holes through the transom.

[Jarrah Jack]

I've always wondered how those boats perform with that strange rear end. John Haines moved away from them to the variable dead rise of today. He certainly liked to experiment to find that ideal of easy planing, good ride and stability at rest.

Just late night pondering Tim. He did a similar thing to that pole with the 21ft HH ski boat.My mate had the mould and couldn't get the boats work well until he put in a tube between the bottom and the transom.

[juggernaut]

If applied correctly aides in sealing the transom, reduces vibration and reduces wear on the actual glass.

I've seen them used on Ali boats too so thought it was something to do with vibration.

[burleygu]

Brand spanking new aluminum fuel tank Thanks to James from Origin Boats!

Motor was fired up today running good pumping water no alarms etc. Windscreen and a bit more boat fit out tomorrow then possibly a Monday arvo test run!

[Spaniard_King]

I've always wondered how those boats perform with that strange rear end. John Haines moved away from them to the variable dead rise of today. He certainly liked to experiment to find that ideal of easy planing, good ride and stability at rest.

Just late night pondering Tim. He did a similar thing to that pole with the 21ft HH ski boat.My mate had the mould and couldn't get the boats work well until he put in a tube between the bottom and the transom.

JJ the HH did never have the stepped back it was the 21 Signature ski boats with the tunnel from the bottom to the transom, I know this because we used to reg 3 boats every 18 Months for Sea World and I had to cut the holes out double the size from how they came from the factory

Tim I would channel that tube outside the hull some how??

[Swanie1975]

My old signature 1950 had the same tube and when backing down the water was impressive and very unnerving to watch as it boiled up the tube and rapidly entered the boat! I did it a few times to freak newbies on board out - used to get a good laugh out of it.

Taped it up once from underneath and then couldn't get on the plane at all. Tricky bit of thinking.

It's been awesome watching this rebuild progress and will no doubt be an awesome rig when finished. Thanks for taking the time to post it all up.

Cheers Ryan

[burleygu]

Guys the tube is getting extended eventually up through the back deck and will be incorporated into the bait board for a berley and scraps shoot. Its there so I may aswell utilize it. Picked up a furuno 620 today and a hds 7 aswell as a lowrance sonic hub which should arrive in a few days. The hardest bit Is going to be getting a shine back into the old girl! not looking forward to the polishing!

[Chimo]

Looking really good. One question tho, did you fit teflon spacers under the tank to sit it up off the frp base> If not consider doing it IMHO. My ss tank in the Vagabond didnt get them fitted when built and holes did develop in the bottom. Tank now has teflon spacers, much more better!

Cheers
Chimo

[burleygu]

Thanks Chimo The tank was sat on 3 strips of thin rubber matting running parallel with the boat so that water can still drain out from under the tank.

[tropicrows]

Tim,

Can you empty the fuel tank if needed. I fitted a threaded plug to the top of mine, so if needed it could be removed and the fuel siphoned out easily. The floor was fitted with a plastic screw cap over the top of the tanks threaded plug.

[burleygu]

Bruce if I need to empty the fuel tank Ill just remove the filler hose and drain fuel from that. Hopefully I wont have to remove it for sometime. No fuel sender in this tank Ill be running a fuel flow meter through the lowrance

[burleygu]

Well Its pretty much a boat again! Only needs the wiring electronics and new seats installed. Unfortunately I did not have time to take it for a run this afternoon as I went for a drive and picked up some new second hand seats to replace the bulky seat boxes that use to be in there. Just have to order some seat pedestals. Boat is still covered in dust and still needs a polish but I have been avoiding that!

[cobiaman]

Sweet tim, cant wait to see it!

[burleygu]

Unfortunately! I did not receive my seat pedestals this week, So seats will have to wait until next week. I still need to fiber glass bases on for the seats but need to wait for the pedestals to arrive so I know what the bolt pattern is exactly. Did all the wiring today dual batterys all new cables terminals etc. The only thing I re used was the dual battery switch and guess what? Its stuffed! Doesn't work in some positions so will have to change that out. Installed the Lowrance Hds7 It is a combo unit however it will just be used as a gps. Also Installed the furuno 620 I picked this unit up second hand for a steal! with a brand new 600kw Airmar transducer. The only thing it didn't come with was a mounting bracket as it was flush mounted. So I made up a rough bracket and flow coated it not overly pretty but it does the job for the time being. Don't think I could get a much bigger sounder under the windscreen either. Also through in a Lowrance Sonic hub. I debated about doing this or Installing a separate stereo Both have there Pro's and Con's. But I am really impressed with the speed of the sonic hub through the Hds and the sound it puts out. IT PUMPS!!! The only thing I dislike atm Is the Perspex cabin door. The thing is going to rattle and shake like no tomorrow! Would love a nice stained timber one? Anyone know anybody who is in that line of work? I don't have the patients for good timber work.

[Jarrah Jack]

You did all that in one day ? Sheesh it would've taken Murf and I a week. The perils of bio.

I do timber work but you're a bit far away although I'll be coming through soon. Do you have any plans drawn up?

[burleygu]

Don't have any plans drawn up as such Jack But I am dam certain this boat would of originally had a timber door in it as all the other 1850 and 1950l's I have seen had timber doors. Id say the one in this boat rotted out and they got a Perspex one made when the windscreen was replaced as it seems to be the same material.

[Jarrah Jack]

Those slats are a real bugger to do well. Where's Finga with his cnc when you need him?

[burleygu]

Well took the boat for a test run today! What a bloody nice day! To flat to really test the boat out. Unfortunately the rpm gauge had stopped working I must have knocked a wire off of it yesterday. But the boat did 58klms top speed. (gps speed) Didn't sound like it was revving to hard. Was a very quiet motor in the water. We ran the motor non stop for 50 minutes pretty well at speed everywhere. Which in turn used around 20ltrs of fuel. As I only had a 25 ltr tank off my tinny hooked up to it. Boat was very stable with 2 guys standing on 1 side etc. The boat also got onto the plane effortlessly did it with ease Also never looked like any water was coming up the tube or anything silly like that. I also noticed the springs on the trailer are to light, the previous owner installed these but they will have to be upgraded before I tow the boat any distance. Very happy with its first run. Only problem was the rpm gauge? Which is not a big deal! Very happy the boat has gotten to this stage in the amount of time it has. All I need to do is try and get the trailer RWC and then registered. And she's useable! WOO HOO!

[Shark Poker]

Congratulations.
Looks like a really nice fitout, and the entire project to this stage in only 13 weeks.
13 weeks is inspiring. Some of us, me included, need to pull our fingers out.....
Pauly

[tropicrows]

Tim I am truly impressed, good work buddy.

[Tangles]

Tim

thats awesome mate, will you whacking on a rocket launcher and clears sometime?

mike

[Chong]

about bloody time......;)

Luv ya work mate, looks great, should be very pleased with yourself, job well done...hip hip....:)
Cheers

[burleygu]

Cheers boys! Mike rocket launcher and a canopy is a definite. However I will be putting the money towards a brand new trailer first off. This trailer only has those small wheels and isn't really a drive on drive off trailer which is what you want for a boat this size. Im working on getting this trailer registered this week and only using it for a few months until I know the motor and boat are fine. Then I will fork out the $$$ for a new trailer. I am hoping the trailer will tow down to horizon shores without any dramas for Martys straddie thing. So you can all pester me about why I haven't polished it yet!

[Horse]

That's got to be a record refurb. Great work Tim

[burleygu]

Ended up getting the trailer Registered this week. What a saga! cost me another $700 bucks just on parts for the trailer new disc hubs calipers led lights new springs all round. I ended up getting a rwc for the trailer which it turned out I didn't need. If a trailer has never been registered before you do not need a rwc? Even for something home made. Had me baffled. Had to go to Qld transport twice as the first day I went there system was down. But anyway all registered and useable.
Fiber glassed the seat bases in this weekend. Ideally it would of been best to do this before we flow coated the floor however I didn't have the seats and before I glassed anything in I needed the seat to check clearances so that they could swivel all the way around. I made the bolts protrude up through the seat base so that I did not have to screw or drill into the seat base making it completely water proof. The heads of the bolts where counter sunk and set in with bog so they will not spin. Much happier with these seats and the pedestals as It makes the boat feel a little bit roomier then what it really is. The old seats boxes just took up to much room and weren't practical for a fishing set up.

[tropicrows]

Ended up getting the trailer Registered this week. What a saga! cost me another $700 bucks just on parts for the trailer new disc hubs calipers led lights new springs all round. I ended up getting a rwc for the trailer which it turned out I didn't need. If a trailer has never been registered before you do not need a rwc? Even for something home made. Had me baffled. Had to go to Qld transport twice as the first day I went there system was down. But anyway all registered and useable.
Fiber glassed the seat bases in this weekend. Ideally it would of been best to do this before we flow coated the floor however I didn't have the seats and before I glassed anything in I needed the seat to check clearances so that they could swivel all the way around. I made the bolts protrude up through the seat base so that I did not have to screw or drill into the seat base making it completely water proof. The heads of the bolts where counter sunk and set in with bog so they will not spin. Much happier with these seats and the pedestals as It makes the boat feel a little bit roomier then what it really is. The old seats boxes just took up to much room and weren't practical for a fishing set up.


Tim, don't think QLD transport know what going on. Twice I have rang them about the rego on my new trailer and twice I have gotten a different story. The second time I was told I had to get a rwc even know the trailer is brand new and I have an import approval....? Looks like I need to make another phone call.

[Muddy Toes]

You don't need a RWC Bruce if it's brand new.......you just need to have the VIN registered in Canberra before the boat lands so you can register it when you walk in. Small trailer import approval I think its called.......download and send in, but it HAS to be in before the trailer lands.

[tropicrows]

You don't need a RWC Bruce if it's brand new.......you just need to have the VIN registered in Canberra before the boat lands so you can register it when you walk in. Small trailer import approval I think its called.......download and send in, but it HAS to be in before the trailer lands.

I have all that now (VIN registered in Canberra, permit to import), etc etc. but like I said QLD transport have no idea.

[Apollo]

Bruce

My trailer was brand new when I brought it in under the BR176 and it didn't need to be rwc. You do need to take it to a QT that do inspection though. Depending where you go, it can be from a full inspection to a walk around and kick of a tyre or two. Suggest we talk prior so you know what they will be looking for on an import trailer.

Cheers
Steve

[burleygu]

Definitely don't need a rwc Bruce! I was spewing I went to the trouble of getting one waste of $50 bucks! It says on the new vehicle application form that a new or trailer that has never been registered before is exempt from providing a rwc. You will however have to take the trailer in to transport to get measured etc. The boat on it should be fine. However Ive had some places that think its an issue.

[burleygu]

Test run number 2!
Decided to take the boat for another run today by myself ensure it all works before next weekend. Found out the new fuel tank is around 200ltrs. Ended up putting in at bribie and was going to run around the passage a bit. Went down the southern end of bribie to have a play in some chop. I must say this boat is as solid as a rock! It ended up getting the better of me and I ran over to tangalooma and back. Thought I may as well give it a good test. Went good there and back. I definitely think the carbies need an overhaul. Few flat spots in the rev range etc.

[MrNanks]

Hi Burleygum.

It is looking great. Were you on the bay around Mud Island on Sunday morning ?

I thought remembered seeing a similar boat.

Cheers Dave

[Chimo]

Excellent outcome, you have to be happy with that!

I'll see it in the flesh on Saturday by which time you wil have had a chance to detail the outside to match the great internal works!

Cheers
Chimo

[2IC]

Wow nice photos Tim you should have no problems getting to the M&G will the boat be up to a Break sea spit run in November??????

[burleygu]

Excellent outcome, you have to be happy with that!

I'll see it in the flesh on Saturday by which time you wil have had a chance to detail the outside to match the great internal works!

Cheers
Chimo

Hahaha detail the outside? I still have 1000 things to do on the inside its a useable work in progress ATM. 100's of things to do. But at this stage should be down at straddie! I'll be the guy doing 80klms down the highway. Trailer doesn't like towing over 90 gets the sways up.

[Chimo]

Not coming by sea?

[burleygu]

Ill be heading to straddie by sea! I have to drive down to horizon shores from morayfield first off tho. At this stage Im taking the haines. Its useable but needs things like windscreen fastenings finished some wiring finished deck wash plumbing needs to be finished cosmetic trimmings inside need finishing some areas I intend to carpet then trim the edges foot rests need installing rod holders needs installing plus a bait board numerous old holes need to be filled and fiberglassed and the list goes on!

Bill unsure about a break sea spit trip. I don't think I could carry enough fuel! lol. Id be very interested to know what it used today. I estimate I probably did 60-70klms today running around.

[burleygu]

Hi Burleygum.

It is looking great. Were you on the bay around Mud Island on Sunday morning ?

I thought remembered seeing a similar boat.

Cheers Dave

Dave wasn't me mate! This is only the second time Ive had the boat in the water since buying it. First test run was in the caboolture river last weekend. And then today. The motor is going to need a carbie overhaul and a tune I would say. It sat for anywhere from 3-5 years without being used. So just slowly building up my confidence in it bit by bit