V17 Haines rebuild - about to start

[matt fraser]

I'm just about ready to hook into my first fibreglass boat rebuild. My wife is still shaking her head. When I first bought it home my 5 year old boy asked if it was a shipwreck! My mates also think I have rocks in my head, but I can see the beauty in this hull. Plus its nice to read and hear all the good reviews on the old Haines V17 hulls.

The main incentive for getting this boat, and doing this project is that I spent a lot of time this summer past on the bay. I endured regular drenchings in bone jarring trips in my 4.75m tinny. So I want to get this boat on the water by December to enjoy the bay more next summer. The budget is limited, so I'll be doing most of it myself. Plus I love a challenge.

I've been searching the forums and learnt heaps from ausfish and past rebuilds. I look forward to sharing the rebuild on here, and will be relying on the collective experience from Ausfishers to help me through this one.

Last weekend I took to it with various tools to remove carpet, console, fuel tank, bow rails, gunwhale rubbers and various fittings. Now I have it back to the floor, and a big pile of junk to take to the dump.

What I've exposed so far is that the floor, stringers and transom seem sound. But the raised front floor and supports are rotten out and weak. So I will get into that next weekend.

So many questions I need to ask, I'll start with some hull design questions I've been thinking about.

1. Should I mess with a classic hull? I've read several reviews about how tender the V17s are at rest. Looking at the hull, I reckon building a big reverse chine starting from the highest strake would stabilise the hull considerably. Yet leave it with still a massive V. See the pic where I've coloured in a reverse chine on the left. Any thoughts? Has anyone tried or seen this done?

2. Pods - I want to put a Yamaha 115 4 stoke on it, should I consider a full width pod about 18inches long.

Check out the pics you can see how it was, and what I ripped out so far.

Cheers,

Matt

[dodgyone]

I honestly wouldnt mess with the hull design at all. 17r have a fantastic shape and I doubt you could improve it without taking away what makes it so good.
Im running a 150 Evinrude and that a fair bit of weight over the arse end. You can really feel it and it wont hold a slow plane.
Getting your fuel forward will help a bit though.
Will be following your project closely. Its what I want to do to mine if I had the time and confidence in my abilities to finish the job properly.

[Midnight]

Gday,
The reverse chine will make it bang like ya tinnie, well not as bad as ya tinnie, but it will make it bang all the same. The V17 hulls are a good thing.

Leave the hull shape as it is, you will get used to the rock n roll, and it will be worth it when you dont have buggered knees and a sore back at the end of the day.

Just be careful of putting too much weight on its bum too.

It will be a good thing, and your tinnie and itss aweful ride will be long forgotten hahaha

Have fun with it!

Cheers,
Myles

[Steeler]

Dodgy is right,you would be hard pressed to improve to what is still to this day one of the best hulls ever made in around this size.

I wish you all the very best and i too will look foward to your updates.

Steeler

[STUIE63]

I am another vote not to change the hull it is a classic because it is so good . one mod I would do is put trim tabs on it .
Stuie

[trueblue]

I have big reverse chines on my glass boat, and they are good and bloody bad at the same time.

very stable at rest, and great in smooth and semi choppy water. get out in the rough stuff head on though and it can be bone jarring.

cheers

Mick

[matt fraser]

Thanks everyone so far, that is a very resounding response, so I will go with that and just worry about the internals.

Apart from the fuel tank, I'll also have two big 130amp batteries and a livewell, so I will have to try and keep as much of this weight forward as possible.

Oh, any thoughts on a pod?

Cheers,

Matt

[JB]

All the best Matt, shes a big job . Can't wait to see it progress. I have limited knowlege about hull shapes, but i agree that changing a classic design sounds very risky. How will it cope with the weight of a 115 yammy?

Jas

[FNQCairns]

Nice find! I am going to go against the flow and say to make it exactly as you please, don't stand on tradition leave that to those blokes who have the cash to hand the boat over to someone then get it back like new.

You will find that hull does have a buoyancy problem at the rear compared to modern wide bodied/variable deadrise hulls (variable deadrise is how they pull the wide body's off). That hull is fine for 1 bloke to be in corner but when gaffing and when 2 in tight in choppy conditions it can be unsettling.

if it where my hull I would without doubt fit a half or even 3/4 pod that is also a hull extension...a well designed one would turn the hull into a real weapon...the length to width ratio would be even better and then there is the buoyancy and extra room available.

I would also consider (only of a pod is added) making the CC a rear CC, can be a little wetter but a person gets home from a day on the water in very fine shape.....on the body the boat feels like riding a cushion much like a boat double the length.

Good hull and i look forward to updates.

Here is one I did earlier, bertram 18 hull type...never finished it I changed long term plans because as luck would have at the time it fuel started it's crazy rise in price before I got it 2/3 done.

http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/p...t,p,28,00.html

[FNQCairns]

Nice find! I am going to go against the flow and say to make it exactly as you please, don't stand on tradition leave that to those blokes who have the cash to hand the boat over to someone then get it back like new.

You will find that hull does have a buoyancy problem at the rear compared to modern wide bodied/variable deadrise hulls (variable deadrise is how they pull the wide body's off). That hull is fine for 1 bloke to be in corner but when gaffing and when 2 in tight in choppy conditions it can be unsettling.

if it where my hull I would without doubt fit a half or even 3/4 pod that is also a hull extension...a well designed one would turn the hull into a real weapon...the length to width ratio would be even better and then there is the buoyancy and extra room available.

I would also consider (only of a pod is added) making the CC a rear CC, can be a little wetter but a person gets home from a day on the water in very fine shape.....on the body the boat feels like riding a cushion much like a boat double the length.

Good hull and i look forward to updates.

Here is one I did earlier, bertram 18 hull type...never finished it I changed long term plans because as luck would have at the time it fuel started it's crazy rise in price before I got it 2/3 done.

http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/p...t,p,28,00.html

PS just ignore the family' , my wife refused to call the one above a 'boat' only ever a 'float' because that's all it was ever capable of and my boating/fishing/4wd trips according to her I have another "man date" coming up. My 5 yo daughter has since repeated this in class too.......sheesh!

[Jarrah Jack]

I saw a 16r on the water once that had the transom we worked to make it full height and a stainless bracket to take the motor, a 90 yam. The poor thing was well down in the arse with the extra leaverage of the bracket out from the transom...If you go with a pod you would need as much extra bouyancy as you can get with your narrow hull.

You've already done well if you don't have any rot in the floor, stringers and transom. Just keep water well away from em during the rebuild cause once the rot starts..............Love those hulls..

[dodgyone]

If you do decide to go with the pod it would definately be worth following the lines of the hull as already suggested. Really need the floatation back there. Love the idea of a rear centre console as long as you can get the weight balance right. Will end up being a mini cigarette style hull. Don't turn hard corners so well but awesome into the swell. Then maybe bump the hp up to 150 and hang on.

[matt fraser]

FNQ - thanks for that info and the link, looks like you were nearly done on that boat... "Man date"... that would have gone down well with the teacher!

JJ and dodgy, yeah I reckon a full pod will be the go, 150hp would be nice....But I reckon 115hp will do the job.

Righto next questions - Tools?

I've got a decent jigsaw, but my 5" grinder and 1/3 sheet sander are all but stuffed (Ozito - good for one or two jobs) but I'm going to invest in a new 4 or 5 " grinder and sander for the job.

Any recommendations on particular grinders and sanders, and what sort of cutting wheels, discs, sanding sheets etc.

Or other tools that will make the job as easy as possible.

I'm hoping to take out the front floor and some of the rear floor for inspection this weekend - and probably take it off the trailer.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[Steeler]

Hey Matt.I reckon FNQ should give you a hand and have it knocked over in a couple of weekends LOL.

Steeler

[FNQCairns]

Hey Matt.I reckon FNQ should give you a hand and have it knocked over in a couple of weekends LOL.

Steeler

Yeah good one Steeler thanks for steping back

Never, never ever will i ever never, never ever do it again, hope I didn't understate my position