Rebuilding Cuddy Cab

[Fishin_Dan]

I've got to replace the floor in my 4.3 Cuddy cab in the near future, and am also going to completely remodel the cabin at the same time. It's certainly going to be a big task...

The work I'm looking at doing is as follows:-

* Rip out floor
* Replace any timber in floor structure that needs replacing
* Put in some foam flotation
* Possibly put in an under floor fuel tank
* Redesign interior of cabin
* Move the anchor well from inside cabin to outside (And adjust the cabin hatch to suit)
* Put in new cabin interior, and new floor
* Bulk up transom (After removing motor)
* Build in some side packets right along cabin sides
* Paint the inside of the boat
* Carpet interior
* Respray the outside of the hull
* Replace the rubber strips around the hull
* Replace windscreen
* Put on a canopy
* Fix the trailer, etc, etc, etc.....

It's a never ending list!

And while all this work is going on, I hope to get River City Marine to go right over my motor and get it running 110% (As opposed to the 95% it is now)

But, I have a few questions about all this work, and am hoping that some of you guys who've done this all before can give me some info:-

1) From what I've read on here, 12mm ply seems to be the stuff to use. Is this correct? It would all be sealed with resin/fibreglass.
2) What sort of foam flotation should I look at? And any advice on where to get it cheap...
3) Is perspex better than glass for the windscreen? My thoughts would be yes.
4) Am I better off painting the outside of the hull with 2Pac paint, or re-flowcoating?

If there is any other ideas/tips/tricks/info that anyone has to share, please let me know. I'm frustrated as hell that the boats been sitting in the garage without being used for so long, and I just want to make sure I get this done well.

Thanks for any info you can give!

[tengals123]

you can do heaps with that boat.
1. 12mm ply is a good start and should be sufficant.
2. addition of foam is a good thing. depaending on how much your using, you can by it in cans from bunnings or 2 part from a trade counter.
3. I used perspex for mine coz it was ALOT cheaper. I would have prefered glass. Perspex is cheaper to replace, but scratches easy. Glass is also heavier.
4. I 2packed 'rolled and tipped looks great. don't know how it will hold up though.

I have heaps tips and tricks, let me know if i can help.

cheers

[NQCairns]

G'Day Dan, being someone who took on one of these projects and didn't know he was biting off more than he really wanted to chew I have some advice and questions.
Dont work the fun and use of the boat around the rebuilding - work the rebuilding around the fishing/boating.
Is the style and size of hull one that you will still want to own in 5 or 10 years because it will be like cutting of your arm selling it after possibly 500 odd hours of blood sweat and tears (yep done each) and besides only fairly classic styles of hull will see you break even if sold.
It is amazingly satisfying if you have a passion for boats and boating but I wouldnt want to ever do it again.

Multiply your common sense estimation both the cost and time by a factor of near 5 because after all the other stuff and sundrys needed to see the job progress are done a factor of 5 might even be an underestimation .

There is heaps more and anyone who finishes one of these could probably write a small book, feel free to email me any questions and if I have come across it and can help I will try.

The internet was my saving resource without it every second step would have been a blind step, check out iboats project boats forum, scream and fly fibreglass forum, fibreglastics and a few others you can search up also that were a continual saving grace including Ausfish, actually the reports section continues to be a big motivational help .good luck with it, nq

[gavsgonefishing]

Make sure its the right boat for you, cause after you poor the money in you want to be happy with it, I dont believe its a cost effective exercise, but I do believe it is a satisfying exercise.

I used 9mm ply with supports every 600mm, both sides had two layers of glass.

If you are going to put the floatation in, I would make sure there is absolutely no chance of water getting into that cavity

Its basic stuff, but before you start spend a fair bit of time figuring exactly what you want to achieve, these things have a tendancy of ending up bigger than big.

If the budget is a factor do a bit of homework on the materials, you would be surprised on how they amount up, and that is before you start adding the shiny bits! (4.3 mtr boat I used almost 3 rolls of 450, lost count at 8 20 ltr drums of resin, you get the picture)

Research was another big factor, there is a lot of easier smarter ways of doing things, but you useually find out after youve done it the hard way.

hope it helps, looking forward to the progree reports

[blaze]

yep I argree with NQ and Gav, I think while your doing it and maybe for a while later you will wish you had never started (theres a lot of 90% project boats about, people couldnt get that last 10% finished), but it I certainly be YOUR pride and joy.
Only thing I will add is it will be cheaper to go and buy the boat you want.
want lots of pic's
cheers
blaze

[Fishin_Dan]

Hey guys. You 4 were the ones I had in mind that would answer, and I've been reading all of your posts over and over to try to get as much info as I could about this project.

The big advantage I have is that my cousin is a cabinet maker & glassy, and after speaking to him, reckons I can replace the whole floor for just over the $400 mark! Also, I can get the wood at trade price... Every saving certainly helps! The outside re-coating and other small jobs "cosmetically" are easy to do, and can be done over time.

I went and spoke to the boat shop yesterday, and they are certainly looking after me! They're going to run a few tests on the motor and give it a quick check over and come up with a list of things that will need to be done to get the motor up to scratch again.

I understand that it will be cheaper to just buy another boat, but when it comes down to it, a) I don't have that money up front b) I really like this boat c) There is as much chance that another boat will have just as many issues & d) I love the idea of doing the work, and having a boat that is setup how I want it.

You guys have all done this before, and I appreciate all your help. Please bear with me if I ask you all 1 million questions with what may seem common sense or trivial to you. I've done a fair bit of cabinet making in the past, so the work itself is not hard, it's just the matter of making it "marine proof" that I'm not 100% sure on...

There will certainly be many many photos. I might even create a word document with photos and all the details in it. Then possibly post that up here, or email it to whoever wants it.

I'll reply to each message to cover all your responses....

[Fishin_Dan]

you can do heaps with that boat.
1. 12mm ply is a good start and should be sufficant.
2. addition of foam is a good thing. depaending on how much your using, you can by it in cans from bunnings or 2 part from a trade counter.
3. I used perspex for mine coz it was ALOT cheaper. I would have prefered glass. Perspex is cheaper to replace, but scratches easy. Glass is also heavier.
4. I 2packed 'rolled and tipped looks great. don't know how it will hold up though.

I have heaps tips and tricks, let me know if i can help.

cheers

1) After reading a lot of the previous threads on this topic, I plan on glassing the ply completely, so it is completely sealed. Hopefully by doing this, the floor will outlast me!
2) What was the foam you used? Is it just the "expanding foam" you can buy in aerosol cans? Or was it a different one?
3) That was ultimately what I was thinking. It seems that Perspex is probably the way I will go.
4) Any info you could give me on this process would be great. You can email me at daniel@redmap.net

Your project has been one of the big deciders on me doing this. I've been logging on to the site every week or so to check the progress!

[Fishin_Dan]

G'Day Dan, being someone who took on one of these projects and didn't know he was biting off more than he really wanted to chew I have some advice and questions.
Dont work the fun and use of the boat around the rebuilding - work the rebuilding around the fishing/boating.
Is the style and size of hull one that you will still want to own in 5 or 10 years because it will be like cutting of your arm selling it after possibly 500 odd hours of blood sweat and tears (yep done each) and besides only fairly classic styles of hull will see you break even if sold.
It is amazingly satisfying if you have a passion for boats and boating but I wouldnt want to ever do it again.

Multiply your common sense estimation both the cost and time by a factor of near 5 because after all the other stuff and sundrys needed to see the job progress are done a factor of 5 might even be an underestimation .

There is heaps more and anyone who finishes one of these could probably write a small book, feel free to email me any questions and if I have come across it and can help I will try.

The internet was my saving resource without it every second step would have been a blind step, check out iboats project boats forum, scream and fly fibreglass forum, fibreglastics and a few others you can search up also that were a continual saving grace including Ausfish, actually the reports section continues to be a big motivational help .good luck with it, nq

Cheers NQ. I've seen a lot of posts about this topic from all 4 of you on previous threads, and I was really hoping you would all find this thread! Hopefully you will all keep it bookmarked and post as much info as possible! The whole idea of buying a boat in the first place was to go fishing (isn't it always!!!), so I am trying to work out the steps I need to do to a) Get the boat fixed up properly and b) Order the steps correctly, so that I can be using it for fishing while I continue to do the upgrades. The motor is essentially number 1, with the floor number 2. Everything else can then occur after that (While I'm catching those big fish!!! ). It's good to hear that I am at least a little on the right track, even if I do have my head screwed on wrong for starting this thing!!!!

I'm lucky that I have a few people around who have knowledge on this, and have done it all before. My cousin will certainly come in handy, and Bayrage>Nisrol (Andy) has already helped immensly! That also includes guys like you who help out people they don't really know with as much info as they could need!

Cheers.

[Fishin_Dan]

Make sure its the right boat for you, cause after you poor the money in you want to be happy with it, I dont believe its a cost effective exercise, but I do believe it is a satisfying exercise.

I used 9mm ply with supports every 600mm, both sides had two layers of glass.

If you are going to put the floatation in, I would make sure there is absolutely no chance of water getting into that cavity

Its basic stuff, but before you start spend a fair bit of time figuring exactly what you want to achieve, these things have a tendancy of ending up bigger than big.

If the budget is a factor do a bit of homework on the materials, you would be surprised on how they amount up, and that is before you start adding the shiny bits! (4.3 mtr boat I used almost 3 rolls of 450, lost count at 8 20 ltr drums of resin, you get the picture)

Research was another big factor, there is a lot of easier smarter ways of doing things, but you useually find out after youve done it the hard way.

hope it helps, looking forward to the progree reports

For me, the baot suits 100%. It is small enough to be manageable, but big enough to get me where I want to fish. I was restricted by space when I bought the boat as I live in a unit, and it had to fit behind the girl's car. I did however want the cuddy cab, so it was perfect for what I wanted. The boat is extremely stable, and one of the best riding boats I've been in. I have thought about replacing the boat, but ultimately, I'm a sucker for getting myself into fun (read Stupid ) situations with projects like this!

I'm looking to completley seal the "under floor" area. I'll glass in the floor completely so that no water should be able to get in. All the stringers/supports that go into the hull will be sealed as well, so that the only thing that would get wet if water did get in there would be the foam. However it shouldn't get in!

I'm hoping to do this in a step-by-step manner so that I get it usable firstly, then step through the project to come out the end with a boat that is exactly what I want, but I've used and enjoyed the whole way through.

[Fishin_Dan]

yep I argree with NQ and Gav, I think while your doing it and maybe for a while later you will wish you had never started (theres a lot of 90% project boats about, people couldnt get that last 10% finished), but it I certainly be YOUR pride and joy.
Only thing I will add is it will be cheaper to go and buy the boat you want.
want lots of pic's
cheers
blaze

Been there many times Blaze But that's half the fun!!! he he he...

It would be cheaper to buy a new boat, but I just don't have the initial outlay to justify that. By going down this road, I can stagger the work out over time, and thereby spread the cost out over time. It also means I can test each step of the project by using the boat in between stages. There's always something else you want to do half way through!!!

[lordy]

$400 you are getting a bloody good price. I think we are over $3000 on ours including odds and sods and we are still going (painting now!). I'll be buggered if I know where all the money goes, it just floats off into pixieland never to be seen again. I forgot what Blaze totalled his up to but it won't be far off that.

Like NQ, I won't be doing another one for VERY, VERY, VERY long time. My partner is not that happy I seem to disappear every 2nd Saturday for 2-3 years. If I tried to start another one she would shoot/leave me on the spot. Once is a "great" experience, twice is insanity.

[blaze]

mine was a bit over 10k to put in the water, I reckon it owes me 15k now
cheers
blaze
hadnt been for house renovations it would prob owe me 28k maybee next year

[blaze]

I will just add to that
I do own it and would not have went and borrowed 15k to buy a boat

[gavsgonefishing]

With my two motors, the electronics, stainless, intial price I would say mine would be close to 30. at a wild guess the glass work would be between 2 and 3 thou ( thats the stuff I remember) So its not a cheap exercise but it is satisfiying( apparently).

Like lordy, my wife was constantly disappointed in the amount of time I put into it, now after almost a year, she wants me to finish it, go figure....

Would I do it again, probably not (this year anyway)

[chemmy]

when will it be finished?
and is there any updates as yet?