Thread: 1960's seacraft restoration

This is the movie

http://s564.photobucket.com/albums/s...t=CIMG0680.flv

Looks sweet, wish the sound worked on my computer

yeah it runs really smoothly Burnsy, great idle and has a real nice note with the wet exhaust. Doesn't blow any smoke, just a lot of steam haha. The pump is a "fynspray" with rubber impeller, and yes my gland has a slow drip too which is fine. I'll run her up and give her a good flush with the alkali solution tomorrow, then hopefully move on to the hull if this weather takes a break =(

Chris

Well I didn't get to flush the motor with the alkali solution yet, just did a couple fresh water flushes. Pulled the prop shaft and cav plate/rudder off the hull, then removed all hull fittings. Managed to get the hull off the trailer, but it wouldn't fit upside down on the trailer due to the vertical poles welded on both sides of the trailer =( After a lot of messing around, got the hull undercover (upside down) and sitting up on some tyres. Had a brief hail shower then covered the hull in plastic, will have to get a proper tarp for it this week. Will start taking the paint off tomorrow, all looks good so far! No soft spots underneath, all solid.

Chris

Many thanks to everyone on this forum who has given me advice thus far, its greatly appreciated! I have presently taken the fwd half of the hull below the waterline back to bare ply and all looks good. I've found some previous impact damage but nothing too disastrous. The heat gun seems to be bringing a lot of the moisture/oil out of the ply also, so quite happy with the results. I aim to have the whole hull below the waterline, paint free and perhaps the transom also by the end of this weekend. Will post up some pictures on the weekend!

Cheers,

Chris

Hi chris
to get some good hints go to seacraft syndicate boat web site .I have a syndicate it is a great boat all round give me a yell if you have any probs

Thanks for that Justin! I just signed up to the site, there are a lot of good pictures of different boats, but can't seem to find any forums or tips? Can you tell me a bit about your boat? Thanks,

Chris

Hello all, on this wonderful saturday in Perth! Finally some nice weather, I even mowed my lawn haha. Couldn't keep working on the boat in a backyard that resembled a jungle. Just a few pics of my progress, scraping paint is more time consuming than i first thought! Hopefully have the hull below the waterline back to bare ply by the end of the weekend, will keep you all posted.

Chris

How hot are you getting the paint? I was heating it until it bubbled (and let off noxious fumes that probably killed more brain cells than a good night with the rum but ...). At that point, it lifted off really easily leaving the timber. I seem to remember that some bits wanted a second visit because the first attempt (not quite hot enough) just reduced the paint to a stubborn, plastic coating.

Part of your problem is the sheer size of the job - there is lots and lots of boat there and it's easy to rush it or get impatient. No cure I'm afraid, well, not short of torching the whole boat which cures your paint problem, your oil problem and your sudden realisation that a new build wouldn't require this sodding paint removal in the first place

Richard

Hehe your a funny one Richard =P I'm getting it hot enough to start to bubble, its got a top coat and some high build primer below it. I'm just over 2/3 done now (below the waterline from chine to chine). Its been really good, I don't think I have any problems with the ply. Found a few repairs over the years, nothing too bad. I have decided that what I have oozing from the ply when the heat gun is applied, is all the oil, which is good news. I also found all the discolouration in the ply dissapears once the gun is applied, a darker oil rises to the surface. I've hit all the bad spots along the keel and its looking good. I'll put some heat into them after a few days and see if any more oil comes to the surface, but overall very happy! I am taking my time with it though, not wanting to damage the outer veneer of the ply. I'll post up some more pics!

Chris

Hey everyone, would like your opinion on an idea I have. I'm contemplating moving the fwd cockpit back, with a single seat on either side of the engine, a cowling over the engine and the open area meeting up with the rear cockpit. I would then replace all the deck and have a much longer front deck, with a hatch to access the cavity for stowage etc. Like an offshore racing boat style, but all the deck will be varnished ply? I'll do up some sketches and post tonight. Could this work or am I butchering it?

Chris

by moving you and your passenger back will this not effect the balance and performance of the boat ?

Latest Update! Righto I've decided against the idea I had relocating the fwd cockpit, going to keep it as is, thanks to some helpful advice from Justin. I'll post up some pics of the hull at present, I've scraped all the paint off below the waterline and have sanded back from the keel to the chine on one side. The ply looks in really good nick, i've got most of the oil out and most of the discolouration also. I want some advice on whether I've done the right thing so far, before I sand the other side back. First I'll post the pics before asking more questions!

Chris