Ol' Girl gets a new Ol' Girl

[Toni]

Steve said the transom was mush.
These are some things Steve said:
"The repair work on Toni's Silverline has begun, and unfortunately, we have found that once again, a previous owner tried to do some repair work, but didn't do it correctly. Steve and I took the motor off the boat and pulled out the carpeting.
Most of it is original foam, some is cheap Home Depot spray foam "Great Stuff", some was foam wall insulation board!! Yes, it's waterlogged I'm sure. We found that at one point someone tried to replace the flooring in this boat, but did a very poor job of fiberglassing the new thin plywood. The new plywood was very soft and buckled in several places, so we torn it out.
The original stringers are completely rotten, and someone put two new 2x4's in their place. But the new 2x4's are only set in and aren't really providing any support for the hull. I don't know much about building boats, but I would think the old stringers should have been completely removed and new ones glassed into the hull.
Under the new blue foam pieces we found were they had re-fiberglassed the hull where the front rollers had punched through. It looks like they actually did a pretty decent job re-glassing the hull, so that's good."

Right now it is in someone garage trying to dry out. I don't have the money to buy a boat to replace it. Trent was trying to find me a replacement. The boat we looked at was bad. No one has the time to do all the repairs as a volunteer. It was thought that many hands would make light work. But the materials cost. A couple of people have made $ donations. One person offered some materials.
Now I have a little bit of time but know nothing about how to do this. Not that I couldn't learn. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler so cutting wood for me is out.
Trying to line everything up may require a project manager. I haven't talked with Steve about that. They would like me to find a different boat but any thing cheap comes with similar problems.

[Steve Ericsson]

It's a bad deal, it just gets worse and worse the more we dig. As it stands right now, it will take a lot of work and funds to put it back together. Toni loves the boat and if possible, she'd like to fix it. Any donations to the cause?

Are we talking the original boat she purchased?

I've had a couple members now asking about helping out. Steve, what are we talking about here, specifics please.

I'm one who asked Mike about this. Steve, like Mike says, we need specifics. Have you completed your tear down and damage analysis? Have you started or completed your materials and supplies required to effect repairs?

I'm willing to help out, but before doing so, I'd like to know this won't be something that will "run on" once you start. I've got years of experience with this on cars, and have seen it first hand from that perspective. An estimate is just an estimate until everything is opened up and exposed. Only then will the extent of damage, and cost to repair, be known.

We haven't torn it all down yet, the hard part is the stringers are no doubt rotted from front to back. The bow of the boat is all moulded in with the top/cap, so to get to the floor under the open bow the top would need to be split from the hull. We're going to be digging into it a bit deeper this next week to see just how difficult that would be, I have lumber lined up to build a cradle to sit the boat on to keep the hull in shape so it doesn't oilcan if this becomes the route we take. I have experience with glass and boats, an estimate at this point is hard to nail down, but it will cost a grand or so when all said and done. We're trying to raise some donations and we'll see what we come up with.

At this point that is where we are. I have a couple of projects on my plate at the moment, but this winter I will have time to get it done, will it "run on"? No, I have enough hands available to make sure it's done this spring so she can be on the water this summer, hopefully by Koke season. These type of projects are usually not a set path and go, the farther you go you have to change your plan of attack, I am at this point planning for absolute worse case. I always do so that if it ends up not being absolute worst case, I'm pleasantly surprised instead of the other way around.

Plans are being made to move it to a more accessible location so we/I can get to it anytime we/I want to to work on it. Also working on a simple heating solution to help cure the resin, weather we go epoxy (prefered) or poly (cheaper), heat will be an issue. Simple tarp tenting and work lights will suffice to aid in curing. Plenty of help has been offered, however boats this small can only fit so many hands.

So at this point, that's where we stand. A week or so and I will know much better what we're up against, I will try to get over to it and get the foam and rotted stringers out so get a good assessment of the full extent of the damage.

[Toni]

Small fund raiser this morning at Riverbend Campground tent area #5 on the Banks of the Nisqually River. Fried Egg Burgers and Smoked Salmon Chowder from 8-10 am and maybe after 11am.

[Toni]

Well we raised a small sum of money. I went and looked a boat today. It looked in better shape but I don't want to be the only one who sees it so I am trying to get a knowledgeable person to go with me again.
So it is still 1) repair or 2) replace the hull

[hewesfisher]

Let me know when you decide to repair instead of replace.

[Toni]

May do some switching between the 2 boats but the transom seems strong and original. It is nestled in Trent's garage.
Now I have a new new Ol' Girl

[Amx]

Hope it works out for you.

[Bodofish]

Yippy!!!! I'm so happy for you! Buying a new toy only to find it has insurmountable problems is just the worst. The only thing you want to do with toys is play, not fix! I only wish the first one was blue so you could end up with the red.

Yippy!!!! It makes so happy to see an end to repairs and looking! And just in time for the holidays!!!!

[Toni]

The trailer on this boat was the disappointment. The winch doesn't hold the bow down and it was swaying all over on the drive to Trent's. We had to stop and tie the handle down and the electrical made my rear anti lock brake light come on as well as stop my left turn signal from working. Unplugged it and light went out and the turn signal worked.

[Amx]

Sounds like a short. The trailer might need rewireing to be sure it's fixed, or if you can't find the short, or the wires are so old that it needs to be rewired anyway. Check for lots of cracks in the insulation.

[sickbayer]

A trailer that old will prob have lots of shorts and it be a nightmare trying to find them. Id redo the wiring not that costly for less than a 100bucks you be all safe. Out of curisoity can you salvage off the other trailer?

[Bodofish]

Electrical is an easy fix, Trailer Kit from Harbor Freight and your good to go. Swaying is an easy fix too, the boat needs to be towed at the correct angle, too high at will sway all over the place. Maybe the winch off the other trailer or switch the boats.

[Amx]

I priced some trailer wiring the other week at ORiellie's. The best they have was $30 or so for 25 feet. The cheaper stuff was $15 for 25 feet. Preformed color coded 4-wire trailer wire. Also any lights that are old can be a problem and have shorts, bad sockets that the bulb can lose contact at any time, or just not work proper. Not to mention leak water into them and kill the bulbs with cold water on the hot bulb when it's backed into the water. I have one socket on the truck that loses contact now and then on the 2 contacts in the cardboard inside the socket. Just something else to check.

[Toni]

A trailer that old will prob have lots of shorts and it be a nightmare trying to find them. Id redo the wiring not that costly for less than a 100bucks you be all safe. Out of curisoity can you salvage off the other trailer?

The red boat trailer is a good trailer and I might use it.

[Toni]

Electrical is an easy fix, Trailer Kit from Harbor Freight and your good to go. Swaying is an easy fix too, the boat needs to be towed at the correct angle, too high at will sway all over the place. Maybe the winch off the other trailer or switch the boats.

It was the fact that the bow wasn't secured. Once secured it was OK.

[Toni]

I priced some trailer wiring the other week at ORiellie's. The best they have was $30 or so for 25 feet. The cheaper stuff was $15 for 25 feet. Preformed color coded 4-wire trailer wire. Also any lights that are old can be a problem and have shorts, bad sockets that the bulb can lose contact at any time, or just not work proper. Not to mention leak water into them and kill the bulbs with cold water on the hot bulb when it's backed into the water. I have one socket on the truck that loses contact now and then on the 2 contacts in the cardboard inside the socket. Just something else to check.

Walmart has wiring too. We redid my little boat trailer when my son painted it. Well, he did it. I know that it is a simple but time consuming task. I, actually could do it myself from scratch. That might be the best way to go instead of trying to find the short.

[Amx]

Like was mentioned, maybe the trailers and boats can be interchanged. Maybe check it out anyway if the newest trailer isn't as good as the other.

[MotoBoat]

What is the length of this boat? Looks to be the same as your old boat. Funny to be talking about the other boat as the "old" boat. Since it is relatively new to you. But old in the sense that it is tired with lots of rot.

The motor on this boat, looks to be much newer than the one on the red boat? What is the hp of the Mariner motor on ol' blue?

Now for the big question. What do you "think" will happen to ol' "red"? Planter box in the front yard? Sell it as a fixer upper? Glad to see another good deal was to be had, with a solid transom.

Were you able to take the boat for a test run on a lake, or start it before purchasing?

Any interior pictures?

[Toni]

What is the length of this boat? Looks to be the same as your old boat. Funny to be talking about the other boat as the "old" boat. Since it is relatively new to you. But old in the sense that it is tired with lots of rot.

The motor on this boat, looks to be much newer than the one on the red boat? What is the hp of the Mariner motor on ol' blue?

Now for the big question. What do you "think" will happen to ol' "red"? Planter box in the front yard? Sell it as a fixer upper? Glad to see another good deal was to be had, with a solid transom.

Were you able to take the boat for a test run on a lake, or start it before purchasing?

Any interior pictures?

Wow, lots of questions. Motor is newer (Might be a 1988-70 or 75hp has different cowling than the lower end) and it did start but we did not take it out on the lake. Has power trim that doesn't work.
Someone is interested in the red boat. No interior shots of the blue boat.

[MotoBoat]

Someone is interested in the red boat.

Seriously?