[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

ATTENTION: This does not work with cats.

Does ANYTHING work with cats?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

Does ANYTHING work with cats?

Allcaps.

[residentEvil]

macnn does



old style macnn even!

[andi*pandi]

Win!

[boy8cookie]

I don't know, that cat looks dead.

[ghporter]

No, Basement Cat is not dead. Basement Cat is merely very still...

[Eriamjh]

A boat is just a boat, but the box can be anything. Even a boat!

[boy8cookie]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

No, Basement Cat is not dead. Basement Cat is merely very still...

It doesn't seem to be moving at all.

[brassplayersrock²]

Photography can do that to things.

[The Final Dakar]

What, no outrage over windows?

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

What, no outrage over windows?

yeah; if i use my macbook pro; he sits on the keyboard even more so. makes it hard to use. so when i need "my" internet time; i hop into my office and use the windows box. as i type this, on my macbook pro, he has managed to wedge himself between me and my trackpad, down my lap and onto the seat of the recliner. very hard to use (TWSS).

[residentEvil]

and he moves; here he is talking to his buddy



sorry for kitteh take over back to the boat!

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh 

A boat is just a boat, but the box can be anything. Even a boat!

You know how much we've wanted one of those!

[Rumor]

Congrats on the pick up Rob. Boats are a lot of fun. My dad had a flat bottom v-drive with a 454 Chevy when we were kids. It was always a lot of fun, a lot of maintenance, but well worth it.

[downinflames68]

Updates. It's been a while, and I've been really busy so I haven't had time to post much.


Removed rotten stringer.


Test fitting the new stringer. She's a beautiful 2x8 hand picked from about 40 of them at a lumber yard. Straight as an arrow, barely any knots. Upon test fitting, I discovered that ORIGINAL stringer did not touch the hull at all for about four feet in the center. Basically, the styling of this boat was great, but the build quality was awful. I think everyone was just too coked out in 78 to care much. SOO...

I bought a 2x4, 6' long, and cut it with a sabre saw to make it 1" in the middle, and taper to nothing on the ends. Then used big stainless screws to screw that into the bottom of the stringer. This allowed the stringer full contact with the hull of the boat.


Picked up a belt sander at harbor freight for $30. Used that to round the top edges of the stringer so the glass will wrap around it easier.


Here she is, all ready to be put in. Course.... I was drinking so...


Boobs. And here you can clearly see the addition to the stringer, due to reasons above.


My roommate throwing the stringer in. Well, about to anyway.

[downinflames68]

The stringer installed with $75 worth of marine structural fiberglass filler. Nasty stuff.


Heh.


Sanding the hull so it will accept new glass, and get a nice strong bond.


This is the first coat of glass. You can barely even tell it's glassed in. Sorry, no process shots, hands were full of resin and fiberglass fuzz.


I had some help! My girlfriend and my roommate glassing the front of the stringer in. I was busy hitting it from the rear.


Crack on the outside fiberglass, where the cap and hull join. This is due to a poorly reinforced tow hook. To fix it....


Hog it out with an angle grinder....


Then fill with resin, and a thin strip of FG mat. I'll build up the layers eventually to fill it in.


The pencil is taped in to help hold the FG strip into the carved area.

Today I bought the 4x8 plywood, as well as even more resin. Yay.

[downinflames68]

Budget: $1200, initial purchase price. $140 waterproof boat cover, $13 exhaust manifold gaskets, $60 SBC dress up kit. $8 distributor dress up kit. $40 stainless bolt kit for SBC. $25 exhaust manifold rebuild kit. $35 red LED light strips. $30 SBC gasket kit. $30 ~25 disposable brushes. $75 fiberglass mat, $75 fiberglass cloth, $250 5 gallons of fiberglass resin. $75 two cans fiberglass structural filler. $18 2"x8" 12 ft long. $3 2"x4" 6 ft long. $23 4'x8' 5/8" plywood. $20 vinyl renewal products. $15 silicone hose reducers. $115 steering cable. $45 throttle cable. $45 shift cable.

Total cost so far: $2340 and counting. Will need at least another $500 to be decent, but still going to be one ****ing cool boat for under 3 g.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

My girlfriend [...] I was busy hitting it from the rear.

I'll bet.

[ThinkInsane]

Are you sure that stringer didn't touch because of shoddy construction? Usually the gaps are left intentionally to allow for expansion. That spruce timber is going to soak up moisture like a sponge and swell. Why didn't you build the stringer out of laminated marine grade ply?

[ThinkInsane]

Also, if you are going to encapsulate in fiberglass, you shouldn't use stainless steel screws.

[brassplayersrock²]

Please explain the reason not to use stainless steel screws with fiberglass please.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane 

Are you sure that stringer didn't touch because of shoddy construction? Usually the gaps are left intentionally to allow for expansion. That spruce timber is going to soak up moisture like a sponge and swell. Why didn't you build the stringer out of laminated marine grade ply?

I would have thought the gap is there to allow the hull to flex slightly as it slams into wave after wave, rather than slamming the riders' spinal colums directly into wave after wave.

[ghporter]

There are two ways to look at the purpose of the keel stringer in this kind of boat. It could be to provide the keel with stiffness to keep the fiberglas from flexing too much at the centerline, with any other lengthwise parts less rigid to accept flex on either side. Or it could be to provide stiffness for the length of the boat to keep it from flexing overall. The test in reworking such a boat is to find out how a factory original boat was assembled.

Thinkinsane, why is stainless not a good idea with encapsulation?

[downinflames68]

From every boat restoration book I've read, and every forum I've been to, nobody has ever mentioned a stringer with a gap. Throw that on top of the fact that there was some resin in the gap, and it's most likely that they just built it wrong. There's examples like this all over the boat. The floor, for example, has two large areas of resin underneath it, but only in the center. The edges of the floor were basically not bonded to the boat at all, other than the fiberglass above it. You do not want any flexing; the flexing is what is causing the stress cracks between the hull and the deck already.

@ Spheric: This is a twin tunnel hull. That should be sufficient air to allow for a soft landing. I've heard these things have fantastic ride quality.

[andi*pandi]

I'm learning waaaay more about boats then I ever thought I would.

How much more do you have to do?

[Phileas]

The stringer provides stability, so you want it to be completely bonded to the boat, even, or especially, on a single keel where it cuts the water. The boat can flex around it, but you need that firm foundation.

Personally I would have gone for marine ply as well, not for waterproofing issues (looks like the stringer is completely encapsulated) but for strength and rigidity.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Picked up a belt sander at harbor freight for $30. Used that to round the top edges of the stringer so the glass will wrap around it easier.

POS. Should have gone with Milwaukee.

[ThinkInsane]

The stainless thing, well, I'm not actually sure why. Just something I've heard multiple times being around boats all my life: If you are going to glass/resin something in, you can't use stainless. You have to use galvanized, or preferably brass. I'm not actually sure what the logic is, just that I've heard that from people that know a hell of a lot more than I do, including people that build them.

Phil, it depends on how the boat was designed. He may have just added a stress contact that can split his hull down the middle if he gets into big water at speed. I've seen the stringer hung rather than formed to the keel far more than otherwise, especially in a fiberglass boat.

Rob, I'd look into what the actual design of your boat called for. You don't want to find out the hard way, out on the water, that that there was a very good reason it was set up the way it was.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane 

Phil, it depends on how the boat was designed. He may have just added a stress contact that can split his hull down the middle if he gets into big water at speed. I've seen the stringer hung rather than formed to the keel far more than otherwise, especially in a fiberglass boat.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

[downinflames68]

Think, can you provide an example? I've never seen a main stringer empty in the middle before. Again, the whole boats general construction quality is pretty awful. I've never seen anybody build a performance boat that had a gap under the stringer. Any examples would be good.

The other thing is that this boat doesn't have a core, it's solid FG, so... the stringer is there for some support, but mostly it's just to support the floor.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

I'm learning waaaay more about boats then I ever thought I would.

How much more do you have to do?

Actoin plan:

1. Glass in floor.
2. Finish glassing in crack, sanding smooth, finishing with white gelcoat.
3. Install carpet.
4. Paint engine compartment.
5. Figure out a way to secure gas tanks (originally they were glassed in which looked like poop.
6. Install all the go fast shiny bits on the engine.
7. Wiring & gauges.
8. Install seats.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Think, can you provide an example? I've never seen a main stringer empty in the middle before. Again, the whole boats general construction quality is pretty awful. I've never seen anybody build a performance boat that had a gap under the stringer. Any examples would be good.

The other thing is that this boat doesn't have a core, it's solid FG, so... the stringer is there for some support, but mostly it's just to support the floor.

Yeah, I noticed that in your pictures, which is what made me think the gap was intentional in the design. I'll see if I can find you some examples, but I do know when we had to pull the deck off my uncle's Baja, the stringer was as you describe on your boat. I also know a guy that was a designer for Wellcraft, now retired. I'll see if I can catch up with him this weekend and ask him his thoughts on it.

Regardless, I'd still advise against using spruce timber for the stringer, there's a reason you don't see it used in boat construction. If you have to use something from a home center, at least use douglas fir instead. And avoid pressure treated lumber if you're going to glass encapsulate it. It takes forever to dry out, so you'd just be locking all that moisture in. I would definitely use marine grade when you replace the deck. Anything else, and you are going to be replacing it again before very long.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

POS. Should have gone with Milwaukee.

Not for $30 and on a job that may kill the tool. Harbor Freight is great for cheap stuff you don't mind burning out in the process of using it. I got a torque wrench from them for "somewhere near..." torquing, and it's surprisingly accurate. But if I bust it in two, I'll be far more worried about how I did that than a broken tool.

On the other hand, while a Milwaukee sander would be a LOT more expensive, it would be very difficult to abuse to the point of destruction. The counter of this is that fixing it after you have abused it would be expensive too. The first electric drill I ever used was my dad's Milwaukee with a 3/8" chuck. Built like a tank (weighed as much!) and you couldn't slow it down, but those stupid brushes were expensive!

Rob, Think, the whole twin-tunnel hull is foreign territory to me, but I think the chance of one of you being correct is about equal to that of the other being right. As I said, what the design was supposed to be like and how this particular hull was actually made may be vastly separate. I'm really interested in any authoritative clarification on this matter.

[downinflames68]

Yeah, good luck finding info about it though. When you google sleekcraft you mostly find outdated ads, or a case involving sleekcraft vs slickcraft (which is weird, because I almost bought a slickcraft about 3 weeks before I bought this one).

As for the tool... well, you guys know i used to work at Milwaukee. Hence, I know what is coming out. I bought a shitty harbor freight angle grinder, because the one that I designed hasn't come out yet. The sander looks old... so.. you can guess about that as well.

[downinflames68]

Updates:

I sandblasted the intake manifold. It's a weiand X-celerator, which is pretty sweet. Then just for fun I did this on the bottom of the intake:



Intake installed. Fresh gaskets and high temp RTV.


Floor mockup. This is 5/8" plywood. Not marine ply, because that was uber $, and also I read that resin didn't stick to it very well. The boat will be stored indoors so whatever, it'll last a while. This was tricky, as I had to make a lot of decisions on where the seats would go. I also wanted to make cutouts in the floor, so I could use the main hull to store waterskis, towels, and whatever else I want. Originally the stringer area was unaccessable, but I like having storage. I also brought the rear seat forward a little bit. Having it so close to the engine made me a bit nervous about having girls with long hair in the boat. I would hate to see their hair get caught in the pulleys/belts on the V8, so I moved it forward about 6". There is still plenty of room, and it also makes a nice storage area behind the seat.


After making cardboard templates, time to cut out the floor. My roommate and I were tag teaming it since it was a large piece of wood. After that, I used an angle grinder to radius the edges, then hit it with 80 grit sandpaper.


One extremely thick coat of resin on the underside to moisture from getting in it.


While the floor was curing, I sanded the main stringer and surrounding areas, then hit it with a gray enamel. I wanted some value so you could sell well when objects were in it.

[downinflames68]

Today, I put in the floor, which proved difficult. I wanted a lot of resin on the tunnels, but I didn't want to step all over it while trying to carry the floor into the boat so I came up with this:


Worked awesome. Basically, I crawled under the floor on one side, my roommate climbed under on the other. We started laying down copious amounts of resin in the front, then worked our way back. Once the tunnels were covered, it was simple. You just drag the floor rearwards, and it plops onto all the resin. Worked great!


I dunno. Seemed like a good idea at the time.



Before the resin cured, I threw in both my toolboxes, some containers filled with books, and all sorts of crap to weigh it down, and get a really good bond.


All my parts waiting to get put in. I just got the gauges today, they look awesome!!!


Photoshopped version of the near future!

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Yeah, good luck finding info about it though. When you google sleekcraft you mostly find outdated ads, or a case involving sleekcraft vs slickcraft (which is weird, because I almost bought a slickcraft about 3 weeks before I bought this one).

Maybe I'm totally misunderstanding the issue, but Google turns up clear references to the manufacturer.

Shouldn't Sleekcraft be able to tell you everything you need to know?

They were bought by Ron Moyes / Nas Manufacturing in Havasu, who also build Magic Powerboats.

Sleekcraft, Nas Manufacturing, Inc*, Nas Manufacturing*
1100 Lake Havasu Ave N
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403-1901

Phone: (928) 505-2628
Website: Magicpowerboats.com

I'd assume they have the know-how/tech docs to tell you whether there was a reason the stringer was applied the way it was.

OTOH, from a little Googling, it seems that Sleekcraft did pretty slipshot and haphazard work on more than just one boat when glassing the stringers in.

Also, I just spent a half hour perusing this link of a Sleekcraft restoration:
Pat's Fiberglass and My Sleekcraft - Performance Boats Forums

Got there from here: http://forums.iboats.com/Sleekcraft

[iMOTOR]

There’s just something about that last picture.

[Laminar]

Aren't boats typically right hand drive?

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by iMOTOR 

There’s just something about that last picture.

Either they removed the debug code or installed ClickToFlash, cause it's snappier now !!!

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Aren't boats typically right hand drive?

Exactly.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Aren't boats typically right hand drive?

If you look at other pictures of the boat, you can clearly see that this one is left-hand.

EDIT: Fixed the left/right mix up.

[Spheric Harlot]

The other Sleekcrafts I've seen in my earlier google excursions were all left-hand drive.

[Laminar]

Another manufacturing oversight, apparently.

[downinflames68]

It was the cool thing to do back then, it's called "california style" when the driver is on the left.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Maybe I'm totally misunderstanding the issue, but Google turns up clear references to the manufacturer.

Shouldn't Sleekcraft be able to tell you everything you need to know?

They were bought by Ron Moyes / Nas Manufacturing in Havasu, who also build Magic Powerboats.

Sleekcraft, Nas Manufacturing, Inc*, Nas Manufacturing*
1100 Lake Havasu Ave N
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403-1901

Phone: (928) 505-2628
Website: Magicpowerboats.com

I'd assume they have the know-how/tech docs to tell you whether there was a reason the stringer was applied the way it was.

OTOH, from a little Googling, it seems that Sleekcraft did pretty slipshot and haphazard work on more than just one boat when glassing the stringers in.

Also, I just spent a half hour perusing this link of a Sleekcraft restoration:
Pat's Fiberglass and My Sleekcraft - Performance Boats Forums

Got there from here: Sleekcraft - iboats Boating Forums

Thanks for the info! I knew sleekcraft had some connection with Magic Powerboats, but I also heard that Sleekcraft closed it's doors in 2009, which is pretty unfortunate, since it was such an old boat company. Too bad.

Link:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=310155

Yeah, I saw that thread about a week ago. Wow. That guy blew 100k, easy. Pretty spectacular build up, though I don't agree with his interior choices... what's weird is that my boat is already fused together without a rubstrip like that. I'm not sure if it's stock, or someone did that later. Either way, it's pretty nice looking.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Aren't boats typically right hand drive?

No, they're typically "whatever whenever".

<grabs copy of Boat International off the shelf>
Sunseeker Manhattan 84 = RHD inside, LHD on flybridge.
Sunseeker Manhattan 74 = RHD inside, RHD on flybridge.
Ferretti 70 = RHD.
Riva Opera 24 = LHD.
Azimut 90 = LHD.
Riva Aquarama = LHD.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

<grabs copy of Boat International off the shelf>

Goat International I believe, Boat International, nah.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Not marine ply, because that was uber $, and also I read that resin didn't stick to it very well. The boat will be stored indoors so whatever, it'll last a while.

Huge mistake. You'll see.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane 

Huge mistake. You'll see.

Wouldn't that depend on whether it's resined in or not?