Money sounds about right - sadly.

yeah, money is a little tigt having just closed on a new home and not knowing how high my hospital bills will be from my heart attack. Plus, being self-employed, taking time off from work is a factor as well. Guess I will have to see what the cardiologist says on Wednesday anyways before making too many concrete plans...

Hope you are feeling better, sorry for the news, we’re basically the same age. I had my 79 MA’s transom replaced back in ‘99, prior to hanging the new Johnson 175 carbed. Unfortunately, this was also prior to this site, and I was not advised to raise transom to 25”. If I were you, I would seriously consider this. Be well.

Vezo, Part II

Beautiful restore, BTW!!!

Thanks, I am feeling WAY better than last Monday LOL Will know on Wednesday what the cardiologist says I need to do. from now on

Yeah, really torn about raising it or not. I am afraid if I raise it, I will have to lose the splash well/cover that is one of the unique parts of the boat...

I understand. Trying to get feedback from the member building the splashwell to see if he is interested in building the cowling over the outboard. He is so very close.

Part II

Visit to the Dr's went well. He told my wife and I that it was pretty much a genetic heart attack. All of my other arteries are 100% clear it was "just" the posterior descending cardiac artery that was 100% blocked. He told me to take it nice and easy for the next week and then "ease back into life." Even said he feels I will be off all medications within 3 months.

SO, I may just try and tackle the transom myself after all. Giving serious thought to pouring it. Spent some time reading about the process and am sure I can handle it. :D

:eek:

Wait, is that genetic or generic?
Either way, good job on still being upright.

Genetic - My family has a history of heart disease. As a result, for the past 10 years or so, I have tried to eat decent, NEVER eat McDonalds (in about 25 years or more) or pretty much any other fast food. I don't like fried foods. When eating out, if a meal comes with fries, I almost always ask for rice or veggies instead. I am in decent shape at age 51 - 6'3" tall & 225#'s. My last few check ups have had near perfect blood work with cholesterol only a little high (yes, it could be a little lower), NEVER had any high blood pressure issues.

The doctor basically said, if I was not as active as I am and was not in as good of shape as I am, it probably would have happened even sooner - how is THAT for scary! :eek:

He did say no more pork or shellfish - won't miss pork but the shellfish will kind of suck. I plan on getting back down to 199#'s. That is what I weighed when my wife and I got married in 1996. Already dropped 4#'s since the "incident" and think can get down to 199 in 3 months in time for our 22nd wedding anniversary :)

Finally got the old outboard off and the shipped to the buyer in VA.

Hope to do the hubs and bearing on the trailer Friday and bring her up to the house this weekend. Then either start on the transom myself or hire a pro. Still not sure which route I want to go yet.

Finished moving out of the old shop. Boat is now at the house in PSL. Hope to start removing the transom this week.

Going to start cutting later today - :eek:

Best of Luck! Are you going 25 or 27”?

Michael.

Not sure. I am actually wrestling with enclosing it and going with a bracket...

Only good part about wet plywood, no splinters LOL

Wasn't too bad. Mushy wood is kind of easy to remove except for in the crevices

The wetter the better they say! Whats core plan?

Core is going to have to be plywood due to the budget. Going to pick some up later today or tomorrow

Well, think I have decided to keep the transom at 20" for several reasons. First, if I raise it my splashwell/cutting board will interfere with trim & tilt (like it did before I raised it). Next, if I raised the transom and therefore have to do away with the splashwell/cutting board, I may as well enclose the transom and add a bracket which also adds substantially to costs. Then, if I enclose the transom, I would want to add a live well in the newly enclosed transom area.

So basically, I realized that if I do anything other than keep it at 20", I am looking at a lot more costs which I really cannot incur at this time. Oh well, going to start making the transom template this afternoon

OK - Really starting to second guess keeping it at 20" and just going the closed transom/bracket route. the only thing I did not love about my old Sailfish was the lack of the live well. I hate the idea of removing the splashwell/cutting board but looking through my thread and a bunch of other threads about enclosing the transom on a 20', I think I may just bite the bullet and enclosed it. I know it is going to be a LOT more work but I am afraid if I don't do it, I will not love the boat and I don't want to have regrets that may end up leading to my feeling less than ecstatic when I finally get her back in the water.

Say a prayer - I might bring my sawzall home tonight and once that hits the splashwell, there will be no turning back...

Raise it and run a jack plate?

Too late to turn back now LOL

Removed upper portion of splashwell/cutting board. Will start making inserts for transom later this week. I might swing by Marine Connection Liquidators and see if they have a pre-made insert that I can use for the new live well :D

Woohooo, I know that feeling all too well. Apprehension at first but once you start cutting it just feels good! Haha.

Cutting first layer of plywood and ran out of daylight

Laminated both layers of plywood and started glassing it all in. Ran out of fiberglass and ran out of energy about the same time

hopefully not jinxing myself but I think I just scored a stainless marine bracket with swim platform for $500! Guy was selling a project boat with it on there and I asked if he wanted to part with it. He said sure, for $500!

Going to swing by his place later this afternoon to close the deal :D

Deal closed on the bracket. He is going to pull it off in the am for me and I will pck it up tomorrow :D

Guess I'd better get busy finishing up the glass work...

Well.....DUH!! :) This is like building a house, the framing goes up, inside/outside walls and it looks like super progress is being made, then the finish stuff which takes forever! Looking good!!

Finally got s chance to do some more glass work this weekend. Finished up with couple of more layers where the open transom used to be and then today started smoothing things out

Well, had to put her on hold again - this time I blew out my right knee and have to take some time off to recuperate from it. Torn ACL and Meniscus. Dr. said time for a new knee. Can't afford that right now so he said I need to let this heal as much as possible, start wearing a knee brace at all times (just not to bed), and plan on a total knee replacement "sooner rather than later." Said my knee has so much arthritis plus other damage that to fix the ACL would just make things worse for me - more bone on bone pain. I originally injured it back when I was 18 or 19. Had ACL reconstruction back in 1993 and it has been getting worse over the past couple of years. Good Times

Best of wishes to you just when you were making great progress on the transom!

Okay, after a close to two month breather, due to the messed up knee and my son coming home on leave for a few weeks (he is in the Army) I got back on her yesterday. Faired out the transom and she is almost ready for paint. Got a couple of low spots to iron out and then I need to work on the livewell & cap.

I really hope to get her back on the water before my Birthday this year, June 16th. It is Father's Day this year and I really want to go fishing with my 18 year old son that day. I almost didn't get to be there for him and it would mean the world to me to celebrate both milestones on my boat with him this year...

Here's hoping you meet all your personal goals this year!!!! Good luck! :)

Hey TopFlight, I’ve never had kids and miss my Dad dearly. My 79 MA will be in Jensen Beach for Fathers Day with room for you guys. Not very knowledgeable on fishing that area tho. Hope yours is complete by then, but if not...

Vezo, Part II

Vezo - that is one of the nicest things anybody has ever offered. I am humbled.

Thanks, and I really hope to not have to take you up on it LOL

I have zero knowledge of the area right now having moved up from Boynton at the end of the summer. Hope to really get a lot of time in on her this summer and change that :)

Put a little time in on her Saturday. Got the transom pretty much smoothed out and ready for paint. Started to work on the cap/livewell modifications as well. Sorry - no pics yet

Did some more glass work yesterday. Got the rough work done on the cap. Used 1/2 PVC for the core. Pretty darn solid at this point.

Well, she is nice and solid. I climbed aboard and then stood on the transom cap. Zero flex with my 220#'s :D

Just to be extra safe, I hit it with some 40 grit and then added two more layers of glass as well.