Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Progress on the Seafari has been slow over the past month. I took a break from working on the Seafari to do some much needed maintenance on my SF 20 and its trailer. I went through the wiring for both bilge pumps and cleared the discharge hose on the live well pump. Then I went to work on the trailer. New tires, new disk breaks, new axle, new LED taillights, and it’s done. Scallop season starts early this year, and I’m ready.

But the Seafari hasn’t been completely neglected. I realized that a lot of the under-deck plumbing and electrical work I need to do was dependent on getting my in-deck cooler/battery box installed. Before I could install it, I needed to complete the lids, bond the helm deck to the box, and finish the insulation around the boxes.

I made the lids in two parts; a hatch lid, and a hatch liner, so they would have a finished surface inside and out. I sprayed the inside with gellcoat/Duratech clear, and primed the outside with Awlgrip 545. The hatches are cored with blue Styrofoam about an inch thick.

Hatch liner prepped for the foam core.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ect/photo1.jpg

Foam core for the battery box installed in two pieces with a rib of fiberglass inserted between the two halves. The core for the cooler lid is in three parts with two fiberglass ribs.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ect/photo2.jpg

Battery box core prepped for hatch lid.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ect/photo4.jpg

And lid just before laminating in place.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ect/photo5.jpg

Before I could assemble the hatches or laminate the box to the helm deck, I had to prep for the hinges. The underside of the deck would be inaccessible and I wanted a clean finish on the inside of the hatches, so I used SS tee nuts and machine screws. On the hatches, the tee nuts are sandwiched between the hatch lid and liner, so they are fully concealed. Once the hatches and deck were hinged together, I could laminate the box and deck together. It was a complicated fit that required several cycles of trimming/adjustment followed by head scratching. I’m afraid I got a little caught up in the head scratching and forgot to take pics of this step.

After I got everything put together, I completed the insulation around the boxes and laminated a layer of epoxy/2408 over the foam. I also added stiffeners at both ends of the boxes to support the Starboard and port ends of the helm deck.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3706.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3705.jpg

Then it was ready to install. The box fastened in place:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3713.jpg

The cooler compartment:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3714.jpg

And the battery box:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3715.jpg

I got some other stuff done that I’ll try to post in the next day or two.

Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Amazing work! Very impressive.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

That boat will be the envy of all that see it. Maybe I should take a ride up some day and give you some immoral support :D

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I keep telling myself it will all be worth the effort when I’m done. Seems like at the rate I’m going, that should be sometime in 2015. Terry, any time you want to drop in to provide immoral support, the beer's on me.

Anyway, here’s another update.

A wise man once said to me,
I have to thank strick for suggesting this, because I probably wouldn’t have thought of it myself until I was done and banging my noggin. Having decided to bite the bullet, I needed to get the cutout for the flip up thingy done before I can finish fairing and painting the top cap. So here goes:

Cutout prepped for hatch lip:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3711.jpg

Mold for hatch lip:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3707.jpg

Mold sprayed with clear lacquer, clay fillets applied, and then sprayed with PVA:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3708.jpg

Gelcoat applied:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3709.jpg

Part popped from the mold:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3710.jpg

Laminated in place:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3712.jpg

And the rough edges sanded off. Still needs a little fairing/sanding and then 454 primer:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3716.jpg

This fiberglass fabrication is a lot of fun, but it’s pretty time consuming. With the deck box done and the flip up thingy cut out, I can either focus on below deck plumbing and rigging tubes, or finish fairing, priming, and painting the cockpit and top cap.

Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Nice work Dave! Looks like you've got the mold-making process really locked in! What material are you gonna use for the flip up hatch? I like the gutter you put around it! Denny

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

You are doing really fine work. Looks great.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Thanks, guys.

Denny, the flip up hatch will be fiberglass. I considered modifying the piece I cut out, but I think it will be less effort to fabricate one from scratch.

I got a little more done. Nothing special, but good to get it out of the way. The deck on both sides of the engine cutout was cantilevered about a foot out from the stringers, so I laminated in some plywood supports to take the flex out of them:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3717.jpg

And the deck over the fuel tank compartment spans about 5' between the stringers. Even though the deck is sound, you could feel a little deflection under foot when walking on it. I figured a couple supports there would be cheap insurance. You can see in the next pic where they laminated in a stiffener under the deck to compensate for the long span, but then they cut a couple notches in it so the fuel tank fittings would clear. Kinda defeats the purpose of the stiffener.

Port:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3721.jpg

Starboard:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3720.jpg

I've also started on my rigging tubes. The 1" PVC conduit in the last pic runs from the battery box to the engine compartment. It will carry the battery cables and bilge pump wiring.

I'll post more as progress continues.
Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Looking Awesome Dave!!

You're gonna have a great view from the helm! That batt box/cooler is a great idea for the stepdown and your fiberglass work is truly impressive!

I opened my yap a few times during Chucks restore, and I didn't need to, as he clearly was on top of it. :o That said, I'm not sure if you found a windshield, or if you are making one, but the center support for the factory windshield lands right in the middle of your new hatch. I'm sure you already have a plan.

Keep up the great work
Brandon

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Thanks, Brandon. Hey, have you got yours in the water yet this year? It's high summer down here. Temp topped 100*F today.

Good point about the center support for the windshield. I have thought about it. Since it looks like I'll be making my own frame, I was going to scale it down about 10% in height. I've done a mockup using 1x2 for a frame and it's hard to tell it from the original. But the height works better with the raised helm deck. I'll be able to look over the windshield when standing at the helm and look through it when seated. With the reduced height, I think I can move the center support forward and get good results. That and my frame will be wood with miterd corners, so it shouldn't be as flexy in the joints as the aluminum extrusions in the original frame.
Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

If you can set it up so that you look just over the windshield when standing, that is a major advantage. My 20 was that way and I miss it on the 25. The 20 could get pretty wet and you had to dodge water on rough days, but you won't have that problem with the 25.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

You don't dodge the water for long on rough days. After a while, you're soaked anyway, so you just go ahead and enjoy the ride! :)

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Its not the "soaked" part. Mostly I'm wearing a bathing suit anyway. Its keeping enough water out of my eyes so I can see where I'm going. No windshield in front makes seeing much better.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Well, I got the no windshield thing covered so far.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Dave, no, I haven't put her in yet. I would usually have her in by now, when she was on Georgian Bay but now that she's on the east coast, I'd like to do a few mods and preventative maint. before she goes in the salt. I just don't have enough time down east to do everything I need to do. I am going down this weekend so I'll start with taking the tarps off and go from there. If I'm lucky, I might get her in by the end of summer. :D

Brandon

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Looks Great Dave you got it down pat! :D

strick

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

It's been almost a month since my last update. Seems hard to find time to work on the boat. Spent both Memorial Day weekend and the weekend of the 4th out of town, it's scallop season in Florida's big bend, and the shrimp are running on the St. Johns River. I took the kids scalloping June 25th and we're off to Jax this Saturday to see if we can fill a five gallon bucket with shrimp.

Here's what little I've gotten done in the last month. I masked off and painted my boot stripes:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3738.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3739.jpg

I also did some fairing and sanding on the deck. It's almost ready for primer.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3724.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3725.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3776.jpg


My wife and I met my brother and sister and their spouses at my sister's place in Vermont for the weekend of the 4th. She's got a beautiful place at the south end of the state with a creek running through it. This video is where the creek starts through a series of waterfalls through a gorge that drops into a pool deep enough to swim in.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_MVI_3754.jpg

We spent some time running around on their four wheelers, and to make sure we didn't get bored, my sister put my brother George and I to work making her some furniture. They had taken a maple tree that came down last year and had it sawed into slabs 2 1/2" thick. She wanted George (he's the cabinet maker in the family) to make her a bar top with one of the slabs. I started out to help him with the bar, but there were a couple other slabs that were just begging to become a coffee table. Both pieces are constructed with mortise and tenon joinery.

George's Bar:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...9/IMG_3772.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...9/IMG_3770.jpg


My coffee table.

The pieces:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...9/IMG_3764.jpg

And assembled:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...9/IMG_3769.jpg

Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Dave,

That is some gorgeous work. Your sister-in-law is one lucky woman. I love the maple and the design/workmanship looks better than first rate. You both should be proud puppies for that job done.

The boat looks terrific, too. Nice job! - BL

PS. Thanks for the inspiration to get down in my shop and get to work. (If I only did that quality of work.)

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve updated my thread. I’m a year into it and still making progress. I can now confirm that the conventional wisdom here is correct. Estimate how long you think it will take and how much it will cost and double it. That being said, I have no regrets. I just want to be done and get this thing in the water.

I’ve done a lot of fairing and priming on the top cap and in the cockpit, but it’s still not done, so I’m not ready to post pics. It’s been so hot lately, I decided to do some stuff that could be done inside the shop. Man, am I glad I put in that A/C unit.

I originally planned to use blue Styrofoam to insulate the fish box, but after considerable pondering, I came to the conclusion that it would be way too much work for a questionable result. I decided instead to laminate the tub into the outer box and then fill the void with 2lb. density polyurethane foam. It seems to have been a good decision. Here’s the process I used:

First, I used thickened epoxy resin to glue the tub into the outer box.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3806.jpg

After I flipped the whole thing over, I tabbed the two parts together, used a piece of scrap masonite to build a form on the open end of the box, and poured two part foam around the tub.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3808.jpg

Before foaming the bottom of the tub, I put in a drain.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3809.jpg

I wasn’t sure how much leakage I might get, so I covered the bottom of the box with visqueen before I put a rigid form over it.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3810.jpg

Then I clamped and screwed a piece of sign board over the bottom to create the form.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3812.jpg

Here’s the gap to be filled.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3813.jpg

And after the foam is placed.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3814.jpg

And with the form removed.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3815.jpg

The insulation really stiffens up the structure. The tub is solid as a rock. In hindsight, I probably could have gone lighter on the laminate for the outer box, but it is what it is.

I’ve done some other stuff that I’ll try to post in the next couple days until I’m up to date.
Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Know the feeling...just keep plugging away. Soon it will be finished and the glorious day will arrive when you splash her...OR You can do like IslandTrader did and run the boat when it's half finished :D but that shows a lack of physical restraint :D just kidding of course Terry.

I should have done the pour foam instead of the spray can method...I was afraid I would get foam every where but you seemed to have it under control. Thanks for the up date Dave.

strick

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Thanks for the reply, Chuck, and the encouragement. I haven't lost interest, but sometimes it's tough to maintain momentum. I've been tempted to focus on just the stuff it would take to get her in the water, but so far, my self control is holding up better than Terry's. :D All kidding aside, I think Terry's idea to run a sea trial to verify CG and running trim before finishing up is a good idea. Gives him a little flexibility to move stuff around if he needs to make adjustments.

On the insulation, I was a little hesitant about the two-part foam, but it worked out pretty well. I think the secret is to plan well, and mix it fast (with a drill and paint stirrer, not by hand). I calculated the volume of the cavity and then the volume of foam to mix based on 25X expansion rate. Once you pour the two parts together, you've got about 15 seconds to mix, and another 15 seconds to pour it out, or it's gonna run away from you. I did both pours in two steps to allow for better control.


Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

HEY I resemble that... ;)

Dave I am with you the heat is a killer this year. Hopefully it will break soon.

Maybe we should do a share the fairing job. I come up there for a weekend and work and you come down for a weekend and drink beer....ha,ha.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

I should not be talking...now that I think about it I hired help for most of the sanding and grinding on my last two projects :D You fellas are going it alone. I still have some work to do as well on the 25...putting down some non skid on the deck and a few other little projects.

strick

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Oh, so now I know your secret to quick completion. I thought those guys were just your buddies that came over to help on the "will work for beer" plan. Hired help on a boat resto. Whoda thunk?


Yeah. Some say it's global climate change, but I think we're just getting old. I could work outside all day in this kind of heat when I was 30 and it didn't bother me. But now that I'm old and soft and have A/C in my shop, I think I'll wait until the weather cools off before I do any more painting. I'll need to set up the filter wall that converts the shop to a spray booth and run the exhaust fan, and I don't want to ruin a very expensive Awlgrip paint job because I was dripping sweat in it.

So, I've been doing some stuff in the shop. I bonded the live well tub to the outer box and started on the plumbing:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3817.jpg

My fuel tank hatch had a little flex in it. It wasn't soft, but I felt like it had a pretty big span for a hatch with only a 1/2" core, so I added some more thickness:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3807.jpg


In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I'm making my cooler/compartment hatches in two pieces with a foam core so they will have a finished surface inside and out. It's a lot more work, but I like the results. Last weekend, I layed up the inner liners for the fish box hatches and the flip up thingy above the cabin door. I used the usual process; make a mold with masonite and spruce, coat the mold with clear lacquer, fillet the inside corners with modelling clay, and spray with PVA mold release (Partall Film #10):


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3822.jpg


Sprayed with gelcoat:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3830.jpg


After the layup:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3831.jpg


And popped from the molds:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3836.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3835.jpg


Here's the flip up thingy trial fit:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3860.jpg


And a trial fit of the liners for the fish box hatches:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3861.jpg


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3862.jpg


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3863.jpg


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3866.jpg



Unfortunately, I screwed up on the dimensions for the hatch liners. I made the molds with about 1/8" of taper from the top to the bottom, but when I laid out the molds, I used the top dimension on the bottom. The end result was that my liners were 1/8" too big and a pretty snug fit. It didn't take long to figure out that I wouldn't be able to sand the mating surfaces enough to make them fit, so I bit the bullet and shrunk them both by an eighth inch. I did this by making a cut down the center of both panels on my table saw. The material removed by the saw kerf was just right. I ground a bevel on both sides of the cut and rejoined them with masking tape to hold them in place while I laminated the seam with a couple layers of 10 oz. cloth:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3867.jpg


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3869.jpg


And back together:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3870.jpg


And another trial fit:


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3871.jpg


After reducing the width of both panels by an eighth inch, they fit just right in that dimension. But I will need to take an eighth inch out of the length dimension of one of the panels to finish the tweak.

And that's got my thread mostly up to date. Next, I'll be fitting the hatches with hinges and then coring them. I'm using T nuts imbeded inside the hatches so you won't see a fastener on the inside. It's a pain to do, but leaves a clean look inside the hatches.
Dave

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Nice job on the flip up thingy! :D

Good to see you are finding time for the old girl, which is more than I can say for me.

I would hire Blue Heron Boat Works anytime!

Brandon

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Everything looks terrific. Super nice work.

Re: Another 25 Seafari goes under the knife
 

Thanks, guys. I got the fish box and live well hatches assembled/insulated over the weekend. Now I've got to clean up some blemishes on the boxes and put the final finish on them.

Brandon,
Stay tuned. I'm taking a page from your Gramp's book on the trim tabs. Will post on that when I have something worth looking at.
Dave

So, I’m just about done with the fish box and live well. The only thing left is some plumbing for the live well and a door for the storage compartment forward of the live well. Here are some pics of the work over the last month:

Fish box lid cores cut and trimmed. I cored the forward hatch first with plywood to support a companion seat pedestal. I over drilled the holes for the screws and then filled them with thickened epoxy.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3877.jpg

Then I re-drilled the holes and epoxied SS T-nuts in place.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3876.jpg

Then fairing the boxes

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3880.jpg

Priming with 545

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3895.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3896.jpg

And shot with Awlgrip Oyster White.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3912.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3911.jpg

I shot the inside of the tubs and lids with gelcoat.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3915.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3916.jpg

And the (mostly) finished product

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3926.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3920.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3924.jpg

That’s all for now…
Dave

Dave, the "mostly" finished product looks outstanding!!! Very nice work!!!

Truly awesome work, very inspiring!

How many gallons does your livewell hold?

Those came out cherry Dave. You have put a lot of effort into them and it really shows! nice work!

strick

Sweet work, Dave. Muy professional!:cool: http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/ba...ult-worthy.gif http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...AASUVORK5CYII=

Thanks for the comments, guys. This weekend will be more priming and sanding on the top cap. I need to get the top coat sprayed before the weather gets too cold. We're experiencing our first cold snap of the year. It's about 40° this morning and the high is supposed to be around 71°.
Dave

Those came out 100% nuts. Awesome work.

Thanks, Sean.

I shot the primer on the cap and cockpit this weekend. More sanding to do, hot dog!
Dave

Really, really nice!! Keep the pics coming.

I am primering my topsides as well. I can see light!!!!

Jim,
I didn't remember, so I had to measure it and calculate the volume. Total volume is about 23 gallons, probably 20 gallons usable.

I had a few dust specks in the finish last time I painted, so I cleaned the dust bunnies out of the shop. I don't want any boogers in the topcoat on the cap and cockpit after all the work I've put into it.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3939.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3938.jpg

I moved the boat back outside for the final sanding. Really looking forward to that....

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3933.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_3929.jpg

I'm waiting to prime and paint the deck until I'm a little further along. I don't want to scar it up climbing in and out while I'm rigging.

Dave

Gotta ask...is that a Hewes "lappy" hull in the back ground??

Yep. That's the next project.

No doubt you ARE a glutton.......my hero!!!