1970 20ft SF Rebuild
 

My brother and I were given this hull from a local legend a couple of years ago. We have studied many of the great rebuild threads on here and THT and have finally decided to give it a go. We are starting this thread to document the build and seek advice from some of the great minds behind many of these rebuilds. This is our first rebuild. Transom has been recored and raised to 25in (west system epoxy was used). We are in our 20's and don't have an open checkbook but plan on using this boat for a long time so we want to do it right.

Plan as of now: System 3 or RAKA epoxy.

Gut stringers, raise stringers, re-core cap, reinforce gunnels, single level deck, smaller console, leaning post livewell and Suzuki DF 140.


Cheers!

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We were hoping to leave the stringers intact and simply raise them 2.5" but the foam is soaked so its got to go.

Any suggestions, removing the foam and preparing the stringers to be raised? Does new foam need to be poured?

We were thinking of cutting a narrow strip lengthwise in the middle of each leaving top bevel intact. Remove foam and build up off the old structure.

Thanks.

Good luck with the rebuild. Being young men (Don V doesn't remember) you have plenty of time to do it right.

4 suggestions to put on your check sheet:
1.) Brace the hull with 2x4 before removing the cap when recoring.
2.) Add a parallel brace across the transom with knees and limber holes to your raised stringers.
3.) Rethink the flat deck idea
4.) I want to see some teak on that console and awesome paint scheme so I can award another "Gucci Stamp"

What am I supposed to remember again? :)

You may want to think about adding another inch and a half to the transom while it's all apart. These boats seem to like the 26 1/2" transom height. Best of luck with your project!
Rod

Piggybacking with Capt Chuck...

I would leave the cap on until you get the new deck tabbed into the hullsides. Will really keep it in shape for when you pull the cap. Write down some before widths also.
Cant tell what the stringers were extended to transom with but just bore some pvc sleeves in for limber holes.

Yes cutting the tops of the stringers inside of the radius will be alot easier when its time to reglass. I would refoam and cap to original height and then do your raise.

A good way to save some coin is layup your parts in some kind of ester resin then bond/tab into the boat with epoxy. Made the switch from e-bond to RAKA a long time ago and havent looked back!


History side question... When did the side boxes extend all the way to the bow like that?? Thought that was a later 2 stringer hull change?

4 stringers and those side boxes =70/71

I thought the 4 stringer models had hollow stringers?

Looks like a good project, are you in Ct?
I wish a local legend would give me a project 20.

Thanks for the input already.

Billybob - Yes, we are in CT. We got lucky. Been brutally cold this winter...hard to get motivated.

Hermit - We thought they were hollow as well....definitely foam in there though. Drilled a hole in the top of one and saw foam so i probed it with a screw driver and the foam was soaked. Made a small hole at the base and some water trickled out....Step in the wrong direction...hehe

Otterhound - Is that 26.5 inches, keel to finish height? I wil have to measure what it is now. Thanks

Chuck - Maybe one day we will have a guchi stamp. gotta figure out how to glass first..One step at a time!:D

These both seem to like the ventilation/cavitation plate 1 1/2" above the keel. I moved the motor up 1 1/2" on both my 20 SF and 18 SF. In both cases it made a world of difference. Both boats hopped up on a plane much faster, trimmed out better and generally ran much easier through the water. For reference the 18' has a 20" transom and the 20' has a 25". The old rule of thumb about having the plate even with the bottom of the boat does not seem to apply here.
Rod

We got a little work done with the warmer weather around the past two weekends. Boat is now covered in a tent. The make shift "shop" keeps it protected from the elements and gives us the ability to crank some heat if we need it.

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First, we removed the casting platform. Then, the entire belly and stringers were ground down for a better bonding surface. Lots of hours with the grinder and disc sander. Snapped some lines cut open the stringers and removed all the foam/water. About 2-3 inches of foam in there, suspended off the hull.

Any recommendations on a foam to use (and where to buy) for raising the stringers? Need it for reshaping the void and then raising 2.5". Trying to stay away from divinycell because of the $$. Looking for something like billythekid used in his build. Trying to use poly on the stringers but heard it will melt some foams.

Cheers

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that is the straightest I have ever seen someone cut the stringers open, holy cow. I used a peice of 2" dyvinacell to raise my stringers on the third one , number one and two I just rip strips of marine plywood and glued and screwed them together then glasses them to the stringers. I think 1 sheet of 3/4 marine ply ($120) will do all the stringers. if memory serves me they are 3 " wide. I think I stack 3 pieces on top of each other. dont waste your time or money on the hard foam from homey depot it has no strength at all.

You could pour foam in those stringers. Then just cut flush and wrap glass over the top. A lot easy and quicker than trying to cut wood or foam sheets to fit.

I'm with Corey. Those stringers look to be in great shape, if you wanted after you fill with foam you could wrap a couple of layers of 1708 around them and tie them to the hull for even more strength. That's called "overkill" which is good.

Chuck,

Why don’t you like the flat deck idea? I’m curious because I’m thinking of going that route on my 23 project.

Where’d you get that tent from? I want one!

Go flush deck. Its the best thing I did to my boat.......

No work getting done as of late. It doesn't snow like this too often in New England. When conditions are good you got to head to the mountain.

Cory/DonV- Thanks for the input. Couple holes in the stringers and one cracked striger (starboard side where the rigging crosses over). Plan on tying them into the hull. We like "overkill".

Surfnski- The tent is a shelterlogic. Not the thickest of material but it has lasted through 3 nor'easters so far. Its nice because it keeps the water but still lets natural light through. Craigslist is a good place to find a deal on one.

Thanks Billy-- sometimes it better to be lucky than good. Hopefully the fiberglassing comes as naturally as the grinding.... Did you use "last a foam" its the only foam I can find in 2" width. Its a core material on fiberglass supply.

We like the flat deck as well. Boat feels much bigger with the casting platform out. Did you make your front locker water tight? The only down side seems to be water getting in since you loose the drainage channels.

Hi roomtomove. Looks like we are both about the same stage in our 20’ restorations. Did you leave the keel stringer alone? I drilled a test hole and found the wood core was soaked. I cut it open and removed the core which was saturated. It looked like a basic 2x4. Thinking of filling it with sea cast.

Paul-

The keel stinger was already removed when we got the hull. There is a hole on the keel (directly below where the stinger was), not sure if that is why the stinger was removed or if it was a result of the demo.

We plan on our laying some glass down and adding a PVC stinger/drain on the keel.

Looks like a good project would like to see some updates.

Got a little work done a few weeks ago... Closed the stringers up with marine ply held on place with CSC. Then we fabbed up some marine ply to raise the stringers. Bedded them in poly/cabosil putty. Filled the seam between the existing stringer and riser with poly/cabosil/milled fiber putty along with any other voids. Glassed it all in with multiple layers of CSC and 1708. We also got the old bilge hole patched from the inside.

We have been trying to do all wet layups, seems well worth the long days in order to grind as little as possible.

Suweet !!

Can anyone recommend a tank builder? Was trying to use SP Tanks out of New Jersey but apparently their custom tank operation indefinitely closed last week.

Would prefer a builder from the NE but would consider shipping from Florida. Trying to get prepared for the spring.

I believe that there are two aluminum fabricators up there. One has two names, like SP/Speedy Tanks. Almost used him once. IIRC, the other was in Bayville, Route 9.?. Been a long time. Sunshine, and RDS Aluminum if you can draw what you want (not being local).

RDS has built between 8 and 10 Jersey Speed Skiffs, including my brothers. A custom 18 gal. under rear thwart of a BW 15 Sport.

I believe Sunshine may have specs to early SeaCrafts.

Vezo, Part II

Atlantic Coastal Welding in Jersey.800 434 8265. They are buildind mine now.

Luther's welding in Rhody.

Thanks for the input. Turns out the place with two names is Atlantic Coastal Weldnig/Speedy tanks. I have quotes out to Speedys and Patriot Marine Fabrication in New jersey. Waiting on a quote from Luther's.

Cheers

Does my mind still remember they are in Bayville, NJ? I was recently taken over a 70 gallon build. Paid $1284. The $84 was Fla. Sales tax when I don’t live there. Tariffs on metal or not, the old adage “$10/gallon” still rings true. Interested in your quotes. Mine was constructed of .125 aluminum, three baffles, fill, pick up, vent and sending unit. Coal tar epoxied. Let us know.

Part II

Vez- haven't been on on a while. Yes they are in Bayville, there are actually a couple companies around Barnegat Bay, all the NJ guys quoted around $750. I walked out of Speedy's for around $850 for a 52gal tank with couple extra items for installing. Not cheap! The Rhode Island outfit seemed very knowledgeable but the quote started at 850 and they do not epoxy coat.

Bulkheads
 

Is there any down side keeping my bulk heads a couple inches below the tops of the stingers? Should they be tied into the bottom of the deck? I am only putting in two and would like some acess to the top of the tank and airflow through the gas tank cavity.

In the front portion of the deck I found that the span between the stringers curved some flex (soft) area up there. It was thea area in front of the console and right behind the raised deck. I used nidacore for my deck and I had it taken up and and that area reinforced.

I would raise it just to be safe and not have to do it over again.

remember you want your boat to be able to flex some when in ruff conditions. A lot of people will over build and get a boat to the point it cant flex which creates hard spots sometimes. I would want to be able to spray off the trash off the top of the tank or make it where it could drain naturally and not hold water around it. On the bulk heads I do, I cut out notches or half rounds near the keel to allow water to drain from front to rear of the bilge area to drain. Looks like you have a PVC pipe glassed in to allow the front to drain to the rear but what ends up in the tank cavity wont drain out. I would do a small void on the rear bulkhead only so that the water in the front wont enter the tank area threw the front bulk head but what builds up (it will get in there somehow) will be able to exit the rear one. If you build both high and don't have a way for them to drain they will just end up holding water around the tank. You want air flow around it and for it to drain and dry. Most bulkheads Carl originally put in these boats had little glass on them and were not super strong the way they were installed. If the deck is done right it should not need support from stringer to stringer. That's my 2 cents, You would think if sealed off you wouldn't get water in there they way you have it but I haven't seen one yet that hasn't found water into it somehow.

Bulkheads and Hullsides
 

Thank for the input Frizz and Jorge, always much appreciated.

Slowly making some progress. Got two bulkheads in on either side of the tank, with drainage holes on the aft bulkhead. The PVC pipe took the place of the old center stringer and allows for drainage from the forward compartment.

We stole a page directly out of Billy the Kids build, and went with balsa core on the hull sides with csm and 1708. Balsa was bedded in with none other than Joe Merton's "Hull & Deck" The hull sides stiffened up nicely! This job was a lot of work but really happy with the way it turned out.

This is a photo showing the “soft spot” forward of console, aft of casting platform. The plywood core was flexing for the single reason that the stringers do not run full height forward. Had to build up with core, then replace deck and finish. Solid now. Hope this helps.

Vezo

On to the cap!!! Need a mold for extending bolster like Billythekid did below.

I guessing wood is worst potion. Thinking some type of composite would be least likely to stick. Have a piece of scrap azec i'm thinking of using any thoughts/recommendations? Havn't worked with any molds yet.

Cheers

If you use Azek, better wax it good. Resin sticks nicely to it! I wondered if the masonite bathroom paneling would work well.

1/4" ply covered in formica. Itll take a nice fair curve and the formica will act as the release. Coat of wax wont hurt though...

I forgot the formica surface in my description.

That's what I use also, formica. The big box stores sometimes sells it off cheaper if it has cracks and broken corners. I always look for the discounted stuff. Melamine board works well too for molds but the formica will form well to the curves.