Gator Growl Rehab

WildBill · #1 03-31-2012, 06:02 PM

Here go's; This is my second Potter Seacraft,(I owned a '79 23' sceptre in the 90's) I sold my last boat a 25' CC Sportcraft about the time the economy went south. I was able to stay sane by staying away from boat stores and not watching any fishing shows. Last summer I found this website and re-caught the fever "THANKS' TO ALL". So then the hunt was on; I found an add here in town for this 1973 20' CC. I made the call and he made me a offer I could'nt refuse $600.00 SOLD! (meant to be). I'm not setting any land speed records on the build so be patient.
To date:
1) I gutted the boat and removed the interior section of the transom late last summer. The new marine grade 2" plywood transom was installed a little after Christmas. I've just finished the 3rd layer of 1708 using marine epoxy about 2 week's ago.
2) I've sanded most of the boat with my orbital sander. The boat over the years was drilled and screwed hundreds of times by every type of fastener known to man. So whenever I was done with my epoxy for the night I would add wood flour to the mix and fill some holes. I will regrind all holes later and re-glass and fair as needed.
3) Today I started to cut the top skin off the deck and found it was alot wetter than I originally thought so I popped the entire deck out in 5 pieces. It only took an hour to remove the deck and another hour to chisel the putty out. I'm going to save alot of grinding time this way.

Wild Bill, Go Gators

bigeasy1 · #2 03-31-2012, 06:54 PM

I say you put the gator back when you're done with the resto.Maybe even shark teeth.Good luck with the project,and keep the pictures coming.

strick · #3 03-31-2012, 07:36 PM

Looks like your off to a great start Bill.

strick

WildBill · #4 03-31-2012, 08:53 PM

I used a 16" chain saw to make short work of the old wood in the transom. Caution wear safety glasses if not goggles (this is a must). The saw will not dig into the hull if you keep the saw inside the transom frame after you remove the cap. This made the job extremely easy. I then removed the interior fiberglass splash well.
Next I cut the box stringers back 8" and set them aside to reuse as frames later. I also cut the keel back 6" or so.
Next I ground down the outside skin and epoxied the first layer of marine grade plywood with a wood flour epoxy paste I made up and using a notched trowel to apply to each side.
1st a sheet of 3/4" was thru bolted and epoxied (paste) using the exsisting holes in the transom. The 1/2"bolts were removed the next day.
Each sheet was bedded in a 3/4'-1" fillet of epoxy surrounding the perimeter made up of epoxy, wood flour and silica. This makes up of a thick non running paste.
Then I added a sheet of 1/2", then a sheet of 3/4". These next pieces were screwed and epoxied/wood flour (paste) to the previous sheet and then the screws were removed the next day after the epoxy cured. I applied only enough pressure to each sheet so that the paste would just start to ease out. Then the epoxy could work it's magic.
I added the fillet after each sheet was complete to avoid any voids.

Wild Bill

WildBill · #5 05-27-2012, 11:32 AM

Glassing the inside of transom is complete, I ended up using 3 layers of 1708. When I spliced in the box stringers to the transom I first used 6" biaxle tape to reinstall the sections I had cut out earlier, then used 4 layers of 1708 to finish them off. The box stringer thru drains were installed with thickened epoxy and 1" schedule 40 pvc, the old live well thru hull inlet/outlets and old thru hull drains have been grinded & glassed over on the interior of the hull with 3 tapered layers of 1708 & marine epoxy resin. I am installing a 3/4" marine ply sub sole. I wanted to cap the box stringers with a raised and flat surface for the new sole to be epoxied to and frame out the fuel tank compartment and bilge access. Each compartment edge will be routed with a round over bit and glassed over before the sole is installed. The bottom side of the sub sole has been glassed over with a piece of 10 oz woven mat. The top side of the sub sole will be glassed over with a piece of 10 oz when I'm ready to install the sole so I can install it wet as one piece. When I cut out the sole and install it, it will be set back from the access openings about an 1 1/2" and be routered leaving a recessed and routered opening for the compartment hatches.

hugo · #6 06-20-2012, 07:48 PM

looks great bill. im just getting to the stringers now and then the back of the transom skin. i ended up going old school materials on mine, to many kids and bills to justify anything else, besides my new and only son will be just the right age when we need to do it again!

WildBill · #7 06-20-2012, 08:20 PM

Thank's, we're in the same boat. Your moving at a nice pace, I won't be able to move forward on mine for a couple of weeks do to prior commitment's at work. I'll look forward to your post's.

Bill

WildBill · #8 06-28-2012, 08:20 PM

I'm ready to drill my first hole in my new transom. An important one, the drain plug.
So; what methods have you guys used?
Do I just drill out the hole and coat it with epoxy?
Do I drill out a larger hole fill it with an epoxy paste and drill out a smaller hole?
Has anyone drilled the hole, epoxy coated it, and slipped in a piece of PVC and recess it to the back of the base?
Then it appears you would drill the holes for the plug base fill them with epoxy paste and re-tap and seal the base with 5200 or do you epoxy the base also.

Of all the posts I don't recall anyone documenting this step.

Thanks' wildbill

dirtwheelsfl · #9 06-28-2012, 08:48 PM

heres something i came up with. keeps screws out of the wood anyway.

i laminated more skins on the outside after this pic, but youd just wallow out only the core from the inside and leave the outside skin then glue it in, and put a couple layers over it on the inside.

i just put 2 pieces of pvc down on some wax paper end down, then filled between em with epoxy/cabosil/ and whatever dust came out of the chopsaw.

http://www.classicaquasport.com/phpb...=4582&start=90

hugo · #10 06-29-2012, 11:53 AM

im not as an out of the box thinker. i drilled a 1 inch hole where the original was. 5200 the hole real good and then 5200 the brass 1 inch sleeve, three inches long. slipped in it tapped into place and when dry and stuck good trimmed the extra off and then 5200 and screwd on the outside brass drain plug fitting. im sure theirs a lot of super cool ways but this was simple and as effective as any, as long as the wood is totaly sealed.