27' Moesly Flybridge to CC Conversion

[3rdday]

Check this out! I know the guy who originally owned the boat, but didn't know he had it, I have boought and traded boats with him in the past. Cant believe I missed it. he sold it to a person who had Fantastic Fiberglass in Stuart do the restore and conversion.
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:WB3OJ3DAXMwJ:www.fantasticfiberglas s.com/+"27%27+seacraft"&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[KenB]

I am a huge CC fan and still working on my 23 cc.

But it's hard for me to be happy about this conversion... it looks like a great job and the workmanship is first class. Why do that to a classic hull? If you want a CC with classic seacraft ride in a 27, go get an albin or a silverhawk.

Maybe I am way off base, but I would have preferred to see that boat restored to it's original condition. Anyway, what do others think? To me it feels like talking an old new england farm house, gutting it, and turning it into condos; new place looks like a contemporary condo but not quite as good as new construction, and in 5 years is will look dated. There are only so many old farm houses around!

Anyway, that shop did a great job on it and it is a slick looking boat.

[Basspond]

I agree with KenB. An amazing job and also and amazing amount of work, but how many flybridge Moeslys are around? And how many bracketed CCs?

[Rich]

That boat was for sale a year ago or so for around $80K..

[3rdday]

It is an amazing Job. I talked to the owner today,Brian, From Fantastic Fiberglass in Stuart, FL, the shop that did the work.They bought the boat back from their customer, who moved out of town and sold everything. I believe it may be for sale very soon. I think its getting a tower or crows nets.
I would love to buy it, but I am looking for a flybridge 27 I want an overniter, to Restore I already have a Moesly CC.
However it looks like a badd a$$ boat of impecable quality.
Admittedly , I would like both a 27 CC & a 27 overniter.

[gofastsandman]

Admittedly , I would like both a 27 CC & a 27 overniter.

You`ll get there, I`m quite sure of that.

Not to derail your thread, but what would you use to attach
pvc rails to gelcoat. MMa or something else.

I still want to meet you in Ft Pierce for a photo op of the 20 and 21.

[3rdday]

I would use an MMA one with a longer open time. While the MMA will bond very well to the PVC & gelcoat your bond will only be as strong as the Gelcoat is to the fiberglass. With MMAs sanding and prep is not necessary for FRP to FRP or Metal to FRP or Metal to metal bonding. Generally bonding to gelcoat is not a problem. In your case, yu are looking for a structural bond.If there is a failure, it will most likely be the gelcoat debonding from the fiberglass. My recommendation would be to trace the rubrail and sand off the gelcoat so that you are bonding to a stronger substrate (fiberglass). You should not have adhesive failure as most quality MMAs have 3500-4500 psi tensile, which is the style/motion of force on the spray rails. Fiber tear will occur at 1500 to 1700 PSI on most typical FRP. A few application tips; don't bond if you exceed the open time, work time, pot life of the material as it will not have enough "power" or time to resolvate the cured FRP. Once you have the rail clamped or fixtured, do not move, as you may disturb the chemical crosslinking and the chemical bond that is occuring. Use some fishing line as a shim, so when you do clamp you Do NOT squeeze out all or most of the adhesive. Most materials test data is at 74 & 72 deg F.. Pay special attention, if a material has a 10 minute work time at 74f and its 94 f your work time will be cut in half, and vice versa if temp is 20 degrees cooler.

I want to take the photos also, I may be in Stuart for the Martin County nautical flea market.

BTW I do have a couple photos of my buddies 19 Key west next to it.

[3rdday]

I am a huge CC fan and still working on my 23 cc.

But it's hard for me to be happy about this conversion... it looks like a great job and the workmanship is first class. Why do that to a classic hull? If you want a CC with classic seacraft ride in a 27, go get an albin or a silverhawk.

Maybe I am way off base, but I would have preferred to see that boat restored to it's original condition. Anyway, what do others think? To me it feels like talking an old new england farm house, gutting it, and turning it into condos; new place looks like a contemporary condo but not quite as good as new construction, and in 5 years is will look dated. There are only so many old farm houses around!

Anyway, that shop did a great job on it and it is a slick looking boat.

The guy that had the shop restore it probably didn't know about the nostalgia and rarity, he probably saw that Moesly hull and crapped himself. He paid 2 K for the boat. I know , I am puking up my guts now too! It was right under my nose! I stored my boat about 100 yards away.
Albin and Silverhawk are not the same hull bottom as the Moesly hull bottoms, they are splashed off the Potter 23. A bottom up view of the two hulls side by side, there is a tremendous difference. Some realize and know this, and some do not accept or believe it. Regardless, it's the hull bottom that makes it special, there are hundreds of sportfishers, centerconsoles, walk around, cuddy etc.This hull bottom is why you and I are on this site and why we think it's worth the time to restore 30 & 40 year old hulls. I personally would restore the 27 to original as I would like a sportfish, flybridge & overniter. However you have to consider how the boat would be used. I modded my 21 to a cc after great internal debate & consideration, but seing Moesly in the race pics, in rough water, he was not piloting from a forward helm, he & the throttle man were center and slightly aft of midship. I did learn something after the fact; the ride up front at the bow is not rough at all offshore, very surprising. I had no way of knowing or experiencing until my boat was finished.

[Fr. Frank]

That boat was for sale for $1500 back in '95. The boat was the "Raven", and it sank at the dock at Anchorage Yacht Basin in Melbourne. The owner had just finished installing two new engines the say before it sank, but managed to tear the new bellows on one drive. I raised it the same day, pickled the engines and forklifted it to an outside rack, where it sat for 4 years. Six months later, Suntrust bank turned down my offer of $500, even though it was costing the bank $145 a month to sit on the rack at the marina. I guess they wanted their $1500.
In '99, it was moved to Grant, Florida, where both the engines and drives were removed, and it was listed for sale on projectboats.net for $500 or best offer. I don't know who Gary at Project boats sold it to, but I heard it sold for only $200 back in '02.

[Islandtrader]

the ride up front at the bow is not rough at all offshore, very surprising. I had no way of knowing or experiencing until my boat was finished.