Jumping in with Both Feet on a 20 Seafari

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by SailorChlud

. . . I cannot read the sticker, as some prior owner glued a veneer of plywood over it, and when I took it apart, the glue took off a lot of the numbers.

Is there a way to identify the null number or serial number any other source?

First of all, I don't think there is any wood in the vertical step aft of the bunks that the bulkheads fasten to. It appears to be just fiberglass, maybe about 1/8-3/16" thick. One trick you can use with fiberglass that most folks don't know about, is just to drill and tap it for machine screws! The threads on machine screws aren't nearly as sharp as on self tapping or sheet metal screws, so they don't cut into the glass as bad, which causes the screw to loosen. But I'm not sure this would work in this relatively thin glass because when you get into rough seas where the boat is bouncing around a lot and taking some pretty healthy G loads when it punches into a wave, there can be some twisting loads on the hull that give those bulkheads and screws a pretty good workout! If you drill the holes a little oversize to prevent loading the screws in shear, that would probably help. You'd really prefer to depend on a pure clamping load on the bulkhead to prevent relative motion between it and the hull. Maybe a bit of contact cement would also help!

After one particularly rough Bahamas trip, I noticed the bottom screws coming loose, allowing the bottom of the bulkheads and door frame to shift aft, pinching the door at the bottom. I changed to machine screws & and threaded inserts on the bulkheads as previously described, and also ran a couple of wood screws thru the door frame into the sides of the bunks so they would be loaded in shear, and it's been solid ever since. Another option to threaded inserts for the bulkhead screws is toggle bolts. Although I've bought some from WM that had plastic zip ties running thru a plastic washer that help hold the toggle in place after you insert it, I'd still put a little epoxy on the toggles before installing them to insure they remain stuck to the back side of the fiberglass if you ever have to remove the screws. They're real handy for installing seat pedestals. (You typically have to drill about a 3/8" hole for a 1/4-20 toggle.)

One other thing I'd do to the bulkheads before you install 'em is to saturate the edges and screw holes with some thin epoxy to waterproof them, especially along the bottom. Reason is that it's very hard to seal the bottom edge with caulk, so it's easy for wash down water to get under the edges of the bulkheads, and fresh water will rot 'em out even faster than salt water!

Regarding the hull ID/SN, they didn't start using the hull ID numbers till 1973, so I doubt you'll find any numbers on the transom. I even had to explain that to a young USCG officer one time during an inspection who had never heard that! All you can provide is the hull SN. The numbers are actually stamped into the metallic decal on my boat as I suspect they are on yours, so even if they're smeared over, the imprint should still be there. If you can clean off the crud covering them, you might be able to see them by laying a piece of thin tracing paper over them and rubbing over them with a lead pencil!

[Capt Terry]

[QUOTE=Bushwacker;249017]
Another option to threaded inserts for the bulkhead screws is toggle bolts. Although I've bought some from WM that had plastic zip ties running thru a plastic washer that help hold the toggle in place after you insert it, I'd still put a little epoxy on the toggles before installing them to insure they remain stuck to the back side of the fiberglass if you ever have to remove the screws.
QUOTE]

As always Bushwacker's advice is pretty sound. I would suggest doing a trial or two on a piece of scrap material if you attempting to use the WM toggle bolts with the plastic zip tie wings. I did and I was not satisfied enough with the results for an absolute solid anchor for my barefoot boom.- sorry, can't remember why. Maybe some epoxy as Bushwacker suggests to glue them might have helped. Thought they a little pricey too, but would have used them if I liked them.

My '76 20' Seafari has the aluminized sticker under the helm like yours, but my bulkheads are fiberglass, so yours must be a little earlier model.

[SailorChlud]

Thanks, guys. I am not sure I want to rely on the plastic anchors of the toggle bolts, whether epoxied or not. Bushwacker: you used brass anchors? Where did you find those?

I am still deciding on whether to laminate a thin PVC or other skin to the outside of the bulkheads instead of using the plywood alone. I am definitely planning on coating all sides and bottoms in epoxy to prevent the problem of sweet (or salt) water wicking up the grain.

As to the foil sticker, I will try to get the serial number from the sticker by rubbing, and see how it goes.

[SailorChlud]

Tracing paper update - no luck. I could get the words "serial no" and then there was a rectangular box for the number, but the box itself was not intact, and none of the numbers were visible. Oh well, guess it will be a # 1 HULL as far as I am concerned.

[SailorChlud]

Thanks, McGillicuddy: The transom did not have a hull ID number on it. the prior owner had to get an assigned number form Massachusetts at some point. Here is what the transom looked like before the redo.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by SailorChlud

Thanks, guys. I am not sure I want to rely on the plastic anchors of the toggle bolts, whether epoxied or not. Bushwacker: you used brass anchors? Where did you find those?

I am still deciding on whether to laminate a thin PVC or other skin to the outside of the bulkheads instead of using the plywood alone. I am definitely planning on coating all sides and bottoms in epoxy to prevent the problem of sweet (or salt) water wicking up the grain.

I believe I found the threaded brass inserts in the hurricane supply section of a local hardware store, but a google search turned up this link.

Regarding a laminate over the plywood, that would give a more uniform appearance than if you just varnished the plywood. I used some wood grain formica on the PVC board I used to replace the rotted plywood on the galley seat I bought (see pic below). It looked nice initially, but I'm disappointed at how quickly it faded in the strong UV we have in S. Fl., even though I keep a cover on the boat most of the time. It's actually faded worse than the 45 year old contact paper originally used on the bulkheads
! It's also very important to use waterproof contact cement or maybe epoxy resin to attach the laminate! Maybe if the laminate was coated with 5-6 coats of a clear varnish with lots of UV inhibitor, that would work. I would not use a urethane varnish because it'll be too hard to fix it once it goes bad. Also would not use epoxy or varnish over epoxy because epoxy under varnish will turn white once the varnish looses it's UV protection; you can't tell when that's about to happen, and I've heard stories about varnish + epoxy coatings turning white virtually overnight. You'd have to strip off the epoxy to fix that, so just plain varnish is probably your best bet. I've had very good luck with Epifanes. Used it on mahogany entry door shown below at least 4 years ago and it still looks great. although it faces N, so doesn't see direct sun.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by SailorChlud

Thanks, McGillicuddy: The transom did not have a hull ID number on it. the prior owner had to get an assigned number form Massachusetts at some point. Here is what the transom looked like before the redo.

John, I'd definitely save that picture in case you ever get boarded by USCG! Maybe even have that number engraved on the new sticker!

[SailorChlud]

I ordered a new number plate in stainless steel from machineplatesonline.com that will get screwed to the hull in the same place. I will put a second identical plate inside the cabin, perhaps on the inside of the bulkhead inside the instrument panel cover. The prices for a 3 inch plate were not cheap - $60 for two. Cheaper than a ticket, though.

[SailorChlud]

Found a 2002 Johnson 115hp 2 stroke at a nearby dealer. Price seemed reasonable (for Jersey) and I put a deposit on it. The dealer will hold it for a couple of months until I get the boat ready for it. The service history is good (dealer serviced) and it is one owner. Very Clean. Here is a couple of shots:

[Dogbomb]

Great engine! I had a slightly older version on my Arima and I loved it.
Lots of grunt and decent fuel consumption. Never gave me any problems in 600 hours and required minimal maintenance. I miss that motor.
Congrats!