Our boat restoration project

[dbarnett1]

The weather warmed up to a nice ( for Jan.) 50 degrees yesterday (Jan. 27th) so Dave Jr. and I decided to do some work on the boat. We spent the afternoon striping the boat down to the bare hull and just cleaning it up some.
Dave Jr. found this old boat for us and we got it cheap. The 55 hp Evinrude runs great although it did have some water pump probs. It seems as though the last owner tried to do a service job and replace the impeller. The shear key in the impeller had come out and he left out a couple very important parts. We have the parts on order so the motor is on hold till we get them.
The fella we got the boat from also tried to do a little restoring on the boat. He didn't pay much attention to detail and I suppose looks wasn't his goal. He used waffer board for the floors and decks and didn't treat any of it underneath. Due to the outdated registration I don't think he ever had it on the water but I do think it sat outside for a long time exposed. When we got it it was piled full of the stuff that he intended to put back. Some good some not.
As I said earlier the motor runs great so it alone was worth the deal. We also scored a nice Hummingbird 3-D fish finder, depth sounder, water temp and boat speedometer. We have checked it out and it works great. The seats we got are pretty nice and we have all the hardware to install them. There is a bilge pump and a live well aerator also. Not sure if they work as we haven't got around to checking them out. The steering unit works great but the throttle and choke cables will have to be replaced. We got two bait wells with the boat. They are big enough to use for live wells for Dave Jr's fish. We will prob just have to use a big rope for mine.:D
I am adding some pics of the boat as it was when we got it and some of the striping work. I will post pics of the restoration as we go. I hope to be able to work on it soon although my wife just informed me we have more snow on order for Monday.:(
I hope you enjoy the post and the pics. Chime in and let us know what you think. Dave

[dugger]

It looks like it will cut water great I say SCORE hows the trailer

[dugger]

looks good did it come with that?

[dugger]

Transoms ok?

[dbarnett1]

The trailer actually looks rather new and is in great shape. The only thing it needs is new 2x4's for the bunks and the side boards. The whole rig is all 1978 - motor, boat and trailer. The transome is in pretty good shape. The fella I got it from put a new one in it. The only prob is he used regular plywood instead of marine. I haven't decided yet weather to take it out or just soak it down with walman ( the chemical used in pressure treating). I do want to "beef the transome a little more he used two thicknesses of 3/4 inch ply. I want to add a cross beam and a marine ply motor board. This ole Evinrude probably weighs around 350 lbs. so I want the transom stout. God Bless. Dave

[cwd]

Well by looking at the pictures, it looks like Dave Jr. has been working prety hard.
I did see one of Dad in the background supervising.
The boat looks to be a diamond in the ruff. If it turns out anything like the home made
boat. You will have another winner.
However from all of the equipment you got with the boat you already are a winner.
are you going to put in a solid floor or slats like in the other one ?

Chris

[dbarnett1]

We are going to put in a solid floor of 3/4" ply treated then we are going to cover it with Marine carpet.

[dugger]

Is that like a old LUND or who made it

[dugger]

ARE you gonna blow some styrofoam under your flooring keep it from rattling?

[dbarnett1]

The boat is a Sea Nymph. I thought it was a Lund too the first time I seen it. We are going to put in sheet styrofoam under the floor. I want to flush fit the foam to the floor that should eliminate any flexing and give a little extra support along with flotation. With the sheet foam we can channel it to allow for air circulation and drainage should any water get in.

[bass or bass?]

Looks like a great project. Keep us posted as it goes along.

[big roe]

Yes that looks like a fun project I would like to do something like that If I had some space enjoyed seeing your pictures.

[dbarnett1]

Got my styrofoam yesterday. Found a great deal on it so I got enough to do the boat and my outside furnace shed. Hopefully the weather will break before long and I can get started on it.

[barnett.23]

Don't worry well get it done and i'll let u catch all the little fish while i catch the big ones. :D

[dbarnett1]

Here is the boat after we got it all cleaned up. Hopefully the weather will stay warmer and we can get the project rolling. We got the stringers all cleaned up and straightened and ready to go in. I hope to get the stringers and floor joist supports in this week if the dry weather holds out for us. I have decided to go with 1/2 inch plywood on the floor. Cost and weight issues helped make this decision but all in all I think the 1/2 inch ply on 12 inch OC joists ought to be plenty.

[dugger]

Nice wont take long now you will fishing in it, are you giong to put a bilge pump or live well in it

[bass or bass?]

I hope the foam you bought is closed cell, not open cell foam. Open cell will absorb water :eek:, closed cell won't :cool:. The old original foam I took out of my boat when I rebuilt it was open cell and was waterlogged with oily liquid and it weighed a ton :eek:. I replaced it with closed cell foam, and a lot more than the factory had installed. :)

[dbarnett1]

Nice wont take long now you will fishing in it, are you giong to put a bilge pump or live well in it


Yep It will have a live well and a bait well and two bilge pumps.

[dbarnett1]

I hope the foam you bought is closed cell, not open cell foam. Open cell will absorb water :eek:, closed cell won't :cool:. The old original foam I took out of my boat when I rebuilt it was open cell and was waterlogged with oily liquid and it weighed a ton :eek:. I replaced it with closed cell foam, and a lot more than the factory had installed. :)

The foam is open cell but I had planed on shrink wrapping it. This does cause me some concern. Do you think the shrink wrapping will keep it from absorbing water? If not I may have to take another tack.

[bass or bass?]

Any small tears will allow water into the foam. Closed cell foam is a bit pricey, however, in the long run it is the only way to keep from eventually having to replace your open cell foam. I can give you the company name where I bought mine if you like.

[dbarnett1]

Well I have decided to take a different tack on the foam. I am going to use an injected closed cell foam. Its pretty pricey but thanks to B or B's advice I will be spared the water logging probs. Everything is coming along slow but sure. I have been shocked more than once to find the cost of materials and parts these days. In the pictures I have posted today, the first is of Tim and I finishing up the motor. We put in a new water pump and all new seals in the lower unit. The next pics are of the floor of the boat in progress. We have the floor all framed out and about 2/3 of the plywood down. I am using Thompsons water seal on the plywood both sides and edges. I made a little video that I will post the link to later on. I have to get my wife to blue tooth it to her phone so I can download the SD card on to my computer. I hope to have it on here in a day or two. Dave

[bass or bass?]

OK Dave, again I have to rain on your parade. DO NOT use Thompson's water seal. This is made as a rain repellant for patio decks, and patio furniture only . It will not hold up to any water that may get in the bilge area ( and water will get in there). And it has to be reapplied annually! Again here's how I tackled wood treatment on my boat on the recommendation of my boat mechanic. Buy fiberglass resin at Home Depot. Mix the resin by the directions on the can, then dilute the mix with acetone to a thin paintable consistancy. Apply this to every surface. Apply 3 coats, the last coat being undilluted full strength resin. What happens here is the acetone diluted resin will soak into the wood, then the acetone evaporates leaving the wood impregnated with fiberglass resin. The final coat seals everything. This will waterproof your wood for a lifetime! If you're going to carpet the deck, rough up the final resin coat with sandpaper before applying the carpet cement.

[fish-hook]

OK Dave, again I have to rain on your parade. DO NOT use Thompson's water seal. This is made as a rain repellant for patio decks, and patio furniture only . It will not hold up to any water that may get in the bilge area ( and water will get in there). And it has to be reapplied annually! Again here's how I tackled wood treatment on my boat on the recommendation of my boat mechanic. Buy fiberglass resin at Home Depot. Mix the resin by the directions on the can, then dilute the mix with acetone to a thin paintable consistancy. Apply this to every surface. Apply 3 coats, the last coat being undilluted full strength resin. What happens here is the acetone diluted resin will soak into the wood, then the acetone evaporates leaving the wood impregnated with fiberglass resin. The final coat seals everything. This will waterproof your wood for a lifetime! If you're going to carpet the deck, rough up the final resin coat with sandpaper before applying the carpet cement.


I have to second this post. Never under estimate what water can do to your boat. If you ever tear apart any old boat, you'll find the wood is just plain rotten. As B and B says, you need to seal every side. It's worth going the whole "20-yards" the first time, then having tearing up you whole boat later on down the road.

[dbarnett1]

Wow Thanks. I assumed The water seal would work pretty good because of how it works on my deck. I'm going to give the epoxy resin a try. Again thanks fellas.

[dbarnett1]

Ok folks. This is my first ever attempt at a video. I will try to do more of these as we go so you can get a good idea of how were putting this thing together. God Bless. Dave

Heres the link: http://barnett-family.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/13356328-boat-restoration-vid-1

[JoeW]

Just fantastic db! Great explanation and descriptions. Keep at it! You need to post the credits for the cast, director, producer, film crew, sound men, etc! Looking forward to the next installment of "DB rebuilds a Boat Part Deux"! Best---- JoeW

[bass or bass?]

Nice video Dave. How about a tour of your farm?

Now, some boat terminology for you. The joists are stringers. Bulkheads separate your stringer sections fore and aft. Shiver me timbers if you aren't building a forecastle (pronounced fok sell), your front casting deck, and a poop deck, your rear casting deck. I'm gonna make a salty old sea dog of you yet my friend!

[dugger]

Good job DB cant wait to see a video of you guys on the water in it .Its a bit bigger than I thought ,Room for another fat man???? how long is it

[bass or bass?]

Better be careful or we'll all be coming to fish with you! :eek:

[fish-hook]

Ok folks. This is my first ever attempt at a video. I will try to do more of these as we go so you can get a good idea of how were putting this thing together. God Bless. Dave

Heres the link: http://barnett-family.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/13356328-boat-restoration-vid-1


How do you plan to make your central floor compartment, if any? If you do plan to make a floor compartment more than 3 feet long, make sure you let me know so I can post some photos and diagrams. I assume you'll also be installing an electric water pump towards the rear of the boat as well?

Great work on the video! Keep the photos/videos coming!:cool:

[dbarnett1]

Good job DB cant wait to see a video of you guys on the water in it .Its a bit bigger than I thought ,Room for another fat man???? how long is it


Its a 16 footer and it will have plenty of room come on buddy we'll catch a biggun!

[dbarnett1]

Better be careful or we'll all be coming to fish with you! :eek:


Come on buddy. Hope it have it in fishing mode before too long if all goes well.

[dbarnett1]

How do you plan to make your central floor compartment, if any? If you do plan to make a floor compartment more than 3 feet long, make sure you let me know so I can post some photos and diagrams. I assume you'll also be installing an electric water pump towards the rear of the boat as well?

Great work on the video! Keep the photos/videos coming!:cool:


I'm going to try to have it open as much as possible in the center. Decks fore and aft. My compartments will be under my decks. It will have a bilge pump and two live wells and a rod locker in it if everything works according to plan. :)

[dbarnett1]

Well since we have been showered with all this rain I haven't been able to get out and work on the boat so I have been doing a little research on it. My findings were a little surprising and they have raised a new question in my mind. This boat is a Sea Nymph. Lowe bought them out in the early 80's. My particular boat did not come factory with any live wells. The fella I bought this boat from installed two in it. After talking with a local dealer here who has a good knowledge of these boats, I now have a new decision to make. The boat dealer tells me that a livewell in the forecastle will greatly change the boats performance. He seemed concerned about the hole the previous owner put in the port side as a circulation vent. The previous owner started to restore this boat and did a very bad job at it to say the least. He never got it on the water and due to this I have to question weather or not this hole will create a problem. I really wanted a livewell up front but by his recommendation I wonder if I should try? Dave

[dugger]

If its centered to the bow and not huge say for bait and a few keepers i dont see where its going to make that much of a challange for running ,,,your not in salt water facing 10 ft seas and your strengh factor is better after the remodel so you won't have as much bow and flex aluminum boats can take it they got natural flex and being shored up I don't think you will have a problem! fish on brother chilies coming soon

[dugger]

I went back and looked at the pics ,that bow crossing beam looks bent would shore that or replace it ,if its been bent its integrity looks to have been comprimised hard to tell fom just pics remember if its been bent or come loose there was allready a flaw whether its from flexing , poor design,or not enough stable crossovers for rough water,,.If it rattling its flexing and stuff comes loose or is weakened by repetitive movement sorta like taking a can and bending it back and forth till its tearing!

[dbarnett1]

Well here is video #2. In this video we have finished the floor and are starting on the forecastle. Lots more to go, with a lot of decisions to make. Hope you all are enjoying our efforts as much as we are. God Bless. Dave

Here is the link to the video: http://barnett-family.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/13513295-boat-restoration-vid-2

[dugger]

Nice DB I see It will be a great fatman boat wide with Tall gunnels thats where its two fot tall !!!! It is gonna be a great vessel.
Have you named her yet? Great video pal keep at it!!
dugger

[bass or bass?]

Great job Dave. Next time I drive east on I-40 you can count on taking me fishing!

[fish-hook]

Hey Dave-

If I were you I'd just plug that hole instead of permanently filling it. I mean, who knows, maybe you'll decide to use it in the future (for aeration possibly?).

Also make sure you're able to have good access to your bilge pumps...

What's the plan for the flooring? Carpet (marine grade), something else?

[dbarnett1]

Well we finally got some good weather to work on the boat. Here is video #3. It may be a little slow to load but it will take off. I hope you all enjoy it. God Bless. Dave

Here is the link: http://barnett-family.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/13769267-boat-restoration-vid-3

[bass or bass?]

Looking good partner. Can't wait to see you launch it!

[fish-hook]

I put marine grade carpet into my boat. If you plan to "lift" the fish into your boat, your floors will quickly get covered with fish scales and will require constant cleaning. This isn't a problem if you always use a net.

I highly recommend marine grade carpet. This stuff still looks new after the 2 years we had it. Stands up to traffic and isn't difficult to clean. A dark gray color will look good in any boat.

I guess you can also do carpet in different areas of the boat.

Keep us updated!

[dugger]

Your geting there Ole Pard I got to replace some wood and carpet On The Kathyrn my Fisher Avenger, be glad to see a fishing video wid you and DB jr ,was going to have it done but you have inspired me to do it myself <good work.

[toadfrog]

Your gonna have a very sea worthy craft pretty soon . Want pics of the maiden voyage. Drink the wine before you bust the bottle on launch . The good book says , Take a little wine for thy stomaches sake.

[cwd]

That sure don't look like the same boat you started with.
Taking your time and not rushing will pay off. Waiting to see her on the water.

[dbarnett1]

Well I think I'm finally getting back into the swing again. We finally got through all the weddings and two of our kids moving. A little bad news hit us Friday, my cousins dad passed away. He was 78 and had fought a long battle with Alzheimers. The family all miss him terribly but I believe most are comforted that his torment is over.

The next big thing on the agenda here is Dave Jr,s leaving for Qatar the first of August.

I have finally had some time to work on the boat resto project again. My wife is my helper now and she has been doing a fantastic job. She plumb out smarted me twice today by coming up with two good ideas that proved to be better than my own. The weather here has been really hot lately. There have been a few days I wanted to work on the boat but just wasn't tough enough. . It finally cooled off to a balmy 93 today( as you can prob tell from the video I am soaking wet with sweat), so my wife and I starched our upper lips and went to work . I am posting two new pics here along with video #4. These are the boat with both decks in, the pedestal seats installed, new bilge pump installed, all around and front red/green light installed, fishfinder installed, the motor hung, cables run, wiring done (on boat), and our latest job, the rod locker built. Maybe one of you mods can replace the older pic of the boat in the home page slide show with one of these (whichever one you think is best). I still have to make two doors for the forecastle, put the fronts on both decks, install the drivers seat, re-wire the trailer, paint the new builds, paint outside of boat, replace the bunks on trailer( I will do this when I take the boat to the water first time out), and a few other small details. I haven't decided if I'm going to put carpet in it yet. Money is saying no but my heart is saying yes . If I don't put carpet in I will use some no slip tread strips. My wife and I are planning a nice vacation fishing trip for the first of August. This will be the first time in 20 years we have done something like this just by ourselves so it will be a double fun trip! .

Well I hope you enjoy the pics and fire up any questions or advice you may have. God Bless. Dave

Here is the link to video #4 http://barnett-family.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/14226911-boat-restoration-video-4

[dugger]

Nice I like the set up! You got a name for her yet?

[dbarnett1]

I like the name "Til the Rapture" It lets folks know what I'll be doing until then :).

[KevinLee]

The boat is looking good.

[cwd]

She sure is looking good.
she will last you untill the Rapture.
You never know, The Good Lord may like her enough to bring her up
to float upon the crystal seas.

[bass or bass?]

Looking great my friend! Let's go fishing!:D

[dbarnett1]

Well The temp got to 107 here today but I toughened up and went out and worked on the boat. I got the facings put on the poop deck and forecastle and the drivers seat installed. I did a little caulking until I ran out. LOL. It's been a slow go but it is all coming together. I hope to be able to get it on the water around the first of Aug. All 3 of the kids and my wife Kellie have helped work on it so it has been a great family project. In this post I have 2 new pics of the driver seat and one of the facing on the poop deck. Also I am including Video # 5. I will do one more vid when I get it all done and then a final one when we launch it on the water. God Bless and I hope you enjoy. Dave

Here is Video # 5: Dave's Boat Restoration Vid 5 rlm; - YouTube

[toadfrog]

That is looking good . I'm looking forward to the launch to . Need to get you a bottle of sparkling grape soda . The kind in the fancy bottle to christen it with .

[bass or bass?]

Hey Brother Home Depot has outdoor carpeting that is VERY reasonable. I used it for my boat deck rebuild and I probably spent less than $40 on it. Of course you still need the outdoor carpet adhesive too, but you can still carpet your boat without breaking the bank.

[dugger]

Good job DB ,she is soon to be earning her keep time to catch som biguns!!

[dbarnett1]

Well the weather has cooled down a little here last few days. The good Lord has seen fit to give us some much needed and appreciated rain. We have had some good showers off and on for the last few days. I got out and did some work on the boat and the humidity level finally got acceptable to do a little painting on the hull. In the pic you can see the before and after comparison. I am just using a cheap wally world spray paint, but on the upside I have had good results with it on other boats over the years. Hope you enjoy the pic and I hope I have some good fishin' pics to post up in a few days. God Bless, Dave

[dugger]

you put a clear coat on
also ??

[JoeW]

Man! What a difference! You wanna paint my car! That boat is getting to be something to be real proud of db! Best---- JoeW

[dbarnett1]

Well its been a long slow process but we finally got the old ship back to life. There are a lot of methods we used that I'm sure an experienced boat restorer wouldn't have, but all in all we ended up with a nice boat that we like. I have cut a few corners and even used some recycled materials here and there but I think the results were about par for the course. This has been a really fun project. The whole family has been involved in it and that makes it even more satisfying. I am going to make a last video on the boat in the next couple days and I want to try to do one when we work the trailer over. For now I am posting the latest pics of the boat. Hope ya'll enjoy them and God Bless. Dave

[bass or bass?]

Wow! The old owner will never recognize her! Well done brother. :)

[dugger]

Good Job DB now go fishing!!!!!!

[toadfrog]

Got time to do another one . I don't think I live that far from you . Maybe drop it off for a month or two Since you did such an outstanding Job Think'in maybe you might start up a business .

[JoeW]

Man, db- you could bring the Titanic back to life! The fish will be jumping into that boat! You and the boys should be very proud of that job! It sure beats the lawn chair strapped to the styrofoam pontoons that was posted a little while ago. Have fun in that sweetie. Name? Best---- JoeW

[dbarnett1]

Well, we finally got it on the water. After a few last small details, Dave Jr. and I finally hit the water with our boat today (Oct 6th). Had a little adjusting to do on the motor at first getting the new cables aligned and what not but we got her going! I still want to take it to a outboard mechanic and have a good all over tune up done but she worked out great.

I did get a few surprises. The boat isn't quite as stable as I had hoped, nothing bad really but I had higher expectations. It also drafts a little deeper than I thought it would. Again not bad just wasn't what I had hoped for.

To give it a real test, I pulled a good whoopty doo with it. I took it over a submerged log. I gave Dave Jr. a heads up but he didn't hear me. The look on his face was, as they say, priceless lol. The ole rig did fine. It slid over the log with minimal barrel roll and the motor kicked up just fine without the prop even grazing the log. Really wouldn't want to do that accidentally at high speed but it's nice to know she can take it if need be.

It will have to be a big water boat. Lakes and big rivers. It drafts a little too deep and the ole 55 horse Rude just isn't designed for plowing literal river bottoms.

All of this may be a plus though because after telling my wife about it, she put fourth the suggestion maybe I need a different boat for smaller water. That was kind of like giving a drug addict dope but I recon she figures it's better than me puttering around the house driving her nuts doh.

We got some videos for you to have a gander at. They didn't turn out all that well due to the wind and the fact that my new phone only takes a 33 sec. video but They're not too bad either. Hope you all enjoy watching them and God Bless. Dave


Here is the links to the videos. If the videos don't load on the page click on the titles above the boxes. That will take you to the page and the video will start on it's own.

Getting it ready to put in. video by dave_b1 - Photobucket

Motoring 1 video by dave_b1 - Photobucket

Motoring 2 video by dave_b1 - Photobucket

Motoring 3 video by dave_b1 - Photobucket

[bass or bass?]

Good to see you out on the water. Tune her up and go catch some fish!

[fish-hook]

Stability?

Try the fins that mount to your outboard.

http://img.nauticexpo.com/images_ne/photo-g/boat-outboard-motor-hydrofoil-251138.jpg
Image by:nauticexpo.com

[sharps4590]

The old motor sounds good in the clips and the boat looks good!. Where'd ya'll take it to try it out?

[cwd]

You have brought back life to an old boat.
she looks good. can't wait to see the vid. on the first fish you catch in her.

[WildernessWomen]

Nice Work!!:D

[dbarnett1]

Big Thanks to everyone for the kind words and the encouragement you have all given through this project. Sharps: I took it to Little prairie lake or William Towel as its called now. I want to take it either to the Lake of the Ozarks or Clearwater lake so I can open it up. Just have to see what weather , money, and time allow. Again Big Thanks to everyone. God Bless. Dave

[dugger]

BIG CONGRATS,, DB glad DBjr could be there with you and wow great job, God bless

[sharps4590]

Little Prairie? The one here by Rolla? If so, when did they change the name of it? Sheesh....the things you learn...lol!

I often sail my 12 footer at Little Praire....er...William Towel.....if that's the same lake.

[dbarnett1]

Yep thats the lake buddy. The conservation area is still Little prairie but they changed the lake name to William Towel a few years ago.