First Bass Boat 2024

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Hi everyone , just bought my boat yesterday and it needs quite a bit of TLC but for the price I couldn't say no.

Its in the garage and that was a snugg fit.. I have 3/4 of a foot of play.

I'm currently replacing some floor supports and the floor itself, I'd like to be back on the water by next week and that means I'll have a lot of late nights ahead of me..

My plan is to get the basics , Floor, bilge pump and gas tank up to par and enjoy the fall then back into the garage it goes for the completion of the floors and paint.

Here's a picture.

17ft boat with what seems to be a home painted engine hood that says 170hp

Tiller, engine, steering work great.

Any pointers you have in boat maintenance or things to watch out for please give me your 2 Cents.

Thanks

Shawn.D

Fishing Rhino reply :

The most important thing you need to check is the transom. If its core is wood, and it is in the same condition as the stringers, you've got a critical, major repair on your hands. They can be repaired, but it requires digging out all the old wood. The fiberglass on the top edge will need to be removed to access the plywood core. Then all the wood has to be dug out. I've seen articles where they removed the bulk of the wood using a chain saw. Not for the inexperienced, or faint of heart. Another method is to use a long augur, and bore holes into the top of the wood to but not through the fiberglass bottom.. The augur should be the same diameter as the thickness of the wood, or slightly smaller.

Once all the wood is dug out, and the glass is cleaned and dried, you can pour a filler made for replacing the wood that was removed. Don't know the name or where to get it, but a google search for "transom repair" should yield the information.

Stringers, once the deck is removed are fairly straight forward. Be careful to support the hull on the outside so the bottom doesn't deform when the stringers are removed. I'd do one at a time. I'd also use an epoxy resin, not polyester fiberglass resin when bonding the new stringers to the hull. It will hold. Fiberglass resin may not. You might want to consider using closed cell foam used in fiberglass fabrication. It comes in many thicknesses. It's lighter than wood, but you'll need to laminate enough layers of glass to provide the structural strength needed to keep the hull rigid. No more worries about punky wood cores. All the foam really does is provide the shape for the stringer, The layers of composite form a box beam around it.

Take your time and do it right. You are working with integral structural members which need to withstand the abuse it will take whether pounding over a wake or into a chop.

Don't skimp or cut corners. You will regret it later.

I hope it all works well for you, and that your acquisition provides you many hours of fun and memories. Treat the old girl gently until you know the condition of the transom, and get all repairs completed.

slonezp reply :

Looks pretty rough from the pic. Be safe and take Fishing Rhinos advice.

FishinDaddy reply :

As the owner of a 20 year old hull I say, "take care of her, and she will take care of you". I enjoyed the self satisfaction of repairs almost as much as fishing out of her.

Congratulations!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Thanks guys, I worked on her last night, I've made some progress, whitout any cutting tool I was able to get at least 80% of the rot, leafs and gunk out using pry bars, a hammer and a shop vacc.

Here's how it looks:

The stingers are in sorry shape which you can't really tell until you removed the fiber glass, the fiber glass is keeping it rock solid.

Tonight I'll be cutting up some fiber glass and removing more of the wood, I'll also be getting some marine grade plywood.

Also the transom is cracked at the top edges, I've done some homework and found a product called seacast that just like you said Rhino I'll be doing some gutting and pouring this winter..

Fishing Rhino reply :

Seacast is the stuff I've seen but could not remember the name. It clicked when I read your post.

It's already looking better after your clean up job. Better to work on, that is. Now you will be able to see stress cracks that may have been hidden by the gunk you've removed.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

On 9/28/2011 at 6:59 AM, Fishing Rhino said:

Seacast is the stuff I've seen but could not remember the name. It clicked when I read your post.

It's already looking better after your clean up job. Better to work on, that is. Now you will be able to see stress cracks that may have been hidden by the gunk you've removed.

I didn't see any stress cracks, I "uncapped" the slingers and trimed a lot of the excess fiber glass, I'm currently up to 5 garbage bins full of rot and fiberglass... hahaha

New pictures that show the slingers gutted and cleaned I'll look for a smaller vaccume pipe to really give her the dry/clean state I want it in also I'll be picking up the wood tonight.

I might have the rest of the week off, which means the boat will surely be done before the weekend. I've worked the past 3 days from 6pm to 1 in the morning on the boat so you get an idea of just how much I want to get it in the water this weekend.

Note I removed the second console just to have more room to work in, 5 bolts and its out. I would like to come up with a type of claps or pins I could pull out and remove the console easily.. We'll see , I have to stop day dreaming and get back to the task at hand, the floor..

Here's hoping I can get the floor done by this weekend, also I need to come up with a solution for the decorative panels by the passenger and driver.

GLADES reply :

You are doing a great job so far. Take your time.

I remember doing restoration on my 1984 procraft.

It was fun but I really don't miss messing with the fiberglass.

.02 edit:

Do not put in extra fiberglass just to try to make the boat stronger. The extra weight will add up. The additional weight will have you sitting lower in the water and cut down your top speed.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Some hints for making the experience of working with fiberglass a little better.

Get latex gloves by the hundred count if you can find them. Avoid the cheap stuff at the home improvement centers. Half of them will tear when you try to put them on, doubling the cost. You should be able to get them for less than a dime apiece if you can buy them in the 100 count box.

Get a gallon of acetone for cleanup. It's expensive, but worth every penny. Might be about twenty bucks per gallon now.

Get a couple of four inch paint roller handles. Don't buy the four inch rollers. Buy the six pack of rollers they sell at Home Depot, for about seven bucks. Cut them in half and you end up with two 4.5 inch rollers which will work just fine.

Get a narrow roller tray and liners for the tray. You can toss the liners when you are done.

Mix the resin. Use a little less catalyst than recommended. It will give you more time to work with the resin before it starts to cure. do not mix large batches of resin. It will cure faster in the container since it will build up heat, which acts as a catalyst to speed up curing.

I use plastic gallon milk and water jugs to mix the resin. For starters, mix up a quart at a time, pour it into the paint tray, and wet out the roller. If the roller drips, work some of the resin off on the slope of the tray. Apply like paint to the stringer or whatever part, then place the mat over it and use the roller to work it flat. You can add resin as needed by getting it from the roller tray. If you have an area that is too wet, roll out a dry area of the material, then you can go back with the roller and pick up the excess by rolling over it. If it's still too wet, repeat the process.

If the material doesn't lie flat, keep rolling it. As the mat gets wet, the two inch strands will be able to slide around. The strands are held by a binder which dissolves in resin. Once wet, they can slide around.

You don't need to use a lot of pressure. Always lay the material on a wet surface. It's easier to wet it out when it comes up from behind the material rather than trying to work resin down into it.

Don't try to do too much at a time. Take it slow until you get the hang of it.

The other tool you might need is a "bubble buster". It's a grooved roller made of metal or plastic. The ridges will work the trapped air to the surface.

Use "tear edges" on the mat. Cut edges make a small step at the edge. Tear edges feather into each other and give a better finished product.

It's also much easier to work with smaller pieces with torn edges, than big pieces of material.

Once the stuff is wet, it's nearly impossible to handle, or move. It stretches out because the fibers are no longer held in place by the binder.

Work in the areas that are easiest to get at for starters. Don't struggle with the difficult areas while getting comfortable with the process.

Start small. Keep it as simple as possible.

When you are finished with the glass, if you want a smooth finish, you can spread bondo over the new glass, after it has cured of course. Then sand smooth and apply a couple of coats of a good marine paint. Fiberglass resin is not waterproof. It will absorb water. While water won't pass through it like a piece of cloth, it will absorb moisture.

In colder climates, if exposed to freezing temps while it contains water, the water will freeze and expand, damaging the composite.

If you need any advice or have any questions, you can ask them here, but it's better to send me a p.m. since I don't always go back to a thread for a few days. I check a couple of times a day for messages. If you want, you can also email me through the forum.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

I have a floor, I'm not done but its getting there. I'm doing 2 layers of fiberglass everywhere.

In the pictures it doesn't seem like the boards line up, but they do.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Two layers of fiberglass isn't much. I'm assuming you are using chopped strand mat which comes in various "weights", beginning at 3/4 ounce per square yard to at least 3 ounces per square yard. One layer of 3 ounces per square yard would be equal to four layers of 3/4 ounce mat.

So two layers may not be enough depending on the weight of the mat you are using.

Here's the problem. Someone suggests using a minimal amount of fiberglass or you'll be adding weight. If the wood which you removed was a structural member, you'll need to add enough fiberglass to the existing amount that will make up for the loss of the wood. How much is that? I cannot say. But, your first concern should be structural integrity, not weight.

A light boat will go faster, but that speed is useless if you break the boat because it lacks the necessary strength. And therein lies the rub with these restoration problems. It would take a structural engineer to determine how much glass you should add to make up for the loss of the wood's strength.

It's best to err on the side of being heavier than necessary and to lose a few mph, than to have a fragile vessel beneath you that may break when it pounds into rough seas or over a wake.

I don't like being a naysayer, but we all are literally putting our life on the line when we go out in a boat. We depend on skill, judgement, and the soundness of the vessel to bring us back to the dock or ramp safely. In this case, I'd advise you to tread lightly with the boat you are "restoring".

Shawn Dompierre reply :

On 10/7/2011 at 9:15 AM, Fishing Rhino said:

Two layers of fiberglass isn't much. I'm assuming you are using chopped strand mat which comes in various "weights", beginning at 3/4 ounce per square yard to at least 3 ounces per square yard. One layer of 3 ounces per square yard would be equal to four layers of 3/4 ounce mat.

So two layers may not be enough depending on the weight of the mat you are using

What you're saying is making sense.. Being inexperienced I figured I only need 1 layer so I asked my father that has build and fixed boats in the past and he told me 2.

Thanks for the advice. Every bit of information is useful.

I'll be doing more research on this and I may take it out for a spin. I'll take it all apart to be sure that the job is well done, I just want to be sure before having to go down that road.

GLADES reply :

The job looks great so far. The points Rhino made are very true.

Do not compromise strength for light weight/speed. On my boat, I used excessive amounts of thick matting and glass on the rebuilt stringers and floor because the boat was used in the south Florida Atlantic ocean(17' Formula deep V). The hull was extremely solid to the point of being over weight, which gave me some added security when I sometimes got air borne at the break waters. The boat had plenty of free board, even though it sat a little bit lower.

Because bass boats sit lower and have less free board, especially in the stern, that is what prompted my concern.

My procraft 1750V restoration was a bit heavy too because again, too much glass.

After re-reading my prior comment, I am glad that Rhino set you straight. My intention was to share my experience and mistakes. By all means use plenty of glass because it is unknown how much will be required as was stated.

The good news is that all the weight you removed by removing all the wet floatation and rot will probably offset any additional added weight.

Keep the pics coming.

Doug Sutherland reply :

your doing a good job. looks good

Shawn Dompierre reply :

I'm bringing this thread back from the dead!

Back injuries, not willing to work in a freezing garage, you name it , I've had to deal with it.

The boat as it sits right now has not changed apart from adding fiber glass and resin to the corners and spots where I thought needed more attention. My next step is tackling the rear end of the boat.

Right now I'm working on my 2nd boat, aluminum with a platform and a trolling motor.

I'll put up some pictures of it later, I finished it last year but I recently bought a trailer for it that needs work and some small upgrades like a home made recessed trolling pedal and adding some storage below deck.

Cheers!

Brent Christian reply :

Great job so far!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

I've been busy, removed the cap and started stripping the rotten wood.

Also ssnded my cowl.

Fishing Rhino reply :

God bless you, man. You are doing it the right way.

It's a great project if you've got the patience for it. I don't. But at 70 years old, I want instant gratification.

A-Rob reply :

Nice work!

I bet you are just about getting sick of fiberglass?? haha

It looks great!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

On 1/31/2012 at 9:02 AM, A-Rob said:

Nice work!

I bet you are just about getting sick of fiberglass?? haha

It looks great!

Actually I really like doing this, I can see myself doing this in the futur. I just have to get used to mixing resin and buying a good mask because when I put the grinder to the fiberglass that stuff is everywhere! I've got both garage doors open and the dog is inside the house..

-Ripped out the transom last night, it took 15 mins... I'm happy it came out in two pieces! 2 pry bars and a hammer. I then spent an hour or two cleaning up the dust everywhere.

Enjoy.

I'll keep the transom until I'm done, that's one important rule, never throw anything out before you're done unless its in pieces..

Also I took a picture of my V hull left to me by my grand father, I call it "Plan A" The bass boat is actually the plane B, due to it being unfinished and hard for my Rav-4 to pull.. It can manage but I do 95-98kms/h on a stretch..

Sam, the warrior, he stays in the which ever boat I'm not working on, to stay off of the cold cement floor.

I brought my cowl to a sister company of mine and it'll get some quality primer but most important it saves me of having to setup anything to paint, I'll pick it up after work tonight.

Work that lies ahead :

-Grinding>Cleaning

-Test fitting of the transom>cut>test>cut>be happy!

-Loads of sanding

-Applying one layer of fiberglass structural mat to the inside

-Sanding the entire end of the boat to rebuild the fiberglass>this will effectively solve any water problems I have in the past

-Applying one layer of structural mat then another layer, but this time the strand finishing mat to the outside of the boat.

-Treating and glue the 2 transom layers together>install it

-Apply 3 layers of structural mat to the inside of the transom.

Thanks for the comments !

Cheers!

Shawn.D

Stingray23 reply :

any updates?

Sam reply :

Check all fuel lines as the ethonol can tear them up.

And congrats on the boat.

May you have many fun times on the water and a lot of great memories.

P.S. May I also suggest a $1,000,000 watercraft liability limit? It is not that much more, money wise, than the $100,000 coverage and you will have much more needed insurance protection.

john price reply :

can't wait to see her finished

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies.

Many months ago When I first put the boat in the water I could see water was coming in from the driver side transom but I couldn't find the specific leak,

while I was grinding I found some long hair line cracks in the glass and the old "peanut butter" which I exposed and ended up going threw the hull.

At first I wasn't happy with the fact I had just went too far, but then I realized that if it was so thin from the get go and it was cracked I'm better off starting from the bottom and build up the glass.

So the plan is to lie a smooth layer of thick resin mixed with chopped strands aka "peanut butter" and as soon as I've created the flat areas that I'm comfortable with laying down straight and flat fiberglass cloth I will.

Overlapping layers to create a strong bond and once I'm done with the bilge area I'll tackle the outside of the boat, grind that down and rebuild it.

Here's a picture of what I've been up to over the weekend.

Also a home made foot well for the Vhull casting deck.

Just need to add carpet and I'm done.

I'll be gathering my cloth and supplies this week and maybe I'll get some work done this week.

I've got to A LOT of work next weekend, I'm a warehouse manager at a big storage company and we're receiving a lot of product..

Cheers

Fishing Rhino reply :

Here's another suggestion for you to consider. Before you start laying fiberglass into the corners, put a concave radius of bondo into the corners, where possible. It's also called a "cove". You . It will accomplish two things. It's easier to lay up the fiberglass in the corner and more importantly it's stronger and much less likely to crack. It's why they radius corners and edges on connecting rods and other engine components. It eliminates what are called "stress risers".

A half inch radius should work just fine. To make the radius from bondo, take a plastic spreader, and trim one of the corners to make the quarter circle with a half inch radius. Carefully apply the bondo to minimize the amount of finish sanding you will need to smooth any irregularities. To sand the cove. Get a piece of bull nosed wood. Bull nosed is the half round you find on the edge of a stair. If you cannot find a piece of board with a bull nose, get a length of half round molding and fasten it to the edge of a board. Make it a comfortable length and width for holding. I'm guessing about four inches wide and six inches long would be about right. If it's to cumbersome, size it to suit you.

Wrap a piece of 80 grit paper around the board. It should make short work of smoothing the bondo for a good bond with the fiberglass. It's not likely to plug the sandpaper, but if it does, just move the paper to put a clean area on the radiussed edge of the "sanding block".

You can also buy sanding drums for hand drills at hardware stores. This would be my choice.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Thanks for the hint Tom, I was going you use a batch of resin mixed with 1/2" chopped fiberglass mat mix that with fumed silica.

What il do is round off all the corners and .fill any imperfections with that mix then lay a thick cloth of fiberglass, in layers,every layer will be bigger then previously.

I have those same drum

Fishing Rhino reply :

On 2/6/2012 at 11:50 PM, Shawn Dompierre said:

Thanks for the hint Tom, I was going you use a batch of resin mixed with 1/2" chopped fiberglass mat mix that with fumed silica.

What il do is round off all the corners and .fill any imperfections with that mix then lay a thick cloth of fiberglass, in layers,every layer will be bigger then previously.

I have those same drum

The problem with that method is that the cured product is hard to sand. You can use that, but I'd suggest filling any pockets or irregularities with bondo. It sands much easier. Keep in mind, fiberglass resins are plastic and when you sand them they will heat and melt plugging your drum. Bondo is a polyester product and thus a plastic but, it is formulated to sand easily without plugging sanding products.

The other thing you can do, using the fumed silica, is to make it like the consistency of peanut butter. Put it in the corner, then apply a layer or two of mat, wetting out with a four inch paint roller, before it cures. That eliminates the need for sanding. It will cure along with the mat/resin composite.

Don't go crazy with it. Go lighter with the catalyst to give you working time. Nail a couple of boards together to form a corner. You can practice on that to get the feel for it before starting on the boat. You can save money by getting a six pack of paint rollers, 3/8 nap if I'm not mistaken, for about eight dollars. Cut them in half and you get two four and a half inch rollers which will work just fine on four inch roller handles. You end up with a dozen rollers for eight dollars. Be sure to get the roller off the handle before the resin cures and the handle will last just about forever.

Let me know if you have any questions. You can ask on this thread, but you're likely to get a quicker answer if you send me a pm. If you send me a pm, I'll reply with a pm, but will copy and paste it on the thread, just in case someone else can use it.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Right, the peanut butter technique is the one I wanted to do, I'll mix a batch up and like you said add a layer of fiberglass cloth while it cures. Now what about holes? These holes are about the size of a nickle at the very most. Thanks for the advice,

ShawnD

Fishing Rhino reply :

Are the holes in what is left of the transom? If so, feather the edges on the inside until you get a knife edge. How far out you taper the existing glass depends on its thickness. I'd taper it out to at least an inch from the edge of the hole. That will give you a three inch patch.

Wax paper over the hole on the outside. Then clamp a board over the wax paper. You don't want to push material through the hole, beyond the surface. Tear progressively larger pieces of mat. The first should just extend onto the taper. Then apply a slightly larger piece over that. Continue until you have a thickness at the hole equal to the thickness of the material you are patching. It won't hurt to sand a bit beyond the taper just to clean that area. The last layer or two should extend onto that last area.

When it cures, you can pull the dam and wax paper off. You should be left with a smooth flush surface that will require very little work to finish with gel coat, paint, or whatever you decide to apply to the hull. Use a belt sander or disc sander and dress the inside of the patch until it is flush with the old material. Consider using epoxy for patching the holes. It is much more durable and reliable than standard polyester fiberglass resin. It is not uncommon for new fiberglass work applied to older material to have a weak bond. The repair will be an adhesive, not a chemical bond, and epoxy will provide a much stronger bond.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Thanks, this is great stuff, can you explain the epoxy product? I've heard of it but never played with it.

Fishing Rhino reply :

It's a two part system. The one I am familiar with is West System epoxy. It's usually a bit thicker than polyester resin and takes a bit more effort to wet out the mat or roving. But, it is waterproof and has a much stronger bond. It is also more expensive, but worth it for certain applications. It used to be Gougeon Brothers West System Epoxy. It was on all their containers. It seems they manufacture the West System products but have taken their name off the product. ??????

When you open the first URL, click on repairing your fiberglass boat. There are several articles, some of which might be helpful for you. It will tell you specifically which product to use for different jobs.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/

http://gougeon.com/

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Well Thanks for the advice, I'll consider the epoxy route, I'll update whenever I get some work done.

Cheers.

ShawnD

Fishing Rhino reply :

The chances are that fiberglass resin would do the job satisfactorily. But, you are doing a lot of work, tedious, messy, somtimes itchy work. You're not talking a lot of epoxy to repair/fill those holes. It would be mighty disappointing to go through all that, and then have a minor repair fail, particularly when you will not be able to get to both sides to effect repairs.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

But I will be making repairs on both sides.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Turns out I will be buying epoxy, I found a dealer of the west system and they're having a 15% off sale next Thursday, I'll pick some up because I'll be fixing other parts of the boat with it as well.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Great! Do it according to the instructions and you'll never regret it.

I'll give you another tidbit of advice. When you start mounting anything on your boat, and you want to make a slick installation, say a Ram mount for a sonar, put a bead of silicone on the base of the mount about a 1/4" in diameter, barely inside the edge. Then, carefully put the base in place and tighten the fasteners just enough so the silicone starts to bulge. Stop there, and using your finger, run it around the base of the mount. You'll be left with a nice, tidy, small cove of silicone. Let it sit for 24 hours, or more, depending on the temperature. Once it sets up, you can snug it down. It will not ooze out. What you have done is created a silicone spacer which will allow the base to sit nicely on a slightly less than flat surface.

I used white on this install. Had it been a different color I could have used clear, but most likely would have used black because it would match the base.

I also used it on the antenna mount for the satellite receiver.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Thanks for the tip,

The Epoxy resin is meant for my stringers, remember how fragile you said they could be?

I was talking to a friend and to eliminate air and any play of any kind, what I'll do is create small hole every 12" maybe 16" and get either a pump or using a spout and fill all the gaps (if there are any) with the epoxy resin.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Keep in mind. The wood is for the purpose of forming a fiberglass beam. A common practice is to use foam in place of the wood. If the wood is rough, consider using bondo to fill irregularities before you encase them in glass. You won't have to worry about air pockets.

For epoxy, you might find it easier to coat the stringer with epoxy. Then apply the material. It's easier to force the resin through to the surface than to apply the material and work the resin into and through it.

I'm assuming you have an assortment of "bubble busters". They are grooved rollers, and do a great job of working out trapped air. In the image below, those at the top right are barrel rollers named that because of their shape. They are best for working concave surfaces. The mid sized is what we use.

We also have the long roller of the three at the top left. The smaller diameter rollers are good for working in corners. Be sure to clean all rollers in acetone before the resin on them starts to cure.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

I'm redoing the stringers. Doing the same job twice really does hurt the ego, but I want to do this right, Epoxy resin will be used this time around, this Wednesday, A marine store is having a sale and I'll be getting my supplies.

Ps: I've Moved and removed the cap by hand with a helper of course! But I didn't need a cherry picker.

Shawn.D

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Hi everyone,

Time for a update.

Before:

Half way:

As of last night:

Stingray23 reply :

Thanks for the update. Nice job

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Another Update, this weekend was my birthday, while I had everyone over for a drink I casually made my way to the garage and showed everyone the work I did, then I said "hey, while were here why don't I get you guys to help me put the top back on??" I laughed when the faces changed (every body was in a partying mood not a "lets help shawn out" ..

It being my birthday they couldn't say no, it took 6 of us to get it back on and later this week I will be securing it.

Any advice on this? I'll be redrilling my holes for the rivets and then inserting a bead of clear silicone inside the crack.

pics for clicks and maybe comments??

Cheers!

Bass Dude reply :

I'm not trying to put a damper on your project, but in the long run, is the price really worth it when all is said and done. The time, the money for repairs and parts...isn't it cheaper in the long run to buy something in better shape??

I think it's great that you have the knowledge and the capability to take on this project, as I have neither, but it seems to me that it would be easier and possibly safer to buy something in better shape.

Good luck with it, and can't wait to see the finished product.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

It may or may not..

My reasons for continuing with this boat (after looking at the pro's and con's)

-Its much more common for you guys to have old boat simply because you've got so many company's making them.. a 500$ boat for you guys is 1000$ to 2000$ here. Not too mention my province still has that mentality of bass not being a species worth catching.>> Therefor bass boats aren't very common for the budget conscious person.

Quitting half way isn't an option because you end up cheating someone else by selling it or losing all your money and sending it to the dump.. Ending up with nothing..

At this moment I've put in 1000$ into the boat, I'm fortunate enough to not have to pay for my paint job so basically I have seats and carpet to buy.

Believe you me, if it was summer I would've ditched the boat a long time ago. I don't do winter sports and I've got the patience for this. In the future I would see me doing a transom repair or a stringer repair but not a carpet/paint/stringers/transom/glass/seats/seat posts overhaul..

As for the safer comment.. This thing is solid as a rock.. Compared to what it was (even the good parts of the stringers..)

Hope that answers your question.

Bass Dude reply :

I hope I didn't offend you on my comments, I had a friend try to do this same thing and he ended up spending so much money that he could have bought something he didn't have to fix up. I respect that you can take this on and do it successfully.

I think it also shows what we crazy bass guys will do to get out on the water!!!

Again, I can't wait to see the finished product!!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Time for a update,

I started the day with securing the cap back on the boat, this is a pretty hard task to accomplish by yourself, I got 1/2 way through the boat then my buddy made it over finally to help me finish it off. All the holes where the old rivets were had been filled with fiber glass chopped matt because there were just too many screw and rivet holes.

So you can imagine squeezing the hull to fit right while drilling your new hole and then tightening the rivet, in the picture below I'm in a easier spot and the boat was already in its proper place.

Now on Sunday I spent the entire day apart for the odd break cleaning the garage, rebuilding the builge area, I had previously sanded down all the hair line cracks and today was time to rebuild my fiberglass.

I am very very happy of the end result.

I also did some work in the garage, I got some cabinets setup and storage put up on the walls, I'll put up a picture whenever I take one.

Here's a picture of the boat, its come a long way and I have ways to go before been painted..

I have another heavy work load this week.. But I'm hoping I can get Thursday, Friday nights + Saturday Sunday.

Which would mean I could have the transom completed and maybe start installing some floor pieces.

I could be getting some seats this week.

I'll put a picture up of the seats and the much needed work I did to the garage.

Cheers

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Seats came in today!

KansasBASS9948 reply :

This really is a great thread. Heck at this point there is no point in NOT finishing....get that baby out on the water someday! Best of luck and looking forward to more updates!

Cheers!

MN_SONNEN_ANGLER reply :

subscribed! looks like quite the process!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Update

The cut out of the transom,

The dry mock up 1''1/2 of wood with my ugly template serving a second duty as a sandwich, I used a combination of bolts and sockets to make sure that I had a secure and tight squeeze all around.

I would like to add that there is a lot of sanding required to have any and all parts fit right , there for don't think for a second that ANYTHING gets slapped together...

If I had to make videos I would make 1/2 of them about sanding and having that perfect fitment.

Getting that transom together bolted down with a thick peanut butter layer evened out.

I filled up the sides with more peanut butter, I have to note something about peanut butter, 1 always make it thicker then you think it should be and 2nd really work it , you need it to fill any gaps and cracks to eliminate the pockets of air. The west system epoxy work very good!!

more sanding more sanding more sanding...........

24 ounce fiber glass this is some thick stuff!!!!with 1 layer of 6 ounce over that.

The brace, Even though I have peanut butter as a gap filler, I suggest taking the time to really cut straight lines and dont forget to sand , curve and trim .

Makes it easier to lay down glass.

sand sand sand...

I don't have a picture of my holes re-drilled but I will get one up, my transom is DONE.

I'm currently working on some boards to go over my stringers, (where the batteries will sit) then some paint and we'll see the cap go back on before the week is over. (I'm current;y catching a cold so I cant make promises)

"Never give up" - Mike Iaconelli

Shawn.D

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Here are 2 pictures of the entire thing glassed in but not sanded. I could not get all the picture on the one reply.

Thanks for the comments and feel free to like the reply!

Shawn.D

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Took that picture this morning

Fishing Rhino reply :

One thing concerns me. The top of the transom. How are you going to reinforce the transom at the top. You have the cross member at the bottom which transfers thrust to the stringers. At the top, all that is currently supporting it there is the 1/4" to 3/8" thick fiberglass which is sandwiched between the plywood. I'm assuming you will lay up a thick layer of composite over the transom, wrapping it around to the back of the entire transom.

Even then, you might need a transverse timber near the top that extends to the sides of the boat. That distributes the thrust across the entire transom to the sides of the hull.

I just went back and noticed that the transom is reinforced by the inboard side of the floatation compartment. Make sure that panels is bonded securely to the stringers. It is going to take a lot of thrust from the outboard.

Looks like you're doing a great job. Take care that you do not skimp when it comes to the transom. There was a photo of a Ranger, if I recall correctly, where the center section of the transom got ripped out. The sides of the transom were still intact.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

On 4/11/2012 at 9:29 PM, Fishing Rhino said:

One thing concerns me. The top of the transom. How are you going to reinforce the transom at the top. You have the cross member at the bottom which transfers thrust to the stringers. At the top, all that is currently supporting it there is the 1/4" to 3/8" thick fiberglass which is sandwiched between the plywood. I'm assuming you will lay up a thick layer of composite over the transom, wrapping it around to the back of the entire transom.

Even then, you might need a transverse timber near the top that extends to the sides of the boat. That distributes the thrust across the entire transom to the sides of the hull.

I just went back and noticed that the transom is reinforced by the inboard side of the floatation compartment. Make sure that panels is bonded securely to the stringers. It is going to take a lot of thrust from the outboard.

Looks like you're doing a great job. Take care that you do not skimp when it comes to the transom. There was a photo of a Ranger, if I recall correctly, where the center section of the transom got ripped out. The sides of the transom were still intact.

Hmm you have a point, but I can assure you that the boards along the flotation compartment were only there for the filling of the foam.. The boards were very thin and were pressed wood with very little fiberglass on them.

I followed how the boat was built. The pieces you see on my other pages are pieces I tried to mimic but made of 3/4" plywood.

If your telling me, with the experience you have that I should add those pieces and glass them in properly the I will, I'd rather follow someones advice that has more experience then to find my engine at the bottom of the lake...

Thanks for the advice Tom, I'll get on it after I finish the floor boards.

Shawn.D

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Finished the floor boards friday and I've been working on the rear end of the cap.

The rear end had loads of stress cracks and I knew it was going to be a PITA putting it back on... I have a lot of work to do to that..

I try looking for where I could add supports and after I tested the top cap I knew that this was going to be impossible because I have no room (the splash well occupies the entire area) .

I have 4 layers of 6 ounce on both sides of the transom.

I'll be buying paint to for the bildge area and then masking it because of all the repairs I have to do to get the cap to fit without wanting to twist and warp.

Shawn.D

Fishing Rhino reply :

If you have basically replaced what you have removed, being faithful to the original structure, you should be okay. The corner in question may be stronger than it looks in the pics. You are wise to use epoxy since it is much stronger and bonds better than polyester fiberglass resin, particularly when working with older, fully cured composites.

Fiberglass, when laid up properly, forms a chemical bond, not an adhesive bond. The molecules actually interlock, making it all but impossible for layers to "delaminate". I was glad to see you applied new laminations around those corners that I questioned.

You've done a lot of great work. I'd hate to see it ruined by a transom that wasn't up to snuff. If I were doing it, I'd use heavier plywood for the inside of the floatation compartments, and have it butt up against the front face of the plywood, not to the side/edges of the plywood you replaced in the transom. It will significantly reinforce the transom against the thrust of the outboard, without adding much weight or labor to the job.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated anything, work has been busy..

The bilge area is painted I used bed liner, rolled it on easy and it covers very well. I'm happy with how it turned out and I installed the gas tank.

I'll cover it all up with a cloth so that I don't get any resin or dust on it.

The Bass boat funding is dead for the moment but should pick back up by the end of august..

I've also been using what little time I have had getting my gear ready. Attached a photo of that.

Meanwhile the princecraft has been getting some love and it has gone out this past weekend !

It only needed a few things and as much as I would love to ride around in a bass boat things come to those who wait... and don't break the bank..

Just wanted to let you guys know, I still have it, its just sleeping..

Cheers!

Shawn.D

(='_'=) reply :

suscribed!!

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Its going to be awhile .. 2 boats, tournament circuit and life has got me on a tight budget.. But I'll see if I can do the topcap with polyester resin..I have a lot left.. I'll see what I can do to finish the cap between now and july..

Nice_Bass reply :

Wow...I have learned several things on this thread- but the thing that sticks out the most is I learned I would never be able to complete a project like that! Looking foward to seeing a finished product.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Work has started once again on the bass boat, I will take some picture and let you guys in on the action soon.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Looking forward to seeing more progress. So far, so good.

Shawn Dompierre reply :

Morning, I've gotten back to working on the boat, lots of sanding and filling in small holes here and there.. Its a long process but a necessary one!

The more time I spend here will save me a world of trouble in the end.

Pictures of the work in progress:

I'll start the installation of the rear once its sanded.

I'll keep you posted I'm pretty much back to working on her every night.

Shawn.D

tnriverluver reply :

I have done many many different types of resto projects from homes to cars, motorcyles, aluminum boats, etc. etc. After looking at this post this is one project I never ever want to undertake. Props to you for being brave and energetic enough to tackle this one!!

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