Re: The infamous family project (free boat)

lib1 wrote:

>1) Re: Underfloor re-construction of OMC Boats
>(Yes, they all had polyurethane foam which was sealed-in place under pressure,
>beneath the plywood floor. It not only serves as floatation,
>it also serves to improve structual integrity along with the stringers
>
>
>
Lee --

    That explains water "oozing" in the previous message -- and it
explains some of what I'm seeing (some wet spots along seams and around
bolt heads). I'm glad it's foam though, and not spongy plywood that I'm
feeling (from what I can see, the plywood looks okay). Do you know if
there's a bilge area under the foam? I can't quite tell (too much cat
litter and oil muck in the way), but I think there is an opening from
the engine area into the front section. It doesn't look like the outer
parts of the gull-wing have any drain openings at all -- I'm assuming
they're full of foam.

>Be sure you not only checkout continuouswave.com (devoted to Boston Whalers)
>but also check out
>Kelly Wood's excellent fiberglassics.com Lotsa help on the forum for
>fiberglass repair techniques of boats from the 50's 60's & 70's
>
>
>
I appreciate the pointers!

>A sure indicator that you have underfloor water are soft spots in the floor
>deck
>or transom areas. It's also valuable to get an empty boat's baseline weight,
>but that can be a little difficult if you don't know your trailer weight.
>I have published (factory data) weights on the 64-66 Sweet 16 and Sportsman
>hulls & motor combo's here:
>http://www.hhscott.com/evinrude/little_dude_trailer.htm
>
>
>
No soft spots that I can tell; the deck is actually very firm which is
why I'm not too worried. I was concerned about wood rot in the
stringers more than anything. At present, the boat is resting on hay
bales and I don't have a trailer. However, since I'll be able to weigh
the trailer separately once I do get one, these figures should help.

>2) Determining your boat's exact model year is easy if you get the model
>number off the hull's ID plate.
>
>
>
Okay...I think I remember seeing that on the inside front gunwale.

>You can cross-reference your 1962 - 19070 Johnson, Evinrude or OMC boat's
>model year on my web page here (Some Canadian models may differ):
>http://www.hhscott.com/evinrude/all_omc_boats.htm
>
>
>
Cool -- nice list, BTW.

>The database is coming along, but I haven't identified all the various colors.
>Please feel free to e-mail Phil or me with updates or corrections.
>
>
>
I'll send a copy of the pictures I take to both of you. Since I'll be
doing a lot of work on the boat, I'll try to keep pictures coming as I
get things done or as I make discoveries.

Thanks for the info and suggestions! BTW, "infamous" refers to the
number of projects I've started and left unfinished over the years,
usually associated with picking up some non-functional piece of
equipment with the hope that it will someday work. My bride of 15 years
was actually rather positive about this one, since she's mechanically
inclined and likes boating -- and thus believes that if I drop the ball,
she can at least make sure everything gets done.

Mike
Received on Thursday, 10 June 2004