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Great Bones
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Before shot.
This is how she looked when we picked her up.
Check out my blog to see how this all came about.
http://56bellboy.blogspot.com/
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Almost any boat is restorable. Some require tons of work. Others... just a bit of paint and polish.
This boat is in better condition than one would think just looking at her. I checked out the transom, stringers, sole, keel, hull and other important structural components. It was actually in amazing shape. Stored in this garage for over 30 years.
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What was I thinking?
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Before shots
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Lots of skuzzy before shots make the end result look much better. More dramatic.
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You say WHAT? Yes, this 18 footer has a galley.
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Galley
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Solenoid
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I made sure to take a ton of pictures before the demolition. Especially anything with wiring. I kept everything, including things that seemed worthless. You never know. It can be junked or sold after the restoration is complete.
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Good thing I have the circuit diagram for this. This will all get replaced.
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Main circuit panel
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Stern
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Motor gone. Electrical gone. Old steering cables are next.
Note the old scabbed-on plywood transom repair job. The original transom is cracked (delamination).
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Old fuel tanks gone. seats gone. Side panels out. Note the copper ground plane. Also, the sole is not glassed to the hull!
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Demo Continues
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Helm Gone
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Fiberglass port helm gone. I think we will keep the port helm, but redo it in teak.
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30 years of dust and dirt cleaned up with a wet rag.
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Got Help
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Rub Rail Gone
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Old brass rivets under the rub rail are in great shape. Note the old rubber glue to keep the rub rail from slipping off the flange joint.
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Ahhh... thats a tad better. It sands off with 60 grit. The whole boat will get a new paint job, so this will get another finer sanding.
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Cleaned up a bit
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More Demo
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Old plexi windshields come out easily.
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With the old junk and cushons out, it looks like this will be easy to put back into shape. Note the fiberglass tape separating from the freshwater tank in the bow. It was not properly scuffed first.
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V Berth
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Head
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The porcelain was in great shape. So was the sea cock. We will be putting in a holding tank under the forecastle with a new pump new vent, and new plumbing to code.
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Junk, sink, and faucet out. Looks like just some sanding and paint will have this back in great condition.
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Galley Bones
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Under the Splashwell
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Now this is demolition. Fun stuff. I found a mouse nest with lots of cotton fluff between the transom knees. They came in through the limber holes in the bilge. A couple of skulls in there too.
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This was fairly simple to chisel out without making a huge mess. Note the crack (delam) in the transom.
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Splashwell Out
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Bulkhead Gone
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Here's the first glimpse of the unique stringers. They are hollow. Made by glassing over cardboard tubes sliced in half the long way. Note they don't have drains. It has been suggested that I drill limber holes in them to allow any water geting in somehow, to drain out.
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Here is the start to the transom demolition. It is usually suggested to remove transom wood from the inside, leaving the outside fiberglass intact. This particular boat did not have an inner skin of fiberglass to remove. It was just a matter of chiseling out the plywood. A circular saw set to the depth of the wood, making several cuts through the surface of the plywood may have helped to remove the wood. I was enjoying this chipping technique using a chisel and prybar.
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Transom Demo
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Stringer System
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Sole removed. NO ROT. Limber holes are a bit clogged. I am going to ream them out and seal the wood with epoxy. The bulkheads aka frames are not rotten. There is no delamination or cracking anywhere either. Lucky. A boat this old, is likely to have rot under the sole. Usually stringers made of wood.
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Everything metal was taken off. Some of the fasteners used were corroded or damaged. It was sometimes a challenge to remove some parts. A drill was useful to drill out screws that were to far gone to twist out.
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Hardware Removal
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Transom
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With most of the plywood gone, the outer transom skin is ready to sand/grind to prep for the new wood.
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(Insert New Description)
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Cutting the Transom template
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New Transom wood epoxied in
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Transom Cleaned up a bit
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Epoxied Knees
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New Bulkhead
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Knees and limber holes
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Glossy bilge paint
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Splashwell bottom
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Building the Splashwell
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Star. bulkhead
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Port and Star. bulkheads glued in
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Stern bulkhead w/ limber holes
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Stern sump
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V berth sole
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Looking astern from the v berth
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New sole
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Old bronze will shine up nice
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Head taking shape
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Sink dry fit
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V berth taking shape
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Holding tank strapped in
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