Let the games commence

sogood

As mentioned in a previous post, I am just embarking on a refurb of my Microplus.I got the boat during the summer, but haven't had it on the water, due to work pressures. Now that I am in my quiet period, I have time to start getting it ready for, hopefully, next summer. I have include some pics of the boat when I picked it up and follow on from there. I am a big DIY nut, and have quite a bit of experience in a variety of areas, including doing a camper van conversion some years back, although I appreciate that there are different considerations when it comes to working on a boat.

However, when I don't know, I will certainly ask and what I do and how I do it, might be of value to someone considering doing the same.

To this end, I will happily record my failures as well as my successes!

The boat itself is in good shape, but I want to upgrade it and fit it out to a better standard, so here goes.

A few general pics when I picked it up.

sogood

So, the first main job to be tackled was to strip the old paint from the hull. I am fortunate to have a large garage to work in, so the weather doesn't bother me, but if it was dry and warm enough, I would prefer to do this job outdoors. It is extremely dusty! I started off by using a 3M Scotch stripper, as shown in the pic. It is a nylon type disc, similar to a nylon pot scrubber and I found it to be very effective. It is a little bit flexible and is quite forgiving and it doesn't clog at all.
Depending on the amount of pressure you exert, deep scouring shouldn't be an issue. I avoided this by limiting its' use to the top layer/s of paint. It cost €10 in Woodies and was worh every penny. Having done one complete side of the hull, it is still oing its' job.
I then followed up with 20grit in a random orbital sander to remove the remains of the original undercoat/primer, until the original hull was showing. I then ran over it again with 40 grit and will finish off with 80grit before painting. I am happy with the results and so far, have only exposed a few very minor scratches etc. which will be filled before painting.

sogood

While sandig down one side of the hull, I took a break now and then, mostly to relieve the tedium, to begin stripping off all the fixtures and fittings from the cabin etc. This is to prepare it for a good scrub and rub down with a cutting/polishing compound. It is the original gelcoat which I am anxious to restore and preserve. I took off the perspex screen, with a view to renewing it, as the original is quite faded and scratched, but I am toying with the idea of making a wooden "brow" with windows in the front and sides. More on this notion will follow in due course.

I also removed the flooring, which was a pair of plastic panels which originally (apparently) was the floor for a garden shed. A new floor will be fitted. Likewise with the floor in the cabin. The seats were also removed, to be renewed and replaced also.The handles/grabs on the roof were also removed. These were the original and were in very bad shape. (see pics) I intend to make up a pair of one piece grabs, in hardwood.

I took the cabin door off, which will be replaced by something a bit more upmarket. All of the little hooks aound the cabin were removed also. Most of the screws/nuts were ordinary mild steel and were rusted to bits and this meant a lot of drilling and grinding was called for.

fergal.b

She doesn't look too bad,you will have her on the water in no time.
Those sanding pads are great not cheep but I prefer them to the wire ones a lot less painful
If you want a bit of reading have a look at dnme's sticky at the top of the page same sort of layout as yours but a lot more work :eek:
Thanks for the photos keep them coming




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sogood

Removal of the windows! This is to make polishing the gel coat easier and gives me some better options regarding the interior refit, more on this later. It also meant that I could overhaul the larger, sliding, windows. They don't slide too well as they are gummed up with gunk and the rubbers and seals are in poor shape.
Removal is pretty straightforward and just meands drilling out the head of the rivet on the outside. You can also approach from the inside by using a snips, cut into the protruding rivet, as close to the base as is possible. If it works, the bulging, ball part of the rivet will pop off, allowing the body, or sleeve of the rivet to be withdrawn with the window, from the outside. I'm considering making up a wooden frame to go around the window on the inside, into which the frame will screw, from the outside, through the existing holes in the frame. It will dress off the inside and make any future removal a much simpler job.

whacker1982

found of the microplus boats myself, nice bit of room to them. she's looking well already, so there should be not too much work to be done, fergal is right have a look at dnmes page, it will help alot.

sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

She doesn't look too bad,you will have her on the water in no time.
Those sanding pads are great not cheep but I prefer them to the wire ones a lot less painful
If you want a bit of reading have a look at dnme's sticky at the top of the page same sort of layout as yours but a lot more work :eek:
Thanks for the photos keep them coming




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Thanks for the encouragement. I read dnme's thread with great interest and admiration and by comparison, my job is a walk in the park, not to mention his working conditions!

sogood

While there isn't a whole lot to show for it, I have been busy stripping! Almost everything has been removed from the boat, which was awkward at times, due to innaccesibile nooks and rusted nuts. An extra pair of hands would have helped. I have taken some rough measurements and compiled a shopping list of sheet material for the floor "joists", and interior fit out.

The windows are all out and rivet remnants removed. Also removed were the blobs of putty which had been smeared around the insides of the frames, presumably to cover any gaps. This wont be necessary with the system I intend using.

I also unhooked the engine controls and removed the engine itself. The overhaul of the outboard will be a separate job in itself. The transom is all in good shape and is mostly just dirty and stained, but solid!

The steering wheel boss is proving to be a bit of a mystery to remove, but I will persevere.

I notice the original colour seems to be a lot more orange, as opposed to the yellow finish on the gelcoat. This is apparent where the window frames used to sit and behind any rubber edging etc. I will be happy to get the yellow back to a good shine.

Next job is to continue with the paint stripping on the hull, paint it, and then to wash, "cut" and polish the cabin area.

Pics and progress will follow. Meanwhile, some more of the work in progress.

breghall

hey sogood , nice to see a bit of a project up here again. Hope you enjoy it... my tip to you is... that while this far and that you say the transom is sound, drill into the bottom of it for a wood sample and see what that is like. If it's dark and brown then it's bad full stop, if it's light coloured and dry then it really is ok so just fill the hole with silkaflex and keep going.

not trying to be a s#@t head but better to find these things out now whilst it's stripped rather than another few years done the line and having to do it all again..

enjoy the journey and take loads of photos...

BH

sogood

Thanks for the encouragement and the advice. I have yet to strip the paint from the hull along the port side and transom, which will give a clearer indication of the general condition, but so far, so good! But an in depth probe as you suggested is very worthwhile. And yes, pics will follow, but for now, there isn't a whole lot to show, mostly dust and skint knuckles! For encouragement, I just look back over dnme's thread, and appreciate how easy I have it!

Thanks again.

sogood

Well, the stripping and sanding continues, with the odd diversion into dismantling. My much lauded Scoth stripper ( pic in first post) has pretty much reached the end of its life, so a replacement will be gotten tomorrow. It is honestly one of the best, most effective, "does what it says on the tin" products I have ever bought! €10 very well spent! I used it to remove some of the heavy blue over brown (antifoul?) paint along the bottom edge of the hull and the makers claim that it will also strip rust. And it does!
It actually works infinitely better than the wire brush I tried in the drill.
I also cleaned up a small section of the gelcoat at the rear, just as a tester. First, wash, then a light rub with 2000 grit wet and dry, used wet. Wash again, then a light T-Cut, buff, followed by a wax and buff again.
I'm happy with the results, given the age of the boat. I know it wont come up like new, but its a big improvement. The original colour appears to be orange, as opposed to the mustard it appears to be now. The original colour is seen anywhere I removed any trim etc.

Now a question or two. I discovered a little imprinted number on the bottom of the transom, obviously put there during the original moulding process. It says IX 34. Is this a registration number of some sort? Is it traceable somewhere? Just curious.

Also, over on Practical Boating Forums, a poster said that they have used Hammerite paint, as opposed to epoxy, on several fibreglass boats, over a number of years, with great results, longevity, durability etc. They posted pics and the results seem good. Anybody have any experience, thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance.

fergal.b

I would say the number you found is the mould number the one for the boat should be on a little plate like this with microplus on later boats. As for painting the boat with hammerite you could but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not made for marine use and is very harmful to aquatic life your better of spending the few extra few quid and getting the right stuff.
Looks from your first photo that you got your steering system off ok in the end:) Keep up the good work.

sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

I would say the number you found is the mould number the one for the boat should be on a little plate like this with microplus on later boats. As for painting the boat with hammerite you could but I wouldn't recommend it as it's not made for marine use and is very harmful to aquatic life your better of spending the few extra few quid and getting the right stuff.
Looks from your first photo that you got your steering system off ok in the end:) Keep up the good work.

Thanks for that. I agree, the extra spend now on the paint would probably be worth it in the long run. No point in going to all this trouble otherwise. I was aware of that plate, which doesn't exist on mine. Reckon you are spot on with the mould number. Yes, I got the wheel boss off, eventually.The first pic is that of part of the bracket that the steering shaft runs through, housing a sort of ball joint. It was very cruddy and gunked up. Just another piece to be refurbed! It's amazing, but on a relatively simple refurb like this, there are a million bits to be individually cleaned/replaced/repainted/refurbed etc. I take my hat off to dnme when I think of the seemingly constant uphill battle he did with his refurb!

Thanks again for the encouragement.

fergal.b

I just fitted the same system on my boat "splashwell kit" , it worked out about €50 for the bracket plus you get a new shaft to hold the steering cable.

sogood

After a spell away from the boat due to other demands, I finally got the last of the white hull paint stripped off today! All four layers of it. I just have a few little marks and dings to fill and it's ready for paint. I also began an exploratory rub down on the blue paint, which lies below the waterline. TThe little bit I did came off more easily than the white paint, probably because it spent most of its time in the water?

I also dismantled one of the windows, ready for a good cleaning and stripped out the old seals etc. which were dried out and cracked. The "sliding window" didn't slide particularly well, so that will be corrected alo. There are only two windows with openings, so the other four,which are fixed, will be a lot simpler to overhaul. I also cleaned off a lot of the old putty, yes, putty, which had been used as a sealant all around the outer edge of the frames. I have included some pics of the stripped hull and the window dismantling process. It's not rocket science and may be useful to know whats involved.

Th window pics show the location of the four screws ( with two removed for clarity) that holds the top and bottom sections of the frame together. Another pic shows the little tapped metal plates, (to receive the screws), that sit inside the frame itself. Another pis shows the dismantled window and one other shows the little rubber "stop", pointed to by a pencil, in the frame. This is there to prevent the window being slid back too far against the curved part of the frame. A minor thing, but important!

More will follow.

sogood

Well, Christmas, with all of its' distractions has come and gone. I had some time away on a little holiday, then Christmas to get through, visitors, and preparing the car for its' NCT. But finally I got back to the boat!

I eased my way back in, not being in a huge hurry to get back to paint stripping just yet. Today, I made up the new handrails for the roof, to replace the old, rotted ones that were present. I got a piece of mahogany, slightly larger than 2" x 1" and marked out the size and shape of the handles, based on overall appearance and ensuring that I could fit my hand comfortably into the grips. After cutting out the basic shape, I then routed the outer edges, rounding them off. Finally a sanding or two and they are ready for a coat of oil and varnish (or six). These two rails took about an hour+ in total and cost about €12 so far! Included are some "before" and "after" pics.

I made them to ensure that they would cover the original holes in the roof, which will be used for fixing, along with some extra. I intend to fix them from beneath, screwing them down from inside the cabin, properly sealed of course.

I also started cutting out the basic half inch plywood shapes for the inner window "frames" into which the windows will screw, as opposed to holding them in place with rivets, as was the case.

The inside of the cabin will be lined with a fabric of sorts, allowed to run right to the windows themselves. Then the plywood frames, with outer edges routed off to a curve, will be covered in fabric also and placed around the inside of the window, covering any joints, fabric edges etc. With the windows sealed in place and screwed in through the inner ply frames, all should be tidy and secure.

More pics and progress to follow.

fergal.b

Nice work but I prefer the old ones I noticed you said "a coat of oil and varnish" if you put oil on first the varnish won't stick very well so if you want to stain them go for a water base stain or just use oil or varnish on their own.
Keep up the good work great weather for it



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sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

Nice work but I prefer the old ones I noticed you said "a coat of oil and varnish" if you put oil on first the varnish won't stick very well so if you want to stain them go for a water base stain or just use oil or varnish on their own.
Keep up the good work great weather for it



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Yes, a little misnomer! Stain is what I would use, just to bring out the grain. I thought the originals were very shoddy, made up in pieces, which went to pieces! Plus, its a few less nuts on the outside to rust! See attached pic of the original upon its' "removal"! It just disintegrated!

And thanks for the post, just been looking at your build, serious stuff!!

sogood

Didn't get a whole lot of time at the boat today, but made a little progress just the same. I began cutting out some of the inner frames for the window "finish" on the inside of the cabin. There are six windows on the boat, but I only had to measure up 3 and make cardboard templates for these, as the windows are replicated, each side and on the front. By flipping the template, I have the corresponding opposite window sorted.

The frames are made from half inch ply, with the outer edges routed, to soften the edge, when the fabric covers them. As mentioned, these frames will fit around the window, inside the cabin and the windows will screw through the cabin fibreglass, into these frames.

The frames will serve the purpose of holding the windows in place and will also dress off the inside of the windows, covering the edges of the fabric lining which will be used to cover the inside of the cabin itself.

It will make a lot more sense when they are actually fitted, when pics will explain all! For now though, some pics of the frames themselves.

davlacey

fair play. if your looking for paint i used this place in cork you its better value then the international brand but the results are just as good using roll and tip method
http://www.marinewebstoreireland.com/#/teamac-marine-coatings/4551364635

sogood

davlacey wrote: »

fair play. if your looking for paint i used this place in cork you its better value then the international brand but the results are just as good using roll and tip method
http://www.marinewebstoreireland.com/#/teamac-marine-coatings/4551364635[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that. Just looked in at the site and their prices do seem very reasonable and they aren't a million miles from me.

sogood

Well, all the inner window surrounds are finished, ready for covering in whatever fabric I settle on. I gave them a "dry fit", just to check how they'd work alongside each other and a little fine tuning was needed on some, but, all done now.

Today I moved on to the flooring and began cutting out the supports/joists for the finished floor. Still undecided between a cheaper ply sheeting or the preferred mahogany decking effect. Still out on that one.

I began by making a cardboard template of the first support, by the cabin door. The boat is narrower at this point and wider at the transom, so the first support could be used as a further template to cut the rest, extending the width in appropriate steps. I have cut about 5 so far and hope to leave the first one, by the cabin, as is. Further back, the fifth one, about the mid point, has been fettled and adjusted to sit snug to the floor, getting over any humps and bumps. The last one, by the transom will be next, fettled and fitted, so that I can draw a line from front to back, across the tops of the supports, giving me a "height line" to which I can adjust the remaining supports.

As for finding a level, it's a mixture of "how it looks" and various measurements along with the use of a homemade "square" from a plywood offcut. I lined this up along the side of the door opening, to find a line at right angles along the bottom, running across the boat.

Between the jigs and reels, I think I have it pretty right. Besides, its a small floor area, so, no big panic either way. My main concern is to get all the supports running parallell, without any humps or dips.

I'm going to try and fit all the supports onto a pair of rails, or runners, one each side, to form a complete frame. This will keep the supports in place when bedding them in with fibreglass and will also strengthen the sides of the hull, as these rails will be bedded in also with fibreglass.

As previously stated, pics will follow and explain all, but for now, some pics of the initial supports, for which I used 3/4" plywood. I allowed the supports to stop short of the bottom of the hull to leave the drain chanell free, with room for a small bilge pump.

fergal.b

Looks great, Hardwood is preferred for this job as plywood doesn't hold screws very well when you screw down into the laminations it can also cause them to split another reason is that this is the wettest part of the boat and even if you coat the ply in fiberglass it won't last as long as hardwood but I'm sure it will last your life time You could also epoxy a strip of hardwood on top of your ply this will keep the laminations together and give you something to screw into or. Another option for the floor is mahogany decking effect plywood I think you can get it in http://www.wallerwickham.ie/csd/index.php
Keep up the good work.



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sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

Looks great, Hardwood is preferred for this job as plywood doesn't hold screws very well when you screw down into the laminations it can also cause them to split another reason is that this is the wettest part of the boat and even if you coat the ply in fiberglass it won't last as long as hardwood but I'm sure it will last your life time You could also epoxy a strip of hardwood on top of your ply this will keep the laminations together and give you something to screw into or. Another option for the floor is mahogany decking effect plywood I think you can get it in http://www.wallerwickham.ie/csd/index.php
Keep up the good work.



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Thanks for the encouragement and input fergal. I had thought about topping off the supports with a hardwood strip, having seen it mentioned on another post. Another thought was to use thin "chipboard" screws, with a pre-drilled pilot hole. These screws have a double twist, giving them, in effect, twice as much thread. I will certainly look into the suggested flooring. The supports will be at about 7" centres, which I think is plenty. Any thoughts?

Thanks again!

breghall

nice little project , keep up the good work.

I would tend to agree with putting hardwood strips on just so the screw has something to bite into.

Nice work though.

Alkers

sogood wrote: »

As for finding a level, it's a mixture of "how it looks" and various measurements along with the use of a homemade "square" from a plywood offcut. I lined this up along the side of the door opening, to find a line at right angles along the bottom, running across the boat.

Just regards finding a level for the floor, bear in mind the boat may be sitting at a different orientation now than it will be when it's on the water. If you put the floor in level as it is now it may be off when you get her into the water.

sogood

Simona1986 wrote: »

Just regards finding a level for the floor, bear in mind the boat may be sitting at a different orientation now than it will be when it's on the water. If you put the floor in level as it is now it may be off when you get her into the water.

Yes, that's a valid point. I went as much for "flat and even" as "level". I haven't had the boat on the water and there wasn't any real waterline painted on it, just a slightly discernible change in the colour and texture of the paint, so I cant really say what is or isn't level.

Also, the level will vary relative to whether the boat is moving or stationary and unless the sea is like glass or not. So, I'll be happy with a clean, flat, safe surface to walk on, as opposed to being directly on top of the actual hull.

It just remains to be seen how it works out, fingers crossed. No work done today as a trip to the dentist took up my time and the will to live!

sogood

Well, having been away for another break, I finally got back to the boat this week, in between a multitude of other things on my "to do" list.

I finished cutting and adjusting all the floor supports, which were all different, dur to the fact tht the floor widens as it goes back and the shape of the hull changes also, flattening out somewhat as it goes back too.

I decided to fit a porthole to the cabin door and made up a pair of frames, inner and outer, the inner radius of which is larger than the radius of the actual opening. This creates a lip or rebate, into which a perspex window will fit. The two frames will screw together, sandwiching the perspex in place. At least thats the theory and a dry fit seems to work out ok. The final fit will have the benefit of a sealant.

I also cut a panel to cover the area where the steering wheel sits. This is just 1/2"" plywood, routed to create an individual "plank" effect. Again, this is dry fitted and still needs to have the opening for the steering boss and ignition switch cut out.

I also spent some time clearing and removing any last fittings, rivets, screws, etc. Not exciting but necessary.

Time to get the sander out again and finish stripping the blue paint from the hull, then filler, sanding etc. ready for paint. Keep putting it off!

fergal.b

You have an eye for detail the porthole looks great, nice touch with the dash mount as well.




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breghall

that is niec work Sogood..

sogood

A long overdue update to my progress. I've been posting progress over on "Practicalboating forums" and found the process of posting pics much easier there, as there isn't a limit to size etc. as opposed to going via photobucket.

Anyway............. here's a link to my blog in case anyone is interested, just to let you know that I haven't fallen overboard. The blog starts at the very beginning, (so there is some repetition) and digresses somewhat at times, but it's up to date. Just something to peruse on these wild wintry afternoons.

I still visit boards on a regular basis however, and was sorry to read of fergals misfortune. Maybe your next project should be a submarine!!

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful advice and encouragement.

http://practicalboating.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9427

fergal.b

She is looking good, great work.


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sogood

Despite being in the depths of overhauling/painting and re-assembling my old 1978 Yamaha, I have been nursing niggling doubts as to its' reliability etc.

So I bit the bullet and picked up a one owner 2006 30HP Yamaha 30 DEOL. It came with all controls and a metal Yamaha fuel tank and line, starts on the button, runs sweet and pumps plenty of water. A happy camper, ready for the water now, with no big misgivings. All I need now is a change in the weather!

fergal.b

Good for you always better to have piece of mind, I changed the weather for you for the next few days so away you go





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Malcolm600f

Boat looking good,, makes me regret selling my 502 now...lol

sogood

Thanks guys. Still have a little job to do, like swap the controls from my old engine over for the new one. The new controls have the ignition switch incorporated and they are just the right length etc. The old ones were a bit long and had a loop in them to take up the slack!

I will also have to take out the old, dash mounted ignition switch and find a way to fill the hole it will leave. Not a big deal as I'm looking into fitting some dash mounted gauges, rather than depend on the little warning light on the engine.

Really looking forward to a change in the weather, and of course, pics will follow.

sogood

Just a blast from the past with my Microplus. We finally got her onto the water today. A bit blustery, with the wind coming in off the Atlantic, funnelling along up Kenmare bay, culminating at the slip.

It made launching a bit more awkward than it should have been, but it worked, although not helped by the sticky keel rollers.

We stayed within the confines of the harbour and further in, beyond the bridge, to a large secluded, protected area. We even had coffee and sandwiches on board. Just getting to grips with how it handles, but at least it's in the water now, ready to go at a moments notice, and I live only about 1 mile from the harbour!

Already compiling a to do list for my latest acquisition............watch this space and thanks to all who gave encouragement and advice.

pedroeibar1

sogood wrote: »

........A bit blustery, with the wind coming in off the Atlantic, funnelling along up Kenmare bay, culminating at the slip.

........further in, beyond the bridge, to a large secluded, protected area.....

Nice restoration job, congrats! It has to be beautiful going upriver above the bridge, but jeez, there is an awful lot of mud up there, it’s not known as “The Marshes” for nothing. I can see you going to Teddy's at Killmac for a pint on a good day! If you are keeping the boat at the pier I’d put a bucket over the prop end of the engine to protect it (and other boats) when lifted.

I had the same problem with the weather further out the River at the w/e– no possibility to sway up and rig a mast in the swell so I’m still on the hard. :mad:

sogood

Hi pedro and thanks for the advice. I'm still very much at the novice stage, but got lots of encouragement and help from others at the pier.

I've studied the harbour and the area above the bridge at low tide and took some pics, just to familiarise myself with the channels and banks, but apparently, the area above the bridge is notorious also for roots!

But everything went well, without incident. It was lovely to see the very familiar landscape from the very different perspective of being on the water.

Hope to see you on the water sometime!

sogood

Having mentioned my latest acquisition, I thought I should post some pics. This "new" boat has arrived somewhat sooner than was planned, but nothing changes in the grand scheme of things.

I had intended to use the Microplus for a season or two, finding my feet, familiarising myself with being on the water and all it entails. Then I was going to sell the Microplus on and trade up to something bigger and more permanent, maybe in the 25' region, with more space to move about in and something that would handle the open sea a little better. Something that was not quite the project that the Microplus was. Something that needed some loving and TLC.

Well, an ad caught my eye and it ticked all the boxes, so I thought, "Why not"? It can go under wraps and be worked on while I'm still using the Microplus.

The deal was done and I hauled it home from Dublin to Kenmare.............

I'm very happy with it and the potential it offers. Anyone reading my posts on Marina Facilities will have an insight on what I'm dealing with, but hey, you only live once.

I sent a day during the week giving her a bit of a scrub down, removing all the moss and crud and it's looking better for it. Any work that needs doing is mostly cosmetic, simple repairs and minor updates. I have a small 30w solar panel ordered, which I'll fit just to keep the battery topped up. I've had batteries die on me in the past from non usage!

I also picked up a12 volt 29 liter cool box from Lidl for €50 which will save me having to replace the non existent fridge, which would cost a fortune anyway.

A replacement for the old original alcohol cooker will be fitted also.

Some electrics to be sorted and some simple woodwork and relining the cabin and that's about it.

Will keep you updated.

fergal.b

Fine looking girl well done, If she has been lying up for awhile it would be worth changing the impeller be for you set off.


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sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

Fine looking girl well done, If she has been lying up for awhile it would be worth changing the impeller be for you set off.


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Yes, thanks for that. I've come to believe that regardless of what else you do to a boat, a new impeller is a "must do". That would be a given. The engine was overhauled with many new parts as was the carb and it runs very sweetly.

sogood

So, in between work, which is non stop, and trying to grab the odd day out on the water, work on the new boat continues.

So far, I've replaced the "trailer" tilt switch, which was seized up and inoperative. I've also replaced the tilt/trim switch which was mounted on the top of the gear shift. It was a small micro switch and was somewhat hit and miss, so a larger, more robust up/down switch has been mounted on the dash. I also had a dodgy solenoid on the tilt motor, so both solenoids have been replaced. I also replaced the suspect ignition switch and now everything works just as it should.

I then moved indoors and stripped off the old interior lining. There was a lot of trim pieces to remove also, with one thing holding something else in place, in turn holding something else in place. I also removed the side/door panel from the toilet, just to give more space and access. The lining was a stained, lumpy, loose cotton wool type of material, and very dusty to boot. Stripping the lining revealed a lot of inconsistencies in the interior of the cabin, with a generally bad finish, very uneven in places.

I got a nice foam backed vinyl lining from my good friends at F.J.Keogh's Motor factors and it happens to be a great match for the interior colour of the cabin and seat covers.

As with the Microplus, I fitted wooden strips to the ceiling to take covered panels, creating a cavity for wires and avoiding the job of sticking fabric overhead. The panels also gave me the opportunity to cover over much of the aforementioned unevenness. I used an Evo stik adhesive/sealant called 007 just to hold the strips in place, propped up while the adhesive set, with a view to fixing them permanently using fibreglass. However, when I removed the props, the strips were stuck solid, really solid!

So, I'm going to go with this and see how it works out. If the strips loosen over time with vibration or whatever, it's no problem to remove the panels and re-do them again, using fibreglass. The panels themselves are 5mm ply.

I'm now at the stage of covering the sides and am doing this in sections, mostly for convenience and to save on waste. Already it's looking much better.

I used a foam material, from an old sleeping mat, to cover over some of the lumpy sections in some areas of the ceiling, to create a smoother surface to apply the lining to and made the panels to cover much of this also.

The black trim pieces of the window surrounds have also been removed, cleaned, sanded, primed and resprayed in the original satin black.

Future jobs are to sort out the toilet, replace/repair the fresh water pump and build a press into the space where the fridge used to be. My 12volt cooler box will suffice!

I've also pumped out about 80 gallons of sour fuel from the tank, with some more left! This has to be disposed of and the tank and lines will need to be cleaned out to remove any old deposits. The carb was rebuilt by the previous owner so I don't want to undo that. (The engine had been run for demo purposes,using a portable tank)

So, that's about it for now. I am in the process of organising a new mooring here in Kenmare and intend to leave this boat in the water pretty much all year round.

Some pics............

sogood

Just a few more pics

fergal.b

Want to come and do mine now Looks great.


.

sogood

I was on the lookout for a small punt/tender so that I can moor the Microplus on a buoy in the harbour, as opposed to being tied up at the wall and all that that entails. I will also have a mooring put down for the Wellcraft when it goes in the water, so a punt is/was a must.

I mentioned it to a neighbour, who told me he had one "lying up in the garden" and that "I was welcome to take it away" So, now I have a tender!! Thank you John Joe, who wouldn't take penny for it, just the promise of a few fishing trips!

Naturally, it needs some work. New rub rail, transom board and a leak or two to be sorted, followed by a lick of paint, which I have left over from the Microplus.

Pics showing the removal of old, lifting and cracking repair, complete with a layer of expanding foam. Anyway, I removed all the old screws, rotten wood, cleaned everything back and got two layers of fibreglass onto the length of the keel. Another one to go and then the same on the inside inside.

Alongside this "distraction" I got some more of the interior lining done on the Wellcraft. Time consuming, as I'm trying to cover up the irregularities and general lumpiness in certain parts of the cabin.

I used pipe insulation to create a new shape around the opening to the cabin, before covering same with lining. It's looking a good deal better for it. Also did a dry fit of one of the refurbished ( cleaned and repainted) window trims.

I'm using the lining quite economically, as it was a roll end and a tad less than I'd wanted, so I'm patching more than I'd like. This creates more joins, but I'll just tape across them in some sort of matching tape, unless anyone has any bright ideas?

Fitted my replacement, matching voltmeter, so now my dash is complete.

I'm also considering placing a regular sized gas cylinder on the swim platform, or IN the platform to be exact. I'm considering cutting a hole to take the cylinder, letting it sit lower, just below the transom and supported underneath using a brace/support between the platform supports themselves. Pic might explain better. Any thoughts? I'd run a small bore copper line back up to the cooker in the cabin, probably within a plastic pipe for added protection, with a short flexible hose on either end. Naturally, the cylinder would be strapped down.

Anyway, that's about it for now.

sogood

Got a little bit more done to the punt today. I cut 1/2" plywood ribs to form a gunwale and adding strength to the hull. These ribs were screwed onto each other, with the boat "sandwiched" in between, with a good helping of Bostik 007 to help sealing and adhesion. (It's great stuff!!) I also fitted a piece into the bow section and at each corner of the transom, for extra rigidity.

I was going to cut another strip of plywood to fix down along the top of my new gunwale, but then thought that a piece of heavy duty rubber hose or water pipe, split along it's length and fixed down, would be a simpler, more watertight option. It would also make a good rub rail.

The picture shows a piece of pipe insulation in situ to show the proposed finish.

Still another layer of fibreglass to fit along the keel and a few to do inside also, but getting there.

That's it until Monday as work beckons...............

VisionaryP

Great stuff sogood, lovely job on all 3 boats. I've just bought my first boat to restore, and as a complete novice, I've enjoyed reading about your efforts, and those of dnme and fergal. I'll start my own restoration thread shortly, mostly to beg for advice from you guys!

sogood

VisionaryP wrote: »

Great stuff sogood, lovely job on all 3 boats. I've just bought my first boat to restore, and as a complete novice, I've enjoyed reading about your efforts, and those of dnme and fergal. I'll start my own restoration thread shortly, mostly to beg for advice from you guys!

Thanks for the encouraging words. Fergal is the man for quality, inspirational work, showing what is possible, dnme's work showed dogged determination against serious odds and mine is mostly cosmetic improvements. So I suppose if you combine all three (not to mention all the other great work on display here) you might finish up with a very respectable boat.

Looking forward to your posts and LOTS of pics and details about the boat!

Speaking of pics, I meant to include these with my last post..........

sogood

So, I got home from work last weekend, but only for a day, so nothing done as expected. But this weekend I'm home with a bit more time so I set about sorting the rub rail on the punt. I picked up the materials last weekend during my "turn around" so I could get straight to it this weekend.

For the rub rail, I got a section of 1.5" water pipe, which is more rubbery than plastic, so it bendes easily and cuts easily also.Using a Stanley knife, I cut a section out along its length, to provide an opening to sit down over the plywood gunwale and trimmed sections here and there as necessary, to get around the corner brace sections. These brace sections have also been capped off with some mahogany strips.

After a dry fit, the rub rail is now being held in place using black cable ties and a bead of black Sikaflex will be run around it's length, just to seal and dress it off.

It's a much cheaper option than buying actual rubbing strake and will do perfectly fine for what is has to do.

Some rubbing down to do on the fibreglass repair and another layer and we're getting close to paint.

Some pics as usual.

pedroeibar1

Fergal is better at this stuff than I, but I'd paint first and then fit the rubbing strake. Have you considered where/how to fix the rowlocks? Also, before painting I'd think about a strengthening the transom to hold a small outboard..........