Let the games commence

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.


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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..........

sogood

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

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..........

Thanks for the thoughts and I know what you mean, but I did the gunwale and strake to add some rigidity, which helps the repairs to the hull, minimising any flexing. It's all good and rigid now!
I'll be varnishing the plywood gunwale and fitted the strake first, to avoid any scratching or marking of the varnish, as it took a bit of persuasion to get the strake on! Plus, I can flip it over and let it rest on the strake, when I'm painting the boat.

I thought about the transom, re; an outboard, but I'll only be rowing about 25 meters max out to the mooring, so thought I could do without the expense, maintenance etc. of the luxury of an outboard.

I intend to fit the rowlocks onto the inside of the gunwale, possibly sitting into a small tubular housing, to allow them to swivel. It's all a work in progress, a side project being done on a budget, as I got the boat for free to start with.

Thanks again for the input.

sogood

So, finally got a bit of a gap in an otherwise hectic work schedule, so now I can concentrate on more important things!

I fitted the rubbing strake using cable tis as previously mentioned and stripped down all the old paint from the hull. The fibreglass repairs to the keel have been finished and I also laid down two layers of glass along the length of the keel on the inside.

After much scrubbing and cleaning, I got the first coat of paint on the inside, using some 2pak that I have left over from the Microplus. I'm hoping to have enough to finish the whole boat.

I also sanded down the bench seat, exposing the nice mahogany underneath, which will be varnished.

The hull is now ready for some filling and rubbing, having exposed a load of scuffs and dings after stripping the paint, not to mention the few new ones that I created myself! But we're getting there.

Some pics.

fergal.b

Looking good, I spotted these on Adverts http://www.adverts.ie/parts-accessories/new-pair-clamp-on-oar-locks/10972440 might work for you.



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sogood

fergal.b wrote: »

Looking good, I spotted these on Adverts http://www.adverts.ie/parts-accessories/new-pair-clamp-on-oar-locks/10972440 might work for you.



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Thanks, I saw that. I'm thinking about a simple block, fitted to the inside of the gunwale, with a hole down through it to take the oar lock. This would allow the oar lock to swivel/rotate. It would be a simple DIY job, which is the general approach with this boat. Just a simple enough refurb on a shoestring.

Thanks again.

batmanzed

Hi sogood, I am really interested in your microplus refurb, I have one myself and finally have a shed big enough to consider tackling it over the winter. I can't seem to find practicalboating.com to have a look at your full blog, does it still exist?

sogood

batmanzed wrote: »

Hi sogood, I am really interested in your microplus refurb, I have one myself and finally have a shed big enough to consider tackling it over the winter. I can't seem to find practicalboating.com to have a look at your full blog, does it still exist?

Hi there, yes, you're right, practicalboating just disappeared overnight! I've looked high and low to no avail. It's a pity as it was a good site and community, but there you go.

I think pretty much everything I did to the Microplus is covered here, but if you have any questions, just ask. DNME's post is also well worth taking a look at, as it's a similar set up, but with a ton more work!

Where are you based and don't forget, lots of pics!!

sogood

Still pottering along with the punt, but getting there. I salvaged an old section of flooring/decking that came out of the Wellcraft and was surplus to requirement.

This was cut down and modified to fit the punt. I wasn't happy with the prospect of standing directly on the hull or of accidentally dropping anything heavy onto it, so now I have a floor of sorts!

I also finished off the filling and sanding and got a coat of paint on the outside, courtesy of the Microplus refurb, as the 2 pack paint was left over (unmixed of course!)

Another coat of paint and it will be put to use and then I can get back to working on the Wellcraft.

sogood

Nothing terribly exciting with paint drying, but the little punt is almost done. After two coats of paint and two of antifoul it's looking much more respectable.

I also made a pair of oars, using two shovel handles and some "plastic" type of material, left over from some facia board. It's light, strong, with a tiny bit of flex and it's maintenance free. (And it cost me nothing!)

Just have to make up the oar locks, varnish the gunwales and oars, fit a hook at the front and she's good to go.

Then it's back to the Wellcraft.

sogood

So, the punt is pretty much ready for the water, given that I'm not going to fit a VHF radio, cooker, porta potti etc. etc. I was still scratching my head thinking about how I might make up a pair of oar locks, when, rummaging through some of the boxes of bits and pieces that came with the Wellcraft, what did I find only a pair of new, unused oar locks!! What are the chances??

Anyway, fitted them into the pre fitted blocks on the inside of the gunwales, finished the varnishing, did my beads of sealant and that's about it.

I also fitted some hooks into the oars, linked by a light chain to the leg of the oar locks, so the oar locks can't fall out and the oars can't fall overboard. I also fitted a piece of plastic pipe to the oars where they sit in the oarlocks, just to reduce the wear and tear to them.

I also fitted a small €10 hand pump to help pump out any rainwater that builds up in the boat while it's sitting in the water. It's a simple but effective pump and in the pics, the hammers are just in place to hold the plastic tube in place while the adhesive sets.

So, all going well, the Microplus will be put out on its mooring on Wednesday, when I'm free and the tide and weather looks favourable.

Now it's back to the Wellcraft........................................

sogood

Not exactly a huge event in the grand scheme of things, but today, I got the punt into the water and the Microplus is now out on it's mooring in the harbour. It will be so much simpler to take it out, now that it's not tied up in a row of several other boats!

The biggest issue was rowing back to the harbour wall in the punt. I've never rowed a boat before and it took a while to get any sort of fluid movement, which wasn't helped by a very stiff breeze, blowing me back into the opposite side of the harbour. I finally gave up and allowed myself to drift, until I was alongside the "wrong" wall, whereupon I got ashore and pulled the punt back around the harbour to it's proper mooring spot. One guy came over to have a look as he thought I was swimming my dog!

So, a little bit of practice is called for.

We had intended to do a bit of fishing, but it was very choppy and uncomfortable, so we called it a day, but, that just meant that I could potter about on the Wellcraft.

I pumped out the last 20 litres of old petrol from the tank, leaving just a film of petrol behind and refitted and sealed the tank sender unit while I was at it. It should have been fixed down with 5 screws, but it only had three, so, I cleaned off the surfaces, and replaced the missing screws. I'm sure that it wouldn't have helped to keep water out of the tank with the sender being fixed in such a "lob sided" way.

I also took the old (vey stiff and slippery) fuel/water separator filter off and found it to be quite rusted and full of water. So, the plan is to get a handful of these, some fresh fuel and filters and run the engine on muffs, replacing the separators as I go. I imagine the new fuel will help flush/dilute anything that's left. Any thoughts?

In the meanwhile, I will finish of the interior trim and start getting the cabin back in order.

Some pics taken today.......