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Small boat restoration advice

  • 30-06-2020 9:31pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭


    I decided to buy a small boat to restore. I wanted to learn as much about the process, make mistakes but eventually get a nice boat out of it.
    So I've been looking about for the right deal & found one last week . Early trip to Cork Sunday morning & done a deal for a small boat & trailer.
    I've no clue what make ,style etc it is.Owner hadnt a clue as it was it the garden under a tarp for years & belonged to his father

    I could really do with some advice . Im just outside mullingar. I can't seem to find a marine boat supplies shop about . So I'll have to order online for anything I might need down the road .

    Firstly . I removed all the rotten wood flooring . I checked for leaks & remarkable there is none. I can see a few patch jobs in the fibreglass. However when I lifted the old floor they seemed to have braced the centre floor with bits of wood . I removed all the crap. The centre is pretty rotten .
    What would the best way to tackle this issue . Would I need to cut it out? Bracket with wood ,aluminium or metal? Or treat it with some compound .

    Secondly, anyone know what the boat is ?. I only intend on cruising the lakes & rivers around westmeath.


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Comments

  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    Hard to tell from those photos but could be a Glastron, Have a look at one I did here https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=96112235 Might need to replace your windshield :)






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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    Ill take better pics for sure . I had taken them in a hurry last night. Very similar but not the one .

    The window is in the bin . Looks like it was cut with a butter knife ! Terrible job.
    I figured out the center is a stringer?


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    No not the same one but the same job replacing the stringers also worth checking the transom timber, Glastron made a lot of different boats along with the one James Bond used to jump over the cop car in "live and let die" :)





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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    That is some job Fergal .
    You've inspired me now. I was having bit of regret & thought it was doomed from the start.
    Seeing the result from yours & seeing the fixed deck etc .
    I know my own can be saved now.

    I should have listened to my old man when he had a boat. I might have actually learnt something ��

    Would you recommend where to shop for supplies & parts etc ?


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    Robbie IRE wrote: »

    Would you recommend where to shop for supplies & parts etc ?

    "Marine parts Direct" in Swords will have all you need they also have an online shop with free postage over a certain price. Good luck with the restoration and keep us posted also fell free to ask any questions.





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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    fergal.b wrote: »
    "Marine parts Direct" in Swords will have all you need they also have an online shop with free postage over a certain price. Good luck with the restoration and keep us posted also fell free to ask any questions.





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    Great stuff & thanks


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    OK a few pics to see it anyone can help with identification.
    I had a good look about the net last night & I figured its a runabout of some sort . Lots of similar boats but nothing exact .

    It has a handle with marina as the only identifying mark .


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    As it say's on the handle it's a "Marina" possibly a 14 sport, here are a few photos one.


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    fergal.b wrote: »
    As it say's on the handle it's a "Marina" possibly a 14 sport, here are a few photos one.

    Thats it !! Thanks ....I searched the net & couldn't find it


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    I've started to take all the crap out. Flooring , old carpets , old leather upholstery, old rusty bolts etc .

    I removed the old plastic /rubber from around the Hull. It was all brittle & painted in that green gloss type paint thats flaking off.
    Looking at the pictures is it worth drilling out the rivets holding the top of the boat on? Completely remove the top 1/2 then work on the bottom 1/2 of the boat then re-rivet everything back together when the time comes ?


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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    It's a big job to split the hull along with the rivets it will also be glued, you have a good bit of open space and have access to most jobs you need to do and it will be easier to cut out the splash well to replace the timber in the transom "if needed" than splitting the hull. Don't let things get on top of you or you may lose interest keep it simple and within your capabilities and budget remember some boats are not worth saving, hulls are ten a penny it's the engine thats the money so it may be better to buy a good hull than spending a lot of time and money on a bad hull especially if you are not sure of what you are getting into also the boat will likely never be worth more than you put into it. Don't get me wrong I love to see old boats being brought back to life but as you have seen it Danme's post it can take it's toll.






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  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    Marina boats started out as Hemming & Morris Marina Boats Ltd Jeff Hemming I believe is still around and retired now, His email is posted in a comment here https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/14-ft-speedboat.326691/ If you wanted to try and get in touch.



  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    fergal.b wrote: »
    Marina boats started out as Hemming & Morris Marina Boats Ltd Jeff Hemming I believe is still around and retired now, His email is posted in a comment here https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/14-ft-speedboat.326691/ If you wanted to try and get in touch.


    Where do you find this information. I had a look all over the Internet & found nothing .
    You're an encyclopedia of info..


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    So its a marina 14 continental!
    Time to bring it back to life


  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭daveville30


    https://youtu.be/w5DaQvwTY3I
    He has good videos of what your going to have to do for the deck and stringers


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    What would this be ?
    Is it modified ladder or to mount an additional motor?

    I'm thinking of taking it off for good ,replacing it or just restoring it by polishing it back to a nice finish.


  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭daveville30


    Looks like it was a ladder that someone mounted a plate to for a back up engine


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    Yep it's a ladder, the two brackets at the bottom held the bottom half that folded into the water, the plate has nothing to do with it and would not be safe to as an AUX bracket .



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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    Looks like it was a ladder that someone mounted a plate to for a back up engine

    Yeah , think ill remove it .
    Dumb question but is a back up necessary? As I'm only going to put her in the Shannon & lakes around the midlands. Small ores & vhf/mobile phone as a back up.
    But if its recommended a 2nd engine ill just clean up the mount.


  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭daveville30


    Probably not safe but I guarantee there was an engine there no reason for a plate otherwise


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  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭daveville30


    I'd put proper bracket and a 3 or 4 hp beside your main engine you might not ever need it but it's there saves being towed in by lifeboat or friends


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    On the Shannon the only time I go out without a back up motor is when I have a back up boat, even with the wind blowing at 5 MPH you will never be able to paddle yourself away from rocks, better to have a backup and not need it than to need it and not have it. The setup that you have is not safe and should be scraped.






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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    Window gone . Lucky enough i can get a new polycarb window cut in work when the time comes.

    That ladder is off. I might clean it up & actually put it back as an actual ladder.
    Ill get a engine mount for the other side.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    You are missing the bottom half of the ladder might be better to replace it as the last step you have looks like it will be at the water line making it very hard to pull yourself up. It would have looked something like this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    Replacing alltogether is the thing to do for sure


  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    I've been looking about at vids & some older posts. I'm still unsure the best thing to do with the stringer.

    Its pretty soft, wet & rotten in the front part the back part doesnt look to bad.
    So I'm drying it out .
    I could drill holes & fill with a hardener of some sort then fibreglass over it .
    I could completely remove it.replace with similar thickness wood & treat that & fibreglass over it.
    What would the best option?

    Also I notice the stringer is just one single length running the full length of the boat however nothing running cross sectioned along the width of the boat. I take it not all boats have stringers running width of the craft?
    Thanks for any advice


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 6,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭fergal.b


    Handiest thing to do would be to cut the top off the stringers and remove the timber to use as a template but the fibreglass on yours doesn't look great anyway so it might be better just to cut them off and make complete new ones like I did in my link. The cross timbers are more likely to be found in wider boats your stringers are quite close together so should have no problem supporting a floor without sagging you could also add some if you feel it will need it like for somewhere to bolt the seats to.




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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    I'm going to cut out the stringer as advised.
    What would be the material to replace it. Marine ply, normal ply treated with waterproofing ?
    Also what epoxy & fibreglass sheeting is recommended?
    I hear on YouTube people making peanut butter ��... is that something to buy or is it a mix of epoxy & something else ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭daveville30


    Robbie IRE wrote: »
    I'm going to cut out the stringer as advised.
    What would be the material to replace it. Marine ply, normal ply treated with waterproofing ?
    Also what epoxy & fibreglass sheeting is recommended?
    I hear on YouTube people making peanut butter ��... is that something to buy or is it a mix of epoxy & something else ?

    All your doing making peanut butter is thickening the resin using a filler could be flour or carboilal silica add a few bits or mat chopped up fairly small for strength


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  • Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Robbie IRE


    Steering wheel seems to be rightly stuck on despite removing all bolts etc .
    I take it a steering wheel puller of some sort is required?
    I'd like to keep the original wheel if possible


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