The Re-Fit Begins

[brantleychuck]

Why not just make the old shower pan look new ? If you have the skills to make a mold then a new shower pan. Repairing the old one should be a breeze ? Starting my own refit on a Schucker 436

[fkittson]

Making new due to the old one has a lot stress cracking and was a poor layup schedule (to much flex). Plus the vanity will be a integral part of the pan. No more plywood to rot in the head.

[fkittson]

I got all the fiberglass mat cut today for the mould. I will be spraying the gelcoat Friday night and laying up the mould Saturday morning. Pop it Sunday and Polish. New gelcoat arrives Friday and will layup the new pan next week.

[SVTatia]

Are you inside the warehouse where all the birds are? Do you have electricity in the boat? How are you working in it in this cold?
Doing a good job, be persistent, keep it up.

[challis0124]

I have a question for everyone about re-fits? I hear over and over again how long they take (and cost) and that is all well and good. But, what I am wondering is what type of life you're living when doing the re-fit; that fact would surely sway the time-line. Sure it makes sense if you have a job/family/kids and a life on-land, your 'winter' upgrades can easily turn into multi-year project.
But...there are others who's life is ONLY about the refit. If your dawn to dust, daily job is just working on your boat (not living on it) (and you have the money to back it up)...then sure, why couldn't it be done?

Discloser: Prompted by the fact that we are planning on doing the latter and hoping for a 6 month or less re-fit....over winter...on the great lakes....

Thoughts/Idea's?

[fkittson]

Boat is at PCHM yard on the hard. I have a heated shop at my house about 10 min away. There is power at my boat and I just heat the boat when needed

[wsulli]

Wow nice to be so close to the boat, mine is 1 hr away and under 1' of snow, I hate NJ.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by challis0124

I have a question for everyone about re-fits? I hear over and over again how long they take (and cost) and that is all well and good. But, what I am wondering is what type of life you're living when doing the re-fit; that fact would surely sway the time-line. Sure it makes sense if you have a job/family/kids and a life on-land, your 'winter' upgrades can easily turn into multi-year project.
But...there are others who's life is ONLY about the refit. If your dawn to dust, daily job is just working on your boat (not living on it) (and you have the money to back it up)...then sure, why couldn't it be done?

Discloser: Prompted by the fact that we are planning on doing the latter and hoping for a 6 month or less re-fit....over winter...on the great lakes....

Thoughts/Idea's?

It can be done. But once you start, you better finish, because your project has no commercial value, and you cannot "get rid of it"...
The problem stems from the way it is estimated. When you estimate something that you have never done, you tend to be too optimistic. Once you start, you discover that a) its a lot harder than you thought, or b) you find more work that must be done before you do the original planned one - the underlying issues that must be fixed or else could jeopardize the results.
It needs persistence. After your first refit, you will be a lot better at estimating.
It took me 6 years to build a boat that I planned to do it in 2. I am now on my second project, not building, just restoring/refitting, and I am more comfortable in knowing what it will take just by looking at the work to be done.

So, it takes time to do it right, and when you do it for yourself, you don't want a blotched solution.