update on my 1973 boat restoration

[travis_farmer]

so, i went out to start working on replacing the wiring in my old boat, and after the heavy rains, i found 2 inches of rain water down on the cabin floor. this is after i discovered the anchor rope deck pipe cap was missing, and used a quick fix of some 3M all-weather flashing tape (very good stuff) to cover the opening. i don't even currently have an anchor, so at present, it is not a problem. so my guess is the bow hatch needs new weather stripping, and the tarp temporarily covering the back needs to be bigger for better rain prevention.
all that aside, can you believe i pumped 28 gallons out of the bow! and none of it traveled back to the drain in front of the engine! i even tried jacking the front of the trailer way up. this sent a little water back, but not nearly enough. my guess is either a squirrel built a nest, blocking the water, or something of the like.
later today i will be looking for a bigger tarp. at some point, much later when i can afford it, i will have a canopy made for it. but in the meantime, a ugly tarp will have to do. i will need one for winter anyway, when i build my winter snow shedding "canopy".


as for the wiring, i found a 50 foot roll of 7-wire cable. i will split it in half, and use one for the engine, and the other for other functions (blower, bilge pump, etc). to ease confusion, i will run the engine cable down the starboard side, and the other down the port side. i think the cable was originally specified for RV trailer lights, but will work fine for boat cables. i will relay-isolate the heavier circuits, though 10-15A should run most everything from the 14AWG wire in the cable.
My running lights will all be converted to LED. my bilge pump has 16AWG leads, so with the distance added, 14AWG will be fine. blower is fused for 5A. and the outdrive tilt motor is already relay isolated. i will be running a new supply wire from the battery to the cabin for the other accessories (radar, chartplotter, fish finder, etc).


~Travis

[travis_farmer]

while preparing to remove the current bad wiring, i had to take out the bad steering cable for the lower helm. it occurred to me after removing it, i haven't found a replacement that mounts like this one...


the cable goes through a ball that is sandwiched between two plates, with grease to keep the water out. and this mounts on and through a large hole in the transom. but the cable is made onto the ball, it would appear.
is there some sort of adapter kit available so i can use, say a Teleflex steering cable kit? or is my only real option, with the dual helm, to upgrade to hydraulic steering? (rather expensive).


failing this, i will likely have remove the fly-bridge helm, and use that steering setup. i like the dual-helm setup, but it would simplify things greatly if i was to remove the fly-bridge, and simply install a roof. mounting my radar would certainly be easier.


so, just to explore the idea of eliminating the fly-bridge: i know i would have to swap out the engine sensors, as they would then have only one gauge attached to them. i could make the roof taller to allow me to stand straight up. i could do away with the ladder up, so that would clear space. is there something i am missing that would be a down-side to eliminating the fly bridge?


~Travis

[James S]

Big job Travis... best of luck.. looking forward to updates..

Here's a link to current thread about boat wiring you may find useful..

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-204956-4.html

[travis_farmer]

Thank you for the link, it proved useful on several points. as i have a electronics hobby background, i am used to schematics, so making one should not be an issue. i won't need much shore power in my boat, as it will mainly just be used to power a 40A charger. everything else will be DC. good tips all-around in that thread.


~Travis

[James S]

You're welcome Travis.

[travis_farmer]

in regards to removing the fly-bridge, and replacing the roof, i strongly believe i made the right decision. the roof was so rotten that i think the roving fiberglass on top was the only thing holding me up as i disconnected the cables and wires. the core is completely disintegrated, and the fiberglass mat underneath is cracked, and full of delamination evidence.


so, my plan for moving forward will be along these lines. i will use either 1/2 inch, or 3/8 inch plywood (marine grade, if i can afford it), and laminate in two layers, with perpendicular seams for strength. mainly for winter snow-load, and strength for when i climb up to mount my radar, GPS antenna, and CB Antenna (possibly VHF if i find a local need for it). all will be sealed against water permeation, particularly well if i can't afford marine plywood.


as the boat needs so much work right now, i don't mind cheating the roof with a good grade plywood, rather than marine grade. i will seal it good, but not spend much money and effort on it until i can afford marine grade plywood. i just need it to support a snow load until spring, when i can get back to it. that way i can focus on the more pressing projects on this boat.


in other news, i have stripped all the old rotten wires out, and things are looking a lot more manageable with the electrical. there were so many mid-wire splices with solder and black tape, that some wires had to be given a bit of extra persuasion.
tomorrow, i will work on the mess around the tilt motor solenoids, and the starter motor. at present, the starter solenoid is powered through a second solenoid, presumably to reduce key-switch current load. i can remove the second solenoid, and replace it with a more compact relay.
tackling the tilt motor solenoids would be easier with the engine and bell-housing removed, but that is a bit more of a project that i need, just to replace a bit of wiring. at least the whole wiring task looks far less daunting, with the extra complexity of the fly-bridge removed.


~Travis

[travis_farmer]

after removing the rotten fiberglass roof on my boat, i realized the windshield frame isn't in the greatest shape, and i would like it to be taller.


so, has anybody come across a company that sells windshield frame extrusions, in aluminum? the windshield will be flat glass (no bends in the glass itself), with a bevel in the middle.


i was thinking of making a frame out of wood, and sealing it with... something. but if i can get aluminum extrusions, i would really be happy.
i am currently checking google, but have not seen anything specific yet.


~Travis

[Nicholson58]

Big job made small if you can get it inside or erect a covered temporary structure.

I recommend you use only marine grade wiring especially if it’s ever going in salt water. The short of it is pre-tinned high flex multi-strand. This stuff resists corrosion along the wire inside the insulation.

I use a lot of 3-M micro balloon filler in epoxy instead of foam or balsa. I buy epoxy from US Composites on line, 635 Thin resin. They also sell a lot of glass, carbon etc and other materials. See my rudder rebuild in my gallery photos.

[travis_farmer]

due to a landlord imposed restriction, i can't build a shelter over the boat, as it must stay mobile on the trailer. but perhaps i can talk him into something that can be taken down quickly.


I highly doubt this boat will be dropped into salt water. my interest is freshwater, exclusively. but i am still going to do my best wiring job that i can afford. just because, if this boat last a while, and i hope it does, i want to only have to rebuild it just once.



thanks for the composite/micro balloons tips. i will check out your rudder build pics.


i am thinking for the windshield frame, i may just build it with good wood (not balsa), and glass it for waterproofing. then i just have to figure out what to bed the glass in. i was thinking Geocel, but should the glass ever break, it is a tough sealant, and sticks very well. could make it difficult to remove. but i like that it stays flexible. i use it in home construction for various applications, and if applied correctly, i have not had a seal failure with it, yet.


~Travis

[travis_farmer]

I don't remember if i have asked this or not, but anybody know if polyester resin (with fiberglass) will stick to Advantech?
I ask because there are some deck storage covers on my boat, as well as the gas tank cover, and roof, that need replacing.
as a carpenter, i have used Advantech quite a bit, and i am impressed with it's water-resistance in untreated exposure situations. as an example, the floor of my motorcycle shed is sheethed with Advantech, and left untreated. as the shed is of the tent variety, the door flap does not seal out water and snow from blowing under the bottom of the flap. it took 7 years before it started to break down.
my theory is, if i cover it in fiberglass (and apply a non-slip coating), it should last even longer.
I am not a big fan of teak, as it is expensive, unavailable in my area, and IMO, rather bland in appearance. marine plywood is also unavailable in my area, and expensive.


~Travis

[Nicholson58]

Try a scrap for adhesion. Never heard of it.

Remember that water will ge into almost any structure and salt is extremely destructive. Embedded metals will corrode and may expand such as aluminum. Yellow brass you find in hardware stores is high in zinc. The zinc will be removed by salt corrosion and the object will become porous. your go to metals are 316 and 316L or red marine bronze.

A source for most of your SS parts is Marine Part Depot Marine Parts Depot. Mate sure you are getting 316. Use this source for non critical applications. Most of it is non rated. I would not trust it to hold up my mast.

Stick with marine grade stuff for all underwater or constantly wet applications. Hardware store epoxy is not suitable. Automotive polyester is cheap but not suitable for under water continuous immersion. I buy all of my epoxy and glass and fillers from US Composites. I Use 635 THIN resin for nearly everything.

Epoxy :Â*Epoxy Resins and Hardeners

[Jimmathieson]

Good advice.

AN East USA Epoxy company in New Hampshire

Marine Epoxy Resin NON BLUSHING w BUBBLE BREAKERS / 603.435.7199

They UPS ...

I would use exterior fir (with dark glue lines) if marine ply is unavailable or too pricey ,especially if you are adding glass over it, seal all edges with epoxy etc & paint to UV protect.

[travis_farmer]

I would use exterior fir

just to confirm, that would be fir, CDX? i can't imagine that pressure-treated plywood would be correct (usually southern yellow pine in my area).


~Travis

[Jimmathieson]

Orange Box Store locally here have Fir Ply with dark glue lines meaning resorcinol type exterior glues, also have Spruce with dark glue lines (purple).

Fir will check if not glassed, but if not using marine ply it will do ok ...

[travis_farmer]

today i started the frame for the windshield. i will use resin sealed plywood for the basic structure, with aluminum outside to weather proof the glass seam. the inside will be covered with a good hardwood, and i will use spar varnish to protect it, along with helping to seal water from getting to the plywood structure underneath. it may not be salt water approved, or the "correct" way. but i tend to learn better from experimentation.
tomorrow, i hope to have the windshield structure complete, and start work on the roof. i will likely go with a flat roof. probably with 3/4 inch plywood. whatever i can find with a lot of plys, and afford.


if it turns out i like the roof/windshield design, then i will later re-make it in that design, with better materials, if i can afford it later. there is a lot that this boat needs, so i have to work with what i can afford, on my small income. i am not ignoring the great advice i have received here. i am storing the information for when the boat is almost water ready, and it comes down to the finishing touches/corrections. i still have some motor work, and the sterndrive, all the electrical, fiberglass/gellcoat repair, and on and on...


for a small boat, this seems to have a large hole in the water that sucks my money out of my wallet.


~Travis