1958 Fleetform Rest-o-mod

[Duckisland]

Just getting in to iBoats to share restoration work on a 1958 Fleetform. The boat came with updated 30 HP Nissan engine and controls. Since the engine is a 2003, then my guess is that it received a partial restoration with some interior updates and new trailer around the same timeframe.

The engine is a reliable electric start, tilt and trim which works independently of any other wiring.

I'm just finishing up on modern wiring for the lights and dash and will be uploading more photos if there is interest.

 

[Duckisland]

Starting to add some pictures and document some of the work. As I was installing the wiring I found that the encased stringers were stopping water from making its way to the keel. Over time that water went under it instead of just sitting around forever. The result is a section of rotted stringer. Yes, it would absolutely be a good idea to replace the entire length of it. But, for now I've put in this 5/8 marine plywood which was pre-coated with fiberglass resin before bonding it with a mixture of resin and glass fibers to the hull and covering it with two layers of matting.

Also note, that the existing stringers don't appear to be bonded to the hull from underneath. It seems like that plan backfired as that's exactly where the water was able to make its way in and absorb in to the wood.

Will the boat will crack at this joint? Not entirely likely but I am 99% sure there is also rotting inside of the rear air compartment and it will need to be opened for inspection and I'm guessing it will all need to be replaced by next boating season.

 

[Duckisland]

Some of the retired parts.

On our first outing we motored around somewhat on edge. Would the engine be reliable? Check the 6.6 gallon gas tank every 15 minutes! Hitting some wakes from other boats would the hull take the pounding (and this was before I discovered the rotted stringer section)?

After two and a half hours we decided to head back in. The launch was crowded so we turned back towards the open lake for one last high speed test while the waves had died down quite a bit. And... that's when the prop spun. Was it cavitating? Nope, it was spinning freely at high RPM, and so we limped back to the launch.

The old prop has a press-in type hub which was hard to find a replacement for so a new propeller was decided. It seems like the local boat shops around Seattle don't have a lot of love for Nissan / Tohatsu but eventually we found a suitable replacement.

The propeller is from Turning Point with a modern drop-in hub assembly. I wasn't thrilled to go from 9.9 x 10 to 10.38 x 11 but I couldn't find much on the internet to advise against it. Ultimately, I'm pushing a 450 lb boat with a 187 lb engine.

The next day we were out again to see the result. The engine prop combination brought it up to plane quickly and it seemed to perform really well. Only the GPS speedometer will eventually tell us how fast. In retrospect, we have a 2003 Nissan 30 HP on a 1958 boat so the two were never really intended to marry in the first place.

Gas mileage? It turns out that our trip covered 18.5 miles and burned approximately 1/4 of our fuel. So a reasonable expectation would be 74 miles of mixed use range.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard

 

[Duckisland]

1958 Fleetform with Bimini top.

Researching the pricing for a convertible canvas top. Any recommendations?

The bimini you see here was purchased for our 10' Zodiac style inflatable. It was very easy to tack it on to the Fleetform within minutes. It is mounted down inside the gunwales which makes it lower and more cozy inside.

Additional note! That droopy and sad cabling in the background is now tucked away up under the gunwales with zip-tie clips which I've epoxied to the interior of the hull.