1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

For me, Half the fun of these boats is tracking them down- Finding & following leads... It's a lot like collectors of old cars. This boat kind of fell in to place for me- I wanted one, But wasn't really actively looking for one... It just so happened that one 'appeared' right in my own back yard. It was fairly complete, but missing a few critical parts- Parts that are NOT easy to come by.

The biggest missing piece was the huge, cast metal dash emblem with the Lake N Sea logo on it. It was long gone from the dash of my boat, And I couldn't imagine where in the world I was going to find one. I kept thinking about possible ways of replacing it- I figured I'd have to just make some kind of decal or something that looked right... Just to fill the space.

Never underestimate the power of the internet... A fellow classic boat 'aficionado' heard about my plight, and told me that he had seen a similar boat rotting away in the back of a local boat yard. It had been there so long the trailer was buried in the dirt. It was really beyond salvage. So, I called the yard and asked if they'd be willing to sell the dash plate off of it, and if so, how much they wanted... The answer? Sure. How does $25.00 sound?? SOLD. The only issue was they didn't want to take it off and ship it- I had to remove it, and pay in cash. Fine, except it was about 10 hours away. Now, I'd have driven up there for this piece in a heartbeat- But the guy who told me about it happened to live close, and he was generous enough to go get the part for me.

Since then, I've 'hoarded' all kinds of extra parts from various sources. Given the relative rarity of these boats, I am really surprised that I have been able to find all this hardware!

The oval part in the middle is the missing dash plate... The side emblems on the top are the old ones that came on the boat, and I also found 2 spares... The bottom two are BRAND NEW side emblems, that were never installed on a boat, that I also somehow managed to find. And, there is also a complete 1959 vintage Evinrude 'Golden Jubilee' dash panel, with key switch and choke button, for the motor...

The power will also be vintage 1959. That was Evinrude's 'Golden Jubilee' year, and for their 50th anniversary, they changed the designs of their motors. I am using a 35 HP Lark motor- It has a cool design that even has little fins on it to match the boat. I managed to pick up TWO complete motors, both 1959. Both have all the chrome, badging, and hardware, and it's all in GREAT shape. Most importantly, one had the wiring harness and original control box...

Of course, I can only use one at a time, but I will always have a backup motor. Vintage motors can be cranky at times, So I can have one on the work stand and one on the boat ready to go.

To complete the whole package, I managed to locate another kind of rare item- an original 1959 Tee-Nee trailer, with teardrop fenders-

It should look GREAT sitting on that, especially after I repaint it, put some nice whitewall tires, and chrome hubcaps on it...

Collecting all these parts took me a long time- And they came from all over... The trailer came from Michigan, One motor from Chicago, some parts from Ohio, and others from here in Tennessee. I can't IMAGINE how anyone did all this before the internet!

-Andrew

 

[BlueDL1000]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Now, all that you need to complete the package is a 1959 car to tow it with - one with fins of course!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Now, all that you need to complete the package is a 1959 car to tow it with - one with fins of course!

That would be nice- But I've got a couple different classic boats, and I'd need to get one for each year, so I just settled with ONE... I've got a '66 Ford f-100 that they will all look great behind- Tell me this package doesn't look pretty sweet

Of course, I need to restore the truck, too... What's one more project??

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

It is Columbus Day- So I decided to do a little exploration

I had hoped that, by some stroke of luck, my stringers might not need to be replaced. The floor was rock solid- Not a hint of flex in it anywhere... I knew that most of the transom was pretty well shot. So, I decided to do some drilling into the stringers, through the floor, to see what I would find.

I drilled 4 random holes, in different stringers at different locations. Each 'core sample' came back BLACK and DAMP. Not good news- But, It's really what I expected. The floor has to come out, and the stringers need to be replaced.

I did some 'knock' tests on the transom... I knew that the center area was shot, but I thought that there might be some solid areas in the fin area... But, it's mostly bad-

I started cutting it out, Using my Harbor Freight Oscillating tool... I don't know HOW I got by before I had this thing- It makes a job like this SO easy! I finally picked one up yesterday since they were on sale for $17.99- I should have bought a couple!

Whenever I'm doing a major teardown like this, I try to take lots of photos so I can get it all back together again... I make sure I get measurements, too-

It's easy for me to remember NOW that there is 1 1/2" of ply in the transom- But will I remember that 6 months from now? Hopefully it won't take me THAT long to get it replaced, but who knows...

One thing that is nice about Lake N Seas, and RARE for a boat of this vintage, is that the floor is SOLID FIBERGLASS, not plywood. I wanted to cut the floor out carefully, so I could re-use it after replacing the stringers. The multi tool made a quick, and CLEAN, job of it-

It took about 1/2 hour or so to cut all the way around the perimeter of the floor, leaving about 3/8" or so of the floor attached to the hull so I'd have something to tab it on to when I replace it. It's a little scary making the cut- If you go too deep, you go right through the hull! You just want to make sure you measure, cut slow, and remember that you can fix ANYTHING

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Now that it's cut all the way around, It's time to pry the floor up... At this point, I have NO idea how its attached... Luckily, with some tugging, pulling, and persuasion, it started to come up. I started in one of the back corners-

And worked all the way around, and then towards the bow-

It turns out that they bonded a 1/4" thick fiberglass panel to the stringers with resin, and nailed it about every 6" or so to hold it in place. Then, they glassed over the top of the whole thing, embedding the nail heads. The nails came out easily, since they were rusted away to nothing and the stringers were mush...

Once the floor was out, I could easily see the stringers. They are BAD, Soaked and rotten-

No wonder the hull was so heavy- They are pretty beefy to begin with, and filled with water, even heavier!

The floor came out nicely, in one piece, and will be reused-

Since I have to rip the stringers out anyway, I think I might use an alternative to wood- So I never have to worry about rot down there again.

So much for an easy project

-Andrew

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Lookin' good. I'm sure there's a composted material that will work well for stringers, but I think the tricky bit might be figuring out a way to glass them into the hull. I seem to remember reading posts where folks tried to use it, but couldn't even get epoxy to stick to it, but where there's a will there's a way. Love the updates!

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Hey andgott,
On my next boat I was thinking about going a different route. I was thinking about using the pink or blue foam as a core material and just build it heavier then normal. If you get the strength from the glass then who cares what the core material is as long as it doesn't rot. It looks like your stringers are already 2" wide and might be a good candidate.
just a thought.
Bob

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

good idea bob. it really is the glass that does the work, not so much the material it goes over. a boat in another rest thread had paper tubes as the core material on the stringers from the factory, so the foam should work great and add a bit of flotation too, I suppose.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

I was thinking about using the pink or blue foam as a core material and just build it heavier then normal. If you get the strength from the glass then who cares what the core material is as long as it doesn't rot. It looks like your stringers are already 2" wide and might be a good candidate.

I was thinking about that myself... The foam wouldn't need to serve a structural purpose at all if you glassed it right... I was thinking about something like this-

http://www.preforms.com/

But I bet it's EXPENSIVE!!

I was thinking about doing something like this-

It would be similar. The blue part is foam, which is glassed over (red), then glassed in to the hull (green). The foam would be a 'form' for the fiberglass, which would provide the strength. Of course the foam would remain in place, which wouldn't hurt anything (it would even add a bit of floatation!)

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

That's what i was thinking too. I think I would add a couple layers of glass for the extra strength.
The link you attached is pretty cool but I think you could do it yourself and save some cash.
Best of luck
Bob

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Hello andgott,

I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I really love the old 50?s era boats and yours is not an exception. I think the aft/ stern section of your boat is sooooo cool. I am restoring my first boat myself. I have a 1959 ?Glasscat? Catamaran, and a 1958 Reinel Deep V that I am using for parts. I think they must have put fins on everything back then. (Not that I am complaining I love the fins). I am not sure the MFG of my boat; I cannot seem to find anybody who knows anything about it. Fiberglassics is cool site, but their site is not as easy to navigate as ours. I tried to post a photo to ask those guys if they knew my boat and could not.
I have a little thread here also if you want to look at my boat. Sorry I am still fairly new here and I do not know how to make a link. If you search for this ?1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway? you should find me.
Good luck, I will be following you also. Again I really like your boat.
Dave

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Awesome boat. Pink/black would be soooo cool.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

The transom is OUT!

I cut all around the edge, then pried it out... It came out pretty easily. The whole port side was pretty rotten, and it more or less crumbled. The starboard side was far more solid, but a little prying and persuasion and it popped right out-

It's in pretty rough shape- BUT enough of it is there to make a template from for the new one... It's a pretty odd shape, So I had hoped that it would come out intact so I could use it as a pattern. It'll save a LOT of work! Since it's a flat transom, It'll be a breeze compared to the last couple I've done that were curved!

Now, I have a clear picture of the damage to the fiberglass skin-

The transom is separated right where it meets the bottom-

Cracked around the drain holes-

You can see where a previous owner tried to patch it up from the outside with some resin... Obviously didn't work.

And, Along the bottom of the Louvers...

The very thing that makes this transom cool makes it kind of weak. There is really not any structure back here- It's all for looks- The strength came from the plywood. The cracks allowed water to get in to the voids between the ply and the louvers, and the plywood rotted out.

Some of the damage will be cut out, and new fiberglass put in it's place. Everything will be strengthened and reinforced, then sealed up... Then, the plywood will get laminated in place, and glassed in. Once it's done- It should be a LOT stronger than before, and ready to last another 50 years!

-Andrew

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

R U planning on filling the corrugation feature on the inside to create a smooth flat suface for the transom and reinforce it?

 

[southkogs]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

andgott:

I AM JEALOUS!!! Man, I just ran across your thread ... I grew up with that boat!!!! Not your boat, but the same exact Lake n' Sea - down to the color!! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for one for years. Ours was lost off the trailer when I was in my teens and dad didn't think it was worth fixing. I think a cousin of mine has it now.

Pink and black would be cool, I've even thought if I find it I might like red with flames on the topsides, and white on the hull. Crazy part is, for nostalgia sake, I'd probably keep it that wierd brown/red-ish color they originally painted it.

Anyway, Can't wait to see you splash her down ... and as your in Hixon, I may just come out to watch!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

R U planning on filling the corrugation feature on the inside to create a smooth flat suface for the transom and reinforce it?

I'm going to reinforce the whole area from behind with epoxy and cloth- I'm not sure if I'm going to fill it completely, though... I dont want to use a solid filler, because of the weight added. I might just use some foam, then trim it off flush. The area is not structural- so strength isn't an issue, other than making sure it doesn't break somehow.. It's pretty delicate as it.

When I tore it apart, I got an idea of how it was originally assembled. It appears that they pre fabricated the two louvered sections, then bonded them to some fiberglass 'sheet' that was cut to size. It looks like that was then inserted into the mold, where it was joined to the hull. There are a LOT of weak spots in it- But they can be fixed/reinforced easily enough.

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

andgott:

I AM JEALOUS!!! Man, I just ran across your thread ... I grew up with that boat!!!! Not your boat, but the same exact Lake n' Sea - down to the color!! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for one for years. Ours was lost off the trailer when I was in my teens and dad didn't think it was worth fixing. I think a cousin of mine has it now.

Pink and black would be cool, I've even thought if I find it I might like red with flames on the topsides, and white on the hull. Crazy part is, for nostalgia sake, I'd probably keep it that wierd brown/red-ish color they originally painted it.

Anyway, Can't wait to see you splash her down ... and as your in Hixon, I may just come out to watch!

Nice! That is one of the fun things about owning these classics- People come up to you all the time remembering 'way back when'... While I think the brownish color is kind of neat (it was called Bahama Tan), I think that pink is the way to go on this one- It just looks cool

Since you're close you'll have to come take a ride sometime- Or grind some glass You might want to come by when we have one of our local classic boat cruises...

-Andrew

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

A little more done today, since I'm kind of stalled on the transom that I'm putting in the other boat while I wait for materials...

I got the transom cleaned up. I cut the stringers back a little, so I'd have access to them. The will eventually come all the way out, but for now I need them there. I ground down the areas all around the base of the transom, the bottom of the boat, and the inside of the louvered areas. There were some cracks- Many of them I ground down from the inside so I could fill them, in other areas, like the center of the transom, had more damage, so I just cut them out. I'll reglass this area from the inside, and you'll never even know.

I also FINALLY got the dash panel off- It was held on by about 12 bolts, with badly rusted nuts. It didn't help that they were in a very awkward place, I had to bend over and reach under the deck with one arm, and try to turn the screw with the other... Then I had to remove the steering bezel, which was held on by 4 MORE rusty bolts, which I ended up just cutting off.

Underneath it all was Gel Coat that hadn't been touched or seen in 52 years- So I know EXACTLY what color it was when it left the factory...

There was also a 1962 penny under the dash

-Andrew

 

[southkogs]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

You might want to come by when we have one of our local classic boat cruises...

Where do y'all do that? I'm not sure if my current boat quite qualifies as a classic, but it's slowly drifting down that way. I'd love to go on one for sure.

I'll definitely watch your project - you may get a little fiberglass work outta' me just to see what you have to go through!

 

[andgott]

Re: 1959 Lake N' Sea Restoration

Where do y'all do that? I'm not sure if my current boat quite qualifies as a classic, but it's slowly drifting down that way. I'd love to go on one for sure.

The last one was on Lake Chickamagua, Which I happen to live less than 1/2 mile from...

Not a huge gathering, but this group is relatively new. It's growing strong, too... Most of the boats are Glasspars.