1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

[SwFL]

Hello,
I have been given my first boat. It is an 85 Capri that has been sitting for about 5 years. It definitely needs a restoration but I'm thinking I got about 6 months before prime boating season. I have restored cars and know how to work with fiberglass and such but I haven't a clue about boat work. I looked at other Restorations and I guess I'll start by posting before pics and tear it down this weekend. How do I look for rotten wood? I'm sure it is going to be pretty bad but I got it for free and the hull is in good shape so all input would be gladly accepted. I'm assuming even the engine should be pretty similar to a cars so I should be good there. I'm going to check compression and spark and such. My biggest concern with the engine is dry rot from sitting.

Anthony

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Rotten wood in the transom and other areas covered by fiberglass?

 

[dorelse]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Do you know what model it is? With a 50HP Force, its likely a 16' or smaller? I restored an '86 Bayliner 1600 and miss it still today 3 years later.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

My advice to you is to start reading as many fiberglass restoration threads as possible.

If you plan to work on your boat and leave it on the trailer you'll need to add additional support from either the ground up or trailer up to your hull. this will keep the shape of the boat the same when you tear out the decking, stringers, and transom.

You'll need to remove your motor and the cap on your boat.

You'll need to make a motor stand and remover your motor.

You won't be able to miss the rotten wood, it'll more than likely look like garden mulch instead of wood.

The floatation foam under your deck will more than likely be waterlogged and need to be removed.

Take lots of pics as you dismantle your boat, they'll come in handy when you start putting it back together.

Post pics of your progress here for the best help and advice.

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Do you know what model it is? With a 50HP Force, its likely a 16' or smaller? I restored an '86 Bayliner 1600 and miss it still today 3 years later.

Sorry it's a 1400 model

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

What kind of supports are we talking like cross beams to hold the edges out or more cradling from underneath? I will be taking pics....lots of them.

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Looks like you have alot of work there for you. I am doing an 18ft boat right now that needs as much work as yours. Just remember that a free boat will be the most expensive boat you ever own For a little boat like that budget a grand for all the glass, resin, and materials, and depending on what you do with the interior... another grand to 1500. I would guess you will have 3 to 4k in it before you are all said and done. I had to replace the engine in mine and my budget is 7k

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

View attachment 176852

Vegetation growing in a boat is not a good sign.

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Ya I agree. A boat is not supposed to be a planter. My wife is very good at sewing and she had recovered our seats in our house. I'm thinking if we can do the interior our selves that should save a ton. I have the original paperwork from the purchase of the boat in 85'. It was sold for $4,450 new so I guess it's only fitting I would spend that much fixing it up.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Vegetation growing in a boat is not a good sign.

+1

I guess that is another way to check for rotten wood. If something is growing out of it, it is probably rotten.

Welcome SwFL. You will save a bunch of money if your wife can do the upholstery.

 

[dorelse]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

I've always like the 1400. Think they'd be a great little boat for the lakes I use in N. MN, especially for my son who wants his own boat!

Good luck with the rebuild!

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

So how do I cradle the hull when I take the floor out?

 

[dorelse]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

So how do I cradle the hull when I take the floor out?

Have you found Friscoboater's thread in this forum where he's redoing a 1986 Glastron Carlson CVX-18? He built a good cradle for his and even has a video on how he measured the hull once he took the cap off to boat.

I couldn't describe it any better, and he has a video no less. Best advice would be to watch that...its not difficult and with a 14' Boat it should be easy.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

So how do I cradle the hull when I take the floor out?

Here's a thread just about that with some good answers:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repair/boat-hull-cradle-help-584635.html

Here's another thread you should read, Den is doing some really good looking work:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repair/my-project-74-ebbtide-584261.html#top

 

[greenbush future]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

While digging around and assessing the boat is good to do, I would be looking at the power plant and discovering what may be needed there. If you need to replace the motor, things could get pricey really quick. Have you tried to start it? what is the story on it? If you have a good running motor then you at least know. I sure wouldn't put a dime into anything until I had some idea what I was in need of. Example if: you know the motor is shot, and it needs new floor, transom and stringers, you're possibly talking about several thousand dollars, time really ask yourself if you want to spend that much. I would recommend reading on this area of the forum to learn about what this takes to do, it can be really fun, but also very costly in some cases. Enjoy!

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Thanks for all the great links. I talked to the person that gave me the boat and he says that it ran but the carb was all gummed up?! So i guess first thing I'll buy a battery and test out the motor. If I get good compression and such should I just have the carb rebuilt? The engine doesn't leak and fluids. There is no oil any where on the outside of the engine. The prop spins freely but I'm not sure if that means anything good or bad.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Hopefully the prop spins freely because the motor is in neutral.

Something you should do to the motor now is drain the lower unit lube and examine it, if it's milky colored it means water has gotten in it and you need a new seal. If it's dark it means it's just used and needed changing, if it's clearish green it is new lube. Check the bottom screw for and the fluid for metal shavings too.

You'll also want to change the impeller (water pump) on that motor before taking the boat out, it's not that hard of a job and there's a lot of videos on youtube that'll show you how to do it.

You can have the carb rebuilt when you take the motor off to work on the boat.

 

[SwFL]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Ya I found a post on here that detailed how to check out the motor and prepping it to run. It has all those things you just described. This forum is awesome. I'm coming up to the weekend so I'll see what I can get done.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1985 bay liner Capri bow rider w/ force 50 hp

Take plenty of pics for your own documentation and to post here for us to look at... we love the boat porn!!!