Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration
Yep, your `88 and my `85 hull came out of the same molds, quite possibly the same mold. It is indeed interesting to learn about the difference in the stringer system over the course of a few years. Mine were made of spruce. No floatation foam was used in my hull, with the exception of the small amount used around the top corners of the fuel tank. My deck was secured to the stringers with mild steel nails. The deck had a single layer of CSM on portions of it, but several portions had no mat.
I too cannot complain, my dad sold the boat to me for a dollar and I'm perfectly fine with dealing with the itch while restoring her. There are very few new boats on the market that are comparable to ours (exception being the Stingray 225SX - such a gorgeous boat) and when I looked at what I could get used in good working order for the money I'm projecting to put into this project, I primarily found entry-level, 18' bow-riders.
Unfortunately, I got very little done on the project today. I needed to buy some tools to move forward (one of the great benefits of this project), but my wife had a very long practice this morning and we share one car (truck). It was about 3pm when she got home and I could head out to make my rounds to Harbor Freight, Home Depot, and Advance Auto to get what I needed, and by the time I got home there wasn't much daylight left. It didn't help that I spent 10 minutes shopping at Harbor Freight and 30 minutes waiting in line to check out...
If it sounds like I'm complaining, I apologize, that is not my intention, I'm very much enjoying this project and will love getting to enjoy this boat for another 25+ years.