1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

[halvi76]

Hello to all, I am new to this site as well as my first boat re-decking. I have a 17ft Landau scout from 1991 and due to the seat posts were starting to pull out of the floor. I am now in the process of bedecking my boat and after taking off most of the deck, I think the foam they put under the deck is full of water... will this dry out? How long would it take to dry out? Can I do something to speed op the process? Does it need to be cut out and replaced?

I have removed all the carpeting, scraped off most of the glue and removed all but the back sheet of plywood (having a hard time moving it at all).

Since the foam they poured under the plywood is saturated with water, I have been told it could possibly dry out in 50 - 75 yrs. But I don't think I have that long so I'll need to replace.

I would also like to move the livewell back 15 inches, run some sort of PVC under decking for wires to trolling motor, anchor-mate etc. etc.

So some of my other questions I now have are:
Will any of this compromise the boats structure?
1/2 inch plywood is what I pulled up, can I replace it with 3/4?
Since the bottom inch of the foam is full of water, There doesn't seam to be a way for any water getting under the deck to get to the back where it can be pumped or scooped out? Is there some reason for this or is it a bad design? What can I do to fix this issue?

Here are some pictures of the process thus far, I'll have more questions about rewiring also... thanks... P.S. some have talked about talking to moderator??? who, and how??

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

Sorry but...The foam will not dry out. It will need to be removed and replace. Ask a Moderator to move your thread to the Restoration Forum and you'll get Lots of help there!!!!

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

You probably have much more weight than you think if the foam is "full of water". In a dry warm environment it would probably dry in 50 - 75 years ~~ maybe. Bite the bullet and take out the wet stuff. Then head to "Restoration" for the advice on the proper amount of the proper product for your boat application. All foam is NOT alike.

 

[mercurymang]

1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

There are those who know more than I do but I would guess that, as was the case with mine, that the manufacturer and/or previous owners had put screws into the deck for securing different things. Over time, water gets in, and rots them out, allowing more water to get in. I am in the process of re-building mine and have been going over this very subject in my head. It seems that if you completely seal the deck, you should not get any water under there unless you breach your hull. Now if you decide to screw something to your deck, and it is not sealed properly (silicon doesn't cut it) it was allow water in down there and the vicious cycle will begin again.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: help replacing deck & foam

Re: help replacing deck & foam

Water has a way of finding it's way below decks. Left uncovered, covered w/ a leaking or poorly fitting cover, stored improperly (not bow up, covered w/ the drain plug out).

It's a 1991 boat, correct? At 25yrs+/- it's likely at the end of it's intended service life, possibly past (or even well past) it's planned service life. That doesn't mean it's not 'worth' fixing, it's just that the manufacturer didn't build it as a 50+yr service life, boat.

The boat's design, water below decks & it's effect on foam aren't necessarily the problem, IMO. Not taking proper care of & proper storage of the boat is the problem. If you live in the northern climates that use a LOT of salt in the winter and you don't wash & inspect your car & it's undercarriage often, is it the car's design, it's manufacturer, salt, winter or YOU at 'fault' when the fenders rust thru or the rusty frame cracks? Does the age of your car make problems more or less likely? And as it ages don't the needs for diligent care & inspections become even more important?

I would rebuild it similarly to how it was built originally: bed, fillet, tab & glass the stringers in place, coat the underside of the deck w/ resin & a layer of CSM (that will help), use pour in foam (it'll add stiffness to the hull & deck as well as sound deadening), coat the topside of the deck w/ resin & 2 layers of CSM (minimum) after tabbing it to the hull, and cover the csm w/ gelcoat &/or the deck coating of your choice, there are lots of good choices.

Don't neglect the transom, it will likely be in similar shape to the deck & stringers.

BTW: You can ask a moderator to combine the 3 deck help threads into 1, here in the resto forum. Keep it all together & easy for you to reference later. Easier for us as well, and anyone who follows us that may us your thread for reference..........

Post up some pix of what your working on, I have no idea what a 1991 Landau Scout looks like...

 

[old islander]

Re: help replacing deck & foam

Re: help replacing deck & foam

If you want a boat with a 50plus year service life, get an old StarCraft tinny.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

Well, My Blue Flamingo's a "Glasser" and She's 53 years young and only had a Paint job!!!! All Depends on how you Maintain em!!!!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

All Depends on how you Maintain em!!!!

Yep ^^ my point.....

 

[redneck joe]

Re: help replacing deck & foam

Re: help replacing deck & foam

If you want a boat with a 50plus year service life, get an old StarCraft tinny.

Have you checked out any of the tinny restoration threads???

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

welcome aboard.

starting with one thing then ending up laying a new keel is called ship-fitter disease.

starts with a loose cleat. holes wont hold the screws. changed the gunwale wood, now noticed a few loose board. fixed that, noted a bit of rot. undecked the hull, noted the oil leak, pulled the motor and drive, noted a bit of grime in the bilge...noted a crack in the stringer, re-build the whole structure, noted spider-webbing in the hull, laid a new keel.......


that is why this site exists and we are here. we all have it.

 

[laurentide]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

I think his boat is aluminum? That company makes pontoons...that's all I got.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

Carp ^^^ your right, aluminum......... My comments about foam stand. It's not the foam that's the problem. It's lack of proper care & maintenance.

1991 Landau Boats 16 Scout

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: started out fixing seat....

Re: started out fixing seat....

Nothing to it, rip the deck out, redesign anyway that you want, and lay it back in place.

You can go to 3/4" ply if you want, though if you do it properly 5/8" will suffice.

go to Fiberglass , Epoxy , Composites, Carbon Fiber - U.S. Composites, Inc. and or the 4:1 3 gallon epoxy resin kit, and the pour in foam kit and it will set you up nice.

Or save some coin, add some drainage under the deck and use the Pink or Blue closed cell insulation foam from Lowes or Home Depot.

Running Conduit under the deck should not compromise the structure of a Tin Boat at all.

Honestly in my opinion when pour in foam is used there should be drainage channels involved, I count it as a bad manufacturer design.

The upside to pour in foam is that it is the best in an emeregency the downside, There is no way for water to drain out in standard useage.

You may also want to leak test the boat as well, the foam is getting wet from somewhere especially if it is the bottom inch, and you are storing it properly.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

Alrighty, there seems to have been some housekeeping & loss of replies when the threads were combined and moved over to the resto forum. Lets start over

Now that you've started to tear into the demo portion of this project, I don't think the 2 or 3 threads about seats & pedestals is entirely necessary info, but when the time comes to redeck this boat, you can double up the plywood thickness under the pedestals to help w/ securing them down. There are several other ways too, but for now, lets get this rig cleaned out & cleaned up so we can see what you're working w/.

If you change from 1/2" decking to 3/4" it will add minimal weight, but anything that was ON the deck & fastened to the hull (consoles) will need to be shortened to reuse the thru hull holes. Or plug those holes & drill new ones. Up to you. 5/8" is a nice compromise, but may require some console or hull modifications to fit too. Often material availablity is a deciding factor in which decking you choose. I REALLY like working w/ MDO, but couldn't get 5/8". As my preferred material choice, I bought 1/2" instead.

You can use any good quality exterior grade plywood for your rebuild. Just make sure to seal it well before covering it up. Auraco, MDO, ACX and marine grade are all widely used @iboat's resto's, fiberglass & tin boats alike. It HAS to be exterior grade though, IMO.

IMO, the foam isn't the problem. It's poor storage (NOT kept bow up, boat covered, & drain plug out) and lack of proper maintenance. I did a comparison about winter, salt & damage to your car, but suffice to say: IMO its us not our boats or their construction at fault when a deck rots & foam becomes water logged.

Jig-n-grub will be along shortly to show what the foam in a well designed & well cared for boat looks like: Dry & doing what it's supposed to be doing: Flotation, sound deadening, deck & hull support & etc....

You asked about changing the layout, and that's certainly an option, but be aware that as you move stuff around in the boat, particularly stuff that's heavy (battery's, fuel, full live wells) and filled w/ liquids (fuel, live wells) it can change how your boat handles before & after getting up on plane. So don't move too much weight fore, aft, starboard or port w/out considering how it will effect the weight balance in either direction.

Looks to be fairly well built & in fairly good shape:

Keep the plywood you remove, it's at least a good template for new wood, even if you change the interior layout. It doesn't look like the factory waterproofed the plywood in anyway.

On an aluminum boat, you can seal both sides of the plywood twice w/ epoxy (US Comp 635 Thin is a good choice), do the edges w/ EVERY coat (they'll get 4 total coats). Many use spar varnish as well, 3 coats/side & 6@edges. Either way it's more then the factory did originally Having all those air voids below deck (above the foam, below the deck plywood) possibly allowed condensation to form in those areas, speeding the waterlogging of the foam & deck rot along.

In an aluminum boat you can also use sheet foam (closed cell, pink/blue from HD & Lowes). It has been widely used in the Starcraft rebuilds here @iboats as well as several other maker's tin boats. Patrick did a great job LOADING his below deck structure up w/ LOTS of rigid foam:
1988 Sea Nymph GLS - 17'

Good luck w/ your project, and welcome to iboats, in a weird, sorry we lost your threads~posts~replies kinda way :facepalm:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

Re: re-decking landau scout - 91

Iboats spec page: Landau_Boats__16_Scout__1991

 

[Fun Times]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

Alrighty, there seems to have been some housekeeping & loss of replies when the threads were combined and moved over to the resto forum. Lets start over
Good luck w/ your project, and welcome to iboats, in a weird, sorry we lost your threads~posts~replies kinda way :facepalm:

Thanks again jb for your help!

I did happen to stumble upon the lost posts today. Last night when I went to merge the threads and posts all together from different forum sections, all the members that had replied here in the restoration section seemed to have disappeared but not the ones from boat topics. When I opened up my laptop computer today, I then found the other post in another open forum page that I did not see last night. I was then able to merge the other replies back into this thread. Hope this helps clear up any confusion of why jb's last post was apologizing and starting over on my behalf. One of the merging buttons is inoperable at the moment thus making things a little more difficult to work with. We had to find a work around for merging post. Still getting the hang of the work around.:faint2:

Thanks everyone for all that you do here on iboats. The time and effort you provide here to help others is so greatly appreciated by all.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

Thank you for all you & the mod's do @here too Fun

 

[halvi76]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

Hi guys, Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while but due to work and all this cold weather it's been put on hold. I am going to be getting the pour foam and remember seeing an equation for figuring out how much I will need, I've looked around and nothing so I hope someone can point me in the right direction. Thanks Bob H.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

If your using the foam under the deck, I would go with 4#/cu ft density. that being stated, using simple math (length x width x thickness) figure how many cubic feet of foam you need. then buy the foam for that volume.

 

[halvi76]

Re: 1991 Landau Scout 16ft rehab/resto/repair/refurbish/project.

That sound to easy, the bottom of the boat is curved and would be using much less on the outside of the boat than in the middle...but that's why I asked the question. This would be the right way to come up with an amount of foam to order? (I'm using the pour, two-part foam)