'94 Tyee Floor Rebuild

[krappduster]

I have a 1994 Lund Tyee 1750 with a soft spot in the floor toward the back of the boat. I'm fairly handy with carpentry and such, but certainly dont consider myself a prolific restoration expert. I'd like to not only fix the soft spot, but install new flooring in the entire boat and possibly replace the vinyl on the consoles as they are fading and cracking. The internal debate is whether I should tackle this job myself or if I should pony up and pay someone who is going to do it faster and better.

In looking over the boat last night, the question I have is whether the consoles need to be completely removed in order to replace the floor, or can it be worked around? Second: do I need to remove the consoles in order to recover them? Any experience or lessons learned from doing a similar job on a Lund would be appreciated. Thanks!

(I can get some pictures later today, if that's helpful. But I'd assume many of you will know what the inside of a Tyee looks like).

 

[hvymtl939]

Get us some pictures. Typically when the floor is going soft, what's underneath is often far worse. Good luck with your project.

 

[redneck joe]

welcome to the forum. I'm not a Lund expert, many others are but if just a aluminum boat it aint that hard. May take some time and a couple buck but you should be able to be on the water for mid to late spring fishing. If you are up north, I bet many people are hitting up the boat yards to get their boat ready so hiring out may be mid-summer. Just a guess.

 

[jasoutside]

Hello and welcome duster!

If you've found a soft spot in your deck, unfortunately, that's usually the tip of the iceberg. If the highest point is wet (your deck) then all too often most everything underneath is also wet (pour in expanding foam). Further, it's usually the case that your transom is getting wet too. Most guys will tear it all out, replace the pour in foam with something that actually drains properly (pink/blue foam board, pool noodles, other weird stuff, even styro is way better). Then, install a new deck and transom all sealed up.

Yup, it's sort of a big job, windshield comes off, consoles come out, all that business... But, in the end, it's done well, it's done right, and ready for another 50 thousand miles!

 

[krappduster]

The floor is soft in only one location, the far back left corner in front of the battery box, so I've got my fingers cross that it's not all doom and gloom. I did speak with a shop in Bismarck that does outboard work all summer and boat rebuilds all winter. They're finishing with rebuilds in 2 weeks but says he can fit me in and could have it completed within a week! He estimates that a total floor replacement would be in the neighborhood of $2k. That's a lot of money for a job I can likely do myself, but I've also got a job, a wife, and a baby at home. So I might very well be sitting here with a stripped boat in 2 months while everyone is hammering walleyes!

 

[jasoutside]

but I've also got a job, a wife, and a baby at home. So I might very well be sitting here with a stripped boat in 2 months while everyone is hammering walleyes!

Yah, I hear that!

So I wonder what all is included in the total $2k replacement job?

 

[krappduster]

So I wonder what all is included in the total $2k replacement job?

Just got off the phone with them about that very topic. That estimate includes completely gutting the boat, removing the entire floor, all new marine plywood with heavy duty vinyl covering, and re-installation. He said if the foam is bad, it would be about $300 for a new flotation kit, but the added labor would be minimal since the old floor is completely coming out anyway. This shop is highly recommended and they've been doing this for a lot of years; they also replaced a lower unit for this same boat a year ago at a fraction of the cost of their regional competition over in Fargo. So I do trust them.

 

[jasoutside]

How about sealing up the wood, any mention of how they would do that?

 

[krappduster]

I guess I didn't ask that, specifically...

 

[jbcurt00]

I suspect it wouldn't include sealing marine ply. Thats time and money they likely don't have built into a 2K job.

If you look thru the Starcraft rehabs, most (nearly all?) seal the plywood because while the boat is gutted, there will never be a better time. For less then half, you could do all the work yourself plus seal the plywood, but then it's a big time commitment to gut and rebuild it DIY. Have to decide if having someone else tear it apart and put it back together (correctly?) is worth the $2300 vs $1300 DIY.

Depending on what a Foam Kit entails, $300 extra may or may not be a reasonable price. IMO,if they take the deck (floor) out, replace the foam. If you decide to have it replaced, make sure it is, you need to see bare hull pix or in person.

Don't recall ever seeing a Tyee rehab completely torn down, a quick search yielded a couple Tyee topics, but no tear downs, before the topic ended. Mostly cleanup and use and very few pix that might help your decision.

I think most here prefer the less expensive DIY approach, often just so they can ensure it's done correctly to suit them. Not very often w/ the tin boats, but w fiberglass boats, there are numerous topics about a 'reputable' shop doing less then satisfactory work. It happens, even to well known, extremely reputable shops.

This time of year, $2300 may seem like a lot, I don't think it's unreasonable, but if you want to use the repaired boat in 30days, then maybe it's a real deal. Wait 30 or 45days and ask for a quote w/ a quick turn around. It might be higher.

Good luck and welcome to iboats

 

[redneck joe]

what he said^^^^^ especially about seeing it torn down and new stuff going in.

 

[ezmobee]

Is this an aluminum boat? If so you can totally do this yourself. Fiberglass boats are also do-able but a TON of work and the fiberglassing materials are expensive.

The problem with having someone else do it is that I haven't seen anyone yet on here that's had structural work done that they were happy with. Always corners were cut like not sealing the woods, tabbing stringer, etc. I don't know if anyone has paid to have an aluminum boat deck redone though. There are less concerns about half-assedry on an aluminum but that also makes it easier to do yourself.

 

[ondarvr]

If all it is is a soft spot in the floor, then fixing it may not be all that important to get done right away, if the foam is soaked, it may be a little more important though.

​I'm not there to look at it, but if I didn't want to spend the money to have someone else do it, and I didn't have the time right now, I'd just leave it for next winter's project and start planning for it now.

 

[krappduster]

I was able to take out the carpet and flooring in the back of the boat right up to the consoles. The good news is that it only took about an hour. The better news is that the foam all looks perfectly fine. My plan, for now, is to continue the demo and see where it takes me.

 

[jbcurt00]

Take a 2ft pc of 2in PVC and cut saw teeth around 1 end and take core samples all the way down to the hull and wait... if no water collects in the core hole, but it back in.

If it collects water, it isnt dry, its just dry on the surface.

Sample a few areas...

Good luck and hope for the best. Plan for the worst

 

[jbcurt00]

Following Budski's refurb will be immensely helpful
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...-repair/10351635-1984-lund-tyee-5-3-refurbish

I forgot his latest project was a Lund Tyee, he's just to the pulling up carpet stage too. He does nothing but the best high quality work.

budski

 

[redneck joe]

Is this an aluminum boat? If so you can totally do this yourself. Fiberglass boats are also do-able but a TON of work and the fiberglassing materials are expensive.

The problem with having someone else do it is that I haven't seen anyone yet on here that's had structural work done that they were happy with. Always corners were cut like not sealing the woods, tabbing stringer, etc. I don't know if anyone has paid to have an aluminum boat deck redone though. There are less concerns about half-assedry on an aluminum but that also makes it easier to do yourself.

thanks for the new word.

 

[krappduster]

No Title

Here is a picture of the only soft spot in the deck. Everything else looked decent.

 

[redneck joe]

was there a seat there?

 

[krappduster]

was there a seat there?

Yes.