Fiberform sportsman 21ft restomod worth it?

[Kauaiboy206]

I have the opportunity to pick this one up for $650. According to owner it needs transom rebuild, and may have a running 470 merc. My question is, if I'm going to tear up the transom, would it be a good idea to convert this to a outboard instead? I'm a carpenter by trade so shouldn't be difficult to rebuild the transom; and if I'm doing all that work, would it a possible to build a extended transom to hold an outboard? I wouldn't know anything about geometry of the boat and what it would to it, if I were to create an offshore bracket out of wood and glass. I know I can purchase aluminum brackets that are lighter in weight but I can save tons of money as I have access to marine grade plywood easily and cheap.

 

[Scott Danforth]

very few DIY conversions actually work out. there have been many over the years, only one or two actually finished and had favorable outcome

if the transom is gone, so are the stringers and bulkheads. so either way, your looking at a full gut job to restore the hull. then after that, if you want to build an outboard pod, have at it.

your looking at a few grand for the hull restoration, about another $800 for the hull pod (materials only, not including your many hours of labor)

only you can determine the path you want to go down and if it is worth it to you.

 

[Kauaiboy206]

very few DIY conversions actually work out. there have been many over the years, only one or two actually finished and had favorable outcome

if the transom is gone, so are the stringers and bulkheads. so either way, your looking at a full gut job to restore the hull. then after that, if you want to build an outboard pod, have at it.

your looking at a few grand for the hull restoration, about another $800 for the hull pod (materials only, not including your many hours of labor)

only you can determine the path you want to go down and if it is worth it to you.

Time and material isnt really an issue if I'm gonna tackle the job; not in a rush to get it going anytime soon. I'm just not sure how the boat will react if added an extended offshore bracket and not have the proper design or angle etc. The pictures I received a few weeks ago showed only dry rot on the top sections of the transom and everything is dry 3/4 of the way down, so stringers should be good and there are no soft spots on the deck areas either.

 

[Kauaiboy206]

I guess I'm thinking something like these with a platform.

 

[GA_Boater]

Wonder when the motor fell off The Rooster? That is not a well designed or well supported add-on pod.

 

[Kauaiboy206]

Wonder when the motor fell off The Rooster? That is not a well designed or well supported add-on pod.

Is it better off fixing the transom then adding a pre-fabbed bracket in my case?

 

[GA_Boater]

Why don't you find out if the 470 is a runner first? Then consider buying the boat.

But in most cases and we've seen plenty of examples in the forum, the stringers rot first and the transom last. So I wouldn't put money on having good guts under the deck.

I hope you aren't planning on buying based on a few pics!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Is it better off fixing the transom then adding a pre-fabbed bracket in my case?

you have to fix the transom and the stringers first.

transoms rot from the bottom up, so if there is rot up high, then the bottom has long since rotted.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Wonder when the motor fell off The Rooster? That is not a well designed or well supported add-on pod.

agreed, no where near enough structure.

 

[Kauaiboy206]

Why don't you find out if the 470 is a runner first? Then consider buying the boat.

But in most cases and we've seen plenty of examples in the forum, the stringers rot first and the transom last. So I wouldn't put money on having good guts under the deck.

I hope you aren't planning on buying based on a few pics!

Id rather put money on an outboard set up vs reviving the 470. I'm just very interested in the hull design and what ill be using it for.

 

[garbageguy]

Physical things, like boats, are designed based, in part, on the forces that will be involved under a set of design-conditions, based on physics. Once you start changing the conditions the forces (both driving and resisting) change. The laws of physics don't change. If you do this, I would suggest you make sure all forces are understood, and resolved.

 

[Kauaiboy206]

Found the same boat with a good running volvo 5.0 GL, anyone familiar with these motors? Reliability and parts readily available? Any common issues to be worried about these type of engine.