I found my family’s boat from my childhood!! I need help!

[Kjvxr]

This is a long story but I will try and keep it short. This is as well my first post on this website. My father passed away in 1996, my mother had no option other than to sell our family boat at the time. The boat was sold to somebody that lived in Massachusetts and that is all I ever knew or my mother ever knew. For the last seven years I have lived in South Florida. I returned to Connecticut and a job in Connecticut in June 2017. In November 2017 I was driving my company truck through Leeds Massachusetts, when I saw this boat barely covered by a tarp parked in the woods. As soon as I saw the winch on the front of the trailer I knew that I had found my father’s boat. I am mediately start my truck and ran to the front door so that I could go look at the boat. No one was home so I left a note on the front patio explaining the situation. Before I left I made sure to walk over to the boat and check it out confirming that it was indeed the boat that we sold 21 years ago. That night the gentleman called me who owned the boat, he is actually the second owner of the boat and remembers buying it from my mother in 1997. He agreed that I could come up the following weekend and take a look at the boat. That weekend my girlfriend and I drove up took a look at the boat and asked him what his plans were with it. It has been sitting for six years I’m covered and he was about to have it put in the trash dump. Before that trip I had to come up with a dollar amount in my head that I would be willing to pay for this boat if it was restorable. After getting inside of it you can see the disaster that it was from being uncovered all those years.Since we have no plans for the boat and remembered me and my mom from his purchase he agreed to give it to me for restoration. Since it was too cold outside at that time I cover the boat and tried not to think about it until spring. I probably only have maybe 10 hours of cleaning into it so far but the transformation is crazy. All of the fiberglass is good except for the fuel tank cover in the center floor which I will deal with it at a later date. I will keep posting pictures as I move along on the restoration. My goal is to have this boat on the water by late July early August.

 

[Woodonglass]

I hate to rain on your parade but...your boat will need a LOT of work. I'm certain the substructure, (Stringers, bulkheads, Motor mounts, transom will ALL need to be torn out and replaced due to rot. Boats of this vintage always do. If the motor was not winterized properly and sat all these years, she could need MAJOR repairs. Outdrive Too!!! You should be budgeting a Minimum of 3K and could be double that. Minimum of 300 hrs of tedious ITCHY work.

 

[Redtruck12]

Wow ! What a sentimental gem to be found after all those years.
from the description and pictures you posted it will likely be a long road to being seaworthy again.
hope you can think fond memories of your dad and the times you spent together.
unless you are very hand /experienced and working on it full time with a strong budget $$$ I would say that it may be July or August but not likely July/August 2018
Again congratulations on the find.
Great guys on here will surely help you along the way
good luck

 

[Sea18Horse]

Wood on glass wrote:

I hate to rain on your parade but...your boat will need a LOT of work. I'm certain the substructure, (Stringers, bulkheads, Motor mounts, transom will ALL need to be torn out and replaced due to rot. Boats of this vintage always do. If the motor was not winterized properly and sat all these years, she could need MAJOR repairs. Outdrive Too!!! You should be budgeting a Minimum of 3K and could be double that. Minimum of 300 hrs of tedious ITCHY work.

That's the bad news. And I agree 100%.

The good news is #1 you've found exactly the right place for a project like this. It's what the folks around here EXCEL at. And #2 you have a very strong emotional connection with this boat and project. That's a huge plus when the chips are down.

I think you need to take some core samples of the transom and stringers. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

On a side note I have that very winch in my basement. Its a PowerWinch by The Scott & Fetzer Co Shelton Connecticut right? Mine snaps onto the tongue of my drift boat trailer for winching the boat up unimproved ramps.

Epic story! Mind if I tag along?

Cheers...........................Todd

 

[fishrdan]

Great story and lucky find! (That said, there is no such thing as a free boat. LOL!)

I'd be concerned about the engine being stored without being winterized (freeze damage, cracked block and manifolds), and seeing all the mulch by the doghouse - rotted decks, stringers and/or transom.

Best thing to do is inspect everything before attempting repairs, so you know where you're starting from. Check for soft decks, and test the stringers and transom for rot. Drain the engine oil and drive lube to see if there is any water present. Also check the drive lube for metal. Then, get the engine running and check to make sure the drive is working.

FWIW, if the boat is a basket case with rotten deck/stringers/transom and a bad engine/drive, it will cost much more to rebuild than you can buy a similar running boat. Though, I do see the want to get dad's boat back to it's glory days...

How much of the work can you handle, and are you going to pay to have the boat worked on. Fiberglass and engine/drive work can get expensive really fast. B.O.A.T = Break Out Another Thousand

 

[Sea18Horse]

And yep! Free boats ARE the very most expensive. And I know of which i speak!

Cheers........................Todd

 

[mickyryan]

the boat stringers from what i saw looked hopeful, is it a self bailing hull? you might have gotten lucky if the stringers never saw water but those leaves might have made that impossible.

 

[tpenfield]

As the other have said . . . a lot of work, but if you are up for it, why not?

Did the previous owner give you the paperwork (signed over the title) for the boat? If not, better go back and get it.

 

[Allen2018]

It looks easy until you tear into it. However long you think it'll take triple it as well as the cost... Anything for a boat will be lots of money. I just went through it with my boat. But it is very well worth it, trust me. If you have the time to put into it and are somewhat handy you can do it. I've never touched fiberglass until I got my boat and somehow learned how to glass during my rebuild. Watch lots of videos on youtube and read lots on here. You should have no issues bringing this back to its glory days!

 

[Fcdave]

Congrats on the find! Clean it all out.....check for rot....assess the IO and other systems, electrical, trailer, etc.... and make a list of all the work required and each cost ...... it could be a huge ticket in both time and costs....so be prepared for the worst......But you have the motivation of bringing back your Dad's boat after long lost. ....and that is the best kind !!! Many of us here have been thru this process several times and are here to help ! Good luck !

 

[Kjvxr]

Thank you for the advice and I can’t wait for more of it. I did have a boat survey done with a local Boat tech. The amazing news is that there is zero moisture in the hall and zero rot. Other than mold and mildew it’s good. These pictures are after about six hours of cleaning and removing the interior seats and Upholstery . I plan to have this boat water ready minus the cuddy cabin by first week of August. The motor and outdrive was fully winterized and serviced prior to its parking six years ago. Of course it will all be pulled apart in the next week or so and fully tuned up. This week I am doing all the hoses and oil’s as well as starter, starter solenoid, alternator, belts, plugs wires and distributor. Once that is done I will be running new battery leads and installing new batteries. The piece of plywood in the floor is covering the fuel tank which will also be coming out and I have a new cover being fiberglassed now.

 

[71beepbeep]

Man, that cleaned up really nice.

 

[jbuote]

I did have a boat survey done with a local Boat tech. The amazing news is that there is zero moisture in the hall and zero rot.

WOW!!!
A paid surveyor, trained to look for structure and rot issues, didn't find any???

MAN you got LUCKY!!

That's awesome! Congrats!!
She really does clean up nice for sure! Beautiful find you have there, and I think it's an incredible story having found the boat your family had.. Amazing!

Sure is a keeper!!

My best to you with it!!
:thumb:

 

[Redtruck12]

Wow great news.
hard to believe that's the same boat in the original pictures!
best of luck.
hope you keep us updated
great story

 

[Fcdave]

Amazing ! That cleaned up better than my Starcraft and mine was in a covered barn! That boat has a great fiberglass liner & deck to come out that nice.....I suspect the boats cover protected it for the better part of those 6 yrs sitting in the woods!.....and thats a decent $3k+ trailer too! Make sure you fog and oil the engine before cranking it over....6 yrs sitting is a long time in the northeast....you don't want to scar the cylinders.

 

[mickyryan]

if it is reading odd compression after starting you can always try the bon ami trick that boat looks great, glad you dont have to do a total rehab but my conscience tells me if it was mine i woulda tore it down anyways just for piece of mind and the torture that is grinding . my stringers after i cut them were only wet a 1/8th inch up off floor but that was enough for me to find with drill and that was the end of those plus i was redoing tank anyways. check fuel lines they would have to be almost critical condition atm , dont chance it at least replace them .

 

[Kjvxr]

Does anybody have any suggestions on the procedure to check the fuel tank out?

 

[Fcdave]

Is it aluminum tank or poly? Did past owner cut that plywood covered opening cause there was an issue with tank? Alum tanks after 20 yrs can develop pin holes in bottom of tank. Is there much fuel in tank now? Any gas in it would be degraded after sitting for years....and should be removed, as well as all fuel lines and filters. You should be able to access float assembly on top of tank to inspect and clean tank.....but remember gas fumes are explosive....area must be well vented, no electrical motor running, and maintain grounding...as any spark could be disasterous.

I have used the float hole for access to clean a tank with length of hose...cap off oulets/vent...jacked trailer a little to send all fuel to back of tank....pushed hose all the way to the back of the tank, and sucked the tank dry with hand pump and then absorbing towels taped to end of hose. After that, I put a whole bunch of HEET in the tank and sucked it out again. After evething was cleaned and fully vented, i pressurised tank thru vent line to 5 psi, held for 15 mins with gauge and then again to 5psi, to determine that tank was not compromised. If you don't know what you are doing....or not comfortable....get a professional to clean & pressure check tank....!!!

 

[tpenfield]

that boat cleaned up real nice. What do things look like below deck? How is the fuel tank? If it is aluminum and had been sitting in wetness, it could be a problem. Best to get things sorted out now.

 

[Kjvxr]

The fuel tank is actually biggest question right now. Are the fuel tanks in a boat baffled or are they just wide open in the tank? I have to take the tank out anyway I may just replace it. This is what below deck looks like prior to me removing all of the carpet and headliner. The sink countertop refrigerator and the toilet wood is all still 100%. I will get new pictures shortly. Three color cushion is for the top of the engine compartment. And the white cushion is for the V birth. I spent about 10 minutes cleaning them with spray nine the other night.If only the chairs on the deck where preserved this well it would be amazing. LOL