Well I've been lurking a couple of different boat restoration sites for awhile now and I think I'm ready to take on my first project (hopefully with lots of direction provided by all of you fine folks). The hull I'm working with is an oldie (tidecraft?) that my father bought when he was younger and served us well as a duck hunting/fishing boat when I was younger. It's been sitting for around 12 years in our backyard and to say it needed some tlc would be an understatement. I'll just go ahead and get to the pictures.
After dragging it out from under a cedar tree that had been slowly eating it for the past 12 years (and my father)
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Cleared most everything out and what not. What is the best course of action for removing a fiberglassed in hull cap?
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Took it off of the trailer and rested it on an old headache rack to get a better look at the trailer and hull. When it was in use we had an old heavy outboard on it, so to beef up the transom my father welded this support structure for it.
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...the inside of the transom is pretty brutal, when you press on it it makes an audible crackeling sound/flexes
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Stringer glass/old floor lip that my dad used to put a new floor in it years ago.
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Picture of the hull
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To be honest I have never worked with fiberglass or anything marine oriented. My father was a contractor for many years and we know how to fix just about anything but I'm kind of starting from scratch on this one. Right now, I'd just like to put a new floor in it and try to get out on the water. Eventually I'd like to put raised front and back decks in it and turn her into something that resembles a flats skiff. Any and all help/advice is greatly appreciated.
After dragging it out from under a cedar tree that had been slowly eating it for the past 12 years (and my father)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Cleared most everything out and what not. What is the best course of action for removing a fiberglassed in hull cap?
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Took it off of the trailer and rested it on an old headache rack to get a better look at the trailer and hull. When it was in use we had an old heavy outboard on it, so to beef up the transom my father welded this support structure for it.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
...the inside of the transom is pretty brutal, when you press on it it makes an audible crackeling sound/flexes
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Stringer glass/old floor lip that my dad used to put a new floor in it years ago.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Picture of the hull
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
To be honest I have never worked with fiberglass or anything marine oriented. My father was a contractor for many years and we know how to fix just about anything but I'm kind of starting from scratch on this one. Right now, I'd just like to put a new floor in it and try to get out on the water. Eventually I'd like to put raised front and back decks in it and turn her into something that resembles a flats skiff. Any and all help/advice is greatly appreciated.