Hi guys, I am hoping to get some advice regarding a possible restoration on a 1994 Pro-Line 231 WA w/5.7 Merc Bravo 1. The boat has always been trailered and stored indoors with less than 700 hours on the engine. I have two primary concerns; the boat seems heavy to me and the deck has a soft spot next to the engine hatch.
I am worried that the boat is heavy based on the fact that the thru-hulls for the deck drains are just below the water level when nobody is aboard and carrying full fuel. I have talked with numerous people regarding this situation and have received conflicting answers, some say that the I/O version of this boat always sat that way and others have told me that it is definitely wet foam. FWIW the boat achieves the factory specs for WOT and time to plane. I will be weighing the boat as soon as I get a chance but thinking ahead I am just trying to get an idea for how a restoration goes on a walkaround. Also, from what I have been told, the stringer system in this boat is 8?-12? wide. I have done a lot of reading about re-doing stringers that are essentially plywood but have not seen anything that is really wide like this so I am curious if anyone has any advice regarding this type of system?
I also have to deal with a soft spot in the deck on the port side next to the engine hatch and am wondering what the best way to take care of it is? Never had a problem until a large friend (350+) stepped down on it last summer, you could hear the cracking noise when he got in. This particular spot is suspended above the motor mounts, there is nothing underneath. There is about a foot of deck running fore and aft that is suspended between the engine (unsupported on the engine side) and stringers. Also, I can see that the soft spot is on a seam in the plywood decking. The rest of the deck feels solid, I literally jumped up and down (I am 275) all over it without feeling any type of give. So my question is, if the scale shows no significant extra weight is there a professional looking way of doing a spot repair on the deck?
I apologize for the long winded introductory post, just trying to prevent a 20 page job if possible. Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Jeremy
I am worried that the boat is heavy based on the fact that the thru-hulls for the deck drains are just below the water level when nobody is aboard and carrying full fuel. I have talked with numerous people regarding this situation and have received conflicting answers, some say that the I/O version of this boat always sat that way and others have told me that it is definitely wet foam. FWIW the boat achieves the factory specs for WOT and time to plane. I will be weighing the boat as soon as I get a chance but thinking ahead I am just trying to get an idea for how a restoration goes on a walkaround. Also, from what I have been told, the stringer system in this boat is 8?-12? wide. I have done a lot of reading about re-doing stringers that are essentially plywood but have not seen anything that is really wide like this so I am curious if anyone has any advice regarding this type of system?
I also have to deal with a soft spot in the deck on the port side next to the engine hatch and am wondering what the best way to take care of it is? Never had a problem until a large friend (350+) stepped down on it last summer, you could hear the cracking noise when he got in. This particular spot is suspended above the motor mounts, there is nothing underneath. There is about a foot of deck running fore and aft that is suspended between the engine (unsupported on the engine side) and stringers. Also, I can see that the soft spot is on a seam in the plywood decking. The rest of the deck feels solid, I literally jumped up and down (I am 275) all over it without feeling any type of give. So my question is, if the scale shows no significant extra weight is there a professional looking way of doing a spot repair on the deck?
I apologize for the long winded introductory post, just trying to prevent a 20 page job if possible. Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Jeremy
