Despite good advice to the contrary, I didn't wait for the perfect boat to come along and nabbed a 78 Holiday from a guy who had stalled out on renovating it several years ago. It's been sitting, lonely and unused, and I just couldn't handle it. So I got it for a dime, with a decent EZ Loader trailer and quite a few new parts he hadn't got around to installing. In all honesty, I might regret not getting a Super Sport, but I need the winter distraction more than I need a perfect boat. Idle hands don't suit me.
The PO had essentially installed a new transom and gone over the splashwell, welded in a new knee brace, and replaced all the deck plywood from the console back. I hope to leave the transom as it is; it looks well done although I may discover otherwise once I get into the thick of it. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he treated the deck plywood with anything, so I pulled that out along with all the foam.
Floors, all vinyl, and those damn side skirts are now pulled along with the original consoles. I also pulled the windshield; the bolts were rusted to heck, but an oscillating multi-tool made short work of that. As sacrilegious as it is, I plan on converting to open bow. My short-term laundry list:
Get the entire thing soda-blasted.
Leak test and replace rivets as needed.
Cut the bow piece to the front cross-beam.
Paint it? Really struggling with this one. I want fancy...might do an upper wrap with cosmetic diamond plate trim pieces on the front bow and gunnel.
MDO deck with Minwax Helmsman urethane spar varnish, cover with nautilex.
Fabricate bow seats and new consoles
replace under-deck gas tank with a new plastic one.
I've got a few questions I can't track down firm answers to. Do the side skirts provide any real structural purpose? Do I need to remove the splashwell?
Thanks for all the great posts here. I wouldn't have started this without this forum!!
The PO had essentially installed a new transom and gone over the splashwell, welded in a new knee brace, and replaced all the deck plywood from the console back. I hope to leave the transom as it is; it looks well done although I may discover otherwise once I get into the thick of it. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he treated the deck plywood with anything, so I pulled that out along with all the foam.
Floors, all vinyl, and those damn side skirts are now pulled along with the original consoles. I also pulled the windshield; the bolts were rusted to heck, but an oscillating multi-tool made short work of that. As sacrilegious as it is, I plan on converting to open bow. My short-term laundry list:
Get the entire thing soda-blasted.
Leak test and replace rivets as needed.
Cut the bow piece to the front cross-beam.
Paint it? Really struggling with this one. I want fancy...might do an upper wrap with cosmetic diamond plate trim pieces on the front bow and gunnel.
MDO deck with Minwax Helmsman urethane spar varnish, cover with nautilex.
Fabricate bow seats and new consoles
replace under-deck gas tank with a new plastic one.
I've got a few questions I can't track down firm answers to. Do the side skirts provide any real structural purpose? Do I need to remove the splashwell?
Thanks for all the great posts here. I wouldn't have started this without this forum!!
