1970 21' restoration

[bocefish]

I just got a 1970 21' grady , i was a cuddy but the previous owner cut the cabin and made it a side console with the original section of the helm. my first question is how do i know which boat this is? MY secondquestion is this boat worth restoring? i have already removed the cap , motor and stern drive and the very rotten deck. The stringer are almost completly rotten in the rear half of the boatand the stern is rotten about halfway up the transom. I built boats for 5 years so can do the work myself but i want to know if this hull is worth putting the time and money in. I am going to change it to a center console, i already have the bracket and engine i got of another boat.

 

[richie rich]

It depends on what you mean by worth restoring.....its a vintage GW and is as good as any 71' boat in the same class, barring maybe a couple of brands...just becomes a personal choice on if you like it and if you're keeping it...forget making money on it....the cost will be the same if you're restoring any other boat in that class and year....rotted decks, stringers and transoms are standard fare....there are several guys on this forum who have done transoms and stringers and gas tanks etc....some even post on this link... http://forums.bateau2.com/ for additional restoration help. Post some picks and see what everyone thinks of the boat. Especially since you already have it taken apart.

 

[bocefish]

I like the boat and wasnt planning on selling it. I wanted to know if the hullwas a a good rider or did it bang.I never rode in one of these older gradys i dont know which years had the best riding hulls. This one looks like it can take on some nasty seas. i was planning on replacing all stringers and decks with corecell foam gelpanels its a lot lighter than wood, but i dont know if this boats gets its seaworthyness from its weight. i will post some pics when i get back from work today.

 

[gw204]

You have the 212 Chesapeake. It's the only 21' Grady made back in 1970.

http://www.gradywhite.com/customer/cata ... s/1970.pdf

I wouldn't expect too much from that hull in terms of ride. It seems to be a relatively low deadrise design and even with the wood coring in it, it was pretty light at 2470 lbs (I believe that number includes the weight of the original engine and drive assembly as well). If you estimate 800 lbs. for the engine assembly, that gives you a rigged hull weight of 1,670 lbs. For comparison sake, my old 1985 204 CC had a hull weight of 1995 lbs. and a deadrise of 20 degrees. The ride on that boat was marginal. The heavier I kept it, the better it rode.

If you are dead set on rebuilding that particular boat, I would use wood core in the transom, stringers, bulkheads, floors, etc. to get the weight up. Glass it up right and it will last forever. 2 or 4 lb. density foam in every empty cavity to help stiffen the hull and deaden sound.

On the other hand, if you make it light and keep it out of rough water, it will do fine and should be super easy on gas.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

That was a nice running hull, my uncle owned one for twenty something years with the original engine and drive believe it or not( he is a car mechanic). I rode in that boat a few times in our Long Island chop and did great, unfortunately, a tree fell right smack in the middle of the boat sending her to the Grady heaven. I think is worth restoring that boat, especially if you gonna keep her for a few years. You mentioned that you want to make the boat a center console, that is a very good idea, the only thing i would recommend you do is to raise the floor enough to make her self bailing, especially if you keeping her in a wet slip. Good luck and post some pictures. If you need any pointers and how to's go in here and you'll be glad you did. I also have a thread in there rebuilding my Formula.

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewforum.php?f=10