1997 Escape 209

[Rph1225]

I figured I would share what I have been working on for the past year and a half. It is a 1997 209 Escape that was damaged pretty bad and had a rotted floor structure. Here are some before photos, but it has come quite a way so far.

 

[Rph1225]

Here are some of the construction photos along the way of the front end fixes.

 

[Rph1225]

In the middle I decided to paint the boat a teal, as recommended by my wife and daughter. I had to get their buy in.

During this time, I had to recore the one hatch, but then mold a brand new one for the left side.

 

[Rph1225]

During the past winter, when glassing days are hard to come by, I went about recoreing the center console. That led to making the console taller by about 8" so it is better for standing height, as I am changing from the tandem chairs to a leaning post.

I also got into some small projects, like molding a recessed battery switch for the rear of the boat.

 

[Rph1225]

Over the spring I was able to draw up and create a t-top box for all my electronics. It is all out of Divinycell, so the box is about 35lbs fully loaded.

 

[Rph1225]

Now to where I am close to today. I have the floor structure all ripped out up to good wood on the stringers, the new stringers back in and the decking going on.

 

[trapper]

Good for you! That is quite a journey and congrats on not loosing the vision to complete. Looking good!

 

[TMANN]

Very nice work.

 

[Rph1225]

Here are a couple of new pics of the floor decking going in. I used 3/4" marine ply throughout, but used multiple layers of 1/4" marine ply with 1708 between the layers to blend the 3/4" decking to the existing 1/2" decking. I also had a bid of time to quickly do a mold for the corner of the pan that the center console base sits into.

 

[Rph1225]

Here are some new pics of the fuel tank set in place, decking installed and seamed and the first coat of glass down. In the process I molded a new hatch recess in the floor which sits directly under the leaning post. The hope is to use some of the space that Grady covered up on the original design. Also installed is a molded battery switch/voltage gauge recess panel. Fairing of the decking and painting comes next.