Another 24' offshore project...

[jbrinch88]

Well I ended up deciding to junk my 24' Offshore that I had completely stripped. No longer had the time to put into it. You live and you learn. Decided to find something put together already and just "update" it as I go.

Found this the other night on craigslist and jumped on it Saturday morning. 1988 24' Offshore with an 06' (Installed new in 08) 225 Etec. Overall the boat is in good shape and a great starting point. Needs the usual teak/starboard update, rewiring, and a very good cleaning. Has one small softspot on the starboard side deck that I will most likely just leave alone. It has a new 90 Gallon fuel tank thats only a month old. Went for a ride and loved the way the Etec works on it. WOT I think we were doing 40mph and cruising at about 25-28 at 3700-4000 rpm. Boat also came with a 5 year old Lowrance Hds7 GPS/Depthfinder.

Overall I am pleased with the boat so far, and I think I got a pretty good deal. Will update as I go.

Cheers!

Ill post some more pictures eventually.

 

[jbrinch88]

well after a long day of powerwashing the inside/outside/and bottom of the boat I found some issues. Lower unit has a hairline crack in it towards the very feront of the skeg. Looks like the previous owner nailed something pretty good, and its leaking oil. Lower also had some water in it. I contacted him and he happened to be in the area and came down and took a look. He agreed to help me out financially with whatever i choose to do about it. I'm either going to weld it or use marine-tex, or just buy a reman lower. Not sure yet.

Also while powerwashing the transducer broke off. I was planning on putting in a new unit/ducer in the spring but i guess ill be doing it the next week or so. Can anyone recommend a good 7" GPS/Depthfinder? On my whaler I just sold i put in a Garmin 54dv and really liked it. I think I may run the same unit but with a 7" display.

Besides that I was happy to see no water dripping out of the transom when i removed some old hardware mounted to it. Little by little.

 

[jbrinch88]

Went with the Garmin 74DV and Airmar ducer, looking forward to getting it installed. Filled all the old holes from the old transom mounted ducer, and also sold the 7" Lowrance unit that came with the boat. Not too bad.

Most likely won't flush mount it, kind of big for the electronics box. I'll most likely flush mount the VHF and stereo in there when the time comes. Keep the GPS on top of the dash.

Dropping the lower off tomorrow to get welded. While its off I'll fully service it.

 

[jbrinch88]

Got some work done today, glassed in some new blocks for the bilge pump/float and thru-hull. Also bottom painted the hull.

Borrowed my father's Jabsco electronic head he's installing in his Bayliner to see how it fits in the Grady.

Fits perfect. I have about 1" between the cover and the fold down step when its down. I'm planning on putting the valve to feed the head in the forward tank hatch area along with the holding tank. There is plenty of room in there, trying to figure out what else I can use it for besides storage.

 

[jbrinch88]

Decided to glass in a floor in the anchor locker today. For whatever reason, my front most compartment/anchor locker does not drain into the bilge. There was about a foot and a half of water up there and it reaked.

So I made a template than cut my material out of 1/2" plywood. Made sure to pitch it forward pretty good so that any water on the chain/line will run right out the two drains. Two half inch holes, some paint, and were good to go.

I used the anchor locker bulkhead I had made for my previous 85' Offshore, but it has a huge gap on the top of it. Hate to waste the material so I will most likely just add a back piece to it to cover the gap.

 

[jbrinch88]

Made a mounting plate out of starboard to cover the old GPS holes and mounted my new Garmin. Also reused the hole on the side of the electronics box.

I'm still doing the starboard work if anyone else is interested. Looking forward to putting in a full day tomorrow.

 

[jbrinch88]

Transducers in and ran up to the console, new bilge pump and float, and water intake. Went through all the main wiring in the back and it's definitely not original and actually looks pretty good. Changed some connections here and there and neatened it up a bit. Good enough for now.

I'm more concerned with the switch panel and 12v fuse panel. All original and should be replaced.

 

[gw204]

Nice work!

I am in the same boat with my 227. It isn't nearly the project that your Offshore was and I am thinking hard about parting it out and getting something that I can use right now.

 

[jbrinch88]

Nice work!

I am in the same boat with my 227. It isn't nearly the project that your Offshore was and I am thinking hard about parting it out and getting something that I can use right now.

Yes I was in that same boat lol. That boat would have came out beautiful just didn't have the time.

I was able to get my lower unit to hold 10lbs pressure and vacuum between having it welded and some additional marine tex/epoxy. Unfortunately after using it Sunday, Monday night after work I noticed a small oil slick coming from the lower. Seems there is another small hairline crack forming on the marine tex. I'm planning to just fill or at least check the lower before each weekend until the boat is out for good for winter. Then I will go with a reman, or find a used one locally.

Only other issues I had so far was the bendex on the starter and the fuel ball. Starter was spinning but bendex wasn't getting thrown out. Had an hour free the other night took it apart cleaned the brushes, armature etc. and got lucky and got it to work.

First trip out didnt make it past the dock, fuel ball collapsed. Opened fuel fill thinking vent was kinked/plugged. No difference. Got the engine to fire and pulled back into my slip. Replaced fuel ball, and now all is well. Won't have much time the next few months for any work/updates, just going to try and fish the crap out of it before winter.

 

[jbrinch88]

Beautiful weekend to break in the boat. Started out yesterday morning super early with 4 stripers, lots of seabass, and then driften around early before the slack tide for some fluke. All shorties but had action all day. Didn't head outside yet I wanted to see at what rate I was losing oil in the lower. Pulled the boat yestereday after running it all day and the lower was just about full.

Pretty much had the same action today except one keeper seabass. Planning on running out to the reefs next weekend. I LOVE THIS BOAT! No wonder why everyone has them still.

Plans for this week are to build a small rocket launcher setup for the center of the boat and get rid of the teak/rod holders on each side of the baitwells.

 

[gw204]

I was able to get my lower unit to hold 10lbs pressure and vacuum between having it welded and some additional marine tex/epoxy. Unfortunately after using it Sunday, Monday night after work I noticed a small oil slick coming from the lower. Seems there is another small hairline crack forming on the marine tex. I'm planning to just fill or at least check the lower before each weekend until the boat is out for good for winter. Then I will go with a reman, or find a used one locally.

I think I would actually try grinding it flush and the glassing over the repair. What have you go to lose?

 

[jbrinch88]

well, if I get the rest of the season out of it (planning to come out sometime in november) I will have it repaired again. This time I will pull the gearset and do it right. Or I might just buy a reman unit and be done with it, can always use this one as a spare if I do get it fixed.

 

[jbrinch88]

Squeezed in an hour before and after work today. Removed the teak/plastic rod holders mounted on the side of the baitwells. Made alittle filet knife/hook tool/ and hook holder on the one side not sure what to make on the other? Any suggestions? Also found some rail mounted rod holders in our "junk" room at the yard that I polished up and mounted on the sides of my bowl rail.

 

[jbrinch88]

Built a rod holder setup out of some parts I had laying around. The holders came off a 54' Viking and the tube was from a leaning post on my old Whaler. Brought them to my buddy once I had everything ready and he welded them for me.

Mounted them on the splash board tonight. I made an L bracket out of starboard and sandwiched it on the splash board. That thing is pretty flimsy so we'll see how long it lasts like this, I'm planning on making a whole new one eventually.

 

[jbrinch88]

Since the weathers to crappy to fish, started to build the storage compartments in each seat out of starboard.

 

[bfloyd4445]

well after a long day of powerwashing the inside/outside/and bottom of the boat I found some issues. Lower unit has a hairline crack in it towards the very feront of the skeg. Looks like the previous owner nailed something pretty good, and its leaking oil. Lower also had some water in it. I contacted him and he happened to be in the area and came down and took a look. He agreed to help me out financially with whatever i choose to do about it. I'm either going to weld it or use marine-tex, or just buy a reman lower. Not sure yet.

Also while powerwashing the transducer broke off. I was planning on putting in a new unit/ducer in the spring but i guess ill be doing it the next week or so. Can anyone recommend a good 7" GPS/Depthfinder? On my whaler I just sold i put in a Garmin 54dv and really liked it. I think I may run the same unit but with a 7" display.

Besides that I was happy to see no water dripping out of the transom when i removed some old hardware mounted to it. Little by little.

Don't try to patch it. Welding will work if your an expert but i tried marine tex on a johnson and it worked for a bit and then i was cruising along and the engine died and it wouldnt restart. After trying many things and trying to start it for a half hour or so i decided to see if it wasn't a prop issue. That isea wasn't considered cause she would start for a few seconds die so i thought a fuel issue. Well when i went to look at the [rop there wasnt any, the lower unit had broken off at the crack. Expensive lesson. Please get her welded by an expert or replace the whole unit with a used or rebuilt one. If the old owner is willing to help I would shoot for a new lower unit and split the cost if i couldn't get the whole amount from him. Its not likely he didn't know the crack was there and in most states you can get prison time for not disclosing known defects at the time of sale

 

[jbrinch88]

My friend who welded it is in the marine business and thats all he does. He used to work for Atlantic Towers now he owns his own mobile business building towers, hardtops, and whatnot.

The weld did fix the original crack, however it did not seal the lower entirely. My fault really since I didn't pull the gear set out I just let the oil drain out as much as possible. I basically only used the Marine Tex as a last resort for the rest of the season to just keep the oil in and water out. It held 10 lbs pressure/vaccum in the shop however after the first day out it split and has a small hairline crack in the marine tex.

I'm ordering a Reman from OBR after the season or in the spring time. Owner is going to help me out, not sure how much but he did say he will help me out. I am servicing his new boat next month and in the Spring so it's not like were going to lose touch.

 

[jbrinch88]

Finished the port storage cubby. Only thing I might add is a stop in the front of it so when you open it nothing rolls/falls out.

I'm planning on making two drawers for the starboard storage unit instead of one hinged door.

Happy how it came out. Looks just like the ones on the newer boats. Can't wait until all the teak is gone, the starboard really makes the boat look clean.

 

[jbrinch88]

Mounted the new storage unit. Really happy how it looks, can't wait to relpace the other one.

 

[jbrinch88]

Well my lower unit crapped out on me Wednesday night. Coming back in with the old man from some night fishing it was making some odd noises. Threw it into reverse to back into my slip and cruch no reverse. Couldnt have happened at a better time.

Previous owner agreed to give me 500.00 towards a remanufactured unit. I did what I could with it but it was the last day it lived its life lol.

So unfortunately my season ended sooner that I would have liked. My side business is starting to pickup so I don't really have the time to paint/setup a new unit right now.