Replacing 1983 Seafarer floor/gas tank

[mac83]

I got to thinking, should I beef up my thickness if my future plans are to repower with 4 stroke once the old 235 Johnson dies?

 

[richie rich]

I need some advice guys. I've been ordering most of my supplies from boat builder central in vero beach, fl. I'm at the point where I need to get some marine plywood. I don't know if I should just buy locally (save about $10/sheet) or buy what boat builder central is recommending to me and pay around $100 for freight shipping. The are recommending:
http://plywood.boatbuildercentral.com/p ... =MERBS6566

They have been very helpful and honest with everything I have asked them. Just so y'all know, that isnt the most expensive marine plywood they offer. My concern is with buying locally, I really don't know how good the plywood is. Should I be concerned?

Thanks for everyones input.

Mike, BBC is a great resource.....when it comes to the right plywood, Meranti bought from them or your local lumber yard should be the same ...just make sure its marked with the LLoyds rating and your good....I priced the same ply from BBC and local......BBC was 100....local was 125....just do the math to see if its worth shipping....but dont slack off on the ply quality....you'll eat it up in resin big time going with something different like exterior grade ply...it will work...just sucks up more resin....

As far as thickness, what is the thickness between the inner and outer skin of the transom? My Sailfish had (2) 3/4 plus (1) 1/2 inch plies with a layer of 24oz glass in between.....you want to match total thickness...doesn't matter how you do it...a little glass on the inside or more layers on the outside...just keep it as thick as factory or slightly over...the key is tying it in with your stringers and having solid knees to absorb the load....the sailfish actually had a beam going across the transom, but its a bigger boat designed for 400HP with a bracket......your work looks good....you're on the right track!!

 

[Grog]

Making the transom as strong as original would be OK for any modern 200 HP (2 thirsty 5 was gros not net). It looks as if you're going to go with 3/4 instead of the original 1/2" which is stronger but will weight more, how did she sit in the water before? Any new motor 2 stroke or 4 stroke is going to weigh more, some more than others.

 

[mac83]

Sorry I havnt posted in a few days y'all. Ive been working on eating this title for my trailer so I can egoist ear it in VA. It's been a complete pain on the ass. First off my problem was that in S.C. (where I bought the boat/trailer from), they do not title, register, or license a trailer that weighs under 2500 lbs. So this is where I am...I've got my vin plate from DMV, I have to install it on the trailer since I can't find a vin anywhere on the trailer. I have my in lieu affidavit signed and notarized that I have to bring to DMV once I get my trailer inspected by the Police department. They have to sign off on my vin plate application in order for me to register and title my trailer. I'm hoping to have my plates by end of next week. :bang

 

[mac83]

So I've been doing a little research and I originally was going to use 6x6 cut in 15 inch sections stacked staggered until I got my desired height it it's going to be a little pricey. So, I started thinking about an alternate way to get height. My first thought was cinder blocks but I've read about some horror stories with them breaking. What are your thought with solid concrete blocks. The thickest ones I can find are only 4 inches. I need to get to 24 inches. I would need to go 5 high to get my desired hit and then I'd have one 6x6 on top of those that would go against the hull. Help me guys...thanks. :bang

 

[mac83]

I finally got the hull blocked up off the trailer so I can finish removing the starboard side and do some work on the trailer also. I'll post some new pics shortly.

 

[mac83]

I'm trying to find the best way to attack sanding down the whole inside of the boat after I get the rest of the starboard side out. Right now my only sanding tool is an angle grinder with a 40 and 80 grit flapper wheel. Would it be beneficial to purchase a good sander. I've done a little research online and I can't decide between an random orbital or da sander. It looks like a lot of the da sanders are all air sanders. I'd prefer electric. Can you give me some recommendations please? What grit should I be using also. I'm going to be sanding all of the tabbing down flush to the hull. Thanks guys.

 

[Grog]

When I did mine i used 36 grit, go as course as you can find. Pneumatic DA sanders use quite a bit of air, there are grinders with a dust collection system but they aren't cheap.

 

[richie rich]

I used a 4-1/2 inch and 7 inch electric angle grinder with 25 or 36 grit flapper wheels for the big stuff...then the smaller unit with 40 grit for smaller and hard to reach areas...the big unit is a little heavy and you need to make sure you're wearing gloves and are in control of the unit as when you fatigue you can lose control and zap something you don't want to including your hand or fingers...but its size and weight take down the nasty stuff pretty fast...buy a bunch of discs and change often as the polyester putty will clog the pores......I would only bother with a DA or ROS for finish work or final prep...will take way too long using those for grinding down structure...save those for the outside of the boat like painting. And you'll need a big volume compressor on those DA's...lots of CFM

 

[mac83]

That's guys...I think I'm just going to attack it with my 4.5 angle grinder. I may pick up a 7 if I find this smaller one taking up too much time. I may just pick up a cheap one...Chicago Electric from Harbor Freight. I'm using a CE right now that my father purchased many years ago and it's still going strong.

 

[Tony Fitz]

Can anybody in this forum tell me what the dimensions of the under-deck space for the main tank are in an '83 Seafarer? Looking to figure out what tank will fit best. Also, any opinions of plastic v. aluminum in terms of durability and life-expectancy?

 

[Grog]

At last I heard plastic tanks didn't have baffels so the fuel sloshes around. The only positive for plastic is they're cheap, but a properly coated and maintained alumium tank will last a loooooong time.

 

[Tony Fitz]

Interesting to know...I will ask the baffles question when shopping at the local dealer. Still wondering if anyone in this forum who's replaced a Seafarer main tank has a record of the dimensions of the space or the tank itself that they installed. Thanks.

 

[mashenden]

It related to a '93 Seafarer, not a '83, but here is my post on the same subject, along with lots of details on what I ended up doing...

http://www.greatgrady.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15222#p102340

 

[mac83]

Just wanted to give everyone an update....it's been a while since worked on the boat. My dad came over and we constructed two rear boxes and a blocked up type of box so I could the boat off of the trailer. The next weekend I got in the boat and didn't realize how light the hull is once you take the stringers and foam out of one side. We almost had an accident, therefore that was the end to working on the boat until I came up with something that could support the sides from rocking. Well, since that happened, house stuff has come up so I've been busy with that. I've build a garden ( raised bed 8x8 ). It turned out very good. I've also build a stone firepit for the back yard. I've been very pleased with both. So, now I'm back at it. Didn't get a whole lot done today because it was so hot. I build both chine stands ( I think that's what they're called). I also got some more foam out of the starboard side. I'm almost done with demo work. I've still got a lot of grinding though. I really want to get all the demo/ grinding done here in the next couple weeks because it's going to do nothing but get hotter. :bang I'll post the pics tonight.

 

[mac83]

 

[richie rich]

Wow, now the fun really begins......grind the heck out of it all at once and get it over with....its gonna be nasty, but you'll be glad when thats all over........Tyvek suits, baby powder, face mask with P100 cartridges, goggles and ear muffs for the grinding wheel.....did you take all your measurements? Mark the exact spots of where the stringers touch the fish boxes as once everything is ground down it will be tough to see their eaxct location on the hull.

 

[gw204]

Wow, now the fun really begins......grind the heck out of it all at once and get it over with....its gonna be nasty, but you'll be glad when thats all over........

What? You don't think grinding is fun????

 

[mac83]

I never thought to mark under the fish boxes where "stringers" touch them. I really don't understand why GW cut the stringers about 1/4 to 1/2 inch short of the floor. Then they just folded soaked pieces of glass to make up for the space....I really don't know how to replicate that. What's the best way to mark the hull where the stringers would go? I was going to use a jumbo sharpie mark the crap just outside of the tabbing and hope I can see it once I'm done grinding. I'm sure Ives asked this before but what grit flapper wheel should I use to get down to good glass?

 

[gw204]

They were probably cut short because it is easier to fill a gap (and bond the deck) with resin saturated mat than it is to get things to fit perfectly.

If you have some stringer left towards the bow, there's your forward marking point. In the stern, just put a single mark on the transom. Grind and then you can run a stringer from point A to point B and mark the hull.