Skimmer Makeover
Read More
GEORGE YURCAK (on left)
FMT Machinery
22 Corbin Ave.
Bayshore, NY 11706
1-800-786-0086
http://www.fmtmachinery.com - FMT Machinery has been distributing and customizing CNC Routers & Laser Masters for the past 18 years.
JEFF BUTTA (on right)
J & M Contemporary Custom Mica & Wood
Tel: 631-845-5338
166 C Cabot Street
West Babylon, NY 11704 - The finest custom cabinets and woodworking craftsmanship.
DOUG DELORENZO
Wayside Fence Co.
63 Third Avenue
Bay Shore, NY 11706
631-968-6828 / 800-847-7789
Fax 631-968-6928
http://www.waysidefence.com - Doug specializes in confined area extraction of specialized or lost implements. He also is great at sanding and preparing the boat for painting and keeping up the team spirit. He is a Joe Pesci clone only a lot funnier and a tremendous asset to this project.
SCOTT ROBERTS
Roberts Plywood Co.
45 North Industry Ct.
Deer Park, NY 11729
631-586-7700
http://www.getwood.com - The source of fine architectural plywood, Marine Plywood, Curved Plywood, Lumber and Veneer.
DAN LODOLCE
Marine Mate
451 W. Montauk Hwy.
Lindenhurst, NY 11702
631-226-6202 - This is the place for all the products needed to finish a boat rebuilding or repair job or just for the good stuff you need. They have it all or can get what you want. Friendly and knowledgeable and staffed with top notch people.
Seacast, LLC
701 Eleanor Avenue New Smyrna Beach, FL. 32168
Toll Free (877) 716-4820 Ph: (386) 428-4722 Fax: (386) 428-8236 - Polyester resin for casting new transoms, stringers and decks. A truly great product.
Starting the project and getting the "Skimmer" into George's shop.
Setting the boat on dollies. These proved to be of most importance. The dollies allowed the boat to sit low and make for easy access in and out of the boat and for painting at eye level. They also allow us to move the boat easily around the shop when needed. One person can move the boat with little effort.
We removed the console tower to get the boat into the work area which has a lower ceiling.
Starting to dismantle the console and all the wiring. I will replace most if not all of the wiring making it more organized and up to date. I will use two terminal blocks, one on port and starboard side of the console to reduce the amount of crossover of wires and simplify the wiring set up. I will also add an additional shielded terminal block for dedicated full time hot connections such as the bilge pump.
ready to start tearing apart.
One huge mess of wires. Thirty years of adding stuff, removing stuff, quick rigging, splicing, cutting, changing and adapting motor wiring harnesses and all kinds of other crazy stuff led to this mess.
The tank hatch is finally removed.
Close up of the old fuel fill pipes, vents, pick up tubes and front tank sender unit.
Starting to hack away at the front tank which was the hardest to remove because all work had to be from the top. What made it tough was that the outer tub was tapered toward the bottom and got right up next to the tank with no room to get tools into the gap. When we got almost to the bottom on the sides and front of the tank we were able to pop it from the foam with a big pry bar. We used knives, a 12 inch blade on a saws-all and a long 5/8 wood boring bit to remove the foam.
using a pry bar to pop the tank from the foam.
Removing all old hardware and outdated components. I will replace the old Boat Leveler hydraulic trim tabs with larger 12X18 inch electric Lenco tabs. I am also going to add an additional Lowrance 10 inch screen HDS GPS/Sonar/Radar to compliment my 10 inch HD 111C unit. I will then have a back-up and will have lots of options with displays when running the two machines side by side. This will replace my old Furuno 8 mile radar with an 18 mile Hi Resolution radar output. I will also add the Sirius weather/radio and the side scanning Lowrance StructureScan.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Front 40 gallon auxiliary tank out and ready to start on the main rear tank.
Its nice to have good equipment. At George's shop are all the goodies. Here we are using his 5 ton forklift to break out the rear tank after we removed most of the foam. The foam they used is indestructible. It took a long time to gouge out, saw, hack and pick it out in pieces. We placed a piece of wood between the mounting flanges to keep them from bending upward and inward when we applied the force of the forklift.
Serious pitting on the underside of the rear tank due to water build up in the tub. They should have added drain holes at the rear of the tub but maybe that would let water in which would soak the foam. Not sure at this time what I will do when we install new tank. If we don't use the tank hatch an just glass it over to meet the floor then no water will get in and holes should not be needed. If we reuse the hatch and seal it water might get through the seal and the same issue would occur. We will cross that bridge when we get there.
Tank pitting farther away.
The whole 80 gallon rear tank with soaked rotting foam and pitting on underside.
Ready for some serious cutting.
Jeff is cutting away the deck and the tank tub using the big router with a cutting bit. We ran the router along the outer liner which was just perfect leaving the gutter and about 2 more inches to which we can attach cleats upon which the new deck will sit. We also left the same amount of lip on the gas tank tub for an inboard cleat.
George with rotted soaking wet balsa core from old deck.
George and Jeff manhandling the tear up job on the deck after it was cut using a commercial router that Jeff provided from his cabinet working shop. Nice to have young strong guys on hand for this job.
Gas tank tub liner is out.
This is the tub that was nested between the inner stringers in which the two gas tanks were mounted in foam and screwed to the sides. This tub was part of the deck and inner lining. It is laid up glass and we will reuse it. Notice the dark patch at the back of the tub which was aft. It was holding water which was causing the pitting in the aft tank bottom.
George a little tired after ripping out the deck.
The tub that was part of the deck has been removed and the deck ripped up leaving only the foam filler and old broken drain pipes for front compartments and wire conduits. These will be replaced with new material and I will make the wire conduits a larger diameter. All wet foam will be cut out and replaced with new foam.
A closer look at the gutted boat.
The old fill pipes and vents will be removed and replaced with reinforced alcohol resistant fuel hose.
All the old deck that was removed. The balsa core was totally soaked and rotted and weighed a couple hundred pounds.
This is the tank access hatch which I will either repair or completely do without and possibly just glass over the tank tub leaving only an inspection plate above the fill hose and sender unit.
drilling out transom with 12 inch by 3/4 wood boring bit and adding a 12 inch extension to reach to bottom of transom.
After boring holes I will hog out the remaining wood with a chain saw and then scrape all wood from the fiberglass inner and outer liner so the Seacast resin mix will adhere to the glass.
Today we hogged out the old rotted plywood from the transom in preparation for filling it with Seacast reinforced fiberglass resin. Jeff did the hard work with the chain saw and George held the super vacuum to keep the debris from flying all over the shop. We are making the cut up the sides to add 5 inches more height to the transom and an additional rise to 10 inches on the outside edges. We will pour the Seacast in a form above the existing glass liners and then fiberglass over the exposed Seacast.
Today we removed my beloved pulpit. It was sad to see it go but 30 years of use and some other abuses took its toll. It is being remade by Jeff at his shop in West Babylon, J&M Custom Mica and Woodworking. New teak will come from Roberts Wood Products in Deer Park. It should look good when done. I just like the teak.
I will not replace the fighting chair base mount and will move the bow bit farther back. I intend to sell the full small boat fighting chair which is a really nice chair made by "Angler's Specialties".
1/2/2010
In order to finish the hogging out of the transom we needed a bigger chainsaw. Here is a new volunteer Joe with his 24 inch saw getting down to the bottom of the transom.
Here is Jeff finishing up the hogging out to the sides of the transom and George holding the light and vacuum.
We cut away the top of the stringers to expose the wet wood. It was wet but not rotted and it is really the fiberglass outer cover that gives it strength. We then hogged out the wood which gave us a clear path into the transom. The plan is that when the Seacast is poured into the transom it will flow into the stringers for added strength.
Jeff is hogging out the stringers.
The finished hollow transom. All the rough hogging out is done and new we have to use scrapers to remove any left over wood from the glass. At that point and after cleaning with acetone we should be ready to pour the new transom.
George cut a template for the new transom configuration using his laser on cardboard. I am keeping the 25 inch height but raising the rest of the transom cut to prevent water flooding the transom well when getting hit by seas from the stern and to give greater overall strength.
We then used the cardboard for fine measurements and transferred it to a CAD machine which converted it to a design which could be cut on the computer router.
Here are George and Ed setting up the machine for the cut.
We then let the computer driven router cut the panel which will be used as a form for the transom pouring with Seacast.
This machine is incredible.
