Turning an inboard into a outboard

I am working on a new boat I bought at auction, it is a 21 ft. Grady White cuddy cabin. The engine is a Mercury in line six. The engine was locked up and rusted on the inside and the transom is weak My plan to take the engine out and rebuilt the transom. I know that this is a big job, but if I can complete it I will have a good boat with a new design. I believe that if I replace the inboard with a 90-95 hp outboard engine it should work well to push the boat in the water. As soon as the weather gets a little warmer I plan to start work on the cuddy cabin. I will post pictures of taking out the engine and work on replacing the rotten transom. Hope to start work soon. check back of pictures and description of the work. thanks

Restoring the surface of your fiberglass boat

Taking care of your fiberglass boat involves a standard treatment for the gel coat to keep it looking great which means cleaning, waxing and polishing. When this is done regularly, boats with a good gel coat have been known to look great for as long a 10 years and in some cases 20 years.When this is not done it often requires heavy compounding to restore the shine.
Compounding- compounding is a polish with a paste containing a fine grit, like the  paste you would use on your car. Don't start compounding your boat right away, before you do anything make sure the wax is removed from the surface. If your boat has a wax build up using acetone will help remove wax containing silicone's. Next, try using a fine grit such as found in compound paste. Work a small area with the compound paste until the fiberglass begins to have a shiny-look. If compounding doesn't do what is needed, you may need to resort to water sanding with fine paper or dry sanding with some what coarser paper. I will talk more about these other methods in my next article. Thanks for reading and I hope this will help you restore your old fiberglass boat. thanks

How to replace a rotten deck on old fiberglass boat

The following Youtube  presentation is a step by step guide to replacing a wooden deck in a fiberglass boat. Each slide gives instructions about the repair steps. This is part one of three presentations in repairing this rotten deck. Please check back for more slide presentations   enjoy.

How to repair rotten deck in Fiberglass boat



Both sides rotten



see fuel tank



     In my last post regarding replacing the deck in my '75 Grady White I was thinking I would simply replace a small section. But after checking the underside of the wood I discovered a great deal of  rotten wood. With old boats you will often find that the wood will have to be replaced because the wood was not treated or protected from water damage. If you will look at the pictures you will notice how wet and rotten the wood for the deck is. I am in the process of pulling it all up and will replacing it with fresh plywood. As I replace all the bad wood, I plan on covering it with a good deck coating. Deck coating is similar to what truck owners put on their truck bed. Before I apply the deck coating I plan on making sure all the wood joint are smooth and filling all the cracks with wood putty. I will also use screws to hold the decking in place. I will also make sure that everything is dry and sealed up to prevent water from getting back under the plywood. This project will take about two weeks because I will be busy at work this week. Sign up for my blog so you can keep up with this project and will be able to see the finished result. Thanks

will replace with plywood



How to restore old fiberglass boat.



Shine will come back



degreaser and scrubber

     Many times an older boats, especially a fiberglass boat will need work on the fiberglass to bring it's shine and good looks back. The first step in this process is to give your boat a good inspection. Check for cracks, holes, scratches, and for any marine growth on the hull.  Once you have made a list of what needs to be done, it is time for a good cleaning. I recommend using a good degreaser and boat wash. I like krud Kutter as a degreaser because it takes all the mildew and wax off fast. First, spray down one side of the boat with water and then apply the degreaser. Once your have sprayed one side of the boat use your scrubber pad as shown in picture and begin to scrub the boat hull. You may need to repeat this process depending on the hulls condition. On my Grady White which was used in salt water I had to wash it three times just to get the mildew and marine growth off the side. With three washes the gel goat was still in good condition. As you can see in the pictures it did a great job.
     Once you have cleaned the boat use a good marine compound to get the fiberglass to a new shine. Compounding will also take off any stains on the hull as well. There are several good products that I use to compound my boat, if you want to know what they are let me know and I will email the names.The last step in restoring the fiberglass is a good wax job. Make sure you use a good high quality marine wax, it will pay for itself in the shine and protection it provides. I prefer to use a high speed electric buffer using a pad to put  wax on and one to take it off. This step will take some hard work but it will pay off with a great looking fiberglass shine. Sometimes I also use a product called poly glow which give a high gloss shine with half the work. Well, if you follow these steps you will have a great looking fiberglass boat, and others will notice the shine and give you comments on your boat. Remember just a little work will keep your boat looking great and save you thousands because you can still use your old boat. If you would like any information concerning cleaning fiberglass please email me, also please follow my posts. thanks.

How to replace deck on your old boat

    If you are wanting to replace the deck on your old boat please keep reading. My project boat is a 1975 Grady white which is in fair condition and needs to have the deck replaced. You will need certain tools in order to do a good job on deck replacement and increase the value of your old boat.This tool will include the following                                             

1. a hammer or prying bar                                  
2. a razor knife
3. power drill
4. scraper
5. shop vac

     As you can see in the picture, I have begun to strip down the inside of the boat. As I took out the old decking I could check the bottom of the boat and in this boat it was in good shape. I also opened up the center of the boat where the gas tank is seated. Most older boats will have a lot of rotten structure and wood which will need to be replaced. This Grady white was built with strong fiberglass and has very little wood support. But I will need to replace all the wood in the bottom of the boat. This is a day long project and will require 3/4 inch marine plywood sheet alone with wood for the side of the boat. It is very important to strip down your boat until you can see the hull. Make sure you check for hole or cracks. This would also be a good time to clean out the bottom with a shop vac because water will need to flow freely from the bow to the back. I am presently replacing a small section in the back of the boat and should have pictures soon. check back for the next update on repairing the deck. A better ideal would be to sign up for email or for future posts. thanks ...

Don't get rid of that old boat!

     Have you checked on the cost of a new boat within the last six months? Well, you may be in for a big shock, I mean sticker shock. Don't spend your hard earned money on a boat that will sit in storage for most of the year. I suggest you take a second look at the old boat that no one wants. I am restoring my old 1975 Grady White and I invite you to join me in the adventures of bring back to life this classic and beautiful boat. Of course, there are some important issues to consider in restoring an older boat which include condition of hull, transom condition, condition of engine, and any cracks or holes in vessel. Don't lose hope because each of the items I have mentioned can be repaired and return your boat to seaworthy condition.
     The first step in restoration is what  I call the strip down, or getting the boat to a base point and checking for any problem areas. Take up old carpet, rotten wood, or broken items. It is very important to take your time in the strip process to make sure you get to a beginning point which marks your restoring project. It is also important to keep certain items as a template in replacing rotten or broken items in the boat. So get out there and take an inventory of what your boat needs and get started restoring your old boat! In my next post I will show pictures of my restore of my Grady white. thanks