1973 Aquasport 222 Rebuild

[Fuelman]

I just bought this '73 222 and I am goingt to start a very slow rebuild. I have started the demo and am starting the design process on paper first. I basically bought the trailer for $500 and got the boat for free, so I am somewhat ahead of the game, however the original owner began turning the hull into a commercial boat and added some headache for me. One, he used a lot of questionable materials which I have removed and grinded to the outer skin, but my bigger problem is that he removed the factory cap and made his own. I removed it yesterday and now I have to decide If/how I am going to build one from scratch, or possibly find a cap or mold.... any input would be great! I have seen some other guys online make their own caps but it looked like the frame and templates cost more to make than the hole project haha. Anyways, any input?

[Callyb]

Welcome and good luck with the rebuild. I have a 1966 I'm getting ready to dig into myself. As far as the cap goes I would recommend reading this http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11294, it's a long read but everything is covered very well.

[Fuelman]

Thanks for the post!  I saw a few pages of that through a google search the other day.  I'll read through it for sure.

[Fuelman]

got some demo and grinding done last night... luckily the guy who worked on it before me used really poor quality materials and/or applied them poorly.  A lot of the cap gussets just ripped right off after a quick score with a cutting wheel.  I'm going to grind a little more tonight and have it sandblasted early next week to see where I'm at.

[Fuelman]

Got a little more grinding done this weekend.  Started on the transom which turned out to be a headache but it's getting there.  Also had to shimmy the trailer out from underneath.  Good thing it had rollers!  That goofy looking guy isn't me by the way.  He's my special friend.  Dalton the potato farmer  





Once I got really into the transom I found some old repairs/patches that had been done.  I decided to cut some of the original glass away so I could get to a starting point.  I couldn't tell where the old glass started and the previous owners repair work stopped.  Now I know where I'm at and almost ready to make the templates for the new Coosa board.

[Fuelman]

After I glass the new transom in and get the hull squared up I was going to move to the stringers.  I notice everyone cuts them out completely and builds new ones from scratch... I was just going to remove all the old foam, re-pour and glass the original stringers, then add bulkheads and more structure on the sides.  Any input?

[gran398]

Just cut the existing ones off as close to the top as possible, dig out the wet foam, re-foam, re-glass...and tab them to the hull as needed.

The ones you saw totally removed were the all plywood '66 models, or the Prolines (for the most part).

[Blue Agave]

Just cut the existing ones off as close to the top as possible, dig out the wet foam, re-foam, re-glass...and tab them to the hull as needed.

The ones you saw totally removed were the all plywood '66 models, or the Prolines (for the most part).

Agreed, just cut the tops off and remove the all the foam then reform and reglass. You may also consider making the stringers a bit taller so that the deck is an inch or two higher. Did you get a chance to call my buddie about building you a deck cap?

[Fuelman]

Ok great thats what I did... I trimmed the very top off and will re-foam/re-glass... maybe add a little more glass just for fun  

And yes I did thanks a lot.  The price was a little high I think so i might look into building one from scratch.  But we'll see!  Thanks for the info though

[gran398]

Just now finishing up a '73.

After the foam was removed, we re-glassed the inside and outside of the stringers.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6763

What is your hull #....thanks!

[Group W Bench]

Fuelman,

You can cut the tops off and refill, or you can remove fully and use as a great opportunity to lay extra glass down on the bottom of your boat. On our rebuilds, we opt for the latter course of demo and lay down a 3/4 oz mat and 2 layers of 1708 biax prior to reinstalling the stringers. The same goes for the hullsides. We have 6-8 inch overlaps at the chine.

It is a little more work, but it is really worth the extra effort in my opinion, as there isn't a whole lot of glass in these old hulls.

[seabob4]

Fuelman, It is a little more work, but it is really worth the extra effort in my opinion, as there isn't a whole lot of glass in these old hulls.

And they are stout compared to the old PL hulls...

[RickK]

... we re-glassed the inside and outside of the stringers.

That must have been a pain for the person grinding.

[gran398]

... we re-glassed the inside and outside of the stringers.

That must have been a pain for the person grinding.

Good point Rick. Eugene's suggestion makes great sense. Pull the stringers, and not only can you lay wide strips of glass on the hull...you can grind the stringers from the bottom, the widest part of the trapezoid.

And since the stringers are out of the boat, you can do it standing up, not on your knees.

[Fuelman]

Ok great. Maybe I will take them out completely.  I was going to lay a couple more layers of glass on the entire hull, but I guess it needs to go under the stringers as well?  I'll look at it tomorrow and weigh my options.