Concerns about running a "Classic" boat

[wingtime]

After going out offshore in some pretty rough stuff recently and having enough power to leap tall waves. (no I didn't do that)  I have been wondering what the consensus is on how we should treat older boats such as ours.  Granted you shouldn't abuse any boat in choppy seas...  But is there any special considerations or concerns with our older fleet?  Does the fiberglass weaken with age?  Or even become brittle?  My boat is in pretty solid shape but I'm sure it's not as strong as the day she left the factory.  My cap to hull seam had a couple loose screws that I repaired but even then it is very solid.   Just thinking out loud on any extra safety measures as a group we should take into consideration.  Thanks!

[seabob4]

Run it like you stole it!  Matter of fact, most of the classics, i.e. AS, Mako, Seacraft, well, they were just built better back then.  More use of glass, less coring, and we know what happens when water and exposed coring mix.  The key is to make sure you have a structurally sound boat, do all the visuals you can, take a heavy rubber mallet to the hull sides (give them a HARD rap!), this give indications of de-lam, jump on every square foot of the cockpit sole...

She'll be able to take more than you'll ever want to!  

[John Jones]

She'll be able to take more than you'll ever want to!  

 

[fitz73222]

Speaking for the 73` crowd, I agree the construction methods and materials were alot more beefy back then. Boat building to me relied more on the skill sets using hand lay up practices by skilled people using lots of woven and roven and well soaked in resin and in the case of AS; used marine plywood coring. I don`t think the chop gun had been invented yet. (Seabob please confirm). I was looking under the cap of mine the other day; tightening screws and could not believe the amount roven and woven used just to make the cap! The  cap and inner liner were bolted together with I guess 200 10-32 stainless screws and nuts! Depending on how you look at it, I am blessed with a 100% original hull, floor and transom. No soft spots in floor at all, front hatches are beginning to creak when you walk on them and the transom does move a little in a heavy chop, but with almost 700# of 115`s on her there are only very minute spider cracks at the floor to transom attachment. She was stored inside and baby`d for the last 27 of her 37+ years, just the normal trailer rash, dings and scrapes. I still don`t like to push her too much, just cause shes old. Growing up in these boats as a teenager I know very well what they are capable of and never broke one in half; believe me we tried!

[wingtime]

Well I was running it pretty hard...  I think about 30+ MPH in 3-4 footers...  it sounds fast but that seemed to be the right speed for the frequency of the waves we were in...   It was impressive to see the bow cut into the waves and shoot the spray out away from the hull.   The boat made a nice solid sound when we hit... no rattles or anything.  And your right about taking more than I want.... I could have run it harder but we were getting the snot beat out of us already!    I have beat on the hull with a plastic mallet and my hand... it sounds like a friggin ROCK!

[John Jones]

You kids can take more pounding than I can.  Heck, when I get invited out on a Grady-White I take a bean bag and rain suit and sit in the back.

[MarshMarlowe196]

Run it like you stole it!  Matter of fact, most of the classics, i.e. AS, Mako, Seacraft, well, they were just built better back then.  More use of glass, less coring, and we know what happens when water and exposed coring mix.  The key is to make sure you have a structurally sound boat, do all the visuals you can, take a heavy rubber mallet to the hull sides (give them a HARD rap!), this give indications of de-lam, jump on every square foot of the cockpit sole...

She'll be able to take more than you'll ever want to!  

As far as SeaCraft goes, being built better depends largely on the year of SeaCraft we're talking about.

My 1970 SeaCraft has been garaged and is undergoing an extensive rebuild because it was not built as well as My AS.  I know this because I cut out the floor and saw a bare-bones Stringer system- the stringers were not filled with foam, they were filled with wood, and in some areas of the stringers, the wood had rotted out completely due to rot and all the causes of that rot.  Also, the stringers themselves were very thin, unlike the later model SeaCrafts and most of the Aquas (I do not know what the stringer system looked like in the pre 73' model aquas, but I'm thinking it's similar to the SeaCrafts of the Circa).

I actually posted a thread on this friendly forum about the differences in stringer build quality between the differing earlier and later SeaCrafts of the 1970's:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... nge-3.html

Here is what the stringer system looked like on my 1970 SC-


And here is what the Stringer system looked like in a 1978 SC-


These both began as 20' CC's.

Now, when SeaCraft began MFGing the foam filled stringers, I'm not sure, but I'd go as far as to bet that they were influenced to do so by the local Florida competition  8)

More to the point, My $0.02 is to enjoy your boat.  Be happy you have a boat that was built right from day one and is still going strong today.  Sure we sure should conserve and preserve our boats, but don't hold back from lots of use or seat-of-your-pants fun because you're worried your boat is not going to hold up to the punishment due to age.  Boats are Recreational Vehicles, and we should use them as such.  Your boat will last as long as it's going to last, and yes, I feel our Classic Aquas do have an expiration date, but you can always rebuild it and you can always find another one.  As Captain Bob has said, the search is the fun part!

[Dirty]

Your boat was better when it was new, The fiberglass resin never stops hardening. That's why they get spider cracks when they get older. When they were newer the fiberglass could flex better. Doesn't mean it's a bad boat, just means you need to be more responsible with an older boat.

[gran398]

Hey Jess,

Tell us more about the "21 Moesley."

Tx!, s

[RickK]

My '71 has the familiar angled hollow stringers filled with foam.