New Project: 170 Aquasport

[RickK]

Sounds like the boat is "hookless"- thats a good thing
Check with Joel - click the banner Ad at the top and check out the EMC paint.  Good paint is pricey for sure but the EMC is repairable.  Also talk to him about the hi-build primer.  The stuff I got from him was pretty thick stuff.  He has a ton of experience rebuilding boats.

[MarcG]

looking good

Are you planning to foam the gas tank in place?  Before you do, do some research on this site or the web.  Foam against an aluminum tank (I'm assuming it is aluminum) is frequently blamed for corrosion issues.  Some people put the foam inside heavy duty Ziploc bags to prevent any chemical interaction.  There are other methods of securing the tank without foam.  I am not familiar with it, but there is something called the "Pascoe Method" that is frequently recommended.

Good luck, and keep up the great progress!

Great advice - thank you!!  I found this article that describes the problem with using foam.  http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm I think I'll follow the Pascoe method, and reuse the metal straps with a neoprene padding instead of the original rubber.

[CLM65]

Glad I could help!  Looking forward to more progress!

[MarcG]

I bought some epoxy (FGCI), fiberglass and tools from Ben's Paints in Longwood, so I tried my first repair.  Great sales guy Mark over there - gave me a lot of tips.  Seems like everything went well - probably not worth mentioning except it's the first time I ever worked with fiberglass. Read about a dozen articles and watched at least as many YouTube videos.  In the end it seemed pretty easy - ground it to a taper, backed it with some foam and used five layers of mat and cloth.  Now to sand it, fill it and fair it.  For that I'll use more epoxy mixed with Q-Cell that I picked up at Fiberglass Florida in Rockledge. (nice new retail store by the way - they have everything) I probably won't get a good sense of how I did until I prime it. 




I bought this dust shroud online.  Worked very well connected to my shop vac; very little dust escaped.

[MarcG]

While I've been working on the bottom I've also picked up a better trailer. It needed a new set of springs and rollers but otherwise was in pretty good shape. So I bought new springs and ordered a few new parts. When it came time to swap out the springs some of the bolts broke off. No big deal, but I noticed that several other bolts could use replacing. While I'm at it, maybe touch up the galvanizing compound in a few spots.  Also maybe loosen and clean up the bolts for the roller carriers in case I needed to adjust them. Maybe fix the dent in the fender and paint the rails....  Eventually this happened:



So now the whole thing gets a coat of cold galvanizing compound, new hubs, lights, rollers and of course bolts for the springs but it should be good as new when I'm done. Though I probably should have taken more pictures of it when it was all in one piece!

[RickK]

That's funny.  Sounds like something that I would do too.

[CLM65]

Nice!

[MarcG]

While finishing up the trailer I've been working on the center console and leaning post.  The holes are patched and the console is almost ready for primer.





I made a seat frame out of plywood wrapped in glass and added the foam.  Next step is to finish sewing up the vinyl...

[RickK]

Making progress!

[MarcG]

Slow progress. Finished the bottom and painted it with Interlux VC Epoxy. At 90 degrees and with the 2333N at 10% it went on way to thin. I cooled it off inside the house and left the mix bucket in an ice bath for the later coats and it applied much nicer. Just the roller; tipping left some streaks. Wet sanded down most of the orange peel and it looks pretty good.  Flipped it back over so it's on the new (to me) and recently refurbished trailer.

[larsli68]

Where I live I would have to bring it inside to warm it up... ;)

//Lars

[Aquamaniac]

Marc,
I have a 1973 170 that I am wanting to mount a TM on right bow. Since it seems you have had hull pretty much opened up, can you help me with figuring out a wiring path ?
Not clear to me that from hole under console I can snake wire forward. Have not removed the 'gutter cover' yet. I do realize there is a bow light, but the wires look pretty foamed in and I suspect it was run during construction.
Sure would like to have things planned out before drilling any holes !!!
Thanks.

[MarcG]

Hi Aquamaniac, I haven't opened up the inside yet, that's the next project. From what I've seen, most of the wiring is laid up high in the inner liner and not easy to remove or replace since much of it is in foam. There is a hole in the bottom of the anchor locker to access the lower bow eye. That may lead down to the bilge so you may be able to run a wire snake down it. I'm guessing you need to get the other end of the wire back to the console. On mine there doesn't seem to be any foam between the stringers under the fuel coffin, so that may work.

[MarcG]

Better picture of the bottom



Also finished patching up the holes in the console and put on a coat of primer. Rolled and tipped which was a mistake given the limited self leveling properties of epoxy primer. May spray it next time if I feel I can do it safely. Should go a lot faster too. I'd like to do the interior in 2 part paint for durability.

[Tsoles]

Very nice!