1975 Aquasport 170 with a 2000, 2001? Yamaha 115hp 2 stroke.

[RickK]

Still is very weird - I've seen engines move easily when the steering is not attached.

[TimeVirus]

Rick

I've been reading your 170 rebuild from some years ago. I'm about 1/3 the way through now and have to say you've set the bar high, sir. I like the way you overbuilt the stringers and the way the poly tank fits. Awesome! What puzzles me is why use so much 3/4" ply in the console? Are you going to take on low hanging bridges? Maybe you're going to take on a battleship or 2?!
 I love how my console already has the seat and backrest that open foreward, but I'd also love to have the live baitwell under that seat and have the batteries behind it. Access the batteries under the helm. I'm thinking I'd like to use teak panels for mounting the gauges, helm and swithes. Teak is so beautiful!
The tank on my boat was recently replaced with a 27gal poly tank too. I'm betting he had the same problem others had removing and replacing the fill tube because he routed that and the new vent up and out, what is for me, the wrong side of the console. He didn't put a boot there either (where the fill and vent come throught the tank hatch) so I wonder if the tank tub is full of water. At times when I seatrialed the boat, it really seemed to have a port list. I'm wondering if the port stringer is holding a ton of water, or what. The boat also seemed to be stern heavy. I couldn't seem to trim the bow down to level enough lol. I really wanted to put a 25ish gal live baitwell under a leaning post but the trim problem made me think the baitwell should go under the front seat. I'm going to have to figure out how to build one from scrtach out of fiberglass. I can't find one that fits the dimensions there under the console seat. That shouldn't be so tough I reckon/hope.
You were right, I do have a ton of reading to do, and that is well in progress. Forums are such a great resource!

[TimeVirus]

I have so many questions! And I already get so wordy. Really good to see all the great brains on this forum to pick.
Yes, I'm going to drill into, at least the port side stringer and see if it gushes water. I'm thinking that if it does, I may just drain it and keep a close eye on it until I can get to it indepth.

P.S. ...
My boat needs love (me) :-)

[RickK]

Rick

I've been reading your 170 rebuild from some years ago. I'm about 1/3 the way through now and have to say you've set the bar high, sir. I like the way you overbuilt the stringers and the way the poly tank fits. Awesome! What puzzles me is why use so much 3/4" ply in the console? Are you going to take on low hanging bridges? Maybe you're going to take on a battleship or 2?!

LOL.  I hope not to take on anything. She is stout now though.
The console had plywood backing on the sides when I started.  I cut that out and then the creation/evolution started. I figured a lot of stuff gets attached to the console and you need a heavy backing to get a sturdy attachment, so I figured I might as well use wood to make the console. I also needed a little more weight forward to compensate for the engine offset. It's definitely a one of a kind console now.

[TimeVirus]

Over the past few days I've been thinking my steering problem is in the type of system it is. Now I'm thinking that this system is not a no feedback system. The difference between no feedback (NFB) and not NFB is in the helm. No feedback has a clutch in the helm to counteract prop torque. So I need to to go take a look at the helm and see. I'm betting that if I replace the helm with NFB helm the problem will be solved. What say you all?

[TimeVirus]

Rick

I've read most of your rebuild, dern good work! What puzzles me is why not pour 2 lb urethane foam under the deck, between the braces, outside the stringers to add to the boats 'unsinkablity'? Something I'm seriously considering doing myself. It must have been tricky as hell to mix and apply the 'glue' for the deck in time before you put the deck in/on. On top of the stringers, bulkheads, and braces and get the deck on and weighted down before the glue setup too much. The spaces outside the stringers are just wasted voids otherwise, and to trust in a perfect adhesion between everything is something, I personally, am a bit leary of. You have everything so nicely piped in and all, your boat seems like a real good candidate for lots more foam. I've seen so many vids of boats going down that its got me thinking. A friend lost his Carolina Skiff in the shipping channel between Egmont and Ft. Desoto to a quick change in weather and a wave. He said it took about 30 seconds for it to get off the surface! The surface is where most boats belong, and ~65' from there is completely unacceptable to me!

I'm also thinking of adding a splash well in front of the transom. Lost deck space though.

I'd hate to go through all the work, have all the pride that goes with the kind of work you've done, to have all that end up on the bottom being just another Bay Liner bah.

I'd like to find his boat and see if I could get it back on the surface again for him. I think it could be done with 1 or 2 hundred feet of line and 115hp (my engine). Finding it would be the nearly impossible part, I bet.

[RickK]

Hi TV - thanks for the kind words. I didn't think I needed to foam the outsides, so I didn't. The top of the boat is pretty water tight. Hopefully if I need to evac a lot of water, it'll go out over the low transom and through the 3 scuppers I have.  Well, lets hope I never have to experience that.
As for gluing down the floor - I used epoxy, so you have some working time. My floor had the center cut out for the fuel tank area, so I used that to my advantage when setting the floor in place. I set the big piece of floor across the top of the boat.
I mixed up a good sized batch of resin and cabosil using a drill with mixer.  Then I poured that into a gallon baggy and cut a corner off it. I climbed into the boat and squeezed the "glue" out along all the stringers and cross braces, like a baker would decorate a cake. I stood in the tank well, grabbed the floor and pulled it over my head and lowered it around me into place. I then walked across the floor and out of the boat.  I had a stack of cinder blocks ready and set them in place from the outside of the boat.

[TimeVirus]

I like the idea of the cake decorator bag! I'ma use that idea if you didn't patent the process. :-) With your deck being above the water line now, I imagine there'd be enough time for the water to scup out. Something I've been pondering also. I think that may be better than a splash well.

[doug mayer]

The NFB (no feedback) helm requires 4.2 turns, lock to lock.  The QC (quick connect) helm requires only 3 turns lock to lock.  Since both require the arm strong method of steering, NFB requires slightly less effort.

[TimeVirus]

Yes Doug. I plan on holding out on hydraulics a good long time.. It's a light boat and only has one, 2 stroke, 4 cylinder engine. I love how smooth hydraulics are, and talk about NFB! But at the moment the only problem is with it being too easy for feedback to spin (torque) the engine full starboard -- NOW! lol at least that's my story (theory), & I'm sticking to it, for now... I don't know why anyone would ever choose a QC helm over NFB. It baffles me. What if my rod gets hit while I'm trolling? No, that would take too long. Besides, I might miss neutral and drop into reverse. Bah

I climbed up into the boat and took a look at the helm and there is no clutch on it. Soon as I get a new trailer under the boat so i can, at least get it to & in the water, where I can whine most about having to fight the wheel to make the boat do what I want it to do!  A new NFB helm is 1st on the list. Oh I'm sorry, did I rant? I should be good enough for some light (boat load) fishing, easily before fall. Once the fishing dies off for winter, tarpon and even the kings are out of town... Then I'll take the deck off (its got soft spots aft of the console) and see what other gifts might lie thereunder. :-)

Thinking I'd like a new wheel too. One of those with the knob, all stainless of course.

[mshugg]

I like the idea of the cake decorator bag.

Grout bags work great for the epoxy to Bond deck to hull..  You can also use them for laying down beads for fillets. 

https://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Tool-WL009-Disposable-50-Pack/dp/B00SYE2M46/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1531121214&sr=8-7&keywords=grout+bag&dpID=41XQFmXOv2L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

[TimeVirus]

Nice... Thanks Mshugg

[TimeVirus]

I decided to buy another trailer for the boat. I really like the Owens and Sons trailers but can't really afford the  $2475.00 price tag of a new one. So I bought a used one that I can make work very much like an Owens. Right now each of the 2 main bunks sit on the 2 main cross beams, either side of the torsion axel, about 61" from outside to outside. I'm going to change that to 60". I'm going to add 2 bunks up foreward to guide the bow to the stop and help center the boat on the trailer, rather than a V or rollers. My question is, how far apart should they be? I'm undecided between 6" & 8" between 2x4 bunks attached to the two front I-beams. I have to make this decision now because finding 4" x 4" stainless U-bolts is nearly impossible. I think the best option, then, is to drill through the I-beam Web to mount bunk hardware. http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=129469

[TimeVirus]

I went to my local trailer parts store bought a few things and on the way out I saw someone else's trailer with bow bunks. The owner of said trailer and the parts guy were coming out of the store to discuss something about his trailer and when there was a break in the conversation I asked about the bunks, about proper spring and whatnot. The parts guy said you want the bow bunks to be 2x6, together at the front and wider at the rear, otherwise the keel will bind on the way up the trailer. Makes sense. So now the plan is to loosely mount the bunks, get under the trailer and make everything 'just so'. I'm going to have the best trailer on the planet :-) lol.

I don't really like the way the main bunks are mounted to the trailer, so I'm going to use the proper L-brackets, and that will free up the needed U-bolts for the bow bunks \0/. Everyones going to DROOOL when they see my boat on my trailer, in the end. I'm going to need to carry kleenex! Ahhhhhhahaha

Bugetary constraints keep me slow, but that's a good thing. I've done some fiberglass work in the past,  but nothing this major before. So slow with time to think, read forums and watch videos first is just fine, thank God for you all!. I owned a 1986ish, 18' Prindle back in the '90s that needed some pretty major hulls repair, which after some mistakes, learning and correcting, sailed real well. I worked for Continental for about 9 months building trailers 3 or 4 years ago, that experience helps, of course. For me, at least, slow is the way to go.

[TimeVirus]

     The trailer has been done a couple weeks now and tuned in as a great fit  for an Aquasport 170 built in 1975. pretty happy with it, for sure. Next is the helm upgrade to NFB and the new steering wheel. Then I need to investigate the fuel tank and troubleshoot the fuel gauge. Damn near ran out of gas a few miles from the dock last time out, kinda got back on fumes, really! Was puttering down the ICW @ 6mph and the engine died. I dropped down to idle to keep the fuel tank level until I got to "Resume normal, safe" waters and ran @ 25mph ( also level ) then back to idle for the last 1k feet under the Belaire Causeway bridge cutting the corner for a more direct route to the ramp. Phew!
     I'm Wondering if the fuel pickup is in the right place in the tank and if its the right tank for the boat even. My off the top of head calculations are pretty spot on, gallons per hour wise, but the last trip was MIGHTY close to swimming it back lol. This 17 year old Yamaha is amazing, very reliable!