1974 22-2 Restoration

[dirtwheelsfl]

gran, it sounds like you are using the bare panels then glassing them together into one deck right?

ive done alot of work with it, and all we do is use their nidabond glue to butt the panels together and then put 2 layers of 1708 on each side of it. you could definitely get away with one layer on the bottom.. we did a 30'x15' roof on a 57' DMR out of the 2 inch. built a jig for it and put one layer of 1708 on it after the panels were all glued/butted together, and took it off the jig and flipped it over by hand. the thing rolled over onto itself like a hard taco shell but none of the glued joints faulted at all, and thats just with one layer of glass on one side.

you will be fine. adding that rigidity to the hull though would be something to think about. weight wont really be an issue, just time/money...

[gran398]

Thanks for the good thoughts and for the tips as well. By the time everything gets glassed in...other than tank failure thirty years from now the hull with care should go 90 years. Honestly believe that.  I/we won't be here.

Failed to mention that the three sheets were tied together underneath with two solid 16 foot lengths of glassed over rigid 1.5 X 1.5 inch hollow fiberglass square girder material. The rebuilder had some stock left over from a job from the NC Aquarium Commission.  He's contracted by them to maintain structural integrity of their fiberglass units at Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher aquariums.

We're getting good work up here

[Thermal]

gran398, pictures of your work would be helpful.  I will look through the Restoration Forum, too.  I think I understand what you're describing, but pictures help.

[gran398]

Please PM to me your e-mail. I failed the photobucket final exam.

[LilRichard]

Think about this guys; we are talking about 35-40+ year old boats built out of plywood and fiberglass. The design worked, the coring materials did not. My thought is; if you build them out of todays materials, utilizing the original design, they are going to outlive all of us. These boats were never designed to be major macho offshore pounders; they were nearshore, island boats, designed to run the waters of South Florida and the Bahamas without a need for a lot of horsepower to get them to run in the sweetspot.

I hear what you're saying, but I took up my floor and had separated stringers and a trashed hull, probably because of the design of the stringers.  You can rebuild using 40 year old engineering (no bulkheads) or build it like every other boat builder is doing today - which is creating a grid system of stringers / bulkheads.  Your boat, your choice.

Sorry Bob if that's not a "voice of reason".

[fitz73222]

Hey LilRichard,

I understand your point. I'm one of the lucky ones that is still running an original 73' without any major issues so the original design with new materials works fine for me. I really don't care if the boat can fall two stories and not bust in half, plus there is no recovery on the additional investment not that these rebuilds are much more than break even on resale anyway. If your making a living out of one of these I would add the additional support as you recommend.

[LilRichard]

Fitz, you;re absolutely right... these are not about making money or even most times breaking even.  From my POV, it's just about never having to do it again!

And one point to note, IMO your '73 is built much better (from a design point of view) than the flatbacks... prolly why they tend to hold up better.

[Capt Matt]

Gran
The girder system sounds cool and it will be strong.
Anyone have good things to say about nidacore? I read that you need to route and fill the exposed unfinished ends with resin or it can crush on the edges.  If used properly its probably good stuff.

My boat will be paying my bills so bulkheads it is!  Might call her "Fish Tank"
Lets see some pictures Gran
Capt matt

[dirtwheelsfl]

yes you need to fill any exposed cells, no need to route the plastic comb out really, just fill whatever is open. for a bulkhead that a deck rests on just make sure youve got enough glue to fill the cells and bed the deck. on a floor you are going to fill them anyway the same time youre bedding it, on a hardtop or something i glue foam, usually divinycell right to the edge, with kerfs to round the corners then radius the foam and wrap it with glass. that extra glass on the outside really makes it strong. adding a toe/drip rail on top of that makes it crazy strong...

[Thermal]

Here are some new pictures.  The shop pulled the engine, rudder, driveshaft and most other parts. Only the most stubborn parts remain for more work.  Next steps are to remove those remaining parts, power wash the hull, frame the hull for support, and then remove the cap for rebuild.

The last discussion in this post focused on using a box system of stringers to provide more support.  I understand rationale to do it: deck is out, relatively modest cost and will provide more support, but examining this boat's stringers and the short distance between the outside edge of the stringers and the hull, it seems unnecessary.  Not sure how I'll proceed.

[Thermal]

Here are the latest pics.  The cap has been pulled off and framed.  The shop (Custom Boat in CHS) has removed all the old marine ply.  It was in rough shape, with rot and de-lamination. It is cracked, has holes and missing sections, but it is now clean and ready for rebuilding. They'll lay on divinycell and then glass the underside.  Thye will add an anchor locker and rod holders in the front and along the transom.

Good news: The transom will need holes filled, a new sheet of composite on the back, and to be built up along the stringers, but it will not need a full replacement. It is dry and the solid.

Hull with cap off:


Hull with cap off:


Cap cleaned and framed, setting out composite:


Cap cleaned and framed, setting out composite:


Cap cleaned and framed, setting out composite:


Cap cleaned and framed, setting out composite:

[gran398]

Thermal,

The divinycell work looks good. Kudos to the builder with the cap upside-down to remain true to the natural hull curvature.

As you're aware, the divinycell is partially scored in one inch squares to allow bending. Once glassed, it is what it is. We had a slight issue there, now good.

One note: On the casting deck, where the hatches are. On the longitudinal section between the short hatches...

This is wood cored. There is also plywood coring forward of this section. On mine, the minimal plywood core was as new. Not so with the wooden strips between the two short hatches, running bow to stern as pictured. To the extent the casting deck remains in the hull....this should be examined while they have access. Ours were trash.

As they left ledges outboard for the sole install....would inspect beneath these sills, and reinforce/glass/seal as necessary. What are you planning as deck core?

[dirtwheelsfl]

looks good... another thing with the core on the cap is to leave a gap between the core and the outside edge to allow thru bolting the rub rail on, the last picture looks like theyre planning on it.

[Thermal]

Any advice on the best position for a livewell?  I'm considering either on one side in bench that we'll build along the transom or under the leaning post.  I'm wondering if having the livewell further forward and in the center of the boat (under the leaning post) will help balance the boat's weight as opposed to along the transom and to one side. FYI -- we removed an inboard and are replacing with an outboard, so we're shifting a lot of weight to the back.

Another option is below the deck, but I've that setup now on a different boat and prefer the livewell above the deck.

Maybe I'm over thinking this and weight of the livewell water is insignificant.

Thermal

[gran398]

Your thinking is correct.  Livewell placement/ weight is important. Too far forward, beats up the baits. One side in the stern, needs to be balanced out by weight on the opposite side.

Center of the stern is ok, but then throws weight (in our boats) where least needed.

The Tampa guys have it going on, IMO:
http://www.baysidemarineservices.com/livewells.asp