1968 Aquasport Flatback Diver - Shipoke Rebuild for Hefner

[Group W Bench]

A new member, Ashley Hefner, from Beaufort, SC recently dropped off his 1968 flatback Diver for a restoration at Shipoke. I will post pictures of the rebuild to since some members are curious about the restoration steps that we employ. The way we rebuild these boats at Shipoke is not the right or wrong way, simply the way that has resulted in many happy customers. It works for us, and y'all may be able to employ some of the strategies that we utilize to save time and money on your rebuilds.

Starting w/ the steps prior to removing the ring deck:



The flathead bolts are generally stuck and difficult to remove. We cut the flathead with a diamond wheel first.



Then whack the heads with a cold chisel. You can roar through 168 of these little buggers fairly quickly.



Place boards every 3-5 feet to measure the sheerline offsets prior to removing ring deck.



Measure offsets for both beam and vertical deck sheer every 3-5 feet and write it down.



Remove around 400 lbs of wet foam and stringers.



Grind all stringer tabbing and bonding putty off down to the 24 oz roving.

[Group W Bench]

Laying up 3/4 oz mat, and 3x 1708 on transom to begin.



1 x 3/4 oz mat and 3 x 1708



The transom is very wavy on most boats after removal of old core. We clamp the laminated mat and 1708 between 2 sheets of 1 inch melamine overnight to straighten the transom. Use peel ply or visquene between laminates and melamine. This is an easy step that will save you hours of transom fairing down the road.



The waves and ridges in the transom are virtually eliminated with clamping.

[Aswaff400]

cant wait to see more!

[gran398]

Excellent Eugene, thanks bro.

The time savings tip on removing the cap screws is awesome...most of us would never think of that. The demolition, planning/measurements/clamping/labor/finish savings....top drawer.

Time is money, and that's a fact.

Thanks

[Group W Bench]

Gran and the rest of y'all, please remember I am not saying that this is the right way or the wrong way to do a restoration, I am just saying these are some tips that we employ at Shipoke. They are worth what you paid for them and results may vary.

For example, many folks think it unnecessary to remove all of the stringers, tabbing, and bonding putty. Instead, they opt to cut the stinger tops and dig out foam. We remove all stringers and tabbing on rebuilds allowing us to glass the entire bottom and create overlaps down the keel. Neither way is right or wrong, it's just what we do. Most disagree and call it overkill. It costs us considerably more time and money, but we think it is the right way to rebuild a boat. Our customers agree; many don't.

[gran398]

Gran and the rest of y'all, please remember I am not saying that this is the right way or the wrong way to do a restoration, I am just saying these are some tips that save us time at Shipoke. They are worth what you paid for them and results may vary.

Gotcha, just like my biz. I do a LOT of free stuff for folks....just because.

About one in a hundred will come back with a question on what we had performed.... for free. Go figure right?

My standard answer to the one out of one hundred freeloader after 37 years in business.....

"Did you get your money's worth?"

[gran398]

Another observation:

Guys, the reason Eugene mentions "beam and vertical deck shear" on the rebuild is to allow for the correct curvature of the deck cap on the reinstall.


Seems simplistic right?  

Most re-cores of deck caps are done upside down on sawhorses. The cap curvature must be allowed for...upside down. Because when the poly kicks...it kicks.


When coring the deck cap (gunnel cap)  supported with sawhorses...we failed to allow for a variable 5 to 10 degree estimated deflection upward (per Eugene's recommended measurements) amidships. So then we had to go back with a skilsaw, make relief cuts, and re-glass.

Eugene, removing the stringers to address the inner hull skin is a good thing. Don't find it questionable at all.

You have a full shop ready to make it happen. And your customer wanting to get down to pure sixties fiberglass...

They came to the right place.

[Group W Bench]

Remember yesterday's post about writing down the beam and sheerline offsets? Part one of why these measurements are important is below:


Beam braces are in place. Once the ring deck is removed and the interior hullsides are ground, they have a tendency to sag outwards. That is why taking beam measurements every few feet prior to demolition and removal of ring deck is imperative.



The boat is leveled on the dolly and hook/sag taken out of bottom by bracing 2x6 along the chine until the hook falls out of the bottom. We just putty the uprights in place on the floor and long 2x6 and don't move them until we flip the boat. Hooks form in these old boats, and many restored flatbacks have trouble getting the bow up b/c the hook is most pronounced in the flat aft section.


Stbd side glassed with 3 x 3/4 oz mat and 2 x 1808 in alternating layers. Notice that the stbd laminates extend 6" port of centerline and 4" up hullsides.  The same overlaps will be utilized on the port lams and hullsides, providing double overlaps down keel and at chine. Takes virtually no more time, and creates a much stronger lam schedule.

This will be the last update for a couple of weeks, as I will be out of the country until the 28th with limited internet access. Our shop guys will send our client,Ashley, daily updates on progress. Hopefully he will be able to update the build thread in my absence.

[alandry100]

Awesome thread - thanks.

[fitz73222]

Excellent Eugene!

This is what I've been waiting to see. Even better being an open transom rebuild! What's Hefner going to power her with? Will you be taking that into consideration for floor height and scupper locations? Are you going to do a tank hatch? Twin 60 Bigfoot 4 stroke Mercs would be smokin hot!

[ashley]

Hey Eugene, I'm on it! I'll update photos as I receive them. Not sure what power I'm going to go with just yet, thinking 200 etec, Suzuki 140-175 but still up in the air.? Just a little background on the boat. I found the boat on craigslist in Maine, contacted the owner (who had sold the trailer) and purched the hull. The owner was a great guy who helped me out by loading it on a transport from the field it was sitting in. After getting it to S.C. I got a good used trailer and started talking to the pros in Fla. to restore. After speaking to Eugene at Shipoke I knew I found a winner. Here are a few photos of the boat leaving Maine.

[ashley]

[slvrlng]

This thread gets my vote for thread of the year!
Can't wait for the rest of the story.

Man I love those divers!!!  :afro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTLfHo9QAnQ

[ashley]

Bottom glassed.

[pete]

Wow nice work!Ashley are you leaving the diver platform?