Floor is out!!!

[56mulberry]

Got the rest of the floor out today along with the flotation foam.  Lots of garb under there and foam was very waterlogged--boat has been indoors in dry storage for 18 mos and foam was still sopping on the bottom and edges and back completely for those of you wondering if it ever dries out---NOPE!!!  I am debating even putting foam back in---WAIT--before you holler at me, listen to my reasoning--when all foam was removed it filled three kitchen trash bags......and there is no way in heck that amount of foam will float ME, let alone this boat, especially if full of water.....the only functional reason I could see to replace it is to add rigidity to floor/hull and deaden sound.  BUT---my foam (been in there 30 yrs now)  was only halfway deep in the stringer cavity....some of it was actually loose and I was able to pull one whole section out from front to back as a single piece....so for the last 30 years I have had relatively NON-FUNCTIONING foam and other than positively soaking up water, not sure what purpose it has served---well, actually I know it is a marine requirement for manufacturers but it was at best a token sample--those cavities are just TOO small to provide any flotation--according to my calculations, if the cavities were FULL it would provide a total of about 15-20 cubic feet of  flotation foam--this would form a cube roughly the size of my 351 Commander--and it would not float THAT engine, let alone a boat full of water..so anyways--we move on to sound/vibration/hhull solidness--seems only reason to replace.  But I am going to remat the stringers before putting in the new floor just to add a little more sturdiness since it is all apart (and hopefully will NEVER have to be again... ) ANd I am thinking that will help as much as the foam to stiffen things up.  Plus that foam is just no fun to work with.....

OK--so I have nearly talked myself OUT of it and done so where everyone can see/read my reasoning---can anyone offer me a reasonable argument to talk me back INTO replacing it?

Added a couple of pics for those of you have never had the joy of stripping one all the way down......I will add more pics as process continues to unfold and come back together.....D

PS-still looking for some hull graphics on a computer disc in the late 70's/early 80's bubble script style to  give to my vinyl sign guy so I can replace stickers.........

[56mulberry]

COuple more pics of front...

[Joel]

WOW!!!  You are the man!!!  Dont think I could take on such a HUGE project...  Good luck gettin' her all back together!  Keep posting pics of your progress...  WOW!!!

[56mulberry]

I think that boats, like most mechanical objects, are actually "less than the sum of all their parts"---by that I mean once you break them down into their individual components or systems they are pretty simple....and if you keep looking at each component as a simple process or conglomeration of simpler processes or simpler components they are not quite as overwhelming as they first seem.....that being said--next is to cut out edge of floor w/vibrating saw then remat stringers  and start putting floor back in

I think I an going to make some stainless plates to go on back of rear tow loops instead of just washers adn also make some stainless plates for back of swim platform brackets.  Thinking of maybe powdercoating them gloss silver to simulate polished aluminum.  All the blower hoses and the ventilating hoses were in good shape so will leave them alone. Just shored them up a little better thru there respective holes. 

I also untangled the rats nest of factory wiring that was massed together by a marina mechanic at some point then shoved behind the driver floorboard at some point. It is all zip-tied and wire-loomed into a nice tight rope now.  There was an old piece of black plastic pipe that had come loose from the stringer and was laying in the bilge--it was for keeping wires out of water--so I will replace w/a 48" peice of gray ext sched 40 with some plastic J-clamps to run wiring under floorbaords behind driver footrest back to engine area.  I just like things clean and orderly.  Some marina mechanic had aslo screwed the bilge pump to the bottom of the hull...  ...NEXT to the metal strap that its made to be attached to...!!!  Why do people do such dumb stuff?

After all that is done we will finish rebuilding carb, repainting engine--put new valvecover gaskets and oil pan gaskets and all belts and hoses and clean up some pulleys that are rusty.  ALSo have a broken exhaust pipe at the joint where the angled peice off manifoldl joins to the flat tube running to rear exits under the floor.

Hopefully all will go back together just fine.  I will keep posing progress and pics as I go for those that follow......D

[Mike Harry]

Did the same thing with the floor in my 86 Barefoot. I put in a poly floor instead of wood (and yes I foamed it). Lucky I used to be a butcher and got the poly for the floor for free, never rot.

[Midskier]

WOW is right , way to jump into this project with both feet

now is a good time to inspect the pylon / engine mount and repair or reinforce if needed
also get a hold of Ron for tips, ideas, and things to avoid (like pressure treated wood)

Dan T

[phil]

Thanks for the pics and please keep us updated! Nice work.

[Messer]

any chance you could post a closeup of where the swim platform is mounted on the inside? thanks a bunch!

[Joel]

I'd take my floor out, etc, as I'm sure the foam is soaked... probably find a few skeletons... buried treasure... God only knows    Maybe this fall for the start of a winter project.

[RonT]

Been out of town & missed this post, so far so good, adding mat over the stringers will add more weight than strength, if the laminates are suspect, add woven roving or better & grind to fibers, prime w/ resin before laminating. You would not be the first to eliminate the foam, on many brands this would be a serious mistake, on these there is enough "overkill" structurally that it would work....however I have never done that nor can I reccomend going naked. When done correctly the foam is not a difficult componet to add, and will give the boat a much more solid feel & sound. In my shop the pictures indicate 25% done, the next step is all the surface grinding for adhesion & cross-linking...this is the part where my boys find something else they have to do Keep up the good work.

[56mulberry]

OK--rest of floor (last little edge) will come out this week so new can start to go in.  WIll post pics of progress,,,,,D

[56mulberry]

OK--so it did not happen June 8 as of my last post    but am going out to shop where boat is stored to do it tomorrow night unless providentially hindered .   We shall see!  D

[56mulberry]

WOW is right , way to jump into this project with both feet

now is a good time to inspect the pylon / engine mount and repair or reinforce if needed
also get a hold of Ron for tips, ideas, and things to avoid (like pressure treated wood)

Dan T

Pylon report--after 31 years of yanking skiers and tubers by the P.O., whoever welded this  was "The Man"  beacuse all welds are intact on pylon frame--no cracks and pylon and stainless all-thread/U-bolts are good.  I cleaned pylon frame well and polished up some w/))) steel wool because I am anal.  It ready to go back in.

All else was good underneath--stringers dry and tight.  Left a 1.5-2" lip of old fiberglass to adhere new floor to.  SInce I am going with 3/4 inch rather than 1/2" I had to do some creative fitting so I routed down a ledge or "reveal" to allow 3/4 to slide under old floor lip (of course all old wood gone--)you will see in upcoming pic it is the resin and glass that tied original floor to side of hull.

ALso did same routing but wider in rear where floor butts against transom but had left about 4" of old fiberglass and dug all wood out from under. Fit nicely...

Got the port side done Friday and resined top and bottom.  Then used it as template to cut starboard side out (boat is PERFECTLY symetrical BTW or could not have done this--they are mirror images of each other of course....see pics.  Ran out of resin so could not coat that dise yet but gonna need a whole big BUCKET of resin for the rest of floor anyways.

Next step to reinstall pylon frame--was going to mat/glass edges of floor to stringer but cant reach motor mount/pylon frame mount bolts.  so will just make a putty of glass and microfiber--per RonT--and basically "glue" floor down use SS screws to hold it on stringers and through leftover lip into routed wood edge.  Then will mat and glass outside edge to hull with 15/18oz and 24oz mat.

GOing to also use some 1 3/4" sched 40 conduit to make a passage for the battery leads through stringer (see pic where I fit it through factory hole to tert....)so foam wont trap cables and can pull through and replace if necessary someday...

Anyways progress is being made--cant install floor until re-install transom brackets and check exhaust thru-hull fittings anyways and will pre-drill 2" holes for foam insertion and later lay a little mat patch over them.

ALso have to deal with re-installing L-seat--I think I might have to cut a 1/4" more off factory seam where I cut it to remove dur to thicker floor then will bracket and glass it back in place--then carpet and start on putting motor back in after going through it (whatever that entails--a Pandora's box possibly but I hope not....)

some pics here and will pop a few others in a reply to this thread--hope it helps others who might have to do same/similar project....just have to save up my boat allowance to buy resin, mat, and flotation foam now--none of which is free!!!  ANybody know an online source/good deal for it I'd love to know about it--have done some searching but lots to wade thru...DOUG

[56mulberry]

couple more...see the gray conduit there--will put a 45 on it and another to allow batt cable to go--obviously that piece it just to check hole size--correct one will custom fit it.  The wodden bent stick there is just being used as a square to make sure both floor pieces are same distans from transom....glad this is finally happening--maybe I actually WILL have it in water NEXT Memorial day....!  DOUG w/fingers crossed.

EDIT:  actually that would be "wooden" bent stick....

[Joel]

Wow!  I'm intimidated just THINKING about pulling & replacing the carpet...  You are DA MAN!!!