Reunion Rush

[RonT]

Decided that I had better start the '88 Rescue Advance today, only have about 5 weeks to have her ready, at least the trailer was done last season.
By end of day today: remove interior, engine, rubrail, windshield, make new plywood patterns for new new interior "kit"
Saturday: get Mrs.T to approve new upholstery design & colors & foam densities...then its deck removal, fuel system removal, carpet removal etc.

[backfoot100]

Just curious Ron, why are you calling it the rescue? I assume you're saving it from the scrap pile?

[kjerchinger]

If you need any tips on putting her back together Ron, don't be afraid to ask..... That's what we're here for...... lol

[Smitty]

BTW... Anyone taking pics of this along the way? 

[RonT]

I think it was oldest son Steven who went with me to Florida last year to pick this up who called it a rescue boat, some college kids had it & needed beer money & needed to sell the poor thing. Abused is an understatement, after nursing it back home (wheel bearing service on the road) it did start as advertised & we took it to the river to access the damages after repairing the trailer bunks (were none, boat was riding on the steel chassis with the rusted bunk board bolts digging into her bottom)  It is an '88 w/ molded glass floors, does have a good windshield, and does have a 350 chevy top mt. starter w/ polished alum exh.
Water test confirmed a sizeable water leak but also observed alot of oil in the discharge water, it did pull a skier though.
Over the next 2 weeks early last summer : Complete trl. overhaul,  repaired torn laminates in hull bottom where the forward fin had been pushed through & leaking bad, removed eng. & repaired/modified oil pan that was full of pin-holes & leaking oil into the bilge, quick buffing & temp. carpet repair and about 30 misc. boat repairs to get her to ply for the summer, my boys put about 50 hours on her last summer. Now it's time to really open her up & make her a happy boat again.

[Pelvic Woo]

My boat is jealous.

[Mike Harry]

My boat wants

#1. combing pad boards traced
#2. pictures of how wood is fastend to the driver seat
#3. coast guard info decal

[RonT]

Rescue boat update:
Monday, pulled deck off, completed new interior patterns, pulled carpets, removed all cables, wiring, drill a dozen 2" holes through flooring to inspect foam...ALL DRY... This is a first, actually boat was over foamed in the back, found voids in the middle, and the floor where the "L"seat sets was bowed down 1.25" in the center. Cut out the stressed forward center floor & decided to add a new bulkhead to support, will resume on Wed.
Stressed flooring was .25" 6lb. foam core with 40oz wr on the bottom, 48oz wr & gelcoat on the top, a very heavy laminate schedule, but should have had a .5" foam core (started using .5" in 1996 models)

Will have a complete slide show available for the reunion if interested.

[RonT]

Tuesday off doing other stuff, Wed. spent 3 hours in the grinding booth grinding inside hull walls, floor, bilge, removing all carpet adhesives, stretching the removed front center floor back straight (under the front tire of my truck) reattaching the flooring where it was raised along the motor, tabbed in a new forward bulkhead to support the forward center floor when it goes back in.

[RonT]

Now I remember another reason I stopped building boats...VENDORS... Just picked up some replacement Ski Supreme  upholstery parts from a shop that I was interviewing for the replacement A/S interior kits, they may have met Ski Supreme standards but would never pass Susans eye.  Felt like the Donald - your fired!  The Guinea pig for these kits is my '88 rescue boat, turns out it may be a blessing, I spent most of the day with my 2nd choice who had alot of ski boat completed parts for me to inspect & I was impressed, & left the 2013 A/S ADVANCE replacement kit with him to commence work on. The travel time sucks though. This reunion party is going to be close. BTW the OEM heat pleated vinyls will be available for the early models.     

[backfoot100]

This is great news.

One of the dozens of questions that I had for you at the reunion was regarding my interior replacement. This sounds like it could be the perfect answer.

We have a lot to discuss at the reunion!?!?!? I can't wait.

[Messer]

Ron,
  Fire mine too....

[RonT]

The rescue Advance will not be complete by the reunion. She will make the trip & I expect her to be running, but the new Upholstery shop called me Friday & said they will not be finished in time. Apparently there is some kind of foam shortage out there & everything is back ordered. To say there is disappointment around here would be an understatement.  Hull inside work is complete, deck work is complete & ready to go back on the hull, I would like to at least get the drivers seat & mtr. box top upholstery work done, otherwise the old interior will be going back in.   It will be more complete than when we designed the ADVANCE, I remember driving the hull plug & pulling a slalom skier with no deck, no interior, just an engine & pylon & sandbags added around the hull floor to mimic the projected finished weight of the boat.

[Mike Harry]

Now thats something I would like to see pictures of!

[RonT]

The strangest thing I can recall  was testing spray rails for the Legend, Ray J. was driving the Advance plug while I had a long shoe ski on one foot hanging out the side of the boat near the transom straddling hull side, & slowly set my foot/board down into the water to see how it affected the spray.