Searider 5.4M repair

bowfront26 · 20 February 2017, 03:42

I brought home 5.4M Searider project home last weekend and was able to get a start on things this weekend. The boat is a 1987 Deluxe model. The hull appears to be in solid shape but has some remaining bottom paint on it and the end of the sponsons.

Today I removed the engine along with the plywood engine plate as well as the A frame. The A frame was attached on the front wall of the transom as well as the top edge. After removing the frame I saw that the bolts mounted to the top edge had allowed some water to seep in and cause damage. The pics show the 2 points (left and right sides) after I drilled into them trying to find how far down the water got. I used a 1/2" bit on the starboard side and found what I believe to be decent dry wood about 1" down. I used a 3/4" bit on starboard side and went down about 2"… and the wood is still a bit damp.

WHAT TO DO?
Do I just keep drilling this starboard side hole down in hopes of finding dry/solid wood? Or do I cut away the fiberglass on the backside of transom to get a better look?

After the first half inch or so, the "rotted" part was done but there was still dampness… is there any hope in drying this plywood with hair dryer/heater or does it need to be replaced.

Has anyone had luck with using something like "Git-Rot"?

cgoing · 21 February 2017, 04:19

I would remove the aluminum strip off the top and see exactly how far in the wetness goes. Is it limited to around the support mounts or is it more wide spread? That will have an effect on how in depth the repair will be.

Xk59D · 21 February 2017, 11:10

Assuming wide spread, Chainsaw out wood from top and pour seacast in seems to be popular in USA, some videos on YouTube and it looks easy tbh. Will outlast the boat!

bowfront26 · 21 February 2017, 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgoing

I would remove the aluminum strip off the top and see exactly how far in the wetness goes. Is it limited to around the support mounts or is it more wide spread? That will have an effect on how in depth the repair will be.

First I will drill out a bit more on either side of my exisiting holes and hopefully find the end of the damaged wood.

If I end up removing the cap, would I use heat to loosen the hypalon from the transom cap on either side? The other question is, once the transom is repaired, should I be able to reglue these hypalon flaps back on? The material appears to be in good condition for it's age.

bowfront26 · 21 February 2017, 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xk59D

Assuming wide spread, Chainsaw out wood from top and pour seacast in seems to be popular in USA, some videos on YouTube and it looks easy tbh. Will outlast the boat!

I will look into this product more, thanks.

jeffstevens763@g · 21 February 2017, 17:41

I would think that the rot is local to the hole, widening the holes as you say best way to go hopefully leaving enough to act as a mould for your repair filler maybe you might have to rethink the A Frame fixing but that's not the end of the world

bowfront26 · 21 February 2017, 18:02

Yes, I definitely need to rethink the A frame connection points. Mounting to the top edge of the transom is not ideal as the frame will certainly loosen over time causing some space between the bolt and transom which of course leads to water intrusion. I don't see anyway around this given the current construction but I'll have to get creative... or look for another arch.

bowfront26 · 27 February 2017, 18:51

So I fully removed the transom cap and drilled a few more holes to inspect the condition of the transom and it looks good!

Very excited and relieved about that. Next I removed the bonnet and Deluxe dash. I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to cut the bonnet or if I want to remove the material with heat where it meets the tubes. For now I've just trimmed it back so I can enjoy the open deck space.

After that I decided a good wash was due and to also check for any possible leaks. I went into this assuming there would be a few. The boat only has a couple patches that seem to be applied correctly and holding but still I figured some of the seems would be leaking. ALL GOOD! everything is nice and tight and cleaned right up. I still going to go over it with a magic eraser to see how pretty I can make her but for now I'm more than pleased.

The deck is in great condition with just a few spots that could use a more thorough scrubbing. Can anyone suggest a good cleaning product for the textured deck?

My next job will be removing the leftover aging bottom paint. It's peeling back in some spots which is good but it doesn't just come off with a paint scrapper. I'm wondering if I should try a pressure washer or just go at it with a sander? I'll be sure to protect the tubes and avoid spraying them. What would be the best way to protect them? Maybe some duct tape?

The orange hull appears to be in great shape with nothing more than a few light scratches. In the pics the white crusty stuff is just dead algae and worm tubes that attached themselves and dried up (I assume the previous owner kept it in the water for some time).

Once I remove the paint, should I bother filling the scratches with something? I don't see any damage that needs repair but will have a better look once the paint is removed. If I sand it, what grit would you recommend? I just want the paint removed and then just lightly sand away the top layer of orange hull ( is this the flow/hot coat?).

Once the scratches are filed and re-sanded, I guess i can get some touch up paint and then just polish the hull?

office888 · 27 February 2017, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xk59D

Assuming wide spread, Chainsaw out wood from top and pour seacast in seems to be popular in USA, some videos on YouTube and it looks easy tbh. Will outlast the boat!

That's what I did!

Then instead of the crappy aluminum strip, I glassed over the top with 3 x layers of glass.

It was a miserable job.

office888 · 27 February 2017, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by office888

That's what I did!

Then instead of the crappy aluminum strip, I glassed over the top with 3 x layers of glass.

It was a miserable job.

A month of work in 3 pictures!

ncp · 28 February 2017, 02:59

Someone said somewhere to polish the hull before you match gel and fill any scratches. All of the orange is oxidized and you want to polish it back to the original color before you try to match the color.

Mextli · 28 February 2017, 13:03

Oh, and never cut away the GRP from the back of the transom, always from the front (To the inside of the boat)

The stuff at the back is really thick and part of the hull mould while on the front its just a rather thin layer done after putting the wood in.

If you cut away the back the boat may warp.

bowfront26 · 07 March 2017, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mextli

Oh, and never cut away the GRP from the back of the transom, always from the front (To the inside of the boat)

The stuff at the back is really thick and part of the hull mould while on the front its just a rather thin layer done after putting the wood in.

If you cut away the back the boat may warp.

I'll keep this in mind. I need to see what the bolt pattern is for my new Yamaha F70... I'm guessing it won't match the current engine mount holes in the transom now.

A friend recommended that if I wanted to drill out the existing holes (to move damaged ply) that I should drill approx. 2x the width and then fill with penetrating epoxy and then fill that new hole with thickened epoxy. The finally reseal with fiberglass using the "Gucci method" with a scarf joint allowing for better adhereinng of the glass. I believe this method uses an increasing size of glass cloth vs decreasing. From what I've read methods work well. Here is a diagram showing the work.

bowfront26 · 07 March 2017, 18:32

If someone thinks this is overkill, I'm open to suggestions.

ncp · 07 March 2017, 21:16

Bolt hole pattern should be the same (unless you're raising the transom to for a 25" shaft)

bowfront26 · 24 March 2017, 19:34

Progress has been a little slower than expected. I've been stripping away the bottom paint but that stuff is thick! A friend and I tried flipping the boat upside down to sand it off but were unsuccessful. We were working in limited space and only had 2 off us... so I've decided to just complete the work while sitting on the trailer.

At this point I have;
removed the Deluxe Bonnet and dash
removed side by side seating
purchased an original jockeyseat, custom console, and front "jumper seat" (thanks NCP)
purchased new Yamaha F70

I'm going to finish removing the paint and doing the required minor gelcoat repair on the keel and chines. At this point I'm most likely going to use the 3M premium filler (vinlyester I believe) and eventually paint the hull over the next winter (downtime). Does anyone recommend I use gel coat repair instead? Or some other product?

I also need to figure out how to install the seating. Currently the floor has 2 strips of plywood that are glassed in on either side. This is where the side by side seats were bolted down. I need to add a piece of plywood to the center (offcenter?) with bolts facing up for fitting the jockey. Not sure if should bother removing the current pieces on either side? Prob not too difficult to do with the new angle grinder I bought

. This would increase the amount of flat deckspace but maybe it's just unnecessary work? In regards to installing the new plywood, am i better off using regular plywood and wrapping it in fiberglass or should I use marine plywood, and just glass that in place?

I also need to figure out exactly how far forward to install this. Any suggestions? How far forward can my jockey seat sit for best riding? I want to leave just enough space in the back for the gas cans (either 2 12g or a single 28g) and room for a person to sit on those cans (upholstered seat fits on top of cans).

bowfront26 · 24 March 2017, 19:35

Current layout. Jockey is just resting on deck loosely.