Avon sr4 of unknown vintage

RAS666 · 03 November 2018, 22:23

Hi I have been lurking on here for a while eventually decided to ask. I bought this sea rider as a project and for pottering up and sown the canal mainly. But now thinking of taking it in the estuary and out to sea. I am wondering if anyone could identify a possible age for it from the pictures as I cannot find the hull number. Also do you think it would be a good or bad idea to cut a hatch in the floor near the transom and build a sump for a bilge pump? Would it affect the transom and or floor strength a lot?

SimonStDavids · 03 November 2018, 22:57

I would say from the logo it’s an old one!! I have the same logos on mine and it’s serial number predates the newer serial numbers where the last two digits represents the year of manufacture. Do you have any numbers? Some have an Ali plate on the transom and others stamped onto a hypalon strip in the bow.

As per a transom well I am not sure. Later seariders have transoms that run all the way down to the keel but earlier ones stop at the deck. Although it is a pain there is no well, I would be concerned about chopping the deck there as the transoms are not the thickest as they are. Most people find an elephant trunk drain to keep the deck free of water whilst underway.

I think there is a rebuild thread somewhere on here where someone built a transom well but I think they also replaced the transom?

RAS666 · 03 November 2018, 23:20

Can't see anything on the transom where it should be because someone has added a nice piece of electrical conduit to the top of the transom presumably for reinforcement. I'm thinking of removing it and replacing with stainless and making it part of the a frame I have ideas for. On the bow I can't see anything but it was a sport boat. I have the old dash but it's pretty rotten.

Yes my transom appears to stop at deck level I guess I could double up the deck thickness around my sump to compensate as it appears to be very thin. I am also thinking of fitting an elephant trunk also but the idea for the pump was to keep the deck dry when I am using it in the canal at low speeds.

This was my general idea and not to go below the keel drain hole too mutch.

SimonStDavids · 03 November 2018, 23:50

I think a lot depends on what outboard you are going to put on the back, if you are going for a 40 or 50 I would be concerned that force and weight of the motor would break the join between the deck and transom. Compared to modern boats the seariders have very thin transoms, that coupled with old ply that has even with the best will in the world taken some water and it might be a recipe for breakage.

Would you drop the well all the way to keel and are you considering blocking up the hull?

RAS666 · 04 November 2018, 00:12

Yes tbh I'm expecting that when I remove this but of metal from the top of the transom I will find out why they put it there

I currently have a 3 Chinese hp electric outboard that turns out to only be 1 real hp so no issue yet but I am looking towards something 40 to 50 hp and possibly a diesel so possibly a little on the heavy side so some sort of strengthening will be needed I guess

I was planning on keeping the flooding hull tbh it does make it very stable compared to with it blocked up. It was partly/badly blocked when I first got it the fronts had silicone and a single layer of glass over them and the back had a bit of rotten ply siliconed to it

currently running it on the canal it feels a lot safer flooded but I do have very little weight atm apart from myself

matt h · 04 November 2018, 09:23

Absolutely not cut it. Looks to me a very early SR4 indeed.

You may have a bit of history there but do not alter it
And turn it into something its wasnt meant to be

ShinyShoe · 04 November 2018, 10:27

Why is there so much water on deck? If you are in the sea, or travelling at speed you get waves etc. But in a canal...? It shouldn't get THAT wet...

Eli Trunk is the answer to significant water.

But perhaps the lack of (proper) engine on the back is affecting the bow-stern trim...

SimonStDavids · 04 November 2018, 11:01

I get the op’s point, the sr deck is totally flat so even a small amount of water washes about and comes forward when you back off the throttle but I don’t think cutting the deck is the answer, an elephant trunk is a better solution.

I saw one over the summer that had a blocked hull with a bilge pump in the void space and enlarged deck drains. I never saw the owner so didn’t find out how well it worked.

RAS666 · 04 November 2018, 12:28

Well it was rain I was most concerned about in the canal it soon gets a couple of inches deep in the back while your in the pub! But on the other hand I thought it would be handy for fishing and other pottering about stuff where the trunks would be more likely to backfill. I know if I am at any speed and take a wave over the bow the pump osnt going to make a scrap of difference and I would need the trunks then. I guess if the transom has no rot in it I will leave it as is but if it is rotten I will have to cut out round there anyway maybe a sneaky little modification, it was an ultra rare factory option back in the 70s

On another subject has anyone seen replacement Avon searider logos like these? I'm going to replace all the tube attachments and rub strip to tidy it up a little. Also there is a hole in the keel up near the front that needs doing too nothing major though.

This picture is the current state of the transom not sure what purpose that 1mm ally plate actually has

ShinyShoe · 04 November 2018, 14:06

Oooh that metal may be hiding a lot of things you don't want to imagine.

Not seen those Avon badges before. But henshaws can laser cut so if an image can be created it may be possible....

What are your reasons for a diesel OB? I like the idea, but struggle to find a persuasive arguement!!

Searider · 04 November 2018, 21:33

I’ve had three seariders, two 4m and a 5.4m.
All have had flooding hulls and elephants trunk deck drains.
The 5.4m had a bilge pump that would get rid of most of the water on deck.
The 4 metres didn’t have any pumps.
When rain filled them I’d simply put my wellies on, lower the trunk, motor round in circles and drain the water out. Dry with small bailer and sponge.
I bought a bilge pump to fit to the last 4m but never fitted it.
Water in the boat was never an issue!

Seaflyer02 · 04 November 2018, 22:08

Those Avon badges I think make it early seventies

A.C. · 04 November 2018, 22:40

not sure what purpose that 1mm ally plate actually has

[/QUOTE]

A lot of sailing clubs etc. put a plate like that across the transom in an attempt prevent the theft of outboards by way of the thief cutting out the transom.

pagick · 05 November 2018, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Oooh that metal may be hiding a lot of things you don't want to imagine.

Not seen those Avon badges before. But henshaws can laser cut so if an image can be created it may be possible....

What are your reasons for a diesel OB? I like the idea, but struggle to find a persuasive arguement!!

I looked at the picture and thought "I wonder what the metal looks like on the other side. Then I read that ShinyShoe was thinking the same thing.
What you don't know CAN HURT YOU.

RAS666 · 05 November 2018, 20:07

That's been my main worry but it certainly doesn't look like an impossible job to replace the wood in the transom. From what I can see by taking the screws out and peeling the ally back is a lot of corroded ally and fairly clean cracking free gel coat it does look like that plate has been on there along time. I guess as soon as I start planning on venturing out from the canal I will strip all that off and check it properly.

If those badges are from the early 70s it's impressive the tubes still hold air and there's only 4 patches on there!

I'm not sure the ally would have stopped someone cutting the transom but that lump of electrical conduit at the top would have sure slowed the process down! I had ideas to run a bit of stainless c channel along the inside between the a frame mountings and have the lower outboard bolts go through that double nuts and another bit of c channel covering the 2 bolts maybe a padlock through

then they just take the whole boat instead

I think my first job will be flipping the boat over and fixing the hideous drippy and still sticky paint job and repairs that some one has done underneath! Then start on the tubes and transom.

On the whole was it good value for £400 with the trailer?

beamishken · 05 November 2018, 21:53

400 with a trailer and decent tubes is a good deal
The transom isnt that hard to repair properly even if the ply is totaly rotten. given a little time and effort it will make a decent boat. The wood and fibreglass bits are the cheap bits to fix its the tubes where it gets expensive

lordofthepies · 06 November 2018, 08:19

I have an old SR4 with those badges, the transom plate no. ends in 79.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours, mine is in a similar/slightly worse state of repair complete with metal plate on the transom no doubt hiding horrors beneath.

RAS666 · 20 November 2018, 22:47

I don't know what happened I replied to this last week but it didn't appear and I couldn't log in till I cleared my cache! Sorry for dissapearing.

It will be interesting to see if they left the serial on there! I have peeled the aluminium off but cannot remove it from the top so I put it back but it does look pretty good behind no cracks however I was prodding round in some of the holes in the transom and it is all rotten in there so it's all gonna have to be done. The question is do I chop the inside or outside hmm inside has the worst state of gel coat.

I have bought a mercury 500 leg to experiment with my diy diesel idea and I'm also likely to be getting a 2 stroke mercury 500 to play with! Not sure what the previous owner had bolted to the back of it but the bolt hole spacing absolutely dwarfs that of the Mercury!

My big conundrum is what do I do about the seating and helm I have a rather rotten dash and chopped up front canopy but that does take up almost half of the boat space. Knowing me it will end up with a broom handle as a tiller

beamishken · 21 November 2018, 00:23

Only proper way to repair the transom is from the inside leaving the hull structure in tact rather than relying on a join on the outside
Plenty of old threads on here to give you ideas on best way to go about it

RAS666 · 21 November 2018, 00:31

I was thinking inside tbh as the outer skin appears thicker and the transom stops at deck level in mine anyway it's just looking through threads on here I saw a few had done it from the outside instead. Maybe their outer skin was damaged more. Going to get the shed cleared out first and get it in there to do the glassing should work out better in a warm dry place!

Going to start on the big repair work in January some time got a few more canal cruises planned only if it's not horrible weather though!