Beginning my 1987 Fisherman 20 Restoration

[Myfathersson]

Productive weekend! I sprayed a total of 4 coats of paint. My bodywork filling and fairing wasn't perfect, but from 10 feet away I can't pick out the issues, and even at 5 foot I have to know where to look. Plus, except for the 3' long scar along the port side, all of the issues are below the waterline, or under where the engine will mount on the transom, so it's a win in this amateur's book.

It's so nice seeing a glossy shine on her - she didn't have a lick of that when she came home.








I did have one sag starboard side just fore of the ice box thru hull but it's hardly noticeable.




I should have sourced acetone by the pail...




I used a variant of the iBoats "tractor paint" process. Rustoleum Oil Base Gloss Enamel, Acetone to reduce, and Majic Enamel Hardener from Tractor Supply in a 8:6:1 ratio. Each coat took 120 oz of mixed product, sprayed through a Harbor Freight Pressure Pot HVLP gun, fed by (2) 21gal compressors to yield a theoretical 11.6 cfm supply rate, just above the 10 cfm spec'd by HF for the gun. While spraying the hull I also coated all the hatch covers which all had coarse non-skid. That really took some serious application to cover. I bet 30-40 oz of each coat was sprayed on the non-skid. I sprayed the primer with a gravity feed HVLP gun and decided that the $60 pressure pot version was a good investment to let me correctly aim the spray for the keel and chines - I was right :)


Now, since the hull is off the trailer, I'm setting up to replace 4 of the bunk supports on the inner pair that were too short in my original setup. I've gotta grab a length of 2x4 tube and weld those on over the next couple weeks before my brother travels back down to assist with getting her back on the trailer and setting the cap back in place. So I rolled the trailer up onto the patio to where the welder can reach the outlet, and braced the bunks where they need to be, cut out the front 2 and made up a template for the new supports out of a scrap 2x4. Once the front set is tacked on, I'll cut out the mid supports and tack those in.




Fuel tank should be delivered this week so installing that will be the next big ticket endeavour.

Thanks for looking!

[Giorgio]

Looking GOOOOOD!!!!

[Pipe_Dream]

Really nice! Where'd you source your fuel tank? It seems like someone somewhere is always looking for one.

[Myfathersson]

Originally Posted by Pipe_Dream

Really nice! Where'd you source your fuel tank? It seems like someone somewhere is always looking for one.

Ocean Link - THIS 50 gal poly belly tank. Waiting for updated tracking info from the manufacturer presently. I've worked up a support platform to anchor it that there's some detail on a few posts/pages back. As I install it I'll try and highlight what I've done.

[Blue_Runner]

Great job, nice progress. She's really looking good. You'll be on the water soon! Can't wait to see splashdown.

[Myfathersson]

Since my last post I've hit my milestones for this season. Had a stretch of rain (not from Sally) that kept me in the shop for a number of days. Took that time to finally wrap up rebuilding part of the basement bathroom and laundry room to install a large stainless steel prep sink. But also fired up the mill and machined the slots in the tank mounting brackets.




Then when the weather cleared back up I loaded the flux core 308 stainless wire into the welder and welded the gussets on the brackets. Clearly I'm not a seasoned welder, but they are solid and I was able to hammer the brackets back to flat. This was the best of the welds, I won't show the worst LOL.




Then spent a bit of time waiting on my tank to arrive. While waiting my new hoses arrived. Fill, vent, and the hose for the deck drains and the ice chest. I used defender.com and was pleased with their service. I had also ordered a spool of 18ga jacketed duplex wire to wire up the nav lights prior to reassembling to make it easier and that was missing from the box. Once alerted they shipped the replacement out fairly quick.




Then got to installing the thru hulls, stern eyes and a replacement drain fitting for the ice chest.








I could not find that drain fitting at any marine supplier. I ended up finding it through a restaurant equipment supplier, and cheaper by 1/3 than anything I was seeing at marine vendors. Just a little tip.

Then last weekend I jacked the hull up and slid the trailer back under. Oops - forgot to take any pics of the 4 bunk supports I replaced to get the bunks in perfect alignment for this hull. Sorry.




And just like that she was mobile again.




All that done and I was STILL waiting on the tank. So I had my neighbor give me a hand maneuvering the console back up the basement steps last Saturday night, and started sanding and planning out the console rehab on Sunday.




Monday about 10am I got a call from R&L Carriers scheduling my tank delivery for Tuesday! About 15 minutes after the end of the delivery window the driver called and said he was 5 minutes out. I was a happy camper.




I wasn't impressed with the hassle involved in actually getting the tank. The tracking number I was provided was invalid and the vendor just kept telling me that the manufacturer was looking into it. For two weeks. And all communication was initiated by me. I was ready to throw in the towel and sent an email the Friday before delivery giving them an ultimatum. Then R&L called on Monday. In the end it worked out, but I would be a bit hesitant to use them again.

With the tank in hand I was able to dry fit my platform and the tank and verify everything mated up nicely and would clear what it needed to.




First I peanut buttered and glassed in the PVC bilge passage and then the riser assembly.




Then peanut buttered the platform to the riser, and tabbed the platform to the stringers and bulkheads.






The short ends were done with angles that I prefabricated, due to the fact that I was low on 3/4" ply and didn't want to by another whole sheet just to complete this. The tank rests on plywood cored glass, these tabs only seal the compartment to keep any liquid that may end up in there from making it's way to the inaccessible void under the platform or, if the PVC passage were to fail, to the bilge.




Then since the last of the hull glasswork was DONE I cracked a beer and admired my work.




Well, cracked the beer too soon. Halfway through the beer I decided to toss a finishing layer of 17oz biax over the platform. No pic though as evidently summer left and the sun now sets really freaking early. By the time I got my hands clean and everything put away it was too dark for a pic without flash and my phone was too low to let me use the flash


Next up...the two halves get reunited!

[Myfathersson]

Well this was supposed to happen next weekend when my brother comes down to visit and lend a hand. But I hoisted up the cap to make sure everything fit together correctly before he traveled down. It went together so smoothly I opted to crack out the PL adhesive and bed down the cap today.






And once I got the 4200 run around the entire joint (I hate caulking, and I really hate caulking upside down...) I stripped the 2x4's of the lifting structure out of the cap and set up a new tarp support system and got the cover back on her before it rains tomorrow.




Next weekend when my brother is down I'll have him assist with breaking the gantry down and storing it until I acquire a new outboard. I'm sure my neighbors will appreciate the change of scenery!




It's been 427 days since I removed the cap and began stripping out foam and exposing the rotten structure. It's been a hell of a lot of work but really no one task was all that hard. Expensive yes, but hard no! But it sure feels good to have her looking like a real boat again!

Hopefully I can get the cutting I need to do on the console done in the next few weeks and get that back into the basement to be able to glass and fair it over the winter. Then when I pull the cover back off again and get the sanding done on the sole, I can paint the sole and console together. Still plenty left to do but nothing happens overnight.

Thanks for looking - Greg

[Giorgio]

WOW you sure are doing one HELLAVA job!!!!
BE SAFE!!!