Boat Repair, Restoration, Building
Finally! Sea trials are here!
Click here to see a short video of the sea trial.
Eventually, a boat ends up in the water. There are lots of things to check when that happens. Does it float? Does it float level? Does it float anywhere near the design waterline? Does the engine run? Does it steer properly? etc. etc. Continue reading “Sea trials of the 1949 Chris Craft Deluxe Runabout”
The final step in the upholstery phase is to install the crashpad. Crashpad is the 1/2 round closed cell foam rubber padding applied to the edge of the cockpit. It is best left for after the varnish work and deck seams are complete. So now’s the time. Continue reading “Installing the Crashpad”
Staining is just preparation for varnishing. We talked about staining recently here. Now it’s time for a bit of strategizing. We’re anticipating about 6 coats of conventional varnish (Interlux Schooner 96) and then about 8-10 coats of AwlWood MA Gloss over that. When you’re talking about that many coats, spraying is the way to go. Continue reading “Varnishing the 1949 Chris Craft 17 ft Deluxe Runabout”
With all the interior work finished, it’s time to focus on the pretty part. It’s time to finish stripping the hull, repair holes and dings, and stain the hull. All this precedes the varnishing phase. I use the most aggressive chemical stripper I can find (Jasco brand) and let it do the work for me. I slap it on liberally and let it sit there awhile and eat away the old varnish. You can actually hear and see it doing this if you watch closely. Continue reading “Staining the boat”
The first question is: Can you use your old fuel tank, or do you need a new one? That depends. What material is your old fuel tank made of? If it’s steel, or galvanized steel, I don’t think I’d entertain the notion of reusing one older than 5-10 years. And I’d check it thoroughly for corrosion and pinholes even then. It’s a pretty simple procedure to leak test a tank–fill it up and see if it leaks. An even better test is a pressure test–something that all plumbers do for any new plumbing they install. Simply plug it up and put a gauge on it. Then pressurize it with 5-10 psi to see if it leaks down over time. Continue reading “Installing a New Fuel Tank”