Home Made Boat Restoration - Fibreglass - Half Cabin - Australia

[SouthernCross33]

Mate you are the master, you must be a pro boat builder or at least in the biz? I've just built a 17 ft kayak with 4 mm ply and Bote Cote epoxy. So now i think i know it all hahaha. I've got a little 13 ft old bellboy glass dinghy probably from the 70s but it's had a new floor and transom put in 3 yrs ago and all it needs is the keel line done. What do you think is the best way to treat that and could i use water based epoxy that i have.

[cameron300462]

@SouthernCross33 No. Not a boat builder, not even in the business. I am a sign guy. But thanks anyway. Turn your Bellboy upside down, grind all the gelcoat off about 500mm either side of the keel line with 36 grit discs. Lay a 100mm wide layer of glass, then a 200mm wide, then a 300mm and so on till your last layer is about 6 to 700mm wide. Smooth with Q-cells, and then a finish coat of coloured gelcoat. Thats what I'd do if I didnt need to rip out the floor. Cheers.

[SouthernCross33]

@cameron300462 Thanks for the reply, that sounds like what i've heard from others as well. What thickness ply did you use for those seat bases and do you remember what brand of ply? I used okuomo for my yak but even though it's very good quality it's astronomical cost wise. I also don't think i'd need such top quality for inside of the boat. I'm going to do the same treatment seat wise as you did here.I want to remove the thwart and put in seat boxes like yours with seats mounted

[cameron300462]

@SouthernCross33 G'day... if your talkin about the front seats then that is all 12mm ply except where you can see it is curved(that is 3mm stapled into place). I have used just standard construction type ply. Its not the ply itself so much, as how well you seal it inside and out. I always use at least 1 layer of glass on non structural section and 2 layers at least on more structural aspect of the boat. This is the inside layers seal Im talking about, not outside.

[cameron300462]

@SouthernCross33 by more structural parts i mean like the underside of the floor for example.

[cameron300462]

@SouthernCross33 I am assuming too that your stringers and your centreboard ( if you have one ) are all structurally solid?!

[multilex]

I like the way you have made the new transom How did you painted the inside floor? I mean is there a special technique for or so?

Regards

Alex

[cameron300462]

@multilex thanks mate. The floor is brush coated with flowcoat, which is like a gelcoat but with more wax in it from what I understand, so that it does not have a sticky finish. The flicked colour is done by dipping a 50mm brush into different coloured flowcoat and sharply flicking it around until you get the desired effect. Hope this answers your query.

[sonowilk1]

done did loved it keep it up !!!

[sonowilk1]

top job mate ya put a lot o work into her its good to see like minded people :)

[cameron300462]

@sonowilk1 Thanks Wilk...yeah Id rather build something up than tear somethin down.

[cameron300462]

@sonowilk1 ... check out my homemade boat on my other couple of vids. You may like those too.

[subasurf]

Great video...but had to mute, the music is terrible :p

[Spiritualseeker2007]

Wow well done thats great looking work how much do you think you spent on all this stuff to do her up ?

[cameron300462]

@Spiritualseeker2007 Thanks spirit. Im not sure exactly but not including the 1700 bucks for the motor I would say it cost about 3500 to 4000 dollars from start to finish ( material and fittings cost only - not labour involved ).

Took about 7 or 8 weeks to complete.