73 Skier Restoration

Keegan - The most important factor for you to consider is safety. You don't want the engine to come loose during operation!

So check your motor mounts to see if the screws still hold torque; you might even want to grind the glass away near the motor mounts or drill a hole in the stringers to see if that wood is rotted (my guess is that it will be). If they don't hold torque, it is unsafe to run the boat, IMO.

The removable panel in back could be easily replaced.

If your main stringers are rotted, they need to be replaced.    Trying to do a partial repair is just wasting time, effort, & money in the long run.

I know this isn't what you wanted to hear.

Maybe you can put up a ridge pole above your boat & have a big tarp to create a workspace so you can get this project done before summer.

Keegan,
Have you checked the engine/prop shaft/strut alignment?

You do have a stringer rot problem!!!!

Do a search for stringer rebuilds and make sure to do an advanced search and look back atleast a year. I'm on the phone now so I can't help ya anymore till I get infront of a comp. Great looking boat tho!!! Looking forward to seeing the progress!

What sort of contraband? Was it rotted?

Haha...thats an interesting find there! I don't think I've heard anything like that before, your boat is from the 70's tho!

Keegan, do a search on here- a member named JDiggs created a drawing for Ski Tique stringers which would be the same for your Skier (same hull). We're using them as a guide on our '71 and they should be helpful in putting together your material list, at the very least.

You need to do some reading on here to determine a few things before you buy your materials... foam vs. no foam, stringer and floor material, etc. There are several ways to do it. I wouldnt bother supporting the hull with anything more than the trailer. Ive gutted a Ski Tique and our '71 and havent bothered- the 16' boats have small, thick hulls and really dont flex much at all.

Originally posted by Keeganino Great info thank you! Foam foam foam. What kind and what do you think about it?   I would like to build a cooler into the floor behind each seat. Fill it with beer foam Seriously though I have so much to learn before I even think about making my first cuts. Threads are great and key info is hidden all through them but... A book would be great. Any recommendations?

I think you'll find more than enough info here on the forums to answer any question that you have. Search, search, search- and read, read, read!

Here are some big hitters on stringer/floor jobs. My apologies to anyone I forgot. In no particular order:

Buffalo's '88 Barefoot Nautique

Skibum's '87 Ski Nautique rebuild (and his website)

aka's '83 SN

Wakeslayer's '68 Stang

Joe in NY's all composite 60mph Nautique rebuild

The Grinch's '79 BFN

UK79's '78SN


Hasbeenskier has also done a beautiful job restoring 2 '81's with composites... a SN and a BFN. He has numerous threads on each, so do some clicking and read those too.

Bill's rebuild page is a great read. His ability to inject some humor into things that are simply not funny, is second to none.

Here is an update. It was 60 here today so I got out there and did some poking around. Here is what I have found- STRINGER PUDDIN'! YUM YUM! I can almost taste the resin now and I am starting to itch. Starboard side is the worst, with rot all along the stringers. The transmission mounts would not tighten, they just spun in place. There was major rot under the driver seat. Notice the screwdriver that is poked all the way through the stringer. I wish I would have done all of this back in October, and was halfway through the re-build. I had fantasies of running her for the summer but now I am hoping I can get her rebuilt before it gets cold again.


See any potential water entry points here?


Sorry I already ate this bowl of Stringer Pudding


I don't think that is supposed to go there.


Yummy puddin


Crack Kills!


She did not keep her motor clean


Stringer Pudding for everybody!


I have been following a few different threads on here about stringer repairs and am working out my own details right now, like how to pay for all this, where to do the work, and how long it will take me. Other than that I am more than convinced that she will not see the water again till she is shining like new.   

200 hours Five 40 hour weeks of work. It sounds so easy...

I can see that this may take me a bit longer than some of you because of my all around lack of experience. This is my first boat and I am about to rebuild it from scratch. My wife will tell you I am a glutton for impossible tasks. I go out there today and I figure I will start taking it apart from the rear to the front. Seems logical right… Get all the fuel out of the tank and get the tank out so I can get the platform off.

I took off the hardware above deck and then removed the fuel line from the filter, leaving it attached to the tank. Notice in the pictures this is the original fuel line. It says 1973 on it. Then I siphoned the gas out into a 2 gallon container one at a time till it was empty. (Now I wish I had taken her out one last time and run some seafoam through the tank before she goes into restoration. Neat trick I used was to cover the escape valves and blow into the tank so I did not have to suck any gas. The gas went into the minivan.

After the tank was drained I started disconnecting the wires going to the tank and blower. What is the window above the gas tank for? I can see why you might need to get in there, but what is the light for, and why would you need to see down there on a regular basis? All that is down there are some wires and the top of the gas tank. Another big problem area. As you can see in the pictures there is wood rot under that glass hatch and all of the snaps pulled out by hand. There is wood up unda there and it is wasted. Do I have to take the top off to fix this? I will be following the standard of pilot drilling, CPESing, and 5200ing all screws when I get to the putback.

Did not actually get the tank out today but It is ready to come out. The bolts will be hard to get to with my paws but looks straight forward enough. The supports under the tank are wrapped in what appears to be the same fabric as the seats are. White vinyl… Why would they do that? It seems like that would just be a place for moisture to lurk. There are some pieces stuck to the floor that look like they could be remnants of the original vinyl floor. Basket weave pattern, but the color is wasted. Almost black. Will try to photograph that once I get the tank out. See what ya’ll have to say about it.

I have been reading reading reading. So much to learn about the putback, but I am ready for the demo.

Before getting started


Removed all of the hardware above


More wood rot. Not where I expected to find it.


Draining the tank and the original fuel line from 1973!

Keegan, our 74 Skier had the same glass plate and was used to check the fuel level. Made it pretty tough to tell during the daytime.

Good luck on your rebuild! You'll be more proud of her when its all said and done! Keep us up to date!

Keegan you will soon have it back together with all the info on the site, it may take some time but its all there.

Good luck.

Originally posted by uk1979 Keegan you will soon have it back together with all the info on the site, it may take some time but its all there. Good luck.

Thanks Roger! Your work is amazing and I am following your info closely. Glad I just have a skier and not a BF for my first project! I used to live in Leeds. Where abouts are you?

Originally posted by 8122pbrainard Keegan, I don't believe you mentioned if you have the original mechanical gauge in the tank. Is it still there? You mentioned hoses.

There is no mechanical gauge on the tank. It looks like the electronic gauge went in the hole where the mechanical one came out.   This boat definitely came with a few of the options, so maybe it came that way? Hoping to get the tank out today before it starts raining again.