Sunny-side-up!

A few of you might know that along with my older Correct Crafts, I've also been restoring a 1962 wooden Higgins. Thanks to some friends that are also restoring a Higgins (in which slow progress was being made), a friendly challenge was made to get them done by mid-summer next year.

I had stripped and re-finished the hull over the last few years, but the project has pretty much been untouched for over a year, all the time setting upside-down on sawhorses.

Well, this afternoon a few friends came over and helped me get the old girl turned over and setting on a dolly. What a great feeling!!!

A BIG thanks to Alan-the Magicman for making the trip over to help!!   We didnt get many pics, but will try to get some posted in the next day or two.
Thanks again for the help Alan!

Steve, Since Alan made the trip to help you flipping the Higgins, we now know where we can get some help when the time comes to flip the Hurricane!!!

What method did you use? I've always had good success with old tires covered with some movers blankets and then of course plenty of friends. The ultimate is having two gantries, 4 hoists and straps. Then there's the one Gary (Farmer) used that he got from Don Danenberg.

Pete,
Im ready to help with the Huricane when you guys are!

We used two cherry pickers with straps to lift the baoat off the sawhorses. We then lowered it down, resting the hull on three mattresses on one side and a couple of milk crates on the other.

We kept offsetting our lift point of the slings toward the crate side, bringing that side up while the other was on the mattresses.

Once it was setting verticle , we could slide the hull thru the slings til she was upright....worked like a charm!

I will try to post a few pics later, but we just found out one of the digital cameras wasnt working.. So,I dont think we got any of the hull in the verticle position.

Well... here are the three pics that we got before battery went dead. Pam got my older digital camera to finish with and didnt have the dial set correctly....bummer is she had just re-charged the battery in her camera..

Hopefully,you can get the idea how we did it?


straps set..




Alan setting the picker...






the last pic...Dave Moritz (from Muscatine Boat Show)and I ready to lift...




bummer mannnnnnn... good thing... at least,it is right side up..

All kidding aside Steve looking good

Nice garage. You need some more lighting

About 2" up here, Steve.

Are you going to use the same technique for a rotisserie for the Chevelle? haha

8122pbrainard wrote: Steve, I forgot to mention that it looks like you got a real nice even and not grain hiding wiping down of the filler/stain. Tell Pam she did a great job! Is that the pettit "brown mahogany"?

Pams not afraid to pitch in and get dirty.. thats why Ive kept her around for more than 33 years!

Heres a pic from a couple years ago with the bottom stripped, before deciding to do the whole hull...After taking the cutwater off and seeing the original stain color, what was on the hull looked too orange.



Heres a pic of "stain-day" a couple years ago...




The stain is the Petit Red Mahogany, I also have the Brown, but I think its actually the redder of the two in my test staining.


BTW, Pete, I can hardly wait to get the last three coats of varnish on!! In the "tippin" pics there are 9 coats of Flagship that had been block sanded.. thats why the matte looking finish. It looks awesome when you wipe a wet cloth over it!

Steve Glad to see you had enough help .
i cant be of much help from down here in Florida where the temps got into the 80s today down at the beach .
went for an air boat ride today in the glades . It was a good time . Seen a lot of gators.