Another BFN Rebuild

Progess has been slow, but the bilge is almost done. Just one coat of resin, then a quick scuff, followed by a few coats of paint. Its not quite perfect, but should be smooth enough not to hold a ton of dirt.













The engine is also coming along- mainly just cooling and electrical left before it can be dropped in.



A quick measurement across the tops of the risers revealed that its 32" wide. We're a little doubtful the motorbox will fit over them, but we'll give it a try.

The manifolds and risers are polished aluminum EMI Thunders.

Pete, it was a really quick measurement taken on the outside of the box. Its somewhat buried in the corner of the garage, so I wasnt about to dig it out. If it fits, it will be by a very small margin... but I suspect that it wont.

In the event that it doesnt, I'll consider Joe's method, but its more likely that Ill split the box down the middle and make it a few inches wider. The box is pretty square, so I wouldnt mind preserving its lines. I may also add a little height to it, just in case the engine grows taller in the future.

Those modifications would likely require new vinyl, which we were tentatively planning to do for next year anyways. Unfortunately, Ive been informed that the marbled blue vinyl (like you have in your Tique) has been discontinued... not sure what plan B is just yet.

8122pbrainard wrote: I like this idea and in fact was going to recommend it. Sure simpler than bumping out the top sides like Joe did. However, his did come out really nice. Unless you were really looking for it, you wouldn't know it wasn't the original shape.

I agree that Joe's came out very nice. I think it fits the shape of the 2001 box nicely as well- plus it allowed him to reuse his vinyl, which was in good shape. The vinyl isnt too much of a concern to me since its towards the end of its life... which means I may either be doing some extra glass work this year, or running around without a motorbox!

TRBenj wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: I like this idea and in fact was going to recommend it. Sure simpler than bumping out the top sides like Joe did. However, his did come out really nice. Unless you were really looking for it, you wouldn't know it wasn't the original shape. or running around without a motorbox!

Tim, why not make a wood cover?

So your saying my motorbox doesn't look purdy???    I agree with you tho,it would be easier to widen the one you have. But if you didn't have one I think a wood one would be just fine.

TRBenj wrote: Gary, Im sure youre just poking fun at me, but clearly I meant that a temporary wood box that I would build wouldnt be pretty. I have no beef with the factory wood boxes from the 60's and earlier. Simply put, if Im going to put any sort of time into coming up with a wider solution (whether temporary or permanent), the effort might as well be put towards the glass box.

Tim what the heck get that thing in the water already. I was all about slowing down a little but august is on it's way out.

Split down the middle is prob the way to go it's two evenings work at most.   

Having to pre-glass all the panels and laminate pieces together for longer lengths or thicknesses certainly added to the time and complexity of the build. So did all of the extra bulkheads and ribs that we installed- but that was due to the no-foam nature of our rebuild rather than our material of choice. That being said, on any boat that I plan to keep forever, assuming I have the budget and schedule to support such a project, I cant imagine ever going a different route.

The only downside with working with the coosa is that its extremely itchy- especially when you create any dust (any time you cut, grind or sand it). Other than that, it was a dream- its only 2/3 the weight of plywood, so moving the sheets around was pretty easy. It always stays perfectly straight, so no bowing, cupping or twisting like wood tends to do. Since it consists partly of foam, its quick and easy to shape it with a grinder, file or sander. Its also incredibly strong- especially once a layer or 2 of glass has been added. I expect this boat to last darn near forever.

You may want to go back a few pages and look at all the pics- there are a lot of them so that should clear things up. Yes, we used coosa for everything- stringers, ribs, bulkheads, backers, bases and floors.

Ha, sorry Joe- we're still plugging away here. Will post back with new pictures as soon as theres something worth sharing.

Still no progress to report here... actually, quite the contrary.

2 weeks ago I put the first coat of Bilgekote on... and it still hasnt set up. I called Interlux and they told me that these prep instructions on the datasheet do not apply to epoxy based fiberglass- only poly and vinylester.

"BARE FIBERGLASS In Good Condition Begin by scrubbing well using soap and water and a stiff brush. Rinse with fresh
water and allow to dry. Degrease by wiping with a rag soaked in Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202. Sand with 180 grade
(grit) paper. Remove sanding residue."

Apparently bilgekote will not set up when applied over epoxy resin- instead, a primer is needed. Im glad they made that distinction clear.

So, instead of having the carpet in and engine installed by now, instead we get to remove all the bilge paint. What a nightmare.

Not sure whether to stick with the bilgekote (with primer) or to go to plan B with gelcoat.

In other news, we have a bent strut... not a bend Ive seen before either. The body that holds the shaft is perfectly straight with respect to the baseplate- but the body itself is bent. This causes the shaft to bind when installed in the strut with the new bushings. That will probaby drive us to buy a new $350 strut.

That is odd about the bilgekote. Mine was faired out using West epoxy and the 410 Fairing filler. I did not have any trouble. Do you suppose the filler negated that problem?

82 Nautique 1 wrote: TR, I have done 2 SN bilges as follows:

So have I! I have no idea what caused the problem this time. Its been 2 weeks though, and its definitely not setting up properly. Interlux is blaming the lack of primer. Not sure what else to say, but Im not happy.

Since I need to remove it all and apply an intermediate step, Im seriously considering using gelcoat instead.

It is in the bilge so no UV requirements why dont you just use some epoxy and throw in some tint for the color of choice.?

JoeinNY wrote: It is in the bilge so no UV requirements why dont you just use some epoxy and throw in some tint for the color of choice.?

Now that is a great idea! Wish I would have thought of that before I painted mine.