Wake Tower

I got the wake tower installed back on the boat last night and all the wires are pulled from the top of the tower down to where they go through the deck.  I still need to install the speakers, wakeboard rack and mirror then hook everything up under the dash, but that won't take long.  It will be so nice to have the all around white light on top of the tower!

Floor Covering

The floor is finally done!  Next up, is to work on the swim step.  I need to get some gelcoat tinted and prep the step itself.  Then I need to template and cut a piece of the foam for that as well as the sun deck.  I think I will also do little step pads on the gunnels so they are not so slick when you get on and off the boat.

Floor Covering

I got the gray paint put down around all the edges and under the seams of the floor covering.  I also have the frame of the spotter seat, the base of the driver's seat and the deck plate screwed down with 3M 5200 to seal them up tight.  Although I took this picture before doing that.  As soon as the paint dries a little more I'll be able to stick the floor covering down!

Floor Covering

It took all afternoon yesterday and all day today, but I finally got the flooring cut.  Next I need to paint all the edges and seams of the floor gray and sand the edges of the foam to get everything nice and smooth.  Then I will be ready to stick it all down.  Should only be a couple more days and the floor will be done!  Then I will move on to the swim step.

Spotter Seat

The spotter seat frame is finished and ready to install as soon as the floor is done.  I wound up extending the back board to cover the open areas where the backrest didn't cover.  That means we will not have a large gap on either side of the back rest anymore.  The frame was also covered in resin before the carpet was applied.

Engine Cover

After getting the spotter seat frame worked out, I decided it was time to finally tackle the frame for the engine cover.  I was not looking forward to this one because I knew it was going to have to be rebuilt from scratch.  After gluing and brad nailing it all together, I flipped it over and set it on the cover so I know it fits right.  It took a little tweaking, but it will work well.

Spotter Seat

I finally decided it was time to start working on the framing for the spotter seat.  I was hoping I could just recover the existing frame in carpet and reuse what was there.  It was too far gone though.  So I used some of the leftover plywood from the floor to make a new frame.  I'll cover it in resin before carpet to keep this one from rotting to fast.

Wiring and Stereo

The wiring is largely buttoned up.  There are a few bits and pieces I'll have to finish as I complete some of the other projects.  The stereo is also installed and complete as far as I can go for right now.  I need to get the tower on before I can hook up the last 2 speakers and the all around white light though.  I think tomorrow I will finally work on the seat and engine cover frames.

Carpet

The carpet under the passenger side of the bow as well as both side walls tip to stern is complete.  I have a small piece to run under the driver's side of the bow still.  That side is not fun to work on because there is no room and tons of wiring and cables.  Then I need to rebuild and carpet the spotter seat and engine cover frames and the carpet will be done.

This and That

I got a bunch of work done on the boat this weekend.  I got the throttle assembly rebuilt and installed, the battery cables installed and much of the electrical tested, but the switches in the dash need some attention still.  The sound deadening is down the starboard side and the carpet is installed on the dash support.  It's finally starting to look like a boat again!

Floor Covering

In order to get ready for the new EVA foam floor covering, I finished installing the sound deadening along the port side.  Then I did a little body work along the seams where the removable section of the floor meats the permanent sections.  Finally I applied the primer so it can dry over night.  Then I'll get the grey paint laid down tomorrow.

Floor Covering

Last night I was able to get the majority of the grey paint laid down.  I still have to do around the motor housing and bilge pump access port as well as along the seam lines up front.  The removable section of the floor has also been painted.  I may go back and do a second coat, we'll see how it goes.  Next up is to rebuild the frames for the motor cover and spotter seat.

Assembly

I got quite a bit of stuff put back together on the boat this evening.  Notice the new check engine light on the right, USB charger on the left and the hour meter just to the left of the steering column.  The wiring is all cleaned up as well.  The vents on the bow and stern are installed as well as the navigation lights and tow hook.  I'll be starting on the floor covering soon.

Windshield

When we bought the boat the windshield was broken on both sides.  Since they don't make these any more, I had to order a sheet of plastic and cut a new one.  The old one was acrylic so it was quite fragile.  I made the new one out of polycarbonate so it won't break again.  We just have to be careful not to scratch it.  This stuff does not polish out very well.

Paint

I wound up doing 3 coats of color because this stuff just didn't cover very well.  Then I did 2 coats of a high solids clear and it turned out well.  The only problem is the boat has faded over time and not very evenly.  So the paint matches well in places but not so well in others.  I'll get it out in the sun tomorrow to check, but I think we'll be OK.  Over all I'm very happy.

Paint

I had enough time when I got back from the lake today to get the garage covered in plastic and get the sealer and some of the color applied on the boat.  I got 2 coats on the inside and the first coat on the outside, but I ran out!  There are a few waves in places, but nothing you will see outside in the sunshine.  It should look pretty good for a 25 year old boat.

Paint Prep

The boat is finally ready for paint.  I have the bottom masked off all the way around but I ran out of plastic.  I'm headed to the cabin tomorrow to finish the plumbing, but I'll get some more plastic on my way home and finish covering everything in the shop.  Hopefully I'll be able to shoot it Monday after work.

Motor Install

I got the motor back in the boat this weekend.  I also set the cover over the top and marked its location on the floor.  I got a bunch of other little stuff done too; the deck support is finished, the wiring for the gauges is cleaned up, the last of the fiber glass work is done under the bow and the drain plug is installed.  I'm sure there is more, but that covers the majority of it.

A Couple Things

Last night I got the removable section of the floor cut, supports made and installed and I got the first coat of resin laid down.  The fit is pretty good. 

I also got the support piece for the dash put back together.  I had to cut this into several pieces to get it out.  So I had to put some tabbing along the seams to hold it all together.

Last of the Glass

I got the last layer of fiber glass done on the floor.  After putting the 1708 down with a layer of resin, I sanded all the high spots down and filled in a few low spots with some fiberglass based body filler and put one more layer of resin from bow to stern.  I still need to put the deck and dash support in, but the floor is done.

More Glass Work

I finally got to work on the boat again today.  I got all the holes drilled under the dash for the air vents, battery cables and bilge pump hose.  I also installed the bilge pump and the last piece of the floor.  All the carpet glue has been scraped off the sides as well.  Finally, I began working on the the last coat of fiber glass.  But of course, I have run out of resin.

Paint Prep

After a ton of work getting all the gelcoat cracks ground out and filled in with new fiberglass, I finally have the top side of the boat in primer.  I'll let this stuff cure for a few days before I start sanding.  I'm hoping I got it smooth enough that I can go straight to 400 grit, but we'll have to wait and see.

Paint Prep

In sanding the old paint off the bow of the boat, I discovered a bunch of small repairs that had been made at some point in the past.  It turns out that the fiberglass was not fully wet out to the backside of the gel coat when the boat was originally made.  Over time a few more of those spots have appeared, so now I get to make a few repairs as well.

Paint Prep

The boat has been disassembled and all of the unwanted holes and dings have been patched.  The socket for the anchor light has been removed and a new all around white light will be mounted on the top of the wake tower.  So next up is to strip all the cracked and failing gel coat off the bow to prep it for paint.

Dash Rework

Since the boat is mostly apart already and it's only mid February, I figured now is the time to paint the top side.  The first project was to rework the dash so we have a glove-box and enough cup holders.  I've also filled in the old holes where the review mirror used to mount on the dash.  I still need to make the box that fits under the glove-box door.

Gelcoat

The gelcoat on the bilge is done. Next up I need to run to Home Depot to get a 4" hole saw so I can drill the holes for the vents.  I have the bits I need to do the battery cables and throttle/shift cables already.  But I may need to get one for the bilge pump hose as well.  As soon as I get those drilled I can do the final coat of fiberglass across the whole deck.

Flotation Foam

The flotation foam is done and all the holes have been plugged.  I have also run a layer of peanut butter over all the seams to smooth everything out for the last layer of fiberglass that will cover the entire floor.  The factory used 1708, but I may go with chop strand mat instead.  I still have some holes to drill for the vent hoses, battery cables and bilge pump first though.

Flotation Foam

I originally ordered 2 gallons of flotation foam to fill the cavities under the deck.  I have gone through those 2 gallons and only filled about 2/3 of the space.  So I ordered 2 more gallons to finish the forward section.  I may drill a few more holes in the aft section as well because I suspect I have some voids, but we'll see when I get the additional foam.

Tabbing

I have the floor tabbed in all the way around and all the seams have a piece of tabbing on them as well.  I've gone around once with the grinder and cleaned up some of the rough edges.  But I need to do it again because I found a few spots I missed while cleaning out the grinding dust.  Next up is to pour the foam under the floor.

Peannut Butter

It's hard to make out in this picture, but the gaps between the floor and the sides of the boat have all been filled with "peanut butter" which is a thickened resin.  The gaps where the floor meets the motor mounts have been filled as well.  Next up is to put some tabbing all the way around the floor to give it some strength where it meets the hull.  Then I can start the foam this weekend.

New Floor

The starboard side of the floor is cut, waterproofed and installed.  There is only 1 small piece left that goes in front of the motor mounts where the old ski pole used to be.  I have some fiberglass and gelcoat work to do before I can put that piece in though.  So tomorrow I start the fillets and tabbing around the floor.  With any luck I will be able to pore foam this weekend.

New Floor

All the glass work on the back side of the stringer and all the ribs on the starboard side is done.  The new floor has been cut, sanded, waterproofed and is now glued and screwed in place.  I'll let it dry for a couple days before I round the edges over and run a piece of fiberglass from the bilge up the string, across the deck to the side of the hull to hold it all together.

New Floor

The second section of the floor has been glued and screwed in place!  Like the front section, this one has several coats of resin on the bottom and all the edges.  I still have to cut the holes for the vents hoses, battery cables, shift/throttle cables. bilge pump hose and access port.  The last 3 pieces of the floor should not take that much work, so hopefully I can get them done in another week or so.

Glass Work

I got the glass work on the new stringer done back to the aft end of the motor mount today.  I'm very happy with how that turned out.  I also go a new piece put in the bilge just aft of the bulked where the bilge pump mounts.  The wood was in good shape, but the old glass was delaminating so I replaced it.  This evening, I will glue and screw in the second floor section.

Glass Work

The glass work on the bulked is done.  It's not the cleanest work I've done, but this will not be visible and it will be plenty strong.  I have a little bit more glass work to do on the ribs and give the bulked 1 more coat of resin to make sure it is waterproof.  Then the second piece of the floor can be installed.  It's getting so close, I can taste it.  Or maybe it's just fiberglass dust I taste...

New Floor

The glass work on the cable tray is all done and the front section of the floor has been glued and screwed in place.  It has several coats of resin along all the edges and the entire bottom side.  I will do the resin on the top side after I get the entire floor installed, tabbed in, the flotation foam is pored under the deck and the holes are patched.