rivets4ever
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 3
Putting a toe in the water . . .
Got a 1958 Blue Star 15 foot "Islander" runabout (tail fins and all) for the regal price of "Get this dang thing outta my back yard!" Well, if you insist.
Talked to Florida DMV, turns out it is so old there never was a title, and it is from a state that didn't title anything under 17 feet anyway. "Bring a bill of sale and $9, we'll set you right up with a brand new Florida title in your name." That has to be the deal of the century from ANY governmental entity. (Tomorrow I find out if they speaketh the truth or not.)
Anyway, I had a 15 foot glass boat which was nasty beyond belief, rotten wood, waterlogged transom, ugly paint, but everything ELSE was good - nice 20 hp Evinrude, teleflex steering, good trailer (no rust, good tires), lots of goodies, bits and pieces, all I really needed was a hull - and now I have one!
I've shoveled out several hundred pounds of mulch, twigs, frogs, salamanders, ants and assorted other animal/vegetable/mineral crud, and it is just starting to look like a boat again.
I've got to remove the fiberglass deck from the aluminum hull - the deck needs some work (cracks, a tear, etc.) and the hull needs to be stripped properly. I don't want to let the aircraft paint stripper get on the fiberglass because it will eat it up (don't ask me how I learned that).
I've been crawling around trying to figure out how the deck comes off - the screws which hold the rub rails are not long enough to go into the hull, and I don't want to force or break anything - I figure I'll ask before I get out a bigger hammer. (My wife tells me that with age comes wisdom. We'll see.) It *looks* like a shoebox joint, but I can't find the fasteners.
Next item is the motor. The 20 hp Evinrude is a 1988 with a 20" shaft, turns out I need a "short shaft" or 15" shaft. I don't particularly want to use a jack plate because I'm thinking that will increase the bending moment on the transom. Anyone have a 15" setup to trade for a 20" setup? I'm told all that's needed is the center casting, the drive shaft, a short pipe, and some gaskets. If that's incorrect, I'll prefer to learn about it before I take the bottom end of the motor.
I'm also going to be asking about a windshield, what that device on the floor in front of the stern is (some kind of an automatic bilge drain?), the best location for the gas tanks and so on, but that's later - first stop is getting the deck off.
Best Regards,
Rivets4ever
Florida
Got a 1958 Blue Star 15 foot "Islander" runabout (tail fins and all) for the regal price of "Get this dang thing outta my back yard!" Well, if you insist.
Talked to Florida DMV, turns out it is so old there never was a title, and it is from a state that didn't title anything under 17 feet anyway. "Bring a bill of sale and $9, we'll set you right up with a brand new Florida title in your name." That has to be the deal of the century from ANY governmental entity. (Tomorrow I find out if they speaketh the truth or not.)
Anyway, I had a 15 foot glass boat which was nasty beyond belief, rotten wood, waterlogged transom, ugly paint, but everything ELSE was good - nice 20 hp Evinrude, teleflex steering, good trailer (no rust, good tires), lots of goodies, bits and pieces, all I really needed was a hull - and now I have one!
I've shoveled out several hundred pounds of mulch, twigs, frogs, salamanders, ants and assorted other animal/vegetable/mineral crud, and it is just starting to look like a boat again.
I've got to remove the fiberglass deck from the aluminum hull - the deck needs some work (cracks, a tear, etc.) and the hull needs to be stripped properly. I don't want to let the aircraft paint stripper get on the fiberglass because it will eat it up (don't ask me how I learned that).
I've been crawling around trying to figure out how the deck comes off - the screws which hold the rub rails are not long enough to go into the hull, and I don't want to force or break anything - I figure I'll ask before I get out a bigger hammer. (My wife tells me that with age comes wisdom. We'll see.) It *looks* like a shoebox joint, but I can't find the fasteners.
Next item is the motor. The 20 hp Evinrude is a 1988 with a 20" shaft, turns out I need a "short shaft" or 15" shaft. I don't particularly want to use a jack plate because I'm thinking that will increase the bending moment on the transom. Anyone have a 15" setup to trade for a 20" setup? I'm told all that's needed is the center casting, the drive shaft, a short pipe, and some gaskets. If that's incorrect, I'll prefer to learn about it before I take the bottom end of the motor.
I'm also going to be asking about a windshield, what that device on the floor in front of the stern is (some kind of an automatic bilge drain?), the best location for the gas tanks and so on, but that's later - first stop is getting the deck off.
Best Regards,
Rivets4ever
Florida