First project, old 14 ft Crestliner aluminum boat

[Hotpickle]

Hey guys, so I am currently in my first boat project, looking for some help. I picked up a boat, motor and trailer for real cheap last summer, and everything's condition matched the price, but I finally had the boat. So over the past year I have worked on the motor and the trailer, both are finally online. The last piece is the boat. I have been reading this forum and learning a ton, and figured I would start sharing what I am working on. I am a beginner, I'm hoping you guys can share with me all the basics that may seem super simple to you, that I don't know.

So I attached a pic of the boat last summer before I started anything, pics of diagrams/measurements, and a pic from when I started on the benched last weekend. The bottom half of the hull is brown, top half is a dark green. All the wood in the boat was rotted out, so my first step is replacing benches. I got barn boards from a buddy's step dad that I cut to size. This week I am staining them and covering them in spar varnish. I got a cool wood grain vinyl wrap I'm going to put on the air boxes underneath the benches as well (which are currently flaking off with old paint). Before I proceed, I got a couple questions for you guys if anyone can point me in the right direction.

First question is about sealing the boat. I filled it with water yesterday and found some slow seeps at various rivets/seams. If I clean out around the rivets and seams ( with steel wool), pressure wash the inside, dry it off with compressed air, can I just use flex seal to seal up the leaks? How long do I have to wait for it to set/cure? Can it be painted over? I'm considering painting the inside of the boat a cream colour to help with reflecting sun.

I want to put floors in between the back bench and the front one (leaving the front and back sections open). Can I just cut plywood to size, shape it to fit in, seal it and wrap it in marine carpet then just lay it down? Do I need to add any bracing underneath, or flotation?

If I want to experiment with adding floors and modifying the boat, at what point do I need to consider a bilge pump? I am assuming this boat won't need one, but I plan on doing a bigger project next.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Hotpickle]

So I put together drawings of what I want to do. The highlighter yellow is the floors with 2x4 supports. I want to rearrange the rear bench as well. Any input is appreciated.

 

[perchjerker]

I would probably rethink your floor framing.

You don't really need 2x4's. You could use 2x2's And I would run them the other way and go under the middle bench then tie them together with shorter lengths, kind of like a ladder. This would save you on weight, and also make the floor lower in the boat. I would remove the middle bench and make the floor in one big piece, lay it in there then put the bench back if you want to keep it

as far as flotation, my approach was to replace what I took out, and add a little more. The wood I added will float on its own so I figured that was a wash. I may be wrong but that's what I did

that's my suggestion anyway

Take a look at previous builds.

 

[Hotpickle]

I would probably rethink your floor framing.

You don't really need 2x4's. You could use 2x2's And I would run them the other way and go under the middle bench then tie them together with shorter lengths, kind of like a ladder. This would save you on weight, and also make the floor lower in the boat. I would remove the middle bench and make the floor in one big piece, lay it in there then put the bench back if you want to keep it

Thanks for the help, that makes a ton of sense. 2 things. Is there a disadvantage to making the floor into 2 pieces so I can remove it for storage? Also, when it comes to removing/rearranging benches (as I see you have done as well) how can I figure out how I am affecting the stability/rigidity of the boat? Is this going to be one long affair of trial and error?

 

[Hotpickle]

Also, if I am making the floor a lower profile, will the water still flow out the rear drain or do I need to do something to help it along?

 

[perchjerker]

making the floor in 2 pieces for the reason you state would make perfect sense as long as you can figure out how to secure it so it doesn't move around. I did not attach my floor, but built everything on top of it. So if I had to remove it, it would be a bit easier. You could screw it down and just remove the screws when you want to remove it I suppose.

On removing your center bench, you did not have that in your plan. If you did that I would recommend that you build some support of some kind to make up for it, you could do like I did, or you could make full length storage compartments on both sides to tie them together to the front and rear of the boat like a lot of guys do.

I chose not to do this since I wanted as much open floor space as possible as well as someplace to get in and out of the boat without stepping on or over side compartments.

 

[perchjerker]

Also, if I am making the floor a lower profile, will the water still flow out the rear drain or do I need to do something to help it along?

not really sure what you mean. As long as you tip the nose of the boat up it will drain as normal

are you going to use carpet or vinyl for a floor covering?

 

[derekdiruz]

Do what perchjerker said about the direction of the framing. I'd run the 2x2 under the floor front to back, then tie in the ladder pieces between the benches. Then make the floor in 2 sections and bolt it down. Just my .02

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Hotpickle]

Planning on using carpet.

So, for sealing the boat. Does that have to be done to the outside? Does it depend on what I am using? Can I take the easy way out and do it on the inside (instead of going through the process of re painting the boat)?

 

[Hotpickle]

Does anyone have experience with Capt Tolleys creeping crack cure?

 

[perchjerker]

ok I am not a big carpet fan, especially after using vinyl. Carpet holds the moisture to the wood, is harder to clean, is heavier and hooks get stuck in it. And vinyl is easy to install

that's just my opinion on it

I cant answer the question on the leaks.