Freshening up my 14' Sears Gamefisher

Hello from Northern VA.  I am new to this forum and from what I have read in the last couple of days there is a great bit of information on this site for what I am looking to do to this skiff.

I bought it about a month ago with the trailer less an engine.  I am currently looking for a late model 25 Mercury with the shift in the tiller handle.  I plan on my daughter and son learning the basics of boating on this boat in a couple of years. 

I have seen a nice build of a floor on this site for this boat and I might do my floor the same way.

Any advise is greatly appreciated before I actually start any work on this project.  The only thing that I HAVE to do to get it sea worthy at this time is to resecure the middle and rear seat in place on the sides of the boat, the adhesive has come undone and this is making the boat very flimsy when I get inside of it while it is on the trailer and I have not had a chance to get it wet yet either.

Thanks and here are some pix

Justin

 

Brett thanks for the warm welcome.

Yes this boat is completly except for a couple extra screw holes here and there over the years. It does look like someone already replaced the transom, at least to me. This all coming from someone who has never worked with fiberglass or painted anything other than small piece of metal. ;D

I was over tonight and looking at the seats and was able to just pull them out to get a look under them and saw the styrofoam under the rear seat. Here is a couple pics, I will most likely leave the front green piece in when ever I do paint or put the floor in though.

 

Well I picked up a 2001 Suzuki 25hp four stroke the other day.  It was not idling so I ran a gallon of fresh high test with some additive for cleaning the fuel systems of small engines made by BG products and it has started idling alot better and at times on its own without the choke pulled out at all.  Also the engine was painted camoflage.  With some Gum Cutter and a polishing pad installed in a air drill it has been coming off well but still have some left to take of but I have all winter for that.



I pulled the boat up to work ( I work at a small car dealership in service) so I could work on the boat today.  Made a good bit up progress on cleaning up the inside of the hull and bottom of the seats of all the old adhesive that held them together.





I also noticed that there is some cracking in the very bottom section of the hull in the corners of the fiberglass that are going to need to be repaired before I put it in the water, I'm not sure if they will leak but just want to make certain the boat will float without having to bail water.   ;D  I am open to any repair techniques or advise for this.



I hung the motor this morning just to make sure the front of the trailer would not come off the ground with 160 pounds hanging off the transom, and it did not but the tongue weight is fairly low.  The one thing I noticed this evening was that the bottom mounting section of the engine is not touching the transom.     So just to get the boat in the water and run it to make sure everything is working before winter comes and I can plan my project properly I was thinking of putting a 2x6 behind this area and maybe thru bolting it for a trip or two.







I need some advise on the transom though from you experts please.  Looking at the bottom outside of the transom it looks like I should cut out the old transom and make a new one that is flat from the bottom of the boat up to the top of the transom so I can bolt the engine in place without having some type of block in there in the open space.

I am also trying to decide on if I want to install a full floor in this boat or just fix the inside bottom fiberglass and then just reinstall the seats for now.  I am a little worried that If I dont glass in a full width floor and rebuild a new transom that with the weight of the Four stroke engine I am asking for problems.

Let me know what you all think.

Thanks

Justin

 

Thanks for the instructions Brett.

With alot of bare fiberglass exposed on the inside of the boat do you think that I should apply a coat of Resin all over the floor and sides before I paint it or will a Rustolium type paint adhere fine without the resin?

 

PDLYNCH,

The Suzuki I picked up is actually a short shaft, I kinda wish it was a long shaft so I could get the 5" more of freeboard on the top of the transom to compensate for the weight of the four stroke. I am thinking like you on the thickness of the transom, I just need to figure what materials I can use to get the thickness and strenght but not add a ton more of weight back there ontop of the engine.

Beyond,

Hell yes I am chomping at the bit. ;D I am still not sure if I want to fix the concern area in the bottom fiberglass and then epoxy the entire inside and then put the seats back in and run it that way or if I want to put any type of floor in it.

Hey Brett do you think that I will only need one gallon of the epoxy resin to put down one coat on the entire inside of the boat or will I need more.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions guys.

 

Thanks Brett

So it sounds like for the entire project of fixing the exposed fiberglass fibers in areas that are all over the inside and outside of the boat I should plan on getting a half gallon. Also will I be able to use this low viscosity epoxy on the bottom inside and outside of the hull to lay down the fiberglass where needed and also to glass in the new transom?

Sorry for all the questions about this stuff but I just want to make sure I am prepared before I tear into this.

Also do you have any suggestions for the type of wood I should use when I build the new transom.

Thanks again

 

Great this really helps me out Brett. Now I am thinking about just getting a Gallon of this epoxy and going ahead and putting the full floor and stringer system in there while I am replacing the transom. This way I dont have to worry about skimping in any areas that aren't seen if I am running low.

Plus there is a Free Mckee Craft 14' hull about two hours north of me that I have been eyeing up for my next project, just not sure how much I want to have laying around at one time where I have free storage for this stuff. ;D

 

Ok Brett

I am looking at the 635 resin from this site http://www.shopmaninc.com/epoxy.html    Which fiberglass would you recommend me using when I put the new transom in and also to repair the bottom of the hull.  http://www.shopmaninc.com/epoxy.html

Thanks again

 

Ok well I have done nothing in the last 2 1/2 months on the boat. Just been waiting on a little cash and motivation. Well I finally ordered the fiberglass and epoxy resin for this project this morning.

My brother got out to look at the boat earlier this week so he is now itching to get going on this project. I am planning on getting it up to work tomorrow afternoon and then he is coming by sometime Saturday. We are going to cut out the old transom and probably put two pieces of 3/4" exterior plywood to make the new transom. We plan on using liquid nails to hold them together along with some screws and attach secure it to the boat with 3M's 5200 and let it cure.

Then get to laying the resin and fiberglass hopefully the following weekend, schedules permitting.

I am also going to run the Suzuki for the first time since I installed the new impellar and hopefully it will idle again like I had it back in October so I dont have to overhaul the carbs.