1963 Sea Coaster Deluxe project

[txcaptdan]

Clark,
To give an idea on costs, the last 16' < Cruisers Inc. >I restored brought $5,000.00, you did well

[Barry]

Very nice. I have her twin sister with the original '63 Johnson 40, and the same top and side curtains you have. Unfortunately I had to remove the keelson completely and replace it with new but, fortunately, that was the only rot I found. Quite a job though, especially getting the old one out without causing damage to other components. Came out one small piece at a time. Wish I had your luck - lol. Enjoy!!!

[Portside]

Like you and the Sea Lancer, I bought a '62 T&T in excellent original condition but needs lots work to make up for lack of routine upgrades in maintenance, leaking being a prime concern. I have not read on earlier posts reference to the excellent article written on the subject from AJR, "Leaky Lapstrake?". http://www.acbs-bslol.com/RestorationNo ... strake.pdf I followed this instruction, stripped, CPES, tightened all bolts, re-puttied, repainted, caulked all strakes with Boat Life Caulk (below the spray rails). The boat has Zero leaks. Yes, it is work but from the images, you are into it now and it's worth it to have no (or VERY few) leaks!!

Portside

[thegammas]

I paid waaaaaaaaaay more than that for one that needed (and needs) some repair work. With that motor, I think you got it for a fantastic price. Sweet boat.

[chvjillson]

Thanks once again for everybody's replies!

Andreas, yes, I had to sell the Thomboy when I saw this one for sale. The Thomboy needed a lot more work than this one it seemed.

Bill, I circled the area where the hole is located in one of the floor photos. It's located in such an odd place!

Barry, I'd love to see some photos of your '63 as well.

Yesterday I took some shots of some areas that need some work. Starting at the front, the stem looks good ... with the stem guard still on it. There's a couple of small nicks on the side of the boat, but not very deep.



This is where the stem meets the keel, with part of the keel guard missing.



Here's a close-up of the same location. (You can tell the bottom was painted while it was still on the trailer.)



Between where the keel ends and the transom is a spot where the roller has worn a spot on the garboard plank. The wood is still solid, though.



On the starboard side of the boat, you'll see some top layer damage to two lapstrakes. It looks like this was fixed by some sort of wood filler a while ago, as it's now crumbling off.



Finally two views of where the transom. All of the planking where it meets the transom is solid with no sign of separation.




Comments and suggestions are always welcome! Thanks again.

[Barry]

@chvjillson - "Barry, I'd love to see some photos of your '63 as well."

I'll e-mail you some pics today.

Barry

[chvjillson]

After receiving a quote for over $5,000.00 to fix the keel/stem area from a local boat shop, I quickly decided that I wanted to take on this project myself.

This Sunday I'm coordinating a 'boat flipping' party. Over the past few days I've been getting the Sea Coaster ready. I've yet to remove the steering wheel and wind shield, but I have just about everything else removed (note the pile of tires ready to be used).



I also built this motor stand for the Starflite.



More photos to come after the flip party. Stop on by ... beer and brats will be served for all who help out. (3 beer limit per person, however)

[richnle]

I recommend stacking the tires 2 high in all locations. You can then leave the steering wheel on, and it is a lot easier on the back painting with the boat sitting a little higher than at the single tire height. Also, it is helpful to be able to get under the boat when inserting new carriage bolts through the keel members. I did my Penn Yan with single tires and went to double tires on the Grady, and was really happy with the change. This shows the height of the boat on 2 stacked tires.

[chvjillson]

Today we removed the windshield .... thanks to some really serious workers, as you can see.

[chvjillson]

The boat flipping party was a success! Thanks to richnle's suggestion of stacking the tires two high, we didn't have to remove the steering wheel.

[richnle]

Glad everything worked out. It is always nice when the flip is finished and the boat is back in a stable position with no damage to the boat (or the flippers). You may want to consider sliding the tires toward the centerline of the boat so that they do not stick out beyond the width of the boat. It is tough sanding when you have to keep your feet behind you because the tires are in the way. This was another back saving change that I made between the two restorations that I was happy with.

Great job and best of luck with all the work!

Rich

[Barry]

Success! When we flipped ours there was just my son and I and it was something of an adventure. One of those things you get half way through and wish you had more help but there's no going back. We made it without any damage to anything or ourselves but I guarantee that there will be some recruitment being done when we go the other way. The fun is just beginning. Enjoy!

[willsu]

It's good to see your 'flippn' party was a success. I own the exact same model you do right down to the color of the interior, other than it's a 64 according to Andreas and his research. I'd be very interested in hearing about your do's and don'ts. Good luck on the project.

[chvjillson]

Is it normal for the keel to not go all the way to the end of the boat? I wasn't sure if the length on mine was modified, or if that's how it was originally. How does one properly seal the gap between the garboards w/out the keel covering it?

[Phill Blank]

chvjillson,

Take a look at the pictures of the keel removal on this page on the site http://www.thompsondockside.com/views/v ... light=keel

The keel is higher then what is on your craft, it might have been replaced at some time. Keel is generally higher and tapers in the last section before the transom covering the garboard seam.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck,

Phill