1978 20 Master Angler Restoration

[GradySailfish]

Well I've actually done a lot since my last posting. Last sunday evening I cut out the deck as planned. I first cut out the tank coffin (which I forgot to take a picture of) and then the rest of the deck came out as I planned. The coffin is impressive, it's VERY well made and sturdy.

The deck came off and I managed to get 85% of it off in large sections, which is nice because I used those sections as templates.





This was the deck section just ahead of the console...talk about ROT. The core was nearly all gone.



These pics are after I ground the stringers clean and shop vacumed everything.....I wish I took the dirty pictures!



I inadvertently cut into some of the stringers, so I had to reglass them. It was no biggie.







This is the lip around the deck...it runs into a drain channel.






Most of the stringers had a little foam towards the bottom...which to my surprise and delight was about 95% dry. I got some two part foam left over from last year and poured topped off the stringers. The area underneath the tank coffin also had foam sprayed onto the floor, which I took up and let the water underneath it dry up in the places which it existed, and then I refoamed the dry foam back in place.

Yesterday I cut out the three main deck sections out of 3/4 inch Douglas Fir.

The new deck will primarily rest on top of the stringers, but the edges will be tabbed into the lip I left around the deck. Here is how I'll be epoxying the tabs to the lip. I'll use epoxy mixed with cabosil and fiberglass strands.



Here are all the tabs/cleats I'll use. This is a pic of them after being coated with Epoxy.



Tomorrow night I hope to have the tabs in place and wednesday hopefull the deck will be going in.

Any advice guys......is everything looking good?

[Michael Vezzosi]

GradySailfish, nice documentation of your refurb. and welcome to the site. I have a 1979 20MA and am located in Bluffton. Where is F and B Boatworks? I'd like to see your project in person. I spend a pretty good amount of time building Jersey Speed Skiffs at Southeast Boatworks in Thunderbolt and would like to stop by.

My MA is basically all original other than a new transom in '99, which I had not yet discovered this site, and did not raise it. She was repowered that year with a carbed 175 Johnson and only has 115 hours on it.

Good luck with your progress. Looks great. Vezo, Part II.

[GradySailfish]

Thanks, Vezo, where does it talk about F-B Boatworks? I'm doing this in my shop/garage but I'm not affiliated with any company.

I just noticed your in the Carolina's, I'm up in Long Island NY. I'd love to see pictures of your project or any suggestions. Thanks for offering to stop by...you're welcome to of course but its a little bit of a haul.

[Michael Vezzosi]

Crap!!! Wrong MA! Sorry. One is being redone as we speak here in Savannah. Similar tear down, so I thought. Thanks for the invite anyway. Vezo.

[Yamtt125]

Grady,
Are you also going to use Douglas Fir for the transom also? I am asking because I am deciding on whether to spend the extra money and go with marine ply or use something else for the transom. Thanks

[GradySailfish]

I was going to go with Marine Ply for the transom and deck as well.....I made a post on another site asking for suggestions as to suppliers of Marine Ply, since I was quote 125 or 135 bucks a 4*8 sheet of 3/4. Three years ago when I did my brothers Searay I think I paid 78 bucks a sheet.

Well some people, including two highly respected boat rebuilders/shop propriertors suggested I use Douglas Fir. So far I'm happy with it....but keep in ming I coat everything very thoroughly with Epoxy.

[Bigshrimpin]

You can do a 25" transom with 2 4x8 sheets of 1/2" marine ply. Just piece meal the middle layer (like they show in the west systems booklet). 1/2" is a whole lot easier to work with than 3/4". Just my opinion!! Add a layer of glass b/w each section. Marine Grade Dougfir a/b cost me $62/sheet at an expensive lumber yard.

[GradySailfish]

There you go Bigshrimpin....it cost my around 54 bucks a sheet, since I ended up getting 5 sheets altogether (for the deck and transom. I think I'll have an entire 4*8 left over since the deck was made from two sheets....a happy surprise!

Make sure you liberally coat the wood with epoxy and it will never go wrong....well as long as you properly bed and re-bed every few years anything fastended to the deck.

On my transom I was planning to mix up some Epoxy, cabosil and milled fibers to a putty like consistency...spread it out on the sheets and then slap together. I may do it the way you mentioned though...I'm not sure of the pros and cons.

I don't have pics (I'll take tomorrow) but I finished putting the tabs in around the deck....I also coated with epoxy the plywood that will be used on the deck and reinforced the foward hatch compartment's floor by epoxying a piece of ply underneath it.

If my shipment of two part foam and cabosil arrives before friday, I'll be able to get the deck epoxied into place and maybe glassed over by the end of this weekend.

[Bigshrimpin]

I did mine from the inside, but if I didn't have the entire boat apart, I'd go from the outside. Screw and glue one layer at a time. I used a layer of 3/4oz mat b/w each layer of wood. A short nap roller will be your best friend if you use Fiberglass Mat.

[warthog5]

GradySailfish On your floor. Are you going to laminate a light layer of cloth to the bottom side of the floor before you install it?

DF will check. It will even check with just a coating of epoxy on it. The added glass will stop the checking.