1978 20 Master Angler Restoration

[Lenny]

WOW looks great! I need to get a crash course on the whole fiberglass thing and then I can play

[strick]

Strick, there is no bulkhead in the bilge area...its an empty area up underneath the tank coffin, so the boat will have a bilge.

10-4 my bad. I got to looking more closely at yours and other pics and I see how it's put together.

strick

[GradySailfish]

Been awhile since my last post, but I really haven't done too much postworthy things. I finally finished the transom, all thats left is to final fair it. I also removed the topcap and flipped it upside down. I started to work on re-coring it. Parts of the topcap were in horrible shape, the wood was literally scrapped, then sucked out with a vacum. The other sections of the topcap were as good as new. I intend to recore with laying one layer of 1.5 oz matt, one layer of 1808, then some 3/8 AC Douglas Fir followed by two more layers of 1808.

[GradySailfish]

Well guys I should have posted more progress pictures but these past few months have been pretty much the same deal...lots of sanding and fairing. Progress has not been as good as I wanted, but earlier this spring into summer I renovated my fathers house....so I was rather busy with that. Plus fishing was good so I took every advantage to get out. Now I want to get this thing in paint so I can enjoy the fall run.

Anyway, the boat had a tremendous amount of stress cracks. I guess they came from the topcap flexing because its core was completely rotted out. Last fall/winter I recored the topcap and put it back on the boat, but this year I spent quite a bit of time grinding, filling and fairing the thing. I also modified the console, by raising it a and changind the design so I have much more dash space.

Enjoy








In previous posts you see I wondered what to do about the woven-roven that was on the inside of the inner liner, well I wirewheeled the grey paint off and glassed a layer of 1.5 oz matt to the woven. I then sanded the 1.5 oz matt and applied several thin coats of fairing compound and sanded the whole thing. This aspect of the project took an enormous amount of time. BTW I added two layers of 1.5 where the deck lip and inner liner meet. I hope all of that work doesn't go to waste and start cracking or something. I'm still debating whether to gelcoat that or not.



Finally some primer...well at least on the top cap and hull ! Awlgrip 545. I applied 2-3 pretty solid coats, but it seems like the body work is still visible through the primer. When I run my hand in the area it feels flush....when I apply a ruler from one end to another the area seems flush....but here I spray primer and I can see the body work. What do you guys think ? I'm guessing because I had to hold the gun differently I didn't apply a thick enough coat(s). The hull is perfect, but the topcap worries me a little.

This was my first time sparying awlgrip and it was easy to work with. The only other thing I've sprayed before was some teak and mahogany panels with varnish. I'm planning to have everything faired, primed and Rob at Raybo Marine will apply the topcoat. [:x)]

Strick is doing a bang up job on is SC. It looks like he will get done a little faster though ! I love the lines on the SF model....but the MA seems to feel like it has more freeboard. BTW in case you guys are wondering, the boat will be bottom painting since it will spend a majority (8 months out of the year in the water next to her big sister the Grady)

[doug7488]

Hey, Grady -
I see you keep referring to Raybo - are you in Lindenhurst? If so, I'd like to stop by & check out your boat.
Thanks- Doug

[GradySailfish]

Hey Doug, I do refer to Raybo in Lindenhurst, but my boat is not there. Raybo gives me some advice on various aspects of the project and I will have him apply the topcoat, but again my boat isin't at his shop. Raybo does awesome work though, if you need anything done to your boat he comes highly recommended.

[glow]

Warthog5, What is checking? Just curious as some boat builders in Hawaii glass a layer of mat on the underside of douglass fir plywood and some say you don't need to, just brush resin on it. Thanks for your knowledge. Aloha from Hawaii, Greg

[eggsuckindog]

Just something I noticed, your baitwell is not as deep as my 76, mine goes all the way to the stringer almost, as my door is closed off completely.

[GradySailfish]

I wish my baitwell went down farther. it's pretty useless for any decent sized baitfish. Sometimes I use bunker or herring for bass and the well, in its current size is a touch too small.

[GradySailfish]

Well I've done a lot more work on the interior of the boat. She had tons of cracks along the gunnel channel drain which I faired to my best ability (sanding, and working in a curve or groove like that sucks) There was also just a lot of general work on the inside of the boat. Fortunately its done. The hull has been primed and sanded for topcoat with 220 grit.

Instead of reusing the old tank hatch cover (which would have required me using two seperate pieces) I instead made a new tank coffin cover out of 1/2 Corecell I had. Its lighter then the plywood and just as stiff. Plus I needed to make the hatch cover somewhat custom as the guy who made my fuel tank didn't follow my directions and made the tank one inch higher then it should have been. The deck new deck plate has added glass along its underside so that it sits higher thereby giving clearance for the fuel fill.

The earlier mentioned problems I had were I guess a combination of not enough primer in some cases and body work that wasen't perfect. Since then I fixed both and I think it looks ok. In case your wondering guys, as per Raybo's suggestion I primed the inside white because the topcoat will be white. The hullsides I left in thier Awlgrip grey since they will be ice blue.

Hopefully next saturday I'll bring her over to the highly skilled hands of Raybo and have him shoot the topcoat.

BTW Sorry to be working so slow. But I'm not a pro like most of you...I fumble along, make mistakes, fix them....and on and on.....! []