Pacemaker rebuild formally Foam Bilges. Pic heavy
Arvo folks.
So, three weeks ago, I decided that it would be a good idea to pull my boat apart for a bit of much needed maintenance. 15/16 years ago, it was a hull that cost $250 and the old man and I built it up to a centre console. The hull is a Pacemaker at 19 foot.
As part of the build, we filled the bilge with the two part expandable foam and I guess I am just posting on the condition.
As expected, there is water in areas though not as bad as I expected. The foam has a small gap between itself and the frames where it seems to have shrunk or folded in its curing process and there is a little bit of water, like 50ml per 1/2 m3 of foam. Where it has sat for god knows, it is black and stinks but so far, the only rot is above the deck in the bow. Heaps of cockroaches! 11 rubbish bags so far and half way through.
Today is the 5th day working on it and I have just discovered that a shovel is a GREAT way to dig the foam out as I just did in 4 minutes with the shovel, what took me 2 hours with a claw hammer and chisel.
the only water is in sections where the deck was patched or covers glassed over hatches, where the additional glass work failed. The as built sections are rock solid.
Overall a bloody strong boat which is half way through the dig out.
crano
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 04/11/09
Keep it coming
Love these stories. Afew pics would be a great addition .
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Pic added. How was the
Pic added. How was the remainder of your time in coral Bay? Sorry about the noise as we left...
peter1954
Posts: 7
Date Joined: 24/09/18
Pacemaker rebuild.
i had to do this to my Trend setter 18 back in 1980, the boat waqs only 5 years old, the deck split and water got into the foam at the back of the boat, also some leakage deom the single bung, turned the whole of the foam floatation into a stinking black mess, there timber bearers started to de-laminate, what a job that was, the boat builder I took it to, did not have the time to do it, but allowed me to use his tools, under his supervision. I put it backtogher stronger and better than before, and went on to get another 20 yearsd good hard fishing out of that hull, I believe it is still going strong today.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I am lucky that there was no
I am lucky that there was no timber structure so the rot was isolated to the deck, still a fair bit of work to make it pretty again.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
is this one a complete
is this one a complete rebuild . that foam stuff is good. got our hull done. peace of mind knowing whatever happens out there the boat will stay floating
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Plan is to dig the deck off,
Plan is to dig the deck off, foam out and repair/replace anything sus. Seems the renovation prior to us owning it involved siliconing a deck ontop of the deck taking a bit of weight out.
Hoping to get it ready for a deck before end of July.
Mitch88
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 23/09/14
Looks good mate.As others
Looks good mate.
As others said keep the pics coming, i would love to in the not to distance future do a full rebuild on a similar size pacemaker,vogager or fraser.
Happy dayz
Posts: 447
Date Joined: 29/04/18
Wow you've got a fair old
Wow you've got a fair old job ahead of you there , good luck
Happy dayz
crano
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 04/11/09
Swompa
We got a couple of good hauls of reds by travelling a long long way. Pretty much a waste of time closer to home with the sharks. The weather was not that kind after you left.
As for the noise I don't think I even heard you. I would be happy to have neighours like you any time.
I do find the people with dieselitis interesting. These are the blokes that like to start their diesel vehicles up at 6 in the morning and then leave them idling for half an hour before they leave keeping half the caravan park awake listening to it. Never with a petrol motor. Whinge over and I do own a diesel.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Cheers, mate. Mine is diesel
Cheers, mate. Mine is diesel too though much the same as our kids, I don't like hearing it it so don't expect other people to.
Glad you got onto some fish. Unfortunately all we caught up there was lost when my freezer decided to stop working. The work on my boat is in the hope that I can have a robust toy to take on future trips. That little inflatable was OK though the hour before and after was a pain in the backside.
Managed to get all of the port side and down the middle cleaned out on the weekend. Fair bit of rotten deck right in the back of the boat. Still strong as hell and it took a lot of work to remove it.
Now to remember to drain water off the tarps before I loosen the straps....
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
The insides are now gutted.
The insides are now gutted. The rot in the back of the floor was pretty yuck and it seems like the bilge can drain to the back of the boat but cannot go any further so just sits in the aft compartments. The wood (under the engine sump and back deck) was so bad, you could smoosh it with your fingers. Imagine toothpaste. The structure was double skin fiberglass over waterlogged wood.
Started cutting out some structure yesterday to make the deck space more ergonomic (there was a 120mm step in the middle of the boat) for little (and big) people so with a bit more cutting next week, it will be time to start putting humpty back together again.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
looks like a big job
looks like a big job planned. not much fun that rotted wood
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Few more pics added. Dig
Few more pics added. Dug into a point that I thought was purposefully hard to get to and glad I did. Wow - saturated with signs of prehistoric life forms. Lines up with a section that always dripped for days after I used the boat and now I see why.
Completely stripped now and cutting out bits that don’t need to be there...and making sure the drains all flow down.
Will cut out some segments tomorrow to allow for 100mm pipe for running cables to the console.
Hopefully a few sunny days will dry it out so I can start thinking about laminating some reinforcements in.
gruntre69
Posts: 533
Date Joined: 15/10/16
Might be worth a seperate
Might be worth a seperate conduit for the transducer cables if it's easy to do... Just to rule out any electrical interferance issues...
Marine trimmer NOR (available for clears, tops, carpet, upholstery, custom equipment covers)
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Admittedly, I don't run high
Admittedly, I don't run high tech gear (6m CC with external fuel tanks so my range is rotto and back) though it wouldn't be a bad idea to kind of future proof it. Cheers for the idea.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Didn't get anything done this
Didn't get anything done this weekend rather than see how out of plumb the structure is under the deck. I am at the stage where I need to glue in some new ribs to provide backing for the deck though some are 20mm out.
Wife getting sick of it living under the patio...
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
she might be getting sick of
she might be getting sick of it under the patio but when you bring a feed home all would be forgiven hopefully.
if your running a couple of lengths of pipe through why not run an extra one just in case.
while your at it having the floor to redo why not build in an insulated kill tank instead of taking up space with an esky. we have one in our boat and had a stainless insert made foe easy cleaning . 2 bags of ice lasts all day
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Interesting ideas regarding
Interesting ideas regarding the kill tank.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
just make sure if you go
just make sure if you go this way you build it for easy cleaning , put a bung hole in it and run pipe down to the bilge so when you wash it out nothing stays in . thats why we had the stainless insert made. glassed up marine ply about 1/4 inch is what we have then carpeted to match the floor. hinged on the bough end with a small rope handle .
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So the structure is now back
So the structure is now back in the bow of the boat and ready for desk again. Doubled the storage and reinforced each join in the boat.
Thanks to this bloody rain, I have been lucky to find a few angle grinder sized holes in the boat so will fill and glass them up this weekend ready to put a floor in next weekend.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So a good bit of progress
So a good bit of progress this weekend. Got plywood for the floor, just need one more sheet to finish it off. Ran the 90mm pvc cable run (only did one as the last cables only took up a tiny space) down the guts of the boat and have that all ready to pipe cement up next weekend.
Jobs to do now:
Glass up the underside of the bow area and make some packers for where the deck/floor will screw to the bulkhead and glass them in.
Cut out and glue in some backing plates for the lid on storage compartment
Smooth the inside of the storage compartment and flow coat it
glass in aft bulkhead reinforcements and apply more glass to structure/hull joints.
fill hollow structure with expandable foam where I dug out wet foam
One final sand/grind to prep for deck/floor join
mock consoled setup to know where to place exit hole for cable run
glue in pipes
glass down deck
cover whole deck with glass
glass on console.
I was planning to remove the sump and improve its ergonomics though that may have to wait for next year as I still need to sand back the whole gunnel and re-glass it.
bit of work when I only work on it one day a week.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
And you thought
If you had any thoughts about having some spare time, after looking at the to do list above I'd forget it for a while yet.
great pics and story on the refit/build thanks for the post
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
so far so good. keep it
so far so good. keep it going and you will have it in the water when the weather comes good.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Bit of a heart breaker from
Bit of a heart breaker from my 4yo "you don't play with me any more"...
looking forward to getting it done and spending days on the beach.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
why not see if he would like
why not see if he would like to help out and be a part of it . i know there wouldnt be too much he could do but it might make him feel important
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Not really too much she can
Not really too much she can help out with at the tic with fiberglass dust everywhere but when it gets to painting and electrical work then they (4yo lady and 1yo boy) can jump in and help out.
Far too much itchy splintery at the tic.
They both have ear muffs and happily watch when I am playing with a circular saw though I did discover why I shouldn't use my centre console as a saw horse..........got a 300mm long cut in it now.......
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
classic. at least it was the
classic. at least it was the console not your leg like ive seen before. pity the kids cant help now. when they can help im sure they will get joy out of it , i know mine liked getting involved in stuff. when the tubs on the water they can be proud that they helped , in their way that is
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So had limited resin this
So had limited resin this weekend so didn't get a huge amount done though the deck bow is ready to be glued in.
$700 in bills this week so no more fiberglass or wood for 2.5 weeks.
Just also came to the realisation the changes to steering setup and requirement for new more controls is going to hurt the pocket so changed the resplashing hopes to Christmas.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So that's another 4kg of
So that's another 4kg of resin down.
Got the deck glued down with 3 layers of 250gm chopped strand bonding the deck to hull with a few stainless screws for the fun of it. I will end up covering the whole deck with two layers of glass.
coated the bow storage with flow coat as well. Can fit a few cartons /cans of fuel in there which is ideal on a boat that previously had no storage.
fixed the pvc conduit in today also and have the first of three panels for the aft of the boat ready to go in.
big and pleasing progress this weekend. Hoping to have the boa waterproofed very shortly.
need more resin (may just cut the shit any buy 10l) and another two sheets of ply and it will be looking like a fun open boat.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
looks like you got a great
looks like you got a great helper there measuring things up.
looking good so far.you certainly got a long way to go but its certainly going to be great when you get it floating
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Brock O
Posts: 3163
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Looks good Swompa....will
Looks good Swompa....will need to do similar to my old girl one day.
Keep the updates coming.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I guess I have done mine to
I guess I have done mine to the extent I have to satisfy myself. Really, all I needed to do was re fiberglass in some patches on the deck and re-carpet it though wanted to start with a clean slate and get another 15 or so years out of it.
Past couple of weekends have had me kicking myself though I know the boat will be a solid platform for many years to come.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So nothing happened last
So nothing happened last week after planned camping ended up as unplanned hospital but all better now so a productive weekend this weekend.
Another floor panel glued and glassed in, and bulkhead in the bow also glued in. The anchor rope will live behind here as previously it lived in a tub on the deck which was a PITA.
The piece of timber that the u-bolt goes into in the bow looked in bad shape but Jesus was it a battle to get it out. Seems it was a piece of 2x4 that had 10mm of glass around it. Took around 40min to get it out with the help of a paddle drill, Chisel and hammer. It was partially rotten so glad I go at it out.
Reinstalled two part foam into the bow compartment today so that is stiff as hell again.
Only need one more sheet of timber to finish the deck, then give the funnel a sand back and paint where required and we are looking close to good.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
shes come a long way from
shes come a long way from where she was. going well. hopefully you will be in the water by xmas
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
It will be s big milestone
It will be s big milestone to get the deck on and sealed then I can start on the electrical side of things. The boat was built as a day boat without much thought about lighting so I will put some led strips in it and some power points in the transome for spot lights if we have a prawning session one night.
Going to be good for a few years when it's done, but I still want a different boat
crano
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 04/11/09
How is the inspiration
How is the inspiration levels going ?
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Suprizingly going well.
Suprizingly going well. Contemplating a day or two off work to get it waterproof. Enough motivation to do the little bits that don't need doing, but I am doing them to make it perfect.
Glad to have a big weekend last weekend and hoping for another this weekend. Including a Saturday night pinky bash, my last 'proper' fish since Coral bay.
Had to move it back under the patio as I got sick of pumping water out of it eash Friday, even with tarps on it. Wife's tolerant.
Looking more and more realistic now.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Looking a bit more like the
Looking a bit more like the boat it was now.
Gave it all a big sand on Saturday before throwing a bit more glass over the whole thing to make it one piece so to say.
Kicked off the console this weekend too by filling up a few old holes and cutting out a bigger opening in the bottom to prevent the need to tip a battery on its side to get it out. Splashing acid and all...
Cant see much happening this Saturday but hoping to get some glass onto it on Sunday before filling it up with foam. Close to carpeting.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
looking good. you can never
looking good. you can never have enough storage on the boat. prob is you will always need more
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Whole floor now fiberglassed
Whole floor now fiberglassed and basically ready for a lick of paint.
didnt get much done due to watching the footy three times....
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
your getting there. is the
your getting there. is the floor in split level or is just decieving.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
It has a split level deck. My
It has a split level deck. My intention was to make it all flat though the bow is quite skinny at deck level.
The topsides are not very high so I didn't want to raise the deck and therefore centre of gravity too much thus had to maintain what was there, or the heights at least.
Previously the console was positioned far enough back to put an air tank in between the step and the console though I will push it right up against the step now as she was always a bit of a slammer. I expect the console further forward thus weight further forward will make it a bit more of a comfortable ride.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
Thought my eyes were playing
Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. One advantage will be when the kids come out they will be able to see over the side a bit easier and fish of cause. Are you putting rails around the bough or leaving it bare . With the young kids rails could be benificial
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Will be leaving it as is.
Will be leaving it as is. Kids always wear a life jacket on the boat so we hope to have that covered.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
So the console is glassed in
So the console is glassed in and looking good. Heavily sanded the gunnels down this weekend and patched up some old deck fittings that hadn't sealed properly and the timber had expanded. Got a layer of glass over it and also glassed in some jarrah in the bow so I can re attach my boat to the trailer..
Need to attend to my seized brakes at some point.
Really there is only a couple more days work though considering my budget is a few hundred a month, the $1200 on steering and engine controls will take a bit.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Got some top coat down in
Got some top coat down in the bow, sump and console this weekend as well as a bit more glass on the gunnels.
Next step, foam up the bilges, one more layer of glass on the deck and top coat the deck/gunnels.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
you will be all done by xmas
you will be all done by xmas at this rate. doing well.
give the brakes a good dose of crc a couple of days before you get to them .
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Wife is crook so home from
Wife is crook so home from work being dad. Once the little bloke went for his nap, I was in the boat and filled up 4 out of the 11 compartments with foam. Slight volcano action in one spot but at least I know it is full.
Got tax back so it always helps.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Chipped away at the foam that
Chipped away at the foam that had seeped out of the vent holes yesterday afternoon to get the deck looking schmick again and touched up a few spots of top coat where the catalyst mix wasn't quite right (tacky after 4 days told me I had rushed a mix).
Looking tickity boo at the moment and ready to smash out a good session on Saturday.
Managed to get $150 of BCF vouchers as a work perk so I will head out there this evening to get some deck fittings.
Really, two big days would have it ready to splash again...or at least have me thinking about the seized brakes again.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Need 4kg of polyester resin,
Need
4kg of polyester resin, 8kg pack of expandable foam, 1 sheet of 12mm ply for the bow, 2l of primer, 2l of top coat, morse cables, hydraulic steering and a steering wheel. Getting closer after a productive day
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Looking to be a very similar
Looking to be a very similar build to my ali project Swompa. I have the motor on mine now, just need to find time to do the rest of the wiring and decks. Yours is looking good mate.
Love the West!
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Cheers. Considering how
Cheers. Considering how easily the electrical work came apart a few months back, I am taking time to do it properly this time. We'll be set for a few years once done.
Paul_86
Posts: 1449
Date Joined: 27/03/09
Looking good mate
Looking good mate
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Getting there.anyone
Getting there.
anyone thinking about doing this, use 225gm glass for the initial bond and any corners then use 400 gsm for the rest. Saves heaps of time.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Significant amounts of
Significant amounts of progress this weekend. Everything electrical is fitted and works (Yay) and I have avoided the need to purchase more timber by laminating 200mm wide strips of 12mm and gluing/screwing it as reinforcement under the fordeck. Can take my petite 120kg frame so I guess it's good.
little bit more glassing, bogging and sanding, engine control cables and hydro steering.
i guess carpet needs to go in at some point too.
couple more evenings this week and I will be very close by the weekend.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Engine control cables this
Engine control cables this week then a week and a half until pay day for Hydraulic steering.
started 24 weeks ago. So close to splashing it.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Looks good
I remember my mate with his old pacemaker took his ages to remove foam to fix a crack in his hull.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
well done. bet you will be
well done. bet you will be stoked and the whole family can enjoy the fruits of your labor. looking forward to seeing the end results
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Engine controls went in over
Engine controls went in over the weekend as well as a bit more painting.
Only thing left is hydraulic steering and gluing the carpet down. Aiming for the 8th of Dec for a float test.
scubafish
Posts: 949
Date Joined: 15/08/12
SEAT
What seat ?
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
110l Esky
110l Esky
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Very happy to splash the
Very happy to splash the boat today. Couple of things need tweaking and being that I have changed the positioning of the console, and removed a heap of weight, it feels like a new boat.
Rick
Posts: 1104
Date Joined: 22/12/06
Well Done
A lot of time, effort and money. now its all worth while i bet.
PGFC Member
piston broke
Posts: 776
Date Joined: 05/11/08
Big
beamy safe strong boat. Well done Swampa, it looks great. cheers Pete.
ps What needs tweaking?
scubafish
Posts: 949
Date Joined: 15/08/12
Outstanding
Lots of happy memories to log in the book now.Kids look happy.
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Looks awesome mate! Dog's
Looks awesome mate! Dog's loving it and the fam, happy times ahead.
Love the West!
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Thanks folks. It was very
Thanks folks. It was very rewarding to get it in the water and see the water stay on the outside.