|
Dive Boat Restoration
SMART restored a 1965
Deck boat and equipped the boat with electronic radar and sonar. The
equipment allows us to find our underwater target with the boat
before putting divers into the water. As you can see, this was an
extensive restoration project. Be patient, it will take a moment to
load.
A 1965 fiberglass deck boat is purchased for SMART (left) in
1996. From the beginning it was obvious that the internal wood
structure of the boat was completely rotted (center). The boat is
stripped down to the fiberglass hull (right), put into a garage, and
the restoration project to make a dive boat begins on April 26,
1997.
The ribs are measured, custom build with 2 by 4's and
plywood (left), and fiberglassed into the hull (center). The
transom, which is the main support for the motor, is also replaced
with two sheets of 3/4" plywood and glassed into the hull (right).
Braces and wax paper are used to conform the fiberglass cloth to the
transom.
With the ribs now complete, the front portion is filled with
flotation foam and decking is screwed down to the ribs (left). The
main support structure is now complete and the boat is flipped over.
The bottom is sanded, patched, and gel-coated with a hard shell
epoxy like finish (center). The center console is wired and prepared
for mounting.
The trailer is sandblasted, primed, and repainted with an oil base
paint (left). The bearings and tires have been replaced. Peter Brown
(journalist) publishes a feature story on SMART and the boat
restoration project in the San Marcos Daily Record
with a photograph (center) on November 23, 1997. The boat is
replaced on the trailer and large styrofoam blocks are added into
the compartments for flotation (right).
After the flotation blocks are in, the plywood decking is screwed
down (left) and sealed with fiberglass cloth and resin. A water
tight dual compartment cover is made to protect the two batteries
(center). The fiberglass center console is mounted and sealed to the
deck with stainless hardware and marine caulk (right).
A front seat compartment is added with a rack that will hold 5 SCUBA
tanks. (Left & Center) An Evinrude 115 HP motor is mounted on the
transom (right). A near disaster occurs on 1-10-98 when the trailer
axle snaps during transport to a local shop for final cable and
electrical connections. The boat is not damaged but the entire axle
is replaced with a larger "heavy duty" axle.
The boat was completed on January 25, 1998.
|
