My little Volvo Penta diesel seized a number of years ago and I am not going to spend to re-power it. My goal for the last few years has been to get to boat in the spring and to take the motor and sail drive out and glass in the hole. Of course, I never get that done in time and defer to sailing around all summer lugging the motor and dragging the saildrive through the water. Am reluctantly using an outboard, but don't like the look, but that is where I am. I am generally alone when I work on boat, but I can enlist my son. I am not innately mechanical, but can do the job, I think. Any comments on how to proceed, tips, or cautionary tales. I'd like to get the things out to reduce weight aft and reduce drag of saildrive. Thanks for any comments.
Removing motor and saildrive from my 25+.
- Thread starter GMC
- Start date
I have not glassed over an opening quite that large in a hull, but the method is well detailed the the Gougeon Bros booklet(s) on repairs. The 12-to-1 grind-back ratio of the area around the hole is important. I would want to make up a mold or form get the bottom contour approx correct in that area. Final fairing might take some extra thickened epoxy but since it's all concealed under the bottom paint there's no esthetic problem IMHO.
There will be quite a number of layers of bias cloth material, but the result should be stronger than the original hull layup.
Since your particular hull was sold with the inboard, I trust that the transom has since been beefed up to handle the torque of the outboard. I only mention that because on our prior 1981 26 foot boat I had to strengthen the transom for the 10 hp Yamaha hi-thrust OB that I installed.
(My surmise was that when my boat was engineered and built it was spec'd out for the prevailing OMC 10 hp "sailor" type lightweight outboards in vogue at the time. Compact engine, but a lot less real-world power than the later four strokes.)
Regards,
Loren
There will be quite a number of layers of bias cloth material, but the result should be stronger than the original hull layup.
Since your particular hull was sold with the inboard, I trust that the transom has since been beefed up to handle the torque of the outboard. I only mention that because on our prior 1981 26 foot boat I had to strengthen the transom for the 10 hp Yamaha hi-thrust OB that I installed.
(My surmise was that when my boat was engineered and built it was spec'd out for the prevailing OMC 10 hp "sailor" type lightweight outboards in vogue at the time. Compact engine, but a lot less real-world power than the later four strokes.)
Regards,
Loren
Thanks Loren,
I've got a two stroke 9.9 on the back and although I've strengthened a bit with backing plate, I' will re-assess when I get engine and fuel tank out as I'll have more room to work. I am a little under 4 hours from boat in the winter and I never seem to get accomplished what I need to. I leave critical tools at home, run into some issue that holds me up. My plan is to make one trip and disconnect what I can from motor, see if motor mount nuts can be freed, put some ply down on cabin sole. Return another day and free motor and hoist it out. If I run out of time for saildrive, return another weekend and get that out with bladder and then be left with open hole. Then I've got hole preparation, grinding, glassing which has to wait for spring temps, I imagine. It is always an issue of time combined with hesitancy to get started. My fear is to have a hole in the boat and a marina that wants it in the water.
greg
I've got a two stroke 9.9 on the back and although I've strengthened a bit with backing plate, I' will re-assess when I get engine and fuel tank out as I'll have more room to work. I am a little under 4 hours from boat in the winter and I never seem to get accomplished what I need to. I leave critical tools at home, run into some issue that holds me up. My plan is to make one trip and disconnect what I can from motor, see if motor mount nuts can be freed, put some ply down on cabin sole. Return another day and free motor and hoist it out. If I run out of time for saildrive, return another weekend and get that out with bladder and then be left with open hole. Then I've got hole preparation, grinding, glassing which has to wait for spring temps, I imagine. It is always an issue of time combined with hesitancy to get started. My fear is to have a hole in the boat and a marina that wants it in the water.
greg
After you get the whole disaster out, make a plug to go in the hole that goes flush with the inside of the boat. Put several layers of mold release wax on the inside of the plug, then lay cloth over that. Make sure you prep the inside really well and clean the surface with a degreasing chemical as epoxy doesn't stick to oil or diesel fuel. Remove the plug after the glass dries, hole sealed now.
Taper the inside of the hole from the outside and layer in the cloth till your hole is now flush with the outside of the boat. Fair as needed till the repair is smooth, then sand and prep area so you can apply barrier coat. I know this is an oversimplification of the process, but it gives an idea of how to do the job. Also I would use at least 20 Oz unidirectional cloth. Good luck. Ryan
Taper the inside of the hole from the outside and layer in the cloth till your hole is now flush with the outside of the boat. Fair as needed till the repair is smooth, then sand and prep area so you can apply barrier coat. I know this is an oversimplification of the process, but it gives an idea of how to do the job. Also I would use at least 20 Oz unidirectional cloth. Good luck. Ryan