79 MA restoration... here we go

[Seacraft84]

Me personally, I would fill it in and let what water gets in there drain into the bilge. Next year, on my '77 MA, I am going to do away with the front hatch and make my floor flush from front to back. I may make some sort of coffin to go in front of the console or just use a big cooler I can take in and out when I go fishing, and just extend my anchor locker to the floor so it will have more room. Like I said in another post if I were to keep the hatch I would at least cut the bottom of it out and extend it to the bottom of the boat, then the drain would be obsolete anyway.
Just some thoughts

[ricknewman]

Just put a plug in it.

[CaptCurt]

I know I have skipped about two months worth of progress photos, but the boat is almost done. I will post some photos later this week.

I have decided not to paint or re-gelcoat. I bought some polish and wax and plan on giving her a good scrubbing. The rub rail and leaning post installations are about the last things I need to do. The motor (2000 zuke 140) fired up on the first crank (whew!).

[everybody]

I'm about ready to tear my deck out. Thanks for your pics. They give my somthing to work from. Can't wait to see the pics.

[Blue_Heron]

I have decided not to paint or re-gelcoat. I bought some polish and wax and plan on giving her a good scrubbing.

I would go with Poly Glow instead of wax. If you look at their web page it looks like something from Ronco (NOT SOLD IN STORES!). At an MSRP of $64 per kit, I would never have bought it, but last year I saw Bushwacker's Seafari in Key Largo and the gelcoat looked like new. He recommended it, I used it, and I'm sold.

If you have heavy oxydation, and from your pics it looks like you do, wet sand with 600, then 800, then 1000, apply 5 or six coats of Poly Glow, and you're done. Just make sure you get all the oxydation off, or the Poly Glow will seal it in.

Poly Glow isn't a wax, it's an acrylic (I think) coating, and applies with a sponge like applicator supplied in the kit. There's no rubbing or buffing, so all the elbow grease is in the sanding.

I used it on my 20 SF and my 18 Action craft and have half a bottle left. I have a friend with a dark blue Wellcraft Coastal 290. His gelcoat was so oxydized he thought he was going to have to paint it. He sanded with 800 and applied Poly Glow and it looks like new. He's got enough left to do it again next year.

Dave

[CaptCurt]

Thanks.... but I already bought some 3M restorer and wax. If I hadn't already spent the money on it I'd give your suggestion a try.

I am waiting on the boat shop to finish a couple of things right now, but I went by yesterday and took a couple of photos.



















Here's a summary of what I have done (and/or paid to have done) so far:

• New floor
• New transom
• New fuel tank (48 gal, reduced from original 70 gal), moved forward
• New fuel fill line, vent line, and fuel cap
• New in-floor storage locker under leaning post behind fuel tank (used space where fuel tank used to be)
• Installed smaller console that came out of a 23' SeaCraft. Same width, just not as high and not as long... I felt it was a better fit for a 20' boat. In fact, I wish it was even smaller! There isn't much freeboard space.
• New leaning post (http://www.fishmaster.com/products/Leaning%20Post.htm)
• Installed 2000 Suzuki DT140 motor. I purchased it from Diamond Suzuki Marine in Florida. They said they took it on trade for a new motor, and that it had been gone over and serviced. It is VERY clean, and starts on the first crank!
• New Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic steering
• Rewired boat. Fuse panel under console. New switch panel on top left of console. Includes 12v accessory plug.
• 2 Rule 1500gph bilge pumps with float switches
• Reinstalled old am/fm cassette stereo, in a waterproof box mounted on the shelf under the console (I use the cassette adapter for my iPod since CD's tend to skip on small boats)
• New Sony speakers mounted in the bottom front of the console
• New VHF radio and antenna
• 2 new batteries and Perko switch
• 2 new fire extinguishers
• New StarBoard anchor locker door and stern locker door
• New LED interior lights (mounted on each side of console)
• New LED running lights
• New masthead light, mounted on engine cowling (will replace with LED... it was backordered)
• Total overhaul on galvanized trailer. New bunks, carpet, and rollers, new wheel hubs, bearing, bolts, bearing buddies, new LED tail lights and side marker lights, new strap winch, new fender wells, new tires & rims, new jack. Entire trailer recoated with coldgalv.

Still left to do (next week):

• Install rub rail (I have a black vinyl rail with stainless steel insert) from RubRails.com
• Wash, sand, polish, and wax hull
• Install striping (will be a 4" yellow stripe with a 1/4" black stripe above it)
• Install interior 'rub rail' (not sure of the proper term for this part). It is just a 1" wide black vinyl strip that runs around the bottom side of the top cap.
• Install registration numbers and SeaCraft logo decals (I bought from lobo1, and they look great!)
• Install seat cushions on front of console
• Install rod holders (4) in top cap

Things I haven't yet done to the boat that I would like to do:

• Re-gelcoat or paint hull
• Install gunwale-mounted rod holders that would double as strengthening brackets for the top cap.
• Install trim tabs
• Install GPS/Sonar combo unit

The bad thing is... I am gonna have to sell this thing as soon as I finish it. I am a real estate broker, and the Houston market has finally caught up with the rest of the country . So watch the "For Sale" section for her soon!

[Bushwacker]

Thanks.... but I already bought some 3M restorer and wax. If I hadn't already spent the money on it I'd give your suggestion a try. . . .

That's ok - when the wax goes away after 6 months, you can put the Polyglo on it then!