Searider 5.4 Project

colcreate · 31 July 2010, 13:03

Thought you might like to see this:
www.avonsearider.co.uk
It's been sat rotting in my garden for a couple of years before I decided to start restoring it this summer.
It's going to be all black and stainless, eventually!

Jobs completed to date:
Completely stripped it down to a bare hull.
Scrapped the console, tubes and fittings.
Removed layers of paint and old repairs from deck.
Grit blasted old gelcoat.
Removed hump from deck & re-glassed
Fitted new glass fibre drains.
Filled in 2 dozen+ holes in transom.
Re gel coated deck in black flowcoat.
Flipped it over and started on hull, nearly gave up...
Grit blasted hull to give good key for repairs & gel coat.
Structural repairs to hull, flange, bow and transom.
Filled in extensive damage to hull with grp and gel coat.
Applied thick black gel coat as a guide coat.
Hand sanded it all off.
Filled in more imperfections with black gel coat.
Hand sanded it some more.
Applied another guide coat of black gel as a practice.
Sanded and filled some more.

Jobs to be completed:
Hand sand for final prep.
Spray several coats of black gel coat and pray.
Lightly sand and polish to a deep shine.....
Flip it back on it's new trailer.
Fit the brand new Avon MOD tubes I bought.
Add plenty of Black Hypalon wear patches to tops of tubes.
Black rubbing strake all round.
Fabricate and polish lots of shiny stainless stuff.
Fabricate a unique double console, Black & stainless...
Fit nice big 80hp two stoke.
and add water....

BogMonster · 31 July 2010, 14:00

Blimey that's a job and a half

Full credit for tackling something like that - way beyond what I would attempt

martini · 31 July 2010, 14:09

Fair play, most people would've called that a write off

Downhilldai · 31 July 2010, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by martini

Fair play, most people would've called that a write off

Financially, it probably was.

chewy · 31 July 2010, 15:22

You'd have thought Avon would have had the avonsearider addy!

Jizm · 31 July 2010, 17:06

Impressive so far, looked like a lost cause to begin with o fair play.

Keep the updates coming.

diverdad · 31 July 2010, 17:10

Fair play to you, that is a lot of work you have done there.
My crompton was in a similar state but I don't have a forklift in my back garden to move it around! (I had to pay some nice people to repair it for me).

Well done and keep us posted on the progress.
All the best.

Lee

ollyit · 31 July 2010, 19:14

simply awesome work mate

BLACKSTORM · 31 July 2010, 19:28

Looking forward to this one

colcreate · 31 July 2010, 20:03

Thanks for the positive comments. Some of the other project pictures on this forum inspired me to get stuck in and sort this one out. It's my third rib project; the first was a scratch built aluminium hull, the 2nd a 6.2mt nightmare which I have just sold and now the Searider.
(6.2mt pictures below: When I 1st bought it, at its first build & when I sold it (minus all the good bits)).
I give a mate £300 for the Searider a few years ago (without engine) because it had a great galv trailer. The new tubes were bought seperately and were an absolute steal. They were the main reason I didn't scrap the boat.
Now for some advice, I want to mount a large full width console as far astern as I can to leave enough space in front to kit up for diving. Instead of seats I am thinking of a padded stainless leaning post frame. My question is does anybody have any experience of weighting a Searider at the stern like this and how do you all think it will handle?

martini · 31 July 2010, 21:25

Any pics of the aluminium hull?

colcreate · 31 July 2010, 22:16

Here you go.
I was given an old UA jet drive so I built a hull from four sheets of Ali (I'm an ex time served tin basher) and glued up some hypalon pods (bit like making ducting....). I fitted an 850 Reliant engine inboard but blew the crank first time it left the water...
I then tried fitting a Mercruiser leg to Ford diesel but gave up and bolted on a 65hp outboard. I realised I was spending all summer in the workshop and not getting any diving done! It was crazy fast and chine walked like you wouldn't believe flat out.
Sold it to a lad from Cornwall for waterskiing. Always wondered what it would have been like with the Mercruiser, I still have the plans that I drew up somewhere.

martini · 01 August 2010, 07:57

Like it. Building an ali hull is next on my list of projects I want to do.

chewy · 01 August 2010, 07:59

I like the way how he just knocked up a hull and a set of tubes!

BogMonster · 01 August 2010, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

I like the way how he just knocked up a hull and a set of tubes!

Likewise - I would love to be able to do that sort of fabrication. "I've got an engine. What shall I do with it? I know, I'll build a boat...."

rudyc · 02 August 2010, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcreate

Now for some advice, I want to mount a large full width console as far astern as I can to leave enough space in front to kit up for diving. Instead of seats I am thinking of a padded stainless leaning post frame. My question is does anybody have any experience of weighting a Searider at the stern like this and how do you all think it will handle?

I'm looking for a project-avon to do the same thing. (for divekit and also to be able to sleep on the rib during weekendtrips).
I intent to compensate the weight with fueltanks near the bow.
I think it should work out that way.

Just looked at your diashow. Most impressive.

colcreate · 03 August 2010, 10:54

rudyc, you have guessed my other reason for mounting the console to the stern. I also want to use the space to sleep in and have drawn out a tent cover which will fit over the sampson post at the bow and console mounted `A` frame. The fuel tanks are planned to fit under each side of the console. I'm hoping my twin set and mates diving kit will help load the bow.

rudyc · 03 August 2010, 12:51

I'm afraid if you put the fuel also far astern, when using the rib without divekit it will become most unpleasant.

My 'dream' is to cut off the deck and make the fueltanks beneath the deck as near as possible to the bow.
But as I have seen your pictures that idea is maybe a bit late for you.

colcreate · 15 August 2010, 16:17

Update; been on holiday for a week so progress has been slow but managed to spray three coats of gelcoat onto the hull today (extra on on all the edges).
Seems to have covered OK but will need a fair amount of wet & dry and buffing to get it perfect. I've posted a before and after picture below. (loads more images at http://www.avonsearider.co.uk/gallery ).

ollyit · 15 August 2010, 20:52

awesome work