Yet another 4m Searider refurb

[Tim M]

I bought this SR4 some weeks ago. Saw it on ebay a short time after it went up. Was described as being in really good shape with nearly new tubes, so I had to have it! Clicked buy it now and a short time later it was back in Portsmouth. I had plans to change the console and pimp it out, but took it for a few test runs before I set loose with the angle grinder. It has the flooding hull blocked up. I'd never driven one with a blocked hull before, the acceleration is incredible (with a 45hp Honda on the back). I bought it as an economical run-about so am planning to leave the hull blocked up.

Anyway, one sunny afternoon I set about removing the old console. Took about 10 minutes to cut it free, which is when I discovered someone had bizarrely cut a large hole in the deck, hidden under the console. They'd blocked it up with lengths of pine which of course were rather soggy! I decided therefore to replace the whole deck and do a proper job.

Ebay pics:

[JSP]

This sounds good!

[Tim M]

Don't get too excited yet

Maiden voyage: pics taken from another SR4 with flooding hull and 40 Mariner 4-stroke. My one is considerably quicker off the mark I took it to Cowes one evening a few days later, went there and back on about £10 of petrol

[Tim M]

As I said, decided to make a start one Sunday afternoon. This is when this went from being a minor project to a major project! The hole in the middle was blocked up with lengths of pine, screwed to the underside of the deck, then covered (badly) with fibreglass. The deck around the hole felt soggy, so I cut a chunk out to the side to see what sort of state it was in. I wasn't happy about leaving a potentially rotting deck in there so it all came out! Lots of angle grinding and lots of dust.

I was amazed at how thin the deck was when I took it out. Looked like 4mm ply, fiberglassed on both sides. The last pic is of buoyancy tanks from the rear of the deck which are presumably there to keep the stern buoyant enough to keep the transom above the water when the hull floods at rest.

[Tim M]

After some ringing around, found this ex-display Avon console for £250

Have been thinking about where to put fuel tank and battery. Was offered a brand new pair of Avon fuel bladders (like the ones the RNLI use) recently which would have been perfect but they were far too expensive. I've seen lots of different configurations with this particular console, the most popular seems to be battery and fuel under the seat (keeps the deck clear and helps to keep the boat nice and balanced). Only trouble is I have found getting the tank in and out an absolute pain! If anyone has a pair of fuel bladders they want to sell let me know!

Second pic is one I found on google of a nicely fitted out console

[doggypaddle]

I asked Avon about these on my 5.4. Theyre not so much to provide buoyancy at rest, but theyre there to reduce the volume of ballast at the stern, or to put it differently to keep the weight midships. without them the weight off all the water in the flooding hull running back as the bow lifts would shove the stern down and the bow skyward....even more than they do with it
with the flooding hull blocked on a 5.4 you could potentially make the 5.4 ones into a bilge pump well, but dry feet in a 5.4 would be as sick and wrong as a watertight landrover!

[JSP]

Nice Job Tim. And that deck is thin! Have top remind myself of that if I ever decide to screw anything down.

I'm still undecided on the flooding hull bit on my 5.4......

[mdt]

Originally Posted by JSP

And that deck is thin! Have top remind myself of that if I ever decide to screw anything down.

in the process of replacing the deck just now have gone for 9mm ply but I am going to glass in some stringers under the deck to help and some ribs too. but i am also going to glass in the seats etc so not going to worry about the screws. have used 18mm ply where i am planing to put a cleat on the deck mind you.

[JSP]

Nice one MDT, how about bolting in a Sampson post as well.

[Jizm]

Good job Tim, looks good