Progress Report - 733 OTH Fiberglass Work

[MASATS]

When I got the boat it had a de-lamination issue on the port side forward of the mid ship. We discovered when we opened the forward hatch area, which holds the 80 gallon fuel tank, that in fact diesel fuel was allowed to seep into and remain in the bilge. The fuel deteriorated the foam core material and caused a failure of the hull integrity. Island Boat Works gained access to the inner core by cutting the inner hull lining. The inner core was removed and replaced and the inner hull lining was reinstalled. You can see from the photos the damage area and in one photo you can see the outside support necessary to reshape the hull. Of course we had no mold to put the hull in for the repair so we had to improvise. This no doubt this is major surgery for any hull but this one has more strength now than when it was originally manufactured. I am due to pick her up from Island this week. Next week we install the engine and out-drive. The engine has been run on a stand and the out-drive has been repaired. I will have more details on that in my next post. Thank you all I appreciate your words of encouragement.

[columbiachop]

thanks a bunch for showing your work. i often consider those ex-military boats for a restoration, so watching your work might give me an idea what i'm up against.

cheers

[alpha]

I have a OTH 733 bought on Govt Liq. Won bid 5/14/08, Event 3413, Lot 2208. I picked up the boat in July 2008 and trailered it back to Michigan. Worked on it off and on all winter in my barn. I removed control console, both decks, and removed and cleaned fuel tank, then re-installed tank, decks, and console. I installed new controls and trim tilt pump. Started the YanMar Diesel and motor seemed to run well. I trailered the boat to the lake and the boat ran well. Everything seemed to work accordingly. I trailered the boat back to the house. I then saw your post on fiberglass work and decided to check the hull for de-lamination. I found what seemed to be a large soft spot in forward part of hull. I removed the control console, decks, and fuel tank again and then cut inner hull lining out. The de-lamination looked like the photos on your post of your 733. Wondering if I could get your advice and some details on how your hull was re-laminated. Any advice that you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[MASATS]

We must have bought sister boats from the same auction. My lot number was 2211. I would be glad to help. What I found on my boat was diesel fuel leaked into the liner of the boat and caused the foam to disintegrate. The soft spot you are feeling is because the foam's integrity is gone. Once you cut the liner open and clean out all the foam in the damaged area then install new foam. You'll need to support the structure of the hull from the outside. I used a sheet of plywood and floor stands. This will keep the shape of the hull correct as you install the foam. Once installed glass in the liner and that's about it. It's a dirty job for sure. If you like you can send me an email and I will send back my phone number. Sometimes it is easier to talk about things rather than writing. I would like to see some pictures of the boat if you could.

[alpha]

here are some photos of the boat. do you see any problems with cutting more of the inner hull out in order to get to the delamination. I will e-mail you my contact info. thanks

[avius]

Hey fellas, I just started working on one of these beauts. Was there any tell-tell signs of this issue? Alpha you mention you pulled the fuel cell out and cleaned it and hadn't noticed anything obvious? would it be possible to check this issue from the bow hull?
thanx
AV

[alpha]

I would just crawl under the boat and pound on the hull looking for any soft spots.
when I was checking my hull I just pounded on the hull with my hand...sorta like pounding on the bar trying to get the bar tenders attention.

[avius]

excellent, I'm pretty good at that!

[avius]

Originally Posted by alpha

I would just crawl under the boat and pound on the hull looking for any soft spots.
when I was checking my hull I just pounded on the hull with my hand...sorta like pounding on the bar trying to get the bar tenders attention.

DAMN DAMN DAMN! theres quite a bit of flex on the port side hull, right under the center consul about a foot up from the keel and it extends about two feet stern. Looks like this is something all these boats have in common.
I've done a lot of fiberglass surfboard repair but never a 2 sq foot section. Is this a simple fix if I am calculated? care to share any pointers, advice etc?
Looks like I may be in this project longer than I had anticipated...
AV

[alpha]

I would think its time to pull the console and decks off so you can see what you have
going on.
You will know a lot more what you have when you can take a good look down below.