1987 10 meter mid cabin complete restoration.

[BlueBelle]

Looks good. I've been there with the vinyl. I still have a garage full of doors...at one point there were 26 doors out there. I think I'm down to 7 remaining. I can't wait until I get them all completed.

[kapuzzella]

hi, congratulations for the work performed, really nice!
I have a trojan in Italy 11 mt Express International and looking at your photos of the work I noticed that you have the same my ports, know the brand and maybe know where they are available?
my came off the locks, those with the wheel. thanks

[yorklyn]

The company that supplied the original ports was G.G Schmitt and sons . They are located in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Here is a link to their site. They still produce port lites but use an improved latch (no more wheel locks) . From what people on the site have said ,I believe you can purchase a replacement "interior" hatch with the new latches that will work with the old exterior trim ring.

http://www.ggschmitt.com/

[yorklyn]

Head medicine cabinet is back in. I removed the counter top in the head (FYI very easy to get out). Got the sliding doors back in the galley cabinet above the sink. I attempted to remove the wood edge from the factory countertop. I say "attempted" because I got two of the three long rails off with no problem, I had 6 inches left on the last rail and it split on me (they glued the crap out of that one spot!) . I decided to try to come up with a way to make new skylite trim rings as my old ones are shot. I took one of the old rings and traced it on a piece of 1-1/2 inch foam board , cut it out on a band saw, sanded it smooth, put it on top of a piece of plastic, used west system and fiberglass cloth to create the shape. I think I can make it work with some effort. I wanted to get the correct size that slides into the frame, now I can build the "no critical " side up and then fair and paint it. its going to be tough but I really don't have a lot of options. I just placed an order for a few sheets of quarter cut mahogany sapelle veneer to use on two cabin walls. just got a 10ft box delivered with a 1x6x8 piece of mahogany that I ordered from home depot. Plan to use it to make trim pieces. Cant believe it was free shipping for that huge of a box!
I'm getting closer on a "cabinet door" decision, ill keep ya posted!

[kapuzzella]

thanks, I saw the site, now I'll have to take the measure of the portholes. believe that you can only replace the locks using the old frames?
coming back to your restoration can you tell me what was the cost without the cost of the engines? have attempted to address a similar experience. Unfortunately, you're so far away!
greetings

[todd brinkerhoff]

The company that supplied the original ports was G.G Schmitt and sons . They are located in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Here is a link to their site. They still produce port lites but use an improved latch (no more wheel locks) . From what people on the site have said ,I believe you can purchase a replacement "interior" hatch with the new latches that will work with the old exterior trim ring.

http://www.ggschmitt.com/

Interesting. Those are the exact ones Trojan put on the 10.8 express. That was a good find.

[yorklyn]

Kapuzzella,
I got a quote from a marina of around $45,000 us dollars to replace the stringers if I stripped out the engines and interior. I did it myself for around $6500. I figure with out the engines , I have somewhere around $30,000 invested in the renovation plus the original purchase price. I figure when everything is done and the new engines installed it will be worth less than 1/2 of what I originally paid for it! I've always said you have to be one of two things to be a boater: Rich or a complete idiot! (I'm not rich!!!) LOL

[yorklyn]

My Sapelle veneer showed up! I'm going to use it on the wall that divided the cabin from the stateroom and the hull behind the dinette with the two port lights. I decided to replace the interior wood around the port lights. I decided to remove the port lights to make the interior panel easier to replace. It was a pain to remove. Thought stretch of the butyl was quite impressive. I am using 1/2 marine plywood behind the ports and cabinet grade 1/4 birch plywood on the wall. the old wood around the portlights was only adhered with thickened resin directly around the openings. I got the radar arch down off the wall. as you can see, the plywood on the sides wasn't even sealed. it was completely destroyed where it bolts to the hull. Surprisingly there was no rot above this attachment point.

[RWS]

Todd:

2 items:

1 I had rot in my own arch that became severely damaged as a result of the direct hit of hurricane Charley.

We removed all the wood and took two square aluminum tubes, bent them to fit the arch leading and trailing edge and encapsulated/bonded them into the arch with fiberglass.

At the base of the arch they were welded to a plate that tied the whole affair together at the bottom with the six fasteners on both sides.

She is steady as a rock, probably even more than the day she was delivered.

2. your most recent cabin interior photo..... the one with the two portlight holes showing...............see the wooden strip that goes behind the rub rail?................. it has the fasteners coming through that are part of the hull to deck joint.

In parts of my boat that wooden strip has nearly turned to dust.

the question...... IS THAT STRUCTURAL?

RWS

[yorklyn]

Harris,
That strip of wood is a backing plate for the hull/deck joint bolts. if yours rotted then you have a leak at the rubrail/hull joint that should be addressed as it should be dry. without the backing plate I would be concerned that the bolts would work loose. if you can access the interior i dont think that it would be too hard to fix. you would need to remove the stainless rub rail to access the bolts, unscrew them, cut new plate, drill holes in wood, install bolts with caulk and tighten.

Good Luck

[RWS]

my problem is not in the interior but rather at the transom and the gunnels.

I suspect it was not a specific leak(s) but rather humidity and moisture that took its toll over the years.

Looks like a project to be combined with the eventual replacement of the rub rail.

Unless someone here advises me differently.

RWS

[yorklyn]

I started the veneer today. had to grind all the old wood/thickened resin off the hull. the piece by the the windows is curved and has to be flexed into place. i applied the veneer on the work bench and decided to immediately install it in place. I used thickened west system to adhere it to the hull. I figured it was better to flex it into place before the veneer completely set up . Everything looked seemed good when I left it, we will see how it is after everything sets up.
Harris, on your radar arch is the metal giving it strength or is it the fiberglass thats over it? I didnt even think about using metal. I was planning on using a solid 1/2 fiberglass panel from Mcmaster carr where the wood rotted out at the mounting point and then adding some pieces of wood up the sides and glassing over them to add some rigidity. im kinda making it up as i go along with this one.

[yorklyn]

Harris,
If the wood is completely gone you may be able to simply fiberglass over the hull/deck joint and permanently join the two pieces together that way you wouldnt have to mess with the rubrail? I would do some research before hand but I cant see why that wouldnt work?

[RWS]

Harris,
If the wood is completely gone you may be able to simply fiberglass over the hull/deck joint and permanently join the two pieces together that way you wouldnt have to mess with the rubrail? I would do some research before hand but I cant see why that wouldnt work?

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sounds like something way too messy to deal with in tight spaces where you can't see what you are doing.....

As for the radar arch.

Don't waste any time on the wood or McMaster.

Get a couple of aluminum tubes - we used square tubing, but I'm sure round would work just as well.

The tube(s) follow the entire (a) leading edge and (b) trailing edge of the arch - - - they run up the sides, and across the top.

They are completely glassed in and there is zero wood now.

they terminate at the base of the arch where they are welded to an aluminum plate that is glassed into the arch where the six fasteners bind the entire thing together.

BobCT saw it this past winter and he can attest to the fact that it is as solid as a rock.

really.

RWS

[yorklyn]

Harris,
is the plate at the base against the hull or is it against the outer "skin" of the arch and encapsulated with fiberglass?
Thanks