1987 18’ Wellcraft “restoration”

[cjohnson82]

I’m new to forums and posting (so move the thread if needed) but I wanted to share my progress on my 1987 18’ “restomod”. I hope this can inspire some people to jump on their own projects and keep the momentum going. I started with a hull in good shape, but in pieces for $500 with the trailer. The previous owner started to do the work but lost interest after the transom was replaced and the stringers were worked on. I started by ripping out the ***8776;3 year old stringers that were there because they sloped towards the keel and would not have been a flat deck. Once I got it all cleaned out I started mocking up some marine grade 3/8” ply and building a new, much stronger framing system. I’m nearing completion of the frame and I’m ready to start glassing everything down to the hull. There’s a lot to learn about this but I’m doing my best with what i have. I’ve never done any fiberglassing nor boat work previously and I’m only 21 years old so bear with me! I will keep updating this thread if y’all would like to follow.

 

[Pipe_Dream]

Welcome to the forum and good for you for taking on such an ambitious project. There are good folks here more knowledgeable than me about what you're doing, so fire away with questions and we'll all see what we can do. Photos always a plus.

Great first post!

 

[oteps]

Welcome. Keep the pics coming.

 

[pjbrownva]

I’ve never done any fiberglassing nor boat work previously...

Welcome!!! I'm lookin' forward to following your progress.

I haven't done much fiberglass work either, but I've *read* a lot about it.

One warning that I've seen is about the problems created by "hard spots".

Basically, having your support structures directly flush with the hull can be a bad idea. It creates a stress point that can amplify forces and cause problems.

Maybe some of the veterans can shed light on how much of this is a "nice to have" vs a "must have"... but I thought I'd share that concern now, so that you are aware of it.



Good luck and welcome!

-Philip


P.S. -- A quick google search lead to some postings on sail boat forums.

Part of one reads:

To avoid hard spots it is best if any perpendicular structure bonded to a hull does not actually meet it. Instead, there should be a small gap filled with a softer material like foam, balsa wood, or putty. The joint should also be nicely radiused with a wide fillet. This serves both to reduce stress in the area and to strengthen the bond generally, as the transition from one bonded surface to the other is more gradual. The wider the radiused angle, the stronger the bond will be and the less stress it will experience.

Source: https://wavetrain.net/2011/09/24/fiberglass-boatbuilding-internal-hull-structures/

 

[Dana A]

I would not apply this Hard Spot theory on the stringers !

Remember this quoted post came from a sailboat forum and this is for "support structures" like bulkheads that go floor to ceiling to add support to the deck in a sailboat.

Welcome!!! I'm lookin' forward to following your progress.

I haven't done much fiberglass work either, but I've *read* a lot about it.

One warning that I've seen is about the problems created by "hard spots".

Basically, having your support structures directly flush with the hull can be a bad idea. It creates a stress point that can amplify forces and cause problems.

Maybe some of the veterans can shed light on how much of this is a "nice to have" vs a "must have"... but I thought I'd share that concern now, so that you are aware of it.



Good luck and welcome!

-Philip


P.S. -- A quick google search lead to some postings on sail boat forums.

Part of one reads:



Source: https://wavetrain.net/2011/09/24/fiberglass-boatbuilding-internal-hull-structures/

 

[pjbrownva]

I would not apply this Hard Spot theory on the stringers !

Remember this quoted post came from a sailboat forum and this is for "support structures" like bulkheads that go floor to ceiling to add support to the deck in a sailboat.

And so I'm already learning!

Years ago, I had purchased a hard cover book about boat maintenance and fiberglass repair written by Don Casey who was a big player in providing info from Boat U.S. The book spoke about hard spots... but the book was also heavily focused on *sail boats*, so I heard the warnings, but didn't really know how to interpret it.

What @Dana A said, seems to make sense to me, but again, I've read a lot but not done very much, so I'm still trying to learn.

Intuitively, the comment seems to make sense to me... that the concept might be best applied to building essentially interior walls within a sailboat that support the deck... even if you call them bulk heads.

-Philip

 

[pjbrownva]

I will keep updating this thread if y***8217;all would like to follow.

The boat looks nice and your work looks extra-clean.

I did more reading on the hard-spot issue, and a couple people gave some
advice that sounded good to me.

The advice was that you wanted to avoid adding support members that only touch the hull in a small area... meaning, that the small area would carry a
comparatively heavy load.

That makes sense to me, and looking at the pictures doesn't apply to your work.

It looks like the grid you built is well-formed and makes fairly consistent contact with the hull, meaning that it should spread forces fairly evenly without unduly concentrating the weight in any one spot.


Another poster on a different forum, basically cautioned someone about "over engineering" their solution... and rebuilding the boat to a higher standard than when it was designed and originallyI built.

I think that also applies here.

Keep up the awesome work! I hope that you enjoy the whole process!

Sincerely,

-Philip

 

[nymack66]

Very nice work.

 

[cjohnson82]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome, I built my 63 gallon tank last week and finally got it back from the powdercoater recently. Deck supports on top of the tank aid as handles when fitting it in - trying to think ahead…

This weekend I started laying my 1.5oz mat on the stringers for the 1708 to tie into later on in the process. Speaking of warm, I had a batch gel up on me in 3-4 minutes so you can see the cooler filled with resin ready to mix (heat index is 112° today) the cooler trick adds another 10-12 minutes of working time which is perfect for the 16 ounce batches here.

I’ve read a bit on the “hard spot theory” but this is an 18’ hull that’s built like a tank with 13” centers on the stringers. The whole hull is a hard spot in my opinion. (Correct me if I’m wrong)

Also, I underestimated the material needed so back to USComposites.com I go!
I calculated roughly 42 CuFt of foam to be poured so we can get that on the way as well.

Lastly, I’ve read about the transom and rear scuppers taking on water with more that 2 people fishing on the back, so that leads me to fabricate an Armstrong bracket to allow me to close off the transom and add some much needed space to the rear.
Does anyone have any experience with brackets on these hulls? I know it’s an argues topic all over the forums on the pros and cons. But I feel the space gained outweighs most of the cons.

 

[pjbrownva]

Really nice! You’ve got some awesome fabricating skills.

 

[nymack66]

Here in Florida if you don't ice the resin you are in trouble.

 

[phatdaddy]

Maybe they are there and I can t see them, did u leave anyway for water to migrate from bow to stern along the stringers?

 

[Dana A]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome, I built my 63 gallon tank last week and finally got it back from the powdercoater recently. Deck supports on top of the tank aid as handles when fitting it in - trying to think ahead…

This weekend I started laying my 1.5oz mat on the stringers for the 1708 to tie into later on in the process. Speaking of warm, I had a batch gel up on me in 3-4 minutes so you can see the cooler filled with resin ready to mix (heat index is 112° today) the cooler trick adds another 10-12 minutes of working time which is perfect for the 16 ounce batches here.

I’ve read a bit on the “hard spot theory” but this is an 18’ hull that’s built like a tank with 13” centers on the stringers. The whole hull is a hard spot in my opinion. (Correct me if I’m wrong)

Also, I underestimated the material needed so back to USComposites.com I go!
I calculated roughly 42 CuFt of foam to be poured so we can get that on the way as well.

Lastly, I’ve read about the transom and rear scuppers taking on water with more that 2 people fishing on the back, so that leads me to fabricate an Armstrong bracket to allow me to close off the transom and add some much needed space to the rear.
Does anyone have any experience with brackets on these hulls? I know it’s an argues topic all over the forums on the pros and cons. But I feel the space gained outweighs most of the cons.

I'll say you have some serious talent on the fabrication side, I read this post a couple days ago and one thing sticks out that's been bothering me me.
Your "Deck supports on top of the tank" The tank should not be supporting the deck ! Thinking ahead this could be a problem. Decks should be supported by the stringers. The tank should be locked in place prior to foaming or the foam will move it. I used oak and the pieces going down on the sides are an inch above the hull. two rear blocks behind the tank are spanish cedar i had kicking around.

 

[steplift20]

Dam,you guys have some serious talent

 

[cjohnson82]

Maybe they are there and I can t see them, did u leave anyway for water to migrate from bow to stern along the stringers?

Only on the keel. Apart from condensation, the deck will be sealed to the hull so there shouldn't be any water entering apart from a tank access in the console. every other cavity will be foam filled and sealed besides the tank, bilge area, and possibly the center of the bow (haven't decided that far ahead yet)

 

[cjohnson82]

I'll say you have some serious talent on the fabrication side, I read this post a couple days ago and one thing sticks out that's been bothering me me.
Your "Deck supports on top of the tank" The tank should not be supporting the deck ! Thinking ahead this could be a problem. Decks should be supported by the stringers. The tank should be locked in place prior to foaming or the foam will move it. I used oak and the pieces going down on the sides are an inch above the hull. two rear blocks behind the tank are spanish cedar i had kicking around.


View attachment 8259

View attachment 8260

The only thing the supports are underneath is the console. The console will rest on the stringers so no pressure will be above the tank. The supports are nothing more than handles honestly. Any walking pathway on the boat has a stringer centered along it, so for normal use and walking around your feet shouldn't be any more than 2-3 inches from support. But where would the stress occur, in the tank, the hull, or the deck?

 

[pjbrownva]

Any updates on your project? I'm incredibly impressed by the work you've shown us. I wish I had even 1/2 your talent at fabrication and restoration!

 

[cjohnson82]

Thank you! Both my day job and side job has picked up dramatically. Should finish the stringers and start on rigging tubes and deck in the next month or two.