Newbie has a question

C

captbob

New member
I have an opportunity to get a C Dory for a very reasonable price including trailer. It will require a lot of work to get it back in operating condition. Why you might ask. Well a hurricane sank her and took her top off by rolling her underwater. I am not sure if she is capable of being brought back to life or not. Therefore i am asking anyone to comment as to whether or not they believe this project can be successfully completed. The top has been completely removed as if one took a sawzall to it and it is MIA, the door is MIA, the insides are a total wreck as well as the motor.

The most challenging part to bringing her back to life is repairing the top and this is where I need the most help. Most other things I think I can handle. My assumption is that the hull is sound, the bow rail is in place and intact, and the motor is still hanging on the transom, all windows are in place and not broken and the four walls an windows are all there. Just the top is gone, like in ripped off!

I see two options for the top. 1) Find a used top in a boat yard or 2) build a new top out of either plywood or Starboard. I prefer white starboard as it would not even have to be painted and will reflect heat.

I have a picture of this ramblin reck but don't know how to post it here.

Help anyone! and Thanks and Tight Lines
 
Send me the photo (e-mail below)--I'll get it up. You can ask for a photo album from one of the moderators: TyBoo or Da Nag.

The top was just tabbed on, it was not part of the deckhouse molding. Yes, you could make one of any material:: but Starboard is not a good choice. It requires support in long lengths/ widths. It will be heavier to many other materials, and basically you have to screw or bolt it to other materials (there are a few exceptions--but too expensive/complicated for this part of the project.

I would probably Use something like Nida-Core: Make a mold out our waxed masonite, (put the necessary crown in the mold. You are going to have to know how to laminate fiberglass. The mold will be gel coat sprayed in first, then a layer of mat, wet out well, then 5 0x cloth, probably a layer of 1708 and then another layer of mat--the core material, Finally finish the inside, with mat, 1708 and mat.

That should be strong enough and will be lighter than factory top

You could also build male strong backs with the right crown--even the "top hat" elevation in the center, cover these with thin plywood--such as Brunzyl, Lay up the layers on top--as above--then fair --before primer and then paint (I would prefer paint over gel coat in this technique. After all of this has set up--turn the top over, remove the strong backs, and glass the interior--but I would probably put 1/2" balsa in this for the strength. This will probably be about the same strength as factory top. Another variation of this would be to use epoxy on the outer top laminates, and then go with polyester on the inside. The epoxy will be stronger, and far less likely to have any delimitation down the line.

Easiest would be to ask the factory if they would run just a top for you. The new ones should fit most 22's ever built.

Is it worth it? I have built several boats, as well as rebuilt and restored others. All in all I made profits.....but my time was worth about $3.00 an hour. Contrast that with what I made as a physician 30 t0 50 years ago....I enjoyed the work, it was therapeutic and a challenge.

Any fiberglass boat can be restored, if there is enough of it. I have a good friend (female) who bought a 34 foot boat which had been run on the rocks, then burned--(Ex Owner wanted the insurance money). She re-created one entire side of the boat, and when she was thru--it was better than new. But it took several years working full time.

In e-mails I can give more specific details of schedule of laminates, as well as material. If you do the project--be sure and take lots of photos and document it for all of us!
 
captbob":1tbisps7 said:
I have an opportunity to get a C Dory for a very reasonable price including trailer. It will require a lot of work to get it back in operating condition. Why you might ask. Well a hurricane sank her and took her top off by rolling her underwater. I am not sure if she is capable of being brought back to life or not. Therefore i am asking anyone to comment as to whether or not they believe this project can be successfully completed. The top has been completely removed as if one took a sawzall to it and it is MIA, the door is MIA, the insides are a total wreck as well as the motor.

The most challenging part to bringing her back to life is repairing the top and this is where I need the most help. Most other things I think I can handle. My assumption is that the hull is sound, the bow rail is in place and intact, and the motor is still hanging on the transom, all windows are in place and not broken and the four walls an windows are all there. Just the top is gone, like in ripped off!

I see two options for the top. 1) Find a used top in a boat yard or 2) build a new top out of either plywood or Starboard. I prefer white starboard as it would not even have to be painted and will reflect heat.

I have a picture of this ramblin reck but don't know how to post it here.

Help anyone! and Thanks and Tight Lines
Click to expand...

Call the factory & see if they will sell you a new top??
easy weekend project tabbing it on. :mrgreen:
 
Am I having Deja vu? There was boat on here years ago, 10 years ago, that did the same thing. Top and windows were gone and he rebuilt the whole thing. Pictures are on this site some where. I was amazed at the job he did.
 
It is more than the top. All wiring must be pulled and replaced, otherwise it will cause problems over time as the salt eats away at it.

So new top, new wiring, new engine, new door, new interior, cushions and it is still worth not much more than any similar model C-Dory.

I wouldn't touch it if it were free.

David
 
I agree with David.

When you add up the costs to get it right, and dependable, you’d spend as much as buying a decent pre-owned
 
Boats are not good financial investments. For the last ten years or so I have been in the process of rebuilding a 1939 36 foot Salmon Troller. It will take you longer and cost you more than what you plan. With all that said, I love what i have done. For me it was a way more than just rebuilding a boat. But be real, its a big task. Good luck sleeping.
 
The top is the easy part. It is just sort of stuck on. The factory should be able to sell you one (although the price might make you choke). You'll don't explicitly say, but a hurricane implies salt water. As mentioned the wiring will probably need to be replaced. Also, all soft materials. Quality cushion work is not cheap.

However, one thing about the C-Dory is that all the wiring is readily accessible. Rewiring the boat might be a little time consuming, but it is very straight forward.

If the price is very reasonable (i.e. a couple of thousand $) and you have the time and aptitude to do most of the work yourself it should not be that big of a deal to redo. If you have to pay someone for all the work, you are talking a different sort of deal.
 
starcrafttom":1nz68ej6 said:
Am I having Deja vu? There was boat on here years ago, 10 years ago, that did the same thing. Top and windows were gone and he rebuilt the whole thing. Pictures are on this site some where. I was amazed at the job he did.
Click to expand...
Tom, you were thinking about Chris Bulovsky from Wisconsin. He is the master craftsman who did an incredible job of rebuilding a C-Dory that had its top sheared off after an accident on the Oregon coast I believe.

Resuscitation of a boat
 
Thanks to all of y'all for your replies! I am mulling over my options.

I would do this because I like messing around in boats. Would like to leave a legacy and plan to do the work myself. My wife can cover the cushions as she has done that before. I don't plan to flip her in the sense of making a quick buck.

Yes she was completely submerged in saltwater so all of the wiring, engine and cushions must be replaced not to mention the roof and door. The hull is sound or so I believe since I have not inspected her yet. The salvage guy said they flipped her upright and she floated!

I have some excellent pictures which I will try and get posted by one of the administrators.

Thanks again to all of y'all. It may turn out to be too time consuming, expensive and not worth the effort. After you see the pictures, you will see better what I may be faced with.

Tight Lines Capt Bob
 
Rebuilding a badly damaged boat yourself may be well beyond your capabilities
depending on your background, talents and abilities.

I cannot imagine undertaking such unless you do it only for the challenge, love of
the handiwork and problem solving it will entail. If 'saving money' is any part of
your idea, forget it.

Will you be able to obtain insurance on the craft when finished? It may be a
good idea to check this out earlier rather than later.

Aye.
 
Good point on insurance.. My state is a NON title state so I don't think i will have a problem. I won't be able to come close to the quality of workmanship that Chris Bulovsky of Wisconsin did on his salvage job. He is a Master Craftsman and I am a former charter boat captain. I am not in his league when it comes to repair. He was lucky too in that he had the factory top which I am missing. My top probably wont be perfect but if it keeps the rain and sun off of my head I will be happy.

Thanks for all the comments so far. I have been able to get some good guidance from them. Still working on getting pictures up so ya'll can see what I am faced with.
 
Insurance should not be a problem. I have insured boats I have built, salvaged boats and restored boats. The carrier only cares about the condition of the boat at the time you insure it--not the history.
 
I will throw in another vote for a call to the factory. Tell them you are doing them a favor because people will be asking about the boat and you will tell them it is a C-Dory and will point them to the C-Dory boats and factory.

Be sitting down when you call the factory, --- $$$.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.highlight.jpg
 
Captain Bob sent me the following photos of the boat he is interested in. He wondered about the vintage. My best guess was mid to late 1990's. It appears later than my 1993 boat, but could be anywhere in the mid 90's. The HIN will give us the clue.

C_Dory_starboard_shot1.sized.jpg


C_Dory_bow_shot2.sized.jpg


C_Dory_no_roof3.sized.jpg


C_Dory_stern_shot4.sized.jpg


C_Dory_starboard_quarter_shot5.sized.jpg
 
HIN should be a definitive answer to vintage. If it is goin to look like a C-Dory and not too much like a rebuild, a factory cabin top would sure seem worth it, both in effort and time, if not in Boat units.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

0_CD_Cover_SlpyC_with_Classics_MBSP_2009_288.thumb.jpg
 
Wow, could be a fun and not too difficult project if you have basic laminating skills and use epoxy resin and fiberglass tape.
I worked when young for a fiberglass boat builder as a patern maker and we often sent out repair sections for boats that we laid up in the moulds, it would be very easy in this case, IF they have spare time for your one off top.
Good luck, Micah
 
Another thought, you could just tab the new top in place (could be time consuming for exact placement) then hire a good glasser to finish the lamination of the joint if you are not sure if you have the skills yourself.
 
I'm curious what the boat is selling for, could be a good deal if the price is very right. Lots of times the word c-dory adds some zeros to the price tag. How long was she under water?
 
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