TOPIC: 1980, Bayliner 2650 Explorer Express

I found this Bayliner in Harlowton Mt last summer. It had been sitting in a barn for 6 years, previously owned in Portland Oregon. A survey was out of the question due to the location, so I tap tested the transom and the engine stringers, looked it over and decided it was worth a shot. It is a 26 ft long, single diesel, wieghs about 6000 lbs.

Since then I worked over the trailer, sanded the hull above and below the waterline and sprayed one coat of catylized polyurethane (as a primer), straightened out the bootstripe and got one coat of black on that before the snow hit.

I have it inside the shop (see photo) and started working on the soft floor. A core drill showed rot and sure enough it is. (see photo) the floor is made up of a top 1/4" layer of oak veneer, a 1/4" layer of fiberglass layup and then 5/8" plywood. The plywood sits on two stringers for and aft and then flotation foam was installed in the space between the hull and the floor.

I have removed most of the plywood, still in work, and most of the foam. The foam was not waterloged, but felt heavy and had trapped moisture in all the cracks and seams. I wonder if the foam was structural or just flotation?

I just ordered some 5/8 marine ply from Windsor Plywood in Great falls and plan on using west system epoxy to wet it out and then start back.

Any comments are welcome and be easy!

I could only attach one photo for the first post(my ignorance?) So here is an attempt at some more photos.

well that is a boat load . a few questions do you know if it ran when it was put up? is it all there ? is it just a refresh it or is it a major overhaul ? take a lot of pictures keep everything until you fix it or replace it and good luck...

billy

It was running when put up. They put new batteries just before I got there and we turned the engine over and it started. It is a 4 cyl Isuzu 4BDI, 78 hp continuous on a Volvo Penta 280 outdrive. According to records, it was overhauled in 1999, not much more info.

Most of it is there. No radio, no depthfinder, some instrumentation. The stove was missing, the water system froze and broke the water pump, the head is missing, no holding tank. Lots of newer fiberglass work under the cockpit around the engine and transom.

I ordered 5/8 marine plywood today to start the floor back, I don't think I will put flotation foam back in and will leave an opening of a hatch in the new floor.

Good Luck! If any thru-hulls, like cooling for the engine, check those too. These hulls were inconsistent, with some being fine, others kinda thin - if so may want to put a backing on it if thin. But a lot of room for the money and I like the hard top!

Are you keeping that engine? If so I'd keep it in bay or lake. It may have decent torque, but I'd be very careful about what kind of water I take it into. I doubt you'll be able to get up onto plane, as they usu came with a 5.7 liter engine, or larger, engine to move it. That said, if you are going to use it to hang out and putter around - which most of us do, great fun and economical!

Keep us updated.

Al T

i thought i bit off a wodd wow that is a big boat i wish you all the luck and hope you find all the sore spots now. keep the pictures coming

billy

Rmitch, you posted here
www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/home/main-forum/fiberglass-boat-construction-and-repair#129955

Thats a guide for research only, not a dialogue intended for posts and follow up discussions back and forth w members. Thats what the forum is for.

Re-post your question here, and let the members help you finish your repairs and project.

Good luck w your project

I went foam free on my 240 Sea Ray
the foam isn't really floatation it's a sound deadener

I removed the old rotten floor made from plywood covered with a fiberglass overlay. This old floor was over a poured in foam. I cut the floor back leaving about 1.5 inch "tab" around all sides and removed the foam.

Cleaned the exposed hull and coated with resin. Also filled in some of the inner keel areas with epoxy filler to move water aft. I also put drain tubes in the stringers so a galley leak or water tank leak would drain aft into the new bilge pump area.

I used West System epoxy and coated all surfaces of the 5/8 marine plywood pieces, fit them under the tabs and over the stringers by grinding and trying to allow the plywood deck to reach under the tab to the hull. I built an access in the aft deck and installed a bilge pump.

I have a question about the next step, I intended to use 6 oz fiberglass cloth wetted with standard resin, but I read on this forum in the boat construction guide that resin over epoxy has adhesion problems-is this correct?

When you say

standard resin

Do you mean Polyester resin?

The short answer is No, dont put Poly resin over epoxy. The long answer is maybe, and you wont know if it sticks or not until it does or doesnt. IMO, not worth the hassle or possibility of failure. Once you start w epoxy fonisj w epoxy.

Try to be specific, for some epoxy might be their standard choice for strength and adhesion, and try not to use the word resin alone. There are quite a few resins.

Not a chemist, but I dont think all epoxies are alphatic resins, but IIRC, some are......

Thanks, I had a brain fade when I wrote of the "standard resin", yes, it is polyester resin. I am using West System Epoxy, and will continue to use that to attach the floor deck to the tabs I left when I removed the rotten floor. Thanks for answering my question.

photo of the installed floor deck and showing the tabs.