TOPIC: Repair or Scrap?

I have a free Lone Star Cadet.

Unfortunately there is some missing floor at the back, near the transom. How big of a project is it to replace the missing section? Should I just saw it up and take it to the dump? Seems a shame since the rest of the hull is pretty good.

Thanks

Never scrap a boat if you can help it. Now if the transom is solid fix the floor its not that hard. I have a G3 I have to replace all the stringers and transome and floor but it will be worth it when done.
Mike aka pathfinderz1

I'd say to fix it. But that is me. Make a fun project if that is all is wrong. How's the gelcoat?

The exterior looks pretty good to me, a couple chips from storage damage but generally OK.

I'm with Mike and Robert. Restore that baby and get her back in her natural habitat.

Bob

Any good how to's out there? Particularly with the foam under the plywood?

Thanks

I am in the middle of restoring a 1961 Lonestar Flamingo Fiberglass boat. It is a very rewarding project. These classic beauties are getting few a far between so restoring them will make you a very proud individual and when you pull up to the launch ramp people will be attracted like mosquito's. I have found the iBoats.com forum to be the BEST boat restoration forum on the web where you can get the absolute best advice from some of the best boat restorers across the country. Hundreds of examples with pictures and informtion on fiberglass methods and materials. I would highly recommend checking out their restoration forum.

So I stopped by a boat repair buddy to get some advice. He wasn't too optimistic. The transom isn't as good as I hoped and it seems the top would need to be cut off to replace it. Not sure I want to get into that

Here's another picture of the front.

you do not have to cut anything. The top pops off the hull. Undo the rub rail and remove the screws or rivets underneath it then you lift the top off the boat to get at the transom and floor.
Doing all that cutting makes the job more difficult. Cutting fairing and bonding I can see on a larger boat/vessel but on these little things the way to keep your project and life easy is to split the top from the hull.
are you sure there is foam under the plywood floor?

I doubt there is floatation foam under the deck. Where are you located. If you are close to Oklahoma, I will take the boat off your hands before you destroy her.

Yep, it's foam under the wood. Lone Star was one of the first to do this, check it out. Also the top half is glassed to the bottom, see photo of the rear steering cable pulley, just a fiberglass seam, no other fasteners. I could saw it apart but then it would need to be glassed back together somehow.

MyFlamingo wrote:

I doubt there is floatation foam under the deck. Where are you located. If you are close to Oklahoma, I will take the boat off your hands before you destroy her.

The boat is in Canada, north of Toronto, might be a bit of a drive for you.

Don't scrap her...set a budget, read everything, ask questions, and go for it. I took the top off my project boat in a few hours and had no clue as to what I was doing when I started. Now I could take a top off in half the time! I am about to start on the floor and the transom after that.