TOPIC: Glasspar re do #2 1/2

Hi folks, been gone a while!

I have a '69 Glasspar Avalon that I rescued in '97 from being cut up going to a landfill- did stringers, deck, transom, Easypoxy paint job and hung an old lark III Evinrude 40 on her I had from another project that was assembled from parts of about 3 different mills, and ran it that way with Igloo coolers as seats.

Time progressed, seats were added, and in '96 I re painted her with much better quality Nason Ful-Thane (Easypoxy is fine for a duck boat and that's about it!) and located a rode hard and put up wet 45 horse Honda with much salt water corrosion. Power trim and tilt for the first time ever! Ohh!

Added a home built ski tripod of aluminum pipe later on for hydrosliding-



The Honda served us well, but uses a quart of oil in 8 hours, needs rings and valve guides. If one tried to rebuild her, every bolt would snap off in the powerhead....it was used on a rental skiff in saltwater its first several years of life with no rinsedown or flushing.. plus, it really was OK if it was just the wife and two small kids, but put another two adults in the boat and it just had no torque to pull one up on a kneeboard.



By fall of '10, I noted soft spots in my transom. I had no experience with that stuff nor no internet when I did it in '98, and had obviously not sealed it well. This time, I let a pro do the job- he wrapped the new core 360* on the bench before glassing it in to the outer skin, molded it over the top, tabbed it in better. I just had to re fair and re paint the outside. He also filled my notch I did for the short shaft Evinrude (the original transom was for a 20" shaft) and raised the rest of it 3" for more freeboard because...

I was GIVEN an early 90's Evinrude 88spl for the cost of truck shipping from Maine to Savannah GA, just $200. Had a bit of corrosion but not too bad.



I wanted a tad more free board in the stern with the heavier motor. The Honda was 240lbs and I had a 6 gallon tank back there at 42# full or so, the OMC is 305lbs advertised... so I am going to run a 9 or 12 gallon portable up under the bow to distibute it better.

Boat back from the glass guy-





Faired and primed-



Painted-



I hung the motor and hooked up the controls I found on my local Craigslist. Fired it right up, the carbs had been drained so they were good. I pulled it back off, scaled the rusty steel parts and OSPHOed them, hit them with zinc chromate primer, and painted the motor with left over boat white. It just looked too nasty in original faded blue! I still have to repair the skeg, yeah I know I should have done that BEFORE painting but the weather window for painting was open that weekend and I had the time ya know!







Now I am putting it all together, using wood trim over the seam where I separated the motor well cap from the hull, not going to re grind, glass, fair and paint the top cap. Too much work! If anyone turns their nose up at my boat, over the side they go, YAR!!

Now re wiring the bilge pump, enlarging the hole as the OMC tach is larger than the Hondas was etc.

I know the OMC will eat a LOT more gas, but the HOnda ran 29-30mph wide open propped right, and had to run close to 7/8 throttle to maintain 23-26 mph cruise speed with passengers. I should be able to run a tad over 1/2 throttle with that V4 and do that, plus get out of the hole with ease. The Honda used more oil than a two stroke would having to mix it as well.

Hope to have it back in the rivers by July 4 weekend for sure.

Looking good Eric, nice work. Man, you've been down the road and back again with that one! Looking forward to seeing some pics when you get her all done.

Eric,
Looking great so far, can't wait to see the finale pics.

Bob

Yeah, I need to scan the old film pics of the '98-'99 resurrection one day. Pics with the Evinrude Lark III sportin' the spray can flame job on the cowl inspired by Budwieser...

I have not been around these boards in awhile, was over at the Glasspar owners club until my membership ran out and just have not gotten around to re upping, did a cruise in May of '08 up the Suwanee river with the Florida Glasspar club, that was fun. The boat's been to Panama City FL last year (shallow everywhere, and where it wasn't, too open and choppy!) and on Douglas lake in TN, Boone lake, and Flannigan on the VA/KY border, and all over the tidal creeks/rivers of the Savannah lowcountry.

Hoping that 90 works well for me.