TOPIC: '59 Glasspar Seafair re-restore

Hey everybody! I honestly didn't know this part of the forum was here, so I apologize for jumping in as I am putting the boat back together.
I posted the original restore(my first attempt at most of the work) at the old Glasspar forums. I got the boat about 7 years ago. It was pretty wrecked. I redid stringers, transom, and floor. I also did a iffy gelcoating job, basically from the chine up. Repainted deck, and redid most of the wood. One of the many mistakes I made was not measuring the thickness of the gunnel board, so the bottom of the windshield didn't connect properly to the aluminum edging. I also bought different aluminum H-railing to fit over the thicker gunnel boards. We had a lot of fun on the boat, and though the stuff bugged me a bit, I was glad to have it on the water.

Fast forward to last fall, when I decided i would redo some of the initial mistakes I made. I took the boat off the trailer, put it on jacks with homemade boat stands, built a wall to fully enclose the boat house, and insulated the building, as I knew I would be gelcoating and painting in the middle of the winter. I didn't flip the boat, and that made for some challenging work, especially on the bottom of the hull, but I am pretty happy with the results.

I recut all of the wood, repainted deck and cabin again, and did my best to shine up the aluminum pieces. Its been a ton of work, and I am finally getting towards the end. Hoping to get her in the water in the next couple of weeks!

We will see.

Anyway, here are some of the more recent pics as

Looking great. You are a lot farther than I am at the moment. I'm sure your boat will get wet before mine. I am hoping things will start to move faster once I get the Stringer replaced and the new floor installed. (I should have stringers and transom dry fitted this weekend if I don't spend too much time fishing)

I noticed that this Members Projects section was here once I was already started posting my project in the main forum. I just went with it. Nobody has complained yet.

Looks really Nice!

Looking great Ian! When you get a chance, can you post a couple pics of your cabin? Especially the headliner? That's something I'd really like to do to give the cabin a more finished appearance.
Eric

Ill take some pics when I re-install. I used plywood with a vinyl convering and 2 lights. They are held on by battens that go between each piece. Right now the battens just screw into the small studs that I glues onto the fiberglass roof rails. I would like to use Tnuts, but i worry they would come loose over time

Things are coming together. Got rear trim on. Splashwell installed and most of hardware.
Though I wish the trim lined up, I'm pretty happy with this result.

I installed main fuel hose and will be installing my fuel system with all new hoses and connections next. Probably gonna put that right on edge of splashwell where it's easily accessible but not in the way.

I'm gonna install seats next week(Thanks Eric for the brackets!). Garelick doesn't make the H style legs any more, so I will be using 2 legs per seat. Trying to figure out exactly how high I want them to be. Doesn't seem to be height that is standard. I am trying to find that spot between a normal seat and still being able to see above front of boat. I also put my seat one "bolt" back from Terry's. I don't know if ours were slightly different, but it seemed too close to steering wheel to me.

Looks great!, I hope to graduate to a Sefairer someday. They are my favorite of all the Glasspar models.

Redid my fuel system. Surprisingly difficult to get a panel mount fuel valve. All new hoses and hardware. Found the invinsible marine fuel connectors. Didn't really like using the plastic ones. Also will be using a Racor fuel/water seperator. New fuel vent. My only concern is that fuel fill hose has a section with a slight up-slant. With the current configuration there is no way to avoid that. It's better than it was, and short of getting a new tank with a side fill(this one has fill in middle) there is no better way to get the fuel down.
Getting close. A couple of spot painting things, couple of more pieces of hardware, and then I take the wall down and put the boat back on the trailer!

These are the panels for my cuddy. I wanted lights in there, and didn't like the look of the interior without some type of top.
I did this a year ago, so just re-installing. I put stringers along the ribs to attach the mahogany boards that hold the 3 panels. I'm reasonable happy with them. I'm not a carpenter, or much of a natural builder for that matter, so most things I'm doing are for the first time, and there is a LOT of learning, and mistakes, involved.
I used 1/4" ply with marine(foam back) vinyl. The strips are just screwed into the wood, and I wish I could come up with some kind of rivnut or something, but haven't been able to figure anything else out.

Looking good! So excuse my ignorance, but why two primer bulbs? for a minute I thought maybe you were setting up for a twin outboard setup!

For not being much of a craftsman, your work always looks pretty darn good. I've thought of using a thin panel like 1/8th inch baltic birch cut to size and screwed to the roof ribs with ss escutcheons. Probably covered in a white marine vinyl like yours. I myself also want some overhead lighting in there.

Keep it up!
Eric

Thanks. Each time I do something I learn. Small mistakes, but I enjoy the process and more than anything the great lesson of slowing down and getting it right.
The second primer bulb is for the kicker motor. Living on the Luger sound, you always have a second motor. My main is an 88 TOP. It’s old for a salt water motor. Still runs well, though I’m the only one who knows how to start it and I have to run it at about 1100 rpm to be able to run smooth when docking

Almost got her back together. Took a day to take the wall down, and then had a very interesting day getting her off the blocks and onto the trailer. Let's just say that I'm really glad I had a harness under her and that I braced the roof rafters!
I was gonna repower this winter and just decided I didn't want to drop 6-7k, so I'm staying with my '88. Ive taken really good care of it since Ive had it. The owner before was ok, but there was some rust when I got it. I spent a few hours degreasing, de-rusting, and repainting engine bolts. I also got new decals. I repainted the main cowling(boy are those old ridged cowlings hard to prep!) I'm pretty happy with it, especially using a rattle can. I am gonna let it cure for a couple of days before I put on the decals.

One other funny tidbit. Last summer as we were crossing Colvos passage we were going through some choppy water. All of a sudden my port side windshield slipped off and dropped into the water! I didn't put any sealant on those side windows! Anyway, ordered some poly 3/16" and cut it to shape. I used some leftover Wefco that doesn't really fit right, but is the best I can find. Did a little research and ended up using contact cement. the gasket is a little wider than the window, but hopefully, with some good sealant, will work. I also have to keep in mind which of my windows are glass and which are plexi. I replace with plexi whenever I have to replace a window.

Pretty much down to the window install, decals and then see if she still runs!

Do you have any of that wefco rubber for the windows left, even a small piece? Because they no longer make it in white, and because I'm a stickler for originality, I've been trying to collect samples of the different rubber trim on the seafair so I may approach another company about cutting dies for these profiles and running white extrusions. If you have a small piece of that, or hatch trim, or rubrail, would you be so kind to mail me some?

Eric

I will mail you what I have, though I'm not sure if it's correct either. It looks different from the older trim I have on the windshield I found, but then again, I'm not sure if that was correct either. I do know that it seems to fit better.

more decals on cowling

So, A few questions..I think i will post this in main forum as well.

So Ian,
Did you end up getting the boat in the water this year? Long time, no update. Hope all is well.
Eric