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98 Hewes LT 18 Rehab


Reel Loco

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  • 1 month later...

Well,

Mr.& Mrs.Loco are back from Costa Rica (what a trip :content: ) We're still talking about it and we've been back for about 2 1/2 weeks. We're looking for a sailfish mount to hang on the wall to remind us of our trip. Anyone know of any hanging around collecting dust?

Finally got back to working on the hull after having it flipped over on the trailer. Posting some pics of the work I've done the last couple of afternoons.

Mrs Loco informs me that the gelcoat underneath the paint is white. I thought it was fighting lady yellow! No wonder the US Marines would not issue me a weapon (they called it a "piece" and transfered me into the Navy).

Started gl***ing in the area I ground out at the bilge drain hole.

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Eight layers of 7018 & epoxy ready to grind flush

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Repair of a crack in the gunnel that I found after bringing the boat home from flipping it. Possibly caused by rolling it in the travel lift slings. After grinding the crack I found this area of the gunnel to be very thin.

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Remember the gaping hole Oldsalt said I should install an oblong transducer in? Now has 12 layers of gl*** inside and four so far on the outside. The patch to the left is a repair to a hole RL accidently got too aggressive and ground thru the hull while working inside on the stringers }:( :susel: .

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Last but not least is a repair to one of the strakes that had a chunk missing.

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Progress is being made!!! Although now I'm considering refinishing the entire hull while it's flipped over. :crazy:

RL

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Getting closer Gary! Nice job! Your right though, do everything you want to do on the hull now while it's flipped. You may even want to get it painted now, too! Alot less labor involved.

If I find the Tarpon around here, I'll give you a shout. Maybe I can tear you away from all that fun for a day :)

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Thanks Bob & Squidmo. I'll definitely be removing all the old paint & refinish the gelcoat OR repaint OR a combination of both. Not sure about that yet! I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere! :)

Bob,

Would love to get out (if I can pay for the gas)and I owe you breakfast. :) We have company coming for most of the rest of the month but may be able to sneek away.

RL

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  • 2 weeks later...

Our first guests left saturday which gave me a couple of days between our next guest who arrived late this afternoon.

The hull is coming along nicely as I am almost done with the gl*** work and getting ready for some gelcoat work.

Still need some more layers of gl*** to finish filling the gaping hole i cut out of the keel. I'm guessing it took at least 16 layers or more to build back up to the original shape of the keel.

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Here's the finished gaping keel hole all faired out with my grinder and ready for gelcoat.

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One of the repairs ready for gelcoat.

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Still need some more buildup at the bilge drain hole area.

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Oldsalt,

I need the name of the place that painted your hull. I want to see what they would charge to shoot it with an epoxy paint if I got it all ready.

RL

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sure is hard to find time to work on the LT as yardwork, powerwashing, cleaning the pool, etc. seem to get in the way. Add in an acute attack of back muscle spasm at work ( had to get someone to help me get off the ground after that). }:( Decided to take off a couple days from the job and enjoy Easter with the wife. :)

Made some headway with the LT. Here's a pic of the repair to the bilge drain area. Turned out better than I imagined. A little finish sanding and it'll be ready for gelcoat. Also decided to replace the old baitwell drain fitting while I was at it. Hoping to find one made of marlon to replace it. Thanks to Oldsalt, I'll be replacing the bilge drain with the newer type.

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After getting prices for re-gelcoating or re-painting I decided to start removing the old paint. I bought a half sheet finish sander and started at it with 60 grit paper. Seems to remove the old paint fairly fast.

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I've also decided to repaint the hull with some help from a co-worker that came from the boat industry (mainly refinishing boats). Sounds crazy (hence the name Reel Loco) but if I pay to have it done I'm going to quickly approach the thresh hold of putting more $$$ in the hull than I could get out of it.

Oldsalt,

I took your advice and took alot of photos of the Light Tackle logo (with a ruler) in case I have to have new ones made.

RL

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Big Curt,

God willing, I may get this boat on the water again! Made alot of progress removing the paint. Also uncovered alot of previous repairs.

I've got about 16 to 18 hours in removing hardware and sanding down the old paint so far. Probably have about another 8 to go in rough sanding.

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Wish my arms were another foot long so I could reach the rear lifting lugs. Sure would make it easier.

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Still not sure what color I'll end up using. I have not checked to see if someone makes Fighting Lady Yellow in two part paint.

I've got to give oldsalt a call or PM. He was supposed to contact me yesterday about tarpon fishing tommorrow. A friend of mine and his son went out with a guide (first name Rhett out of Burnt Store)in the harbor Friday and ended up catching a 130# & 150# tarpon. Will view the video Wed.

RL

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Needless to say, Oldsalt and I canceled our Tarpon trip for today.

Not wanting to work around the stern lifting lugs I decided to cut access holes in the rigging compartment and livewell. After removing the lugs I proceded to remove more paint.

I might have finished today but got rained out. Good thing because my back is killing me!

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Only a couple more hours of rough sanding left. :content:

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I see Interlux makes a Fighting Lady Yellow in their Perfection line but it's not for below the waterline and not recommended for trailered boats.

They make a two part epoxy paint called VC Performance Epoxy (white only) for high performance race boats, racing sailboats,trailered, dry stacked or any boat not bottom painted. It's also a semi-gloss whereas the Perfection is a high gloss.

I was thinking of using the Perfection ( Fighting Lady Yellow ) for the sides and stern to the waterline and the VC Performance ( white ) below the waterline.

Has anyone had any experience with the VC paint or the Perfection paint below the waterline? Not sure what it would look like with the two different glosses either.

RL

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did you check out Sterling or Awlgrip paints?

i've also heard people have good luck with System 3 stuff...

i would go with high gloss, all the way around... you're gonna want it shiny, i bet, and things don't stain or stick as well to high gloss...

i know this isn't a time to be budget minded.. with all that work, you want the best 'system' for the job...

it's gonna look nice when you get it painted! :D

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Squidmo,

I'm checking into Awlgrip, Sterling and now I'll have to look at the System 3.

Thanks for the tip on using all high gloss. That's a good consideration. :)

I agree that the paint type and cost is not the place to skimp on. I'll keep researching until I find what will hold up the best. Oldsalt told me to consider a harder type paint for below the waterline. Thanks,

RL

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i know the guys on the home-built sites use the sterling to great success, rolling and tipping even... a lot of the resto guys use the awlgrip.

i'm gearing up to build my small skiff sometime this year, if i can ever find a time to make an earnest start... i have everything but the plywood, and i'm hoping to have that soon... now for 3-4 months of un-distraction (not gonna happen)...

what's funny, i could probably go out and buy a canoe, gheenoe, or something to do what i want to do... but i just want to BUILD one...

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Hallelujah !!!!!! :)

All the yellow paint is GONE!

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I have an easy 24 hours into removing the old paint.

Next step is repairing all the small dings, nicks, old holes in the transom area, etc. Then it will be onto gelcoating all the areas missing gelcoat.

Squidmo,

In my research on the different paints I'm having a hard time getting much info on application of either Sterling or Awlgrip. Awlgrip seems to be almost entirely for professionals.

The skiff project sounds like fun!

RL

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I suited up today to grind all the remaing areas on the hull that need patching or filling.

Started at the transom as that needed the most attention.

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Initially when I went to remove the deck from the hull I had to make a grinder cut across the top of the transom. A couple of weeks ago I vee'd the cut and applied thickened (WS404)epoxy to the joint. I now tapered the joint so I can finish it with gl*** and resin.

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Am I glad I decided to remove the transom lifting lugs. This is what I found when I chased some cracks in the gelcoat. Good I did not lift the boat from this lug!

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Last but not least the sea chest needs some work. Prior owners had used White silicon to hide the broken gelcoat.

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That's it for today. My back is talking to me.

RL

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Gary,

I am starting to believe the previous owner thought it was an LST and used it to make beach landings alot. That poor thing was ridden hard and put up wet :)

You'll get her done! And, I told you not to look at the weather forecast. Yesterday they said no rain for a week, this morning they say maybe storms Sunday and Monday.

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Since Oldsalt & I couldn't fish today (sustained winds of 25mph with 36mph gusts) I worked on the last of the repairs to the hull.

The PO had broken two spots on the deck with the steering ram while using the jack plate. When I ground out the damaged gelcoat & gl*** I inadvertantly damaged the foam core underneath. That needed some repair to build it back up using two part 4lb foam.

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I then gl***ed those two areas and the joint across the top of the transom

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I also gl***ed the area that was cracked at the starboard stern lifting lug.

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Ater making thickened epoxy I proceeded to fill all the numerous holes on the stern plus made repairs to the sea chest.

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I had to resort to a muscle relaxer as the four Ibruprofen I tried were not doing their job in reducing the back pain I'm experiencing this evening. :(

RL

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Fishtails,

I have not taken the time to talk to the previous owner/owners. The guy I bought the boat from was in college. He said there had been some hull damage but that it had been repaired. Either he was clueless or was lying thru his teeth! He said he bought it from a marina in St. Petersberg.

After removing the paint and exposing prior repairs it looks to me like this boat may have broken loose and was dashed against rocks at some point. It may also have been a hurricane boat.

I purchased it as a project boat but alot of damage had been hidden by paint.

I sanded down the gl*** work I did yesterday and added two more layers of 1708 to the transom joint. I have to purchase some filler so I can finish it off.

Oldsalt,

Ill have to bow out for Saturday as I'm going out with my friend from Cape Coral. He heads back north in about 3 weeks. We'll get out one of these days! :)

RL

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