TOPIC: Progress on my Power Cat 14T

I wonder how it's gonna come out. That Rustoleum enamel was easier to put on and looked good. I should have stayed with it, but it's easy being a Monday morning 1/4back!

One of the problems I have with Interlux is that the Brightsides doesn't seem to want to stick to the Pre-Kote on inside and outside edges. Jim Melanson was just here to pick up my old G3 (and Merc 850 and a bunch of other boating stuff I no longer need) and he thinks a bunch more coats and sanding will do it. It's all I can hope for at this point.

Frank

i guess interlux isn't the paint its been said to be. unless a pro applies it under ideal conditions.

Let the marine paint guys paint your boat, not the metal paint guys

Rustoleum makes Marine Topside paints for fiberglass & woods, and its not cheap paint, cheaper than the 2 part epoxies I use mainly, but I have used it many times and like it too.


Frank, take a break and keep pluggin till your satisfied

I finished my grafics paint work on my racer, not without incident ...but took a break and went back at it, I too am a perfectionist, Frank I feel your pain

Thank you. I'm glad somebody piped in on this. While I will not do another boat, I kept that Rustoleum paint, and it may one day end up on my little hot rod's 'glass body. I know enough now to SAND BETWEEN COATS!

No breaks allowed. I need to get this boat done! Alas, we have company coming tomorrow, so I will have to get over my growing anti-social tendencies and "visit" some. Grrrrrrr.

How 'bout some pics of da racer?

Frank

here ya go Frank this was painted in a makeshift plastic tent/spray booth & boxfan....Ferrari red gloss black & Mercury dull aluminum

been away from the site for a long time the Power Cat is looking good starting to work on my boats again work has slowed down hope to finish the main glass work on the larson this year
Charles

Hey Charles! Welcome back. Glad to hear things are going well, and you can get to work on that Larson again. Good for you.

Other than painting the same deck twice in one year, I'm doing okay. It would get a 3rd coat today, but we have company coming and I have to be civil. Drat!

Good luck with the Larson, and don't be a stranger.

Frank

Madprops - great racer there. Beautifully constructed...and painted. All sorts of equipment and safety rules are in place with the APBA for racing those. Is that your plan? And...what are you going to run on it for power?

Lots of thoughts on paint expressed. That's what's great about a site like this. You can read all about what others have done, and then make an educated decision based on your reading on how to proceed forward. Some have painted none, some one, some many, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. And that's all it is, opinion. Because unless and until you're standing there with the sprayer or brush in your hand trying to figure out how to get a nice paint job, then opinion becomes of little use, it all comes down to you. My opinion.

Have a great day all!

No APBA however, I have all my safety equipment including air, I dont do rules and regulations too well , I race outlaw, 1/4 milers and boats with the other local gearheads.....

All my hydros are titled and tagged to run on public waterways, I have various motor choices,fishin motors to race motors, from grossly overpowering to running fishing motors on the jackplate you can see in the photo bolted to the transom. a few weeks in the summer I run 50hp fishin motors so that family and friends can race each other around the island..... good times for all .

MadProps wrote:

All my hydros

How many ya got?!?

Nothing like outlaw stuff. I love it. That racer sure came out lookin fast just sittin! They gotta be a hoot to run too.

Frank

3 hydros and 2 other small progressive V hulls, I govern them all to run the same speed with a gps
I just recently sold the smallest of the hydros, the group has outgrown it , Im trying to buy an open cockpit 12ft tunnel to replace it, or I may build a Dillon Mini V to match a buddies ride.
Jeesh I keep saying Im going to stop this madness and sell some of this pile of boats and motors but, the pile of boats & motors around here keeps getting bigger & prettier....but Im not a hoarder

When you say open cockpit tunnel hull, you mean like my Power Cat? It's a bit under 14', about 7' wide, weighs maybe 300#s and has two tunnels. I'm in great hopes it will be a hoot!

Frank

I know your Cat will be a hoot!, they handle nicely, this tunnel hull is a picklefork design

I love the look of those pickle forks. I want one with a V-8 motor, blower and zoomies. Like this Sanger. I dream a lot. Are most of the outboard pickle forks short transom or is there quite a variety?

What's a Dillon Mini V?

they are both available WHEN your searching

there is a bare hull for sale now on CL, if I recall $1100.00 just like your photo just needs motor

Now is not a good time, but maybe someday. I used to watch hydroplane racing as a kid (in the 60's mostly) growing up on the St. Lawrence. My dad loved that sort of stuff. Because Waddington was the place it happened, there were a lot of guys around with hot rod boats, the old flat bottomed kind, big V-8s and zoomies, no good in a wind. By golly, I wanted a t bucket for a long time and finally built one, why not a pickle fork? That would be such a gas! Hmmmm.....

Busy day. Once company left, wet sanded the deck, cleaned it all up, ready for another coat. Put my newly painted headers back on the hot rod. Mama's makin home made pizza. Life is good!

Sanger is one of those companies that has been around for almost 60 years and successfully made the transition from wood to glass. Here's another Sanger I included in an article a while ago. Ah, sorry. Need to resize the photo. Will post it tomorrow. Nice boat. Wood inlaid decks with a glass hull.

Almost got it done last night before I spilled a 1/2 qt. of paint in the splash pan chasing a bug. Probably will be barred from Heaven for my comments regarding said issue, but needed a break because once I got most all the paint back in the can, it was full of bubbles. Bubbles were gone this a.m., so finished up. Looking redder and redder all the time. I liked the red better on white than gray primer, but so it goes.

Got the garage up to 70+ degrees now too, even though it dropped to mid-30's last night. Two halogen lights and one small space heater going for the last few days constantly.

Frank

The PC is looking great, Frank! I've got an extra "bug zapper" light in the garage I could loan you, but I guess it's a little late to offer. Hang in there buddy, you're coming down the home stretch now.

Actually the bug was one of every boat's favorite bugs - spiders!

I'm still obsessing about how I'm gonna get the rub rail on...

Frank

Frank,
why is the rub rail posing a problem? Ism't it one that just screws on from the outside and then a rubber insert goes into the slot? Or is your rubrail smooth and has "T" bolts on the backside that bolt it on?

Mornin Doug,

Rub rail is a problem for a few reasons. First of all, the rub rail is a simple "j" aluminum piece, no insert, and I have three lengths all 12'. I will fasten it with #10 stainless machine screws with washers and nyloks inside, then will glass the innner seam.

My starboard bow is sprung for some reason, and needs to be held in place to get the rub rail on "correctly." The rub rail was not on correctly when I got the boat, sort of sloppy really the way the deck was fit over the hull. So I want it on so the lips match. To do that will mean drilling all new holes, but that's no problem.

I am in a quandary as to where to start drilling holes because there are a number of areas that are too tight for the "j" to fit under the deck lip. I've figured that out - I will trim the deck lip that amount for the few areas I have a problem. Still, the rub rail needs to be fitted, the 'j' needs to be up under the deck lip, all new holes need to be drilled, and I'm concerned I don't have enough hands to get it done correctly.

I expect to start with one full 12' piece centered on the bow point, then do the two other pieces from where that piece ends on the side back around the stern. I have enough to do it as long as I don't screw it up somehow.

That's probably more than you wanted to know Doug, but I have been obsessing about this for a while now, trying to figure it out. I hope to be working at it soon, I'm just not looking forward to it.

Frank

I've installed one of those before myself. I am assumming this is a Taco Marine rail? I really don't think the moulding was designed to have the deck slip fully inside of it anyway. The thing we did was not try to fit the deck into the lip, but rather place the rail so that the lip curved up and just touched the hull to close the gap. Or something close to closed. Also, start your first hole a few inches to the left or right from the center of the nose and work your way back from there.

My main concern would be to place the rail so it looked right along the deck, and not worry about the placement of the lower lip. People are not going to see the bottom of the lip unless they bend way down to look up under the moulding. If they are looking that close I have a favorite saying: "If you don't like what you see, then don't look at it." lol

Another thing to remember is that the rubrail is not a water sealing factor so gaps on the underside are not an issue. Most boats which the deck slips over the hull have a gap at the bottom of the rail. I just had a high dollar bass boat come in here last week that I could stick my whole pinky finger between the rail and hull in some places!

Doug

Okay, thanks for the suggestions Doug. If it does not have to have the lower part of the "j" fit up under the deck lip, that makes this much easier. There will be no gap in this boat, as that deck/hull seam will be glassed in place inside with at least two overlapping layers of matt and resin. Guys that know tell me that longitudinal strengthening makes the boat perform much better. It was like that when I got it too, but just one layer.

Power Cat made two 14T's that year (and maybe more). One came without a windshield or steering wheel, did not have the deck/hull seam sealed, and was rated for 40 hp. The other (like mine) came with that stuff, was termed the "deluxe" model, and was rated for 80 hp.

Frank

classicfins wrote:

My main concern would be to place the rail so it looked right along the deck, and not worry about the placement of the lower lip. People are not going to see the bottom of the lip unless they bend way down to look up under the moulding. If they are looking that close I have a favorite saying: "If you don't like what you see, then don't look at it." lol



Doug

I AGREE! Make it STRAIGHT don't worry about the J channel.

I wouldn't glass over the nuts and bolts though, If you dock a little 'hard', you may want to replace a section some day. Just my .02....

Bernie

Oldskier wrote:

classicfins wrote:

I AGREE! Make it STRAIGHT don't worry about the J channel.

I wouldn't glass over the nuts and bolts though, If you dock a little 'hard', you may want to replace a section some day. Just my .02....

Bernie

So true! Don't glass over the nuts... It makes for a nightmare down the road for the next guy that tries to take it apart. I know from experience!

My seam was glassed when I got it guys. I'm putting it back in similar or better shape. I get what you're saying and realize the work I'd go through replacing a piece of rub rail. That's probably why the original rub rail looked so crummy!

Frank

Yep, definately glass that seam Frank. All the PC I have seen are glassed that way. I tore apart a boata while back that was glassed at the seem, then the rubrail bolted on, and then glassed along the seam again over the top of the nuts! It was a freaking nightmare to get the boat apart. Not sure why they didn't just use lock nuts on the rubrail bolts and eliminate the 2nd layer of glass. Maybe because they never had to take one apart? lol

F - Oh yee of little faith...you are doing a heck of a job my friend. You'll be in the water before you know it. And red, like black (which is not a color), is a very tough color to paint. But you're in the groove and it's coming out fine. Have faith! I will buy a high end 4 or 6 pack for launch night, which I hope I am invited to. May I suggest Dogfish 90 Minute Ale? - B

crosbyboat wrote:

F - Oh yee of little faith

is right B. I don't want to make predictions of when the Power Cat will be in the water. Apparently such predictions jinx me.

Third coat went on okay, other than that one small incident. Most of the dark gray is covered now. Meeting tomorrow night, so maybe wet sand some in the a.m., then do the rest after work Thursday. Garage is up over 70 now all the time.

Once I get the rub rail on I want to mount the motor and take it down to the boat launch and just see how it sits on the water. I got a long line to tie to it. I'm NOT suggesting when that might be.

F

classicfins wrote:

Yep, definately glass that seam Frank. All the PC I have seen are glassed that way. I tore apart a boata while back that was glassed at the seem, then the rubrail bolted on, and then glassed along the seam again over the top of the nuts! It was a freaking nightmare to get the boat apart. Not sure why they didn't just use lock nuts on the rubrail bolts and eliminate the 2nd layer of glass. Maybe because they never had to take one apart? lol

Doug, the way this was originally was rivets glassed over on the inside Doug. A lot of Power Cat guys affix the rub rail (Dick Davis does it with machine screws - that's where I got the idea), and then put up to 3 layers of matt and resin over the inside seam. They say the firmer that joint is the better the boat will perform. Maybe I didn't understand them correctly? I'll do some checking.

Frank

Whichever you decide will work. I just know that I personally wouldn't use bolts/nuts and then glass over them because you won't ever get them loose again if you need to take the rubrail off for anything. The nuts will just spein in the glass and you can't get a wrench or pliers on them unless you cut or tear the glass off the inside. I would just glass the seam one or two times and then use screws or bolts/nuts to install the rail. It will be plenty strong and you won't be cussing later on if you have to remove the rail for anything. Like I was. LOL

yikes!!!!!!! don't use screws...the horror..............

yikes!!!!!!! don't use screws...the horror..............

Nothing wrong with screws depending on construction. Many glass boats use plywood between the top and bottom and screws work fine. That's the way Crosby and Hydrodyne are built. A lot of rub rail has been applied with screws.

classicfins wrote:

Whichever you decide will work. I just know that I personally wouldn't use bolts/nuts and then glass over them because you won't ever get them loose again if you need to take the rubrail off for anything. The nuts will just spein in the glass and you can't get a wrench or pliers on them unless you cut or tear the glass off the inside. I would just glass the seam one or two times and then use screws or bolts/nuts to install the rail. It will be plenty strong and you won't be cussing later on if you have to remove the rail for anything. Like I was. LOL

The problem then being I have to seal all those machine screws with 5200. Guess I gotta give this some thought. My initial thought was to get the rub rail mounted correctly, and once that job was done, glass the seam. As I mentioned somewhere else above here, the deck and hull do NOT join perfectly. It's going to be a trial getting the deck lip and hull lip to get attached the way I want, and I don't want to try and glass the inside seam first. I don't think that will work.

Power Cat guys have done it both ways. Dick Davis did it the way I'm looking at doing it. There is no original thought in my method here, it's been done before.

I still need to give this some more thought I see!

Frank

5200 is a sealant and permanent adhesive. Don't think you need that on screws. 4200 more than adequate. And how much water are you expecting at the deck joint? Hopefully not a lot!

wasn't very permanent on my rub rail. frank...DON'T...use screws. AS THEY START BITING THE PAINT/GELCOAT WILL CRACK.

Ron - I haven't a clue what what you're talking about. 3M5200 is sold as a permanent sealant. It's all I have ever used it on on boats. Not going to get into an arguement about it. 5200 is sold as a permanent bond. 4200 as removable. If you have questions, call 3M. As far as your rubrail, it's the same as the 1/2G I used on my Manta Ray. No sealant is required. You anchor one side of the rail at the transom, pull it tight all around and anchor the opposite side. There is no sealant required, and none used on mine. Brian

PC1000 wrote:

classicfins wrote:

Whichever you decide will work. I just know that I personally wouldn't use bolts/nuts and then glass over them because you won't ever get them loose again if you need to take the rubrail off for anything. The nuts will just spein in the glass and you can't get a wrench or pliers on them unless you cut or tear the glass off the inside. I would just glass the seam one or two times and then use screws or bolts/nuts to install the rail. It will be plenty strong and you won't be cussing later on if you have to remove the rail for anything. Like I was. LOL

The problem then being I have to seal all those machine screws with 5200. Guess I gotta give this some thought. My initial thought was to get the rub rail mounted correctly, and once that job was done, glass the seam. As I mentioned somewhere else above here, the deck and hull do NOT join perfectly. It's going to be a trial getting the deck lip and hull lip to get attached the way I want, and I don't want to try and glass the inside seam first. I don't think that will work.

Power Cat guys have done it both ways. Dick Davis did it the way I'm looking at doing it. There is no original thought in my method here, it's been done before.

I still need to give this some more thought I see!

Frank

Hey Frank,
One thing I will say that maybe I shouldn't admit. lol. I never caulk or seal any of my rubrail screws. And I've never had any leaks. I do seal the screws on customer's boats, but not on mine because I just am not too concerned if a screw seeps a little water. I've just never had a problem with water seeping around a screw. When I do sealscrews I just have a buddy hold the caulk gun, I take my screw and dip the tip in the sealant, stick it on my drill, and run it in. Not real time consuming, but is slower than doing them bare.

As far as the gelcoat cracks coming from screws that Ron is describing.... I'm not sure what is causing that. I've never had screws to cause the gel coat to crack unless the pilot hole is way too small for the screw, and even then it's been very rare. 95% of all rubrails are attached with screws with no problems. Now, if the screws are loose and the deck & hull are flexing that may be the problem. I'm not really sure.

BTW, no offense meant here Ron. I'm just not sure why you are having the problem. It just doesn't seem to be a common occurance and wish I knew why you are having these issues with the cracking.

Frank, one thing you might want to do is consider riveting your deck in place about every 2 feet before before laying your inside glass strip along the seam. I did that once on a 24' picklefork I had and it worked out nicely. I used aluminum 3/16" flat head rivets. The rivets held the deck super tight even before the glass was applied. I laid two layers of glass on the inside, and then screwed the aluminum trim along the edge with screws. Just another option for you to think about. lol