TOPIC: how do I seperate the deck from the hull?

how do i separate the top and bottom halves of s fiberglass boat(gw invader)?

what kind of foam should i put in the hull? do i need foam in the hull?


sorry for asking so many questions,
i really appreciate all of the input im getting from you guys

thanks
Cody

Thats only 2 questions. I have been known to say 10 at a time, lol...
Can you post pics? Mike

Good day! While I am not familiar with your particular boat, check out my recent posts concerning my 1960 Lake N Sea as I have done just that, split the top of the hull from the bottom in preparation for transom replacement. It's not too hard, but most likely involves removing fasteners and then cutting between the two halves with either a hacksaw blade or a simple puddy knife, breaking the caulk bead that may be present. Good luck!

If the boat originally had foam, it's a good idea to re-install it in a rebuild. It is often structural and if left out the boat is easier to twist and flexes more.

Depending on the construction, separating the deck can be an afternoon job or a whole weekend job. My Starcrafts were shoebox construction with just putty in the overlap and screws & rivits holding them together. The GW Invader Banshee was also shoebox, but it was glassed on the backside which made splitting the cap a bit more difficult. Lots of effort with a wide-blade j-bar to rip the glass out. I reassembled that one like the Starcrafts were done using screws and a backing strip with sealant in the overlap.

- Scott

i got looking at it last night, its the 2 pieces screwed together then glassed on the inside. would it be worth it to separate them, or just do the work inside while its in one piece, all im doing is taking out that spray in expanding foam, and a little transom work. i gotta put a floor in it and re-foam it. is spray in foam OK to use?

I would not use spray-in foam. I used 2-part pour-in foam in my boats. It's a closed cell foam, made for this application. The spray-in foams don't seem to hold up well in marine environment...
- Scott

Cody,

The two part urethane pour in foam is actually very easy to use. Calculating the area to be foamed & the expansion of the foam is fairly simple. And, be prepared, the material will start to expand within 20 - 30 seconds after mixing. Here are some pics of the Glastron Seaflite Seville floor that we installed.

To seperate the hull from the deck, on a flange type attachment, we use a SawsAll. A diamond type abrasive blade, rather that one with teeth will leave a smooth cut, without splintering the fiberglass.
It took us about an hour to seperate the hull from the deck on a 17' Red Fish Shark Hardtop.

Larry
Vintage Boatworks
Bakersfield, CA