Bell Boy 404 Express Restoration

[TheBronze]

Update!

Sorry folks, been busy with boat work and life. I still haven't had a chance to snap some picturs but I will this weekend.

The latest bit of work is completion of the foaming of the bilges. She is 100% foamed up. There is the small area in the stern that is open at the drain plug, and the deep V forward of the mini bulkhead. All the rest is sealed tight.

Holes. I've patched up the mystery hole in the center of the hull, the toilet intake and the toilet outlet. They are glassed in but need final sanding and filling. I might tackle it this weeknd if I have time but the next agenda item is to glass the floor in. In addition to the big holes, I also went around and filled up all the "good idea" holes on the deck. Ahhh....that felt good.

Floor glassing! woohoo! This will be done in 3 sections, two on the sides and a center piece. I'll be using single sheets for each one to maxmimize long fiber strength. I'll snap some before and after pictures and post up on Sunday.

[TheBronze]

Time for another update.

The floor is glassed in! It was a real pain, haha.

As planned, I used 36 inch 1708 biaxial for the sides, and 56 inch for the centerline. The sides laid up fine, but I don't think I got a good mix on the resin - I haven't done such large pours before - and parts of it never set up. I ended up having to remove a few feet at the edges of the floor/hull joint. Laying up some ne glass was no big deal and it set up correctly the second time around.

The center was a different story. The mix was good, but that 1708 likes to warp and stretch as it gets wet. So about half way from the forward mini bulkhead it started coming off center. I ended up having to cut it and lay out another section from about the fuel tank location aft. There were some air pockets that found their way in that had to be ground down and repaired as well. This last week, I glassed in the transition to the bilge from the floor and that is all sealed up.

Here are some pics of the finished floor with glass as well as the replaced wood under the gun'ls.

[TheBronze]

In addition to the wood work that has been done in the last month, I also had Marty looking in his secret vault for a windshield. The 404 hasn't had a correct windshield for who knows how many years. When I brought her home she had that awful square thing. Into the bin it went and I've been hunting on CL for a while for a replacement. After a few trips to area 51, Marty came up with a nice Taylor Made that is a perfect fit. The depth is a little less convex than factory and the height may be a bit low as well, but I really like the way it looks on the deck.

The original mounting screws were of a variety of heights from cutting or breaking. I tried to find aluminum screws to use as replacement but couldn't find anything of sufficient size. I ended up going with stainless hex bolts that I had to cut down to fit the channel. I'll mount in 8 inch intervals when the time comes.

I just need one mounting bracket for the stbd side and it will be complete. Marty thinks its in storage somewhere and I've promised him a 6 pack of yummy beer if he can find it!

I used a windshield repair kit to restore the plexi. Aside from a few spots of internal bubbling that I'll never be able to fix, it cleared up really nice. The aluminum is getting its shine with lots of elbow grease and aluminum polish.

Here are a few shots of it in its nearly restored state. It isn't mounted, just resting on the deck.

[Helmar]

Looks like its a fit for sure.
Nice looking...:TwoCents1:

[TheBronze]

While shopping for a Christmas present for a friend, I came across this in the local marine surplus store for $10!. It was a bit scuzzy when I took it home, but look how nice it polished up. I love the classic pseudo running light base! The light swivels up and down and pivots on the base. The light even works! its actually an easily replacable GE sealed beam. The only thing it needs is a replacement gasket to seal the unit up. I'm sure I'll find something that will do the trick.

Merry Christmas to me! haha.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Your Windshield Bracket...

John -

I sent an e-mail, but got your Out Of Office reply....so I thought I'd just let you know here on the forum that I found the windshield bracket you need for the 404. (Had an opportunity to scour through the storage garage today, finally.)

So, if you e-mail me your snail-mail address, I'll send along your little New Years present!

- Marty

[TheBronze]

Now that IS good news! Thanks for finding it, Marty! I'll PM my address. And next time I'm out that-a-way I'll deliver some beer - as promised.

[TheBronze]

Bulkheads are in!

1/2 Birch ply, 8 oz glass on the edges of the main, 1708 biaxial at the floor.

I'll probably follow up with another layer of 1708 on the full perimeter of the main to stifen the connection. The aft and amidships bulkheads are attached with 8 oz glass and will probably just stay that way as they aren't as structural as the main one. The mini bulkheads and the backside of the splashwell have been layerd with resin to seal the wood, including the edges. If any water gets in, it should shed to the bilges.

I re-plotted the cabin door at 19, 20 and 22 inches (the blue tape is my label for each one). The current opening is 19, and I think I'll stick to it. It will give me more room for helm, seat boxes, etc. Its a tighter squeeze to get through, but not bad. It should trim out to about 18 inches.

For finishing, I plan on picking a nice color of stain and then varnishing the whole thing, with a 5-6 inch perimeter water barrier of kiwigrip. This will happen as I get closer to being done building out the interior.

[BellBoyBob]

Great work, John! Interesting how you used long 2x4's to keep the amidships bulkheads aligned. Depending on what I find when I pull up my floor on my 404, I may opt to change out my bulkhead as well. I would stain the finished plywood and really get a warm, mahogany look throughout the cockpit. I am definitely going to reconfigure my cockpit bench from across the rear bulkhead to a for-aft design that will include the platform for the helm and companion seats and also house the new fuel tanks I will install under those seats. I am going to opt for the Moeller 15 gallon square-shaped pair. I will lose a total of 10 gallons of capacity but at 30 gallons, I will go a long ways on that, (cir. 150 miles of range) enough to cross lake Ontario from south to north and back. Good enough. My galvanized original tanks are compartmentalized and I can't get all of the 52 year old debris out!
Looking forward to your progress. Can't wait to see the finished beauty on the water. Any idea on the timeline for the first launching?

Best,
Bob

[TheBronze]

Thanks, Bob. I can't take credit for the 2x4 idea. My engineer friend threw that one at me and it was a good one. It will be interesting to see how your bulkhead is set up. On my '59, the bulkhead actually went through the floor. It was all so rotted out when I took it up I couldn't tell if it was glassed in down there or just lose. It was a wierd arrangement and opted for solid floor with a deck to bulkhead joint.

As for stain, I am going to go with something light and maybe reddish. We'll see. I plan on getting a variety of stains and doing some sample work on a piece of scrap. Stain and varnish it for that completed look and then decide.

Funny, I'm going for a full beam bench on mine. I have 3 kids and they all need to be able to ride outside the cabin if they want. I do plan on making it a fold up unit as the boat will be used for fishing as well and we'll need the working space. I will be putting boxes in, though, for the helm and nav stations. Good place to put batteries.

Are your tanks original? I always thought they were glass on the 404s. Maybe the newer models went to steel. At any rate, mine came with replacement tanks from Todd Industries. They both come in around 20 gallons each if I recall my measurements.

As for launch date. I'm guessing spring/summer of next year (I can say that now!). There is still a lot of interior work and the hull needs to be finshed stripping off of old bad paint. The deck also has a lot of holes that need to be filled and faired before painting. My guess is that this year will be spent on the interior and prep of the exterior with spring bringing paint and power.

John

[BellBoyBob]

John - the original Bellboy 404 tanks are galvanized and compartmentalized tanks. I am using the originals and running the fuel line to a fuel - water separator filter before it goes to my 1970 Merc 1350. The engine has been running flawlessly since 1970 with only the normal maintenance issues to attend to. I want to keep it that way. I installed fuel gauge senders and have had trouble with the doughnut float on the sender pole jamming against the bottom sides of the tanks as they taper together at the bottom of the tank to fit the gunwales. Choppy seas shakes them loose but I was thinking maybe its time for new ones. My sons college costs are leaning us out for the time being so I may just repair the floor and use these tanks for a couple more seasons. We will see.

Looking forward to your BB's progress!

Best,
Bob

[TheBronze]

By compartmentalized I take it that you mean there are baffles to prevent too much sloshing? That would be nice. The Todd ones I have are just straigh giant plastic tubs.

If it is just sticking floats that is driving new tanks and there isn't anything else wrong with the old ones, you might just try either re-shaping the doughnut if it is foam. Or, you could just bend the float rod up a bit so that it doesn't contact the tank when you are low. When your gauge reads empty you'll know you have whatever amount is left below the bottom of the floats travel.

So, with your Merc 1350, what sort of RPMs and speeds to you get? I would think that would lope that boat along at 30MPH pretty easily.

[Mark_Denis]

John-

Good to see you again yesterday. The 404 is looking great! That BellBoy is going to be a real beauty when you're done with it.

The pictures don't do your work justice. The attention to detail and thought put into each area is amazing! He even has CAD drawings for the cabin design!

Keep up the good work!

[BellBoyBob]

John - with a 13x17 three blade prop and the engine canted up on the third hole for the tilt pin on the engine mounting clamp, I have reached 40.2 mph on the gps. That is the fastest the boat has ever gone under its own power. The 1970 Merc 1350 is turning about 4800 rpm at that speed. I can routinely top out at 38 mph with a normal engine angle (one that gets me out of the hole quickly without cavitation) That's plenty fast for this hull!
Best,
Bob

[TheBronze]

Been a while since I updated!

Work continues! I have been spending the last month, on and off as time and fishing permit, in sanding the hull. Lots of layers of paint mean lots of time on the palm sander. The port side hull is clear of paint all the way down to the keel. Stbd side is in progress, I'm about to the bulkhead on the bottom and around the end of where the lower rub rail would be on the sides. I should get it finished up by tomorrow.

From there, it will be an hour or two spent under the boat and on a stool, identifying the chips and cuts in the glass (a lot of them on the keel!) and marking them. They will get a patching of 3M glass beads and then a finish sanding. I also have to finish filling in the patches I did on the through hulls from the cabin. They have all been filled in and will be hidden for ever once paint goes on.

In the end, the only through hull below the water line will be the bilge. That comes straight off of the floor and is all blocked in, so no mystery waters to worry about. It will all be visible. (and dual bilge pumps in that cavity any way, so not too much worrying).

Paint

I'm still leaning towards Sound Specialty Coatings AquaplyM for paint from the rub rail down. This boat will be in salt, and will have days on end exposure to all that that offers. No one else seems to make a decent non-ablative bottom paint that can come in anything but white. I'm going with baby blue down there, so...

On the topsides, I've decided to go with Epifanes monourethane. From what I have read, it seems to be the easiest to work with and finishes out with a good shine and is hard and scratch resistant. I'm going to be fishing and crabbing off of the old girl when I'm not cruising, so it needs to be durable and something I can repair as needed.

I've scheduled next week for the fairing and finish work on the bottom. Still trying to get final details from SSC as to whether I should prime or not. I'd like to prime simply from a fairing and filling ease perspective, but it may not be reccomended. If I can get that done, then two weeks after that (vacation in the middle) I should be putting paint on the hull. Sanding and polish can happen any time during the winter.

If all goes well with that, then its on to fairing the top sides and getting that ready for paint.

She won't see the water this year, but thats OK. I'm in no hurry. The luxury of having a running boat I suppose. If paint gets on her by the fall (that the plan) then I'll work the interior from fall through spring. If all goes well, the Dodger should go up for sale some time next year and I'll be hanging a merc off the back.