'56 BellBoy Re-Restoration (Step by Step)

[Tim_Mattson]

Tail Heavy?

Mark,
I`m really worried about wt.balance with the similar Bellboy hull my buddy owns....
I made sure to add flotation to keep it hopefully level with the new Swimstep /Motor bracket I`m almost done with.Not sure I added enough....
Seeing yours already at a nice angle (but before the 2nd motor is hung) leads me to suggest maybe a test float with a full trash can or two filled with enough water to simulate the actual load.
You can even overload it to see what a 4 person crew and fuel would cause.
With water you can siphon it out or bail with 5 gallon buckets to quickly empty the weight,then do another test run to get a good baseline for seeing the difference between the two.
Or get some bodies and tell everybody no dancing.
Save that for the happy owner!
TM

[Mark_Denis]

I bet you'll be fine Tim. My boat handled a 220lb Honda 50 and still hauled 4 people without a problem.

The two Johnsons going on my boat weigh about 135lbs each. It'll be a bit more weight than the Honda but I think it'll be fine. Worst case, I'll add some flotation to the back.

Love what you're doing with the BB, keep us updated!

[Mark_Denis]

Well, it's been almost two years since I started this "quick refresh" and I'm still not done! Getting closer though...

Having it back on the water last year for Mason helped motivate me over the winter to keep going. I want this thing finished for this summer! Sooooooo... here are a few updates of how she sits today.

I really wanted to give the inside of the boat a similar treatment as the outside. 50's style all the way with maybe a few modern things mixed in. I'm not much of a fisherman so I designed it for just cruising in comfort.

Here's a shot of the interior before I went crazy.



I decided to yank everything out and start from scratch. I can't do upholstery so I had to limit myself to just building the framing bases for the new panels.

I started with some new side panels. I know these boats didn't come with them originally but I like em... These are made from 3/8" exterior grade plywood. I like 3/8" because it will flex a bit so I can match the curve of the hull.

Here is one being test fit. You can see the beginnings of the new carpet as well. Like I said, I'm building it for comfort...



Here is the back side showing the mounting framework.



I want the side panels to "flow" into the bulkhead so I had to get creative. First I made a base to attach the bulkhead panels to.



Then I used cardboard to match the curves of the side panels.





Then, pull the frame off and use it as a template for the plywood cover.



And finally... I whipped up some consoles to "flow" into the side panels. The curve of the consoles matches the curve of the bulkhead top.



The rest I have to leave to the upholstery guy. I took it to Seats and stuff in Port Orchard. http://www.seatsandstuff.com/

Brian's a great guy and does very nice work. Here are a few shots after he worked his magic.











Notice in this picture the white seat bases and brackets. They were the standard aluminum finish before but it just didn't look right. I had them powder coated white and it changed the whole look of the interior. Fits in much better now!







Almost to the finish line. Now all I have to do is paint and install the twin outboards, controls and steering wheel. Just a few more months away I hope!

[bham-rick]

That is a beautiful boat !

That is a sweet boat ! Pictures of that boat are what got me inspired a few years ago ! It looks better than ever now . Love the color scheme and what you did with the trim. Can't wait to see it in person . Nice job and very clean . Great thread also. This should inspire me to get back on the Falls Flyer - Thank's Mark - thought I had some time to rest a bit :cool1:

[Tim McCrain]

Wow!

Mark, she's really gorgeous! You really nailed the look, and the work looks impeccable.

How are the motors coming along?

[Mark_Denis]

No time to rest Rick, we want to see that Falls Flyer on the water soon! She's going to be quite a looker!

Tim, the motors just need to be disassembled for paint. Lots of prep work will be needed to make em look like the rest of the boat. Just need to find the time to do it. Waiting for warmer weather too since my Costco paint booth isn't heated...

Mechanically they should be fine as Norm Boddy went through both of em. Once I get them installed I'm sure there will be lots of tweaking to get them running right. The props will have to be changed, carbs played with, steering linkage, etc...

Probably won't do any long cruise events until I get the bugs worked out...

[Helmar]

Sweet looking boat for sure Mark.
Nice job..

Funny thing about the upholstery job you did.
I was just playing with the idea of doing some padded diamond pattern on panels for the Uniflite....
Looks like I have been beaten to the punch on this one

Now I have a better idea on what it would look like so I will proceed once I get my hands on more upholstery fabric.
(Been playing with some old Real canvas from a big tent with diamonds, looks pretty cool. I think I am liking this Sailrite sewing machine, just need to learn more with it )

[Mark_Denis]

Good eye Joe! Yes, the green vinyl does have a textured diamond pattern. It looks like something that would have been used back in the 50's and 60's. When Brian and I were going through the vinyl samples book we both saw it and knew it was the one. The white is actually a white pearl. It really is a nice color combo that compliments the rest of the boat. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out!

[Skagitguy]

Mark, That is one very very nice boat ! ! I wish i had your talent. Chuck

[Mark_Denis]

Thanks Chuck.

[Andy E.]

Very nice work throughout, such an insperation. Andy E.

[Cap'n Boo]

1975 10' Roberts Mini-craft

me and my son own a 1975 10' mini craft that we like to bring it to original condition . if any body knows some information i know the guy who runs this club own a 10 foot roberts mini craft boat and i was wondering if he could put some picture on or where can i find info on the roberts mini-craft boat.:catchfish1:

[bham-rick]

Roberts Mini

I only got one picture of the Mini ? Cute boat reminded me of one of the "Shriners " cars

[Mark_Denis]

Finished?

Two years and seven months later... I think I can call this project complete.

I've been quietly working on the finishing touches over the last year. I ended up scrapping the twin outboards plan. I went as far as disassembling the two Johnson 35's and in the process ended up just finding more problems to fix. I decided I'd rather enjoy the boat instead of working on it for another year...

So... the new motor is a 2003 Mercury 40hp. The only thing I did to it was paint the cowling to match the boat and put older style Mercury logos on it. It has low hours so I had no mechanical issues to deal with.

With a good tailwind we can almost hit 30 MPH which is plenty for this little boat. Any faster and you just get beat to death...

Here's a few pictures of the finished boat. Thanks to everyone in the club who helped keep me motivated!







This motor is a 2 stroke Mercury with oil injection. I love not having to pre mix portable tanks anymore! I ended up installing a permanent 12 gallon gas tank with a filler through the side of the hull to make it even easier.







Two of my favorite touches were the vintage cooler and fire extinguisher in the pictures above and below. The cooler is from the 50's and now houses the battery.

[Skagitguy]

Mark, Very nice to see you are done on a great looking project ! When will you start on the next one....Huh ? Chuck