16ft Bell Boy Restore

[Helmar]

Ok, its only 15.6ft . So, now that my Catalina is gone, can't seem to find a Dorsett San Juan with a I/O I am going back to the little Bell Boy that I have. When I was at Island Boat Shop, Marty did a restore on the same year and model boat, 1959. I know, I did all the damn windows in it.

The plan is to keep my shop open for paying projects so i am using a flat bed trailer to build a cradle on. I can pull it in and out of the shop at any time needed and with cradle, no change.
I use a spinning laser mounted to the transom, shoot down the keel, and level it off the chine edges from the stearn. Puts a imaginary cross hair down the boat from aft, forward. This will tell me if any twist in the hull..
First things first, get the platform flatbed trailer ready to set the boat on, then build the cradle.

Why so much worry on this one is, All the stringer need to come out and will form glass ones to replace the wood ones in this boat.
In looking at this one, it won't take much to foam under the deck but I like that idea down here in the Columbia river were you have all kinds of deadhead just under the water. If this boat ever hits one, it would have to come all the way though the hull up through the floor to take on water..

The plan is to sell the Uniflite and use my Bearcat on the back of the Bell Boy. All framework on the insides will be cedar sealed with two part epoxy sealer cut 40 percent with acetone (Witch I tested for penetration ) to keep it as light as possible. I have a little saltwater EZLoader trailer that it will rest on that is also very light weight.
It won't take much power to tow it around to the lakes we have down here.

So, first things first, prep the trailer for a cradle.

The last picture is the one we did at Island Boat Shop. Once it was delivered, I had never heard or seen it again, not sure what happened to it ??
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[Kelly]

Sounds like a good plan. Did you sell the Uniflite already?
I saw the green bell boy on Craigslist a couple of years ago for $5500, not sure what it finally sold for.

[Helmar]

Sounds like a good plan. Did you sell the Uniflite already?
I saw the green bell boy on Craigslist a couple of years ago for $5500, not sure what it finally sold for.

No on the Uniflite. Right now its the only boat I have that I can spend a day on and then take to the water. I need to get the Skagit 20 ready so all I need to do is unplug her adn hook up and go. That is going to be a redesign job in the cockpit area because it was all done in Oak. The floor needs replaced and same with the fuel tanks. I have the new tanks for it so its just the matter of gutting her out and rebuilding all that. I don't need Oak roll up cabinets. With all that oak cabinet work, all the upholstery, she is heavy and you can see her setting kind flow with the kicker hanging off the back. I think in the picture, she had 40 gallons of fuel on board too. Even with all that, she would still get up to 28 mph on the GPS.

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[Helmar]

Well, I got the trailer almost ready to set the Bell Boy on and build the cradle up around the hull. Put the laser on it and more than satisfied with the results..
The picture is deceptive on the length.

[sclapsaddle]

Cool boat! As typical with these lots of work with rotten wood. Sounds like a good plan, great to be able to move it in and out as needed.

[sclapsaddle]

Looks like only one of the glass is broken, do you have another or do you have to make all new ones?

[Helmar]

Looks like only one of the glass is broken, do you have another or do you have to make all new ones?

I can make the smaller ones. I will just use the Lexan for the cabin and do the bending thing for the helm. I HATE doing Windows.

[Helmar]

Cool boat! As typical with these lots of work with rotten wood. Sounds like a good plan, great to be able to move it in and out as needed.

More progress on it today too.

[Helmar]

Oh, was able to get the Bell Boy off the boat retrieval trailer and just put it on the trailer it will finish with just to move it around. The game plan is to back it into the shop, lift the boat with the slings, pull that trailer out and then set her down on what I am going to call my Cradle trailer where I will block up to the chine edges.

Good news is, the keel is Dead On with using the laser. If I just set her down on the keel, she relaxes just were she should be.
I put her on this other trailer to be able to move it around plus wanted to hit it with the laser just to see how she would relax on that trailer.

I did not demo the whole insides of the boat as of yet as I wanted to see what I was working with and, once on the cradle trailer and secured, then I will finish gutting her.
Then back side she goes and I will scrub the living shit out of it with Simple Green, pressure wash it again as I want it Clean.
I might even pull out a patch of that old cloth were its still a little dirty and do a sample resin glass up with it, just to see how well it sticks to it. If I can't get the sample patch apart, then I know I am good to go and this will just double up I am thinking of covering the stringers with fiberglass mat as well.

In looking how Thin the hull is, I am thinking, no, I Know I will use the Fiberlay close cell flotation foam under the new floor.. I want to keep this boat as Light as I possible can but also need to make sure that I do a build up on the sides of the floor. All they did is lay down some extra Cloth between the floor and chine edges.
Too many hidden rocks down here in the Columbia river and other rivers so I am thinking of laying down some heavy roving. I want this boat to just Bounce up and over rock croppings, not stick them though the hull.
I will mark up one of the photos so you know what I am talking about. The Blue area is the bottom Hull, and I put red arrows on that, then on the sides, I put red arrows pointing down at the Chine edge. That blue area is what will be built up with the heavy roving.

I am also going to play with the back seat, splashwell area thinking I want to put in a splashwell bulkhead and raise it up until it starts Not looking right. I am also going to raise up the bucket as they use to put the battery and fuel tank in with the motor. Not going to do that. So up that comes and even at a angle so I will be really limiting how much water she can hold back there if I get a wave over the stearn.

Now that I am thinking about it, I am going to go hunt down the pictures of that little Green Bell Boy as I think Marty raised the floor in that one. Not sure I want it up that high but will check it out.

So, the game plan is to keep this boat as light as possible but still structurally sound..

I just sealed up the Cradle trailer and had changed the wood stove in the shop to take 2 feet long Big Hunks of wood so built a big fire to help the curing. By morning, I will be able to pull it out and back the boat in for the slings.

Oh yeah, almost forgot this. I used the pressure washer and on the Insides, I was able to take over over 75 percent of the paint so, Lots less Sanding !!

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[Helmar]

Ok, I got her on the cradle trailer and it took some time to get her setup and dead on.
Once she was secured on the cradle trailer, I had to walk on the sides below the chine edges and outer stringers and down the keel. That is Way more flimsy than i thought it would be.
With the stringers Shot in most places, I was still able to shoot the laser and then build some stringer jigs. They are all marked where they go and have one more I think to make up.
This one has a Very Long air box forward that I have not cut into yet. Instead of making the cabin bulkhead by having it attached in all 4 points, it was only attached on the port and starboard side and just nailed across the top on the map deck. No kick plate looked lke it had ever been used. Forward from that were the air box is, about another 2 feet forward is a bulkhead that goes just above the chine edge where its turning up to the bow. I can see were that would add the structure needed to it so no twisting.
The stringers were the tops are open, I can could dig the wood out with a plastic spoon. Pretty rotten.
I was trying to keep the weight down to a minimum but I think I am going use some fiberglass Roving and all teh wood stringers that I am going to put back in would be nothing but a jig to hold the fiberglass roving in place for curing. After they are set, the wood is of no use as she would have fiberglass stringers. The wood will act as a bed for the deck screws is about all that they would be useful for.
I can get a smaller fiberglass structural roving than what I have now that will be plenty heavy and just build the stringers out if it, then from the chine edge down to the stringer, then in between the stringers. Then foam it. This thing will outlast My Grandkids !!
Here are some pictures as I have demo'ed out more of the boat, now to get into the air box as the stringers will go though that up into the bow area.

[Kelly]

I always like your pics of suspending boats...you did the same for the Uniflite. They just look cool that way. I'm certain you'll have this boat finished before I'll have mine in the water so that gives me something else to look forward to.

[Helmar]

I always like your pics of suspending boats...you did the same for the Uniflite. They just look cool that way. I'm certain you'll have this boat finished before I'll have mine in the water so that gives me something else to look forward to.

Not sure about getting it done before you !.Its all that Detail work that is hard. Structor work is easy for me or more easy than the detail work, I have done it all at one time.

I do each and every project as if it was mine. I want it Safe, I want it to Last.

Once I do get done with this thing, I will know its safe and will outlast me. You know, I have Never totally done one for myself and I think this boat will be it.
Its small, will work wherever I want it too down here. If I wanted to bring it up there, engine change as I will not sacrifice my Bearcat in the salt water so my dream motor would be a 50 Honda 4 stroke. Just don't see that every happening.

Why, I just did a Reality Check.
I am 71 years old and how long can I keep doing this was the main thing. I really miss the fishing I used to do with my kids and want to do that with my Grandkids now.
I need something small and light, something if I have to stick my old bones in and lay down, I can.
I can pull this around even with my little Tracker if need be.

My 20 foot Skagit offshore, I will go though that to the point were she is ready for a Bucket list to the San Juans, then up and down the Columbia River all, with a For Sale sign in the windows. She is just more boat than I need to be trying to haul around (which I only have one 10mpg rig that can do that).

I think after this Bell Boy is done, I am going to start liquidating the shop and equipment.

As much as I wanted the Dorsett Catalina for my last boat, she needed everything. So does this Bell Boy, but like the Catalina, this boat has only one piece missing, she is complete.
Once I get to the point I can't launch and retrieve this boat, that is when I put her up for sale.. Like yours, I will document ever step taken so the next person knows what they are getting. A new Classic boat.
Hell, I might not even Paint this boat. Almost like a Rat Boat, who knows.

I was hoping for one last job to finance this build but that does not look like its going to happen. I am running out of time.

Helmar

[Super Sportster]

I'm following along looking at progress pictures. I see the "flatbed" trailer in the shop, looks dark outside and I'm wondering if it's those lights I got you are lighting it up so nicely in there? We've got some new lighting at work and these are unbelievably bright and compact but spendy: https://platt.com/platt-electric-sup...x?zpid=1075003 Two of these in a 40 ft rusty tank of a barge sure brightens it up! They are small and light to use.

I see the the boat trailer you scored, now that looks identical to mine and I'll tell you right now you'll need to add to more rollers outside of the fwd center. My boat cut the center roller in half in a very short time and I think yours is going to be heavier than mine. You'll also have more weight up front as mine has the 12 gallon tank and battery in the back.

Will this one take a longshaft Bearcat?

Looks like I've put mine away for the winter. I was hoping to get one more trip over Mt Hood, but after getting caught in the snow once and almost putting the truck and boat in the ditch twice I'm pretty sure I'm done. What I FAILED to do last time was treat the fuel, I didn't use the Homelite for three years and it cost me. She runs perfect now and the fuel is loaded up with a can of SEAFOAM. It will be good to good next year. The new top is great, bought a Buddy Heater and it's the perfect size for in there.

Yep you need to get 'er done and see if we can get together for an outing somewhere. I pulled mine out to Promontory in Oct for the first run with the Ranger, oh what a gutless pig. Best small truck I had for towing was the old white '70 Datsun, that was a pulling SOB for sure.

Dick

[Helmar]

I'm following along looking at progress pictures. I see the "flatbed" trailer in the shop, looks dark outside and I'm wondering if it's those lights I got you are lighting it up so nicely in there? We've got some new lighting at work and these are unbelievably bright and compact but spendy: https://platt.com/platt-electric-sup...x?zpid=1075003 Two of these in a 40 ft rusty tank of a barge sure brightens it up! They are small and light to use.

I see the the boat trailer you scored, now that looks identical to mine and I'll tell you right now you'll need to add to more rollers outside of the fwd center. My boat cut the center roller in half in a very short time and I think yours is going to be heavier than mine. You'll also have more weight up front as mine has the 12 gallon tank and battery in the back.

Will this one take a longshaft Bearcat?

Looks like I've put mine away for the winter. I was hoping to get one more trip over Mt Hood, but after getting caught in the snow once and almost putting the truck and boat in the ditch twice I'm pretty sure I'm done. What I FAILED to do last time was treat the fuel, I didn't use the Homelite for three years and it cost me. She runs perfect now and the fuel is loaded up with a can of SEAFOAM. It will be good to good next year. The new top is great, bought a Buddy Heater and it's the perfect size for in there.

Yep you need to get 'er done and see if we can get together for an outing somewhere. I pulled mine out to Promontory in Oct for the first run with the Ranger, oh what a gutless pig. Best small truck I had for towing was the old white '70 Datsun, that was a pulling SOB for sure.

Dick

Yes, its the lights you gave me and there are Only Three of them on !. I have two more on a switch for the front of the bays. They really make that shop nice and bright for sure, Thanks again for that

I was looking at that void you are talking about and yes, i think I want a couple more right about were your talking about.

I have been looking and if I raize that front air box and bunk only 3/4, maybe 1" higher, I would be able to put a 6 gallon boat tank on each side. If I was to put that 12 gallon tank in up by the bulkhead for a foot stand, that would give me 24 gallons to run that Bearcat on, which means I should be good for a three day weekend Sip Sip Sip.
So Yes, the Bearcat will go on the back of her as I have seen them on them. Marty had one on his Bell Boy too.

John Nelson has a older Ranger that is a 4 cyl I think and he pulls all his boats around pretty much with it, I know he used to two the Uniflite with it...I know its not a V6 in it. I will have to check with him..

I have the Uniflite out and ready to go but now that the lake down here has been drained, I missed my window so I have the barrel at the back of the boat and will fill that up and let her pull her own water in so will treat the gas, open the pet cocks and drop the water out and just go park her for the winter.. Two years on the tags and they have been setting right here on my damn desk, Never took her out ;-/

[Super Sportster]

When I winterize the Homelite I put a 50/50 Mix antifreeze into a pump can then pump it into the Pee Tube until it starts running out the leg. Always make sure the drain holes in the gearbox are clear too, I think I did this when we resealed it.

Dick