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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[Helmar]

Still working in the Bell Boy 16.
At this point I have all the old Gelcoat sanded off and the hull and cabin top resealed with fiberglass polyester resin.
Now for the sanding and filling part.
Pictures soon.

[Helmar]

Here is the latest to date of what is going on.
Next is finish sanding and prepping for Gelcoat. I decided to put her back in Gelcoat and this was here factory colors. Found the Gelcoat color to match
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[Helmar]

Here is another update to the 16 Bell Boy.
I got the helms and door done, now for stain and varnish.
Between this and the Green Board soaked in Fiberglass laminating resin thinned with the Monomer, its the only wood in this boat.

[Helmar]

Moving right alone. Made up the seating framework from the polyfoam.

[Helmar]

Next I am working on the transom bulkhead. I need to close that area up as no fuel or battery will be located in the back. All that stuff will be forward for better balance.
I plan on putting a flip down door to drop down when the engine is all the way tilted up.
I am doing this with the Bearcat engine as most of the newer 4 strokes are smaller and wanting to make sure All engines will fit back there.

[Helmar]

Here is another update on my Bell Boy Project.
I had pulled the cabin off the hull and replaced all the gunnel wood, replaced the cabin wood with poly foam core board. Top is back on and lined up (fasteners ordered) and now onto the cabin bulkhead.
I did some testing with the poly foam board by butting two pieces of scraps together (like I will do in the cabin entry) I used a bisket cutter or can be done on the table saw, but sliced the ends to put the bisket in on both pieces, added fiberglass resin and in testing, it broke way back from the seam were the two went together. Same process that you would do if you were to make a table top from a bunch of slats.
Here is the progress so far. Next step is to put the fiberglass Matt on and cloth.

[Helmar]

Still working on the Bell Boy. Slow but sure. Got the foam core board covered with glass mat.

[Helmar]

Made more progress on the Bell Boy. I was able to clean the foam core board that I put in for a floor and cut the heavy fiberglass mat to go down. I went up the sides above the chine edge just to give her a little more thickness on the bow.
I also got the first heavy layer of mat glassed in. That thick mat is using a Lot of resin due to its thickness. I might move have to put another layer down other than the cloth. I will know more after I walk around on it. I need to build it up to protect the floor as who knows, I might drop the anchor on the floor ;-)

I wanted to lay the mat down so when I go to foam under the floor, I will have that extra protection for the foam to expand out the weep holes.
Anyway, here is were its at today.
Let’s see if I can add the pictures using this IPad Pro now. Its all kind of new to me.
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[Helmar]

Boy, what a mess to clean up. Got to clean this up to get the glass Matt down.

I also did some sanding on her and she was two tone Blue. Never seen one that color so going back to the blue.

[Helmar]

Ok, found a shop to use and back on my little Bell Boy. Thanks to one of my best friends, John Nelson, its looking like I will be able to finish her. I found a shop to use down here in Veneta Oregon so the next thing in order is to finish the floor that is covering my Skagit Hull whereas I had replaced the wooden stringers with fiberglass stringers. I covered her with the foam core board panels so once the first layer is down, I will drill and put in the floatation foam from Fiberlay..
Let’s see if I still remember how to add a photo..

[Helmar]

Just an update on my Bell Boy restoration.

I have lost my shop in a nasty divorce and looking for a place to finish this Bell Boy. This will be my last build and last restore if I can pull it off. All the boats that I have restored, I never got to do my own from start to finish.
I think I will show you how I can finish this in a Costco tent. Wish me luck.

Its almost been a year now trying to get access to my shop and boats. I still have plans on selling off all the boats but finishing the Bell Boy.

[Helmar]

Just an update on my Bell Boy restoration.

I have lost my shop in a nasty divorce and looking for a place to finish this Bell Boy. This will be my last build and last restore if I can pull it off. All the boats that I have restored, I never got to do my own from start to finish.
I think I will show you how I can finish this in a Costco tent. Wish me luck.

[Kelly]

Get rid of the rollers on the trailer, add bunks and the boat will sit lower. Rollers suck.

[Helmar]

Nope, the foam picture did not show so here that is.

With the foam, it becomes difficult to know how much to mix and pour in. If you do too much and without a blow hole for ot to blow out of, then you have a chance of it blowing the floor up and creating a Major mess. Means you have to cut, grind, chip to be able to replace the section that blew up.

When in doubt, make small batches and pour them first to see how much she is expanding for the space your putting it into.
The more area, the more foam of course but with this floor just being glassed down to the stringers, there are no screws holding it down.
Several things you can do is make your holes between the stringers no more than 12" apart as your working towards the bow box.
Being this is the first time for this type of floor, I will make sure to keep them fairly close and even have a car battery to set down just below the hole to help just in case I get too much in.

Next is to start some of the lower holes to decide how far apart they need to be and mixing smaller batches.

We got more done today than I thought I would but my ribs being as sore as they were, I was surprised with the progress.