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Beach Cats in Rehab!

19K views 97 replies 28 participants last post by  smackdaddy 
#1 · (Edited)
As mentioned in another thread, I recently bought "the LiLo of beach cats", a 1975 Spirit 17...here you can see the striking similarity:





Obviously, the ultimate goal is to be able to party like this:



But that's going to take quite a bit of work for the glazed-over trainwreck pictured above (the cat, not LiLo).

In another thread, I started documenting my efforts at rehabbing the old slag (the cat, not LiLo) - but I decided this process deserved it's very own thread. So I moved that post here as you can see below. I'm currently working on the next installment - so stay tuned!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Okay - so begins the epic saga to "fix up the old girl"...

My first round of advice, if you're going to buy a crappy old beach cat, make sure it's ready to sail as-is. You can spend a fortune fixing things if you're the kind of person that "wants to do it right". I'm not that kind of person - at least not for this boat. I paid $200 for the boat, trailer and 2 sets of fairly good sails. And I could very easily spend another $1,000 or more if I wanted it to be mint. I don't.

I just want to use it as a learning and fun opportunity for me and my boys. We can learn about fiberglass work, rigging, painting, etc. without worrying about screwing something expensive up. Then we can have a hell of a lot of fun learning to sail a cat - until it falls apart. If we love it, we can then buy a Nacra F18 or something.

So, this project is all about seeing how inexpensively and creatively I can get this thing looking pretty tasty (from 20' feet away) and sailing pretty well (at least on days it's not blowing 70 knots). It's kind of like bl's "Low Buck" thread, where I'll ask for advice on how cheaply this stuff can be done; then report back on how much of a disaster (or success) it was.

The first order of business was a good power-washing, then taking the whole thing apart. The tramp needed re-stitching, the castings needed painting, and the hulls needed a hell of a lot of work.



First to the castings...a good cleaning with acetone, then a couple of cans of spray paint...









Then to the seriously crappy patch jobs on the hull - which you can see in this photo...



The starboard hull was in pretty good shape, but the port hull (beneath patch in photo) had been crushed by wearing thin on the beach, then having some fatty climb on the tramp while it was on the trailer, crushing a section and holing it in two places.





So, first we cleaned and sanded the area, then made a shaped backer by laying-up over wax paper on the hull area we were going to cut out....(learned all this from a buddy with some experience...and on YouTube)...



Then we pulled out the saw and went to town...



Then we sanded back at roughly 12:1...



We cut and glued in the backer-plate, held in place by eye-screws and fishing line...



And finally started laying up the new glass...







Then it was on to filling and faring the other hull...







And finally...blading off the stripes...



Coming up...the top decks which have a couple of soft-spots, a little delamination, and a couple of pretty significant dings...





Then comes the sanding, priming and painting (and tons of other stuff)...

EXPENSES TO DATE:

Item
Initial Purchase Price.................$200
Wheel for Trailer........................$38
Lights for Trailer.........................$30
Hitch for Trailer..........................$34
Epoxy Resin...............................$60
Spray Paint................................$27
Fiberglass Cloth..........................$14
Pinking Shears...........................$22 (my buddy and determined...not critical)

TOTAL......................................$425
 
#4 ·
It's going to be a blast!
 
#5 ·
Damn Smack! You're doing a nice job but its a hobie 16! Could you find one in solid condition on a trailer for 700-800? Seriously though - nice to see you salvaging this one. There are some cheap aftermarket tramps (not class legal) that you oughta look into if you need a tramp.

Delamination is a killer, but if you plan to take it one, the drill multiple small holes and inject resin seems to be a good method. Others look to install a deck access port where the delam is (thereby giving you the opportunity to cut it out and also get at any remaining areas). Thebeachcats.com website has some great info if you hunt.

Damn, I miss my hobie . . . Have fun.
 
#7 ·
Actually, stink, it's a 1975 Spirit 17 (I added that to the OP). It was actually advertised as a Hobie, but you can see that it doesn't have the hull-rocker of a Hobie 16 (nor the arched forward crossbar for the tramp). The hulls look more like a Hobie 17, but the 17 doesn't have the tramp pylons. Also, the rudders are Prindle type.

It's really a Frankenstein mix of Hobie and Prindle designs. After asking around on the Hobie and BeachCats forums, someone recognized it at the Spirit 17. This matched the insignia on a trashed out main I found bundled with the other Hobie sails that came with the boat:



But I haven't been able to find ANY MORE info than that. I've searched all over the interwebs and NOTHING. Nothing about the company, the boat, nothing.
 
#9 ·
Actually, stink, it's a 1975 Spirit 17 (I added that to the OP).
That's me being my lazy-assed self. I saw the yellow hulls and immediately assumed late 70's hobie . . ..

But I haven't been able to find ANY MORE info than that. I've searched all over the interwebs and NOTHING. Nothing about the company, the boat, nothing.
Again, (sounds like you might have found it but if not) check out thebeachcats.com (they have an associated listserve too if you are interested). I believe they even have (had?) an "I.D. this cat" section. Definitely some fanatics into long lost designs.

Luck.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Okay - time for the next installment...

We left off having glassed-in the major damage on the hull bottoms, roughed in the fairing compound, and started in on the stripe removal.

The stripes were pretty easy with a top-of-the-line utility scraper (make sure you buy the one that says "Scraper" on it like mine). You just have be careful to keep the blade really flat in order to not gouge the gelcoat, and work side-to-side in a circular motion...





Next was sanding and fairing the patches. Since sanding is the dream of every young kid, I made my boys help with this:



It took about 5 layers to get it just right...





But it came out very nicely...



Next came the glecoat cracks. We used a conical grinder drill bit and went down to the glass. Sanded back the edges, and filled with fairing compound...





Next came the deck work. Overall the decks are fairly solid, but there were 3-4 areas that had taken serious hits and/or were soft. Two of the worst areas were right at the forward starboard pylon.

Crushed deck - and unbelievably bad patch job with drywall tape..




Delam with crack in top-deck at pylon..


So, we sanded them down to the foam and started rebuilding...






We drilled 1/4" holes in the top skin ONLY and used the widely touted epoxy injection method (using an old chalk-line chalk container to squeeze it in).


One of the things I blew off in this technique was pre-taping the deck. Most people first tape off the entire area then drill to keep from making a mess on the deck. That didn't make sense to me, so I just drilled where I needed to, then taped over the holes to protect the immediate area, then punched through them for the fill. Worked fine and saved a lot of effort.

If you squint just right, you'll notice it kind of looks like the spawn of George Washington and Buckwheat. But I digress...


Next came the fairing and sanding of these areas...



Then the taping and buildup to match the no-skid height...





I'll try to match the no-skid pattern in the gelcoat when I get to that point.

Finally, I had to fix the shroud chainplates. The bolts were missing, as were the interior nuts, so they were only held in place by the bar that ran under hull lip.

I drilled a bigger raggedy hole (not obsessing at all over the type of bit to use), bought a couple of these bad boys for next to nothing...



...epoxied them into place and filled the hole...and bada-boom!







We faired the rest of the major gouges, scraches, cracks, etc. (like you see in the pic above) and finished up injecting the other softspot. Then it was time to figure out what to do about the nasty looking finish.

I read a crapload of posts and articles about paint versus gelcoat. But before even going down that road, I wanted to see if it was possible to polish off the gunk to the gelcoat finish below.

I started with heavy cut compound, and it began to help...but the skank ran deep...



Then I used an orbital sander with 120 grit just to see how much I'd have to take off to get to good stuff. I finally started getting there, but the coat was just a bit too thin...

Stripe is disappearing:


Primer is appearing...


So, this wasn't going to work. Now I needed to make the decision as to whether I would paint or gelcoat. Gelcoat is a bit cheaper, but more of a hassle. Paint scratches so easily, especially on a boat like this that takes a beating.

So, I've decided to roll this gelcoat stuff on...



A gallon costs 1/2 what the boat cost. But it'll be an interesting experiment. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

+++++++++++++++++

Total spent to date: $478.
 
#12 · (Edited)
28 bucks a gallon. Me likey. But it says it's only for metals. Also, I don't want to spray. So it's gotta be roller or roll/tip.

I actually, honestly, seriously thought about being uber cheap and spraying it with spray paint. Really. But, as quickly as it would come off, it just wasn't worth the hassle in repainting and touch ups (take the boat apart, masking, etc.).

I figure if I gelcoat it, it should last another 40 years (or until it breaks apart the first time we sail it).
 
#14 ·
Yeah I actually saw a couple of guys talking about using that stuff on their hulls. They say it worked.

But, judging by the black spraypaint I used on just the castings (it took 3 cans for 4 coats just on those 6 pieces!) - it would take a few cases of cans for both hulls. Then you have to deal with the scratches.

The numbers and durability seem to keep pointing to the gelcoat. One and done.
 
#17 ·
I'll end up spending way more than the boat is actually worth
How much is a new 17' cat worth? Looks like yours will be as good as new when you're done.
 
#18 · (Edited)
How much is a new 17' cat worth? Looks like yours will be as good as new when you're done.
A '70's era Hobie 16 that's in good shape with a trailer can go anywhere from $600 to $2000+.

A 1975 Spirit 17 in mint condition? No clue. It is obviously extremely rare (like a Veyron)...so maybe somewhere in the range of $450K?
 
#23 ·
That's the "garage" of their tree house above. Besides my wheelbarrow, they have all their outdoor toys under there...bikes, bike ramp they built, Nerf guns, scooters, pieces of rope, etc. It is indeed a junk pile. But it's their garage so they have the freedom to keep it as messy as they want.

What are you Nurse Ratched?
 
#28 · (Edited)
Okay a bit more progress...

The mast was pretty banged up, stained, scratched, you name it. Here's a couple of pics of the before...









I had already painted the castings with a satin black spray paint - and I had a can or two extra, so I thought, what the hell, and tore into the mast.

First, I power-washed the whole thing, used a scrubber to get the heavy stuff off, then did a final pass with acetone on anything gooey.

I DID NOT get crazy with sanding, fairing the rough spots or dents, etc. I didn't care about that stuff...I just wanted it to look good from 10' away.

After that, I taped off the shiny bits, donned the mask and rattled the can...then...





I put on 2 coats along the whole thing - and it was looking okay...



The problem was, I couldn't quite figure out how to blend the paint well enough to get rid of the overspray pattern...



There would be beautiful shiny spots, then dull spots. That just wouldn't do.

So, I hopped on Youtube and looked up "spray painting a car" - and found a video that explained it. I was "doing it backwards". In other words, I was getting a really nice flow on the broad part of the mast - then I'd go to the leading/traling edges and screw up what I'd just done.

I switched it...spraying a clean flow on the edges, then doing the broad side. Worked like magic...







Not bad for Valspar spray paint eh? We'll see how long it lasts before it's trashed. Even then though, at $4 a can, I can do A LOT of touch up for cheap.

I used about 9 cans of spray paint ($36) - and spent a total of maybe 5 hours doing this thing.

Next comes painting the hulls. Stay tuned!
 
#34 · (Edited)
I know everyone has been waiting breathlessly for the next installment of "De-Skanking Lilo". So here we go...

My plan was to gelcoat the hulls using this stuff:



I'd seen this video showing application with a roller:



They said 3 coats would provide good coverage - and I LOVED the idea of it lasting for years with the ability to buff out scratches, dullness, etc.

The issue was the cost...$110 (with shipping) for 1 gallon. And though the specs said that gallon would cover both my hulls - it was possible that I'd have to get a second gallon since I think that's the only quantity they sell. $220 started sounding a bit scary. I also found a couple of horror stories online about guys that used the stuff with bad results - although it sounded like they had done a poor job of prep.

I had also been looking at, and talking to lots of people about, Brightside paint. I'd seen plenty of videos of people applying it with roll and tip - and getting crazy great results. But I'd also seen lots of people talking about how easily it scratches. The big plus was the cost/coverage versus the gelcoat above. I found a source online that sold it for $28/quart. The specs indicated that I could get away with 2, maybe 3 quarts.

Since my prime objective on this cat restore was to do everything as cheaply as possible, I decided to bite the bullet on doing extra maintenance (which I REALLY didn't want to do) and go for the less expensive paint option.

So, I took a print-out of the online price for yellow Brightside to West Marine - who price-matched it for $28/qt. (down from $45). Booyah!

First, I had one more soft-spot to repair. Did the old epoxy injection as shown.



It worked perfectly. Then it was a final sanding and cleaning to prep for the paint...





With the first hull up on the saw-horses, it was time to give it a shot. I used a Whizz roller and a foam "brush", rolling vertically, then brushing horizontally from the edge of the new paint backward. Paint straight out of the can.

I did it exactly like this guy is doing it:



Unlike his dark blue paint, however, I could immediately see that the yellow was not going to cover as quickly as I'd hoped...and I was nervous that the stripes would show through...



After the first coat, I lightly sanded with 320 paper, carefully cleaned the debris off, then laid on a second coat. Then I repeated all that for a third coat. Laying on the Brightstide was STUPID SIMPLE. Seriously, the stuff lays down like you wouldn't believe. It's pretty hard to screw up.









Granted, it's not "perfect" - but I was pretty amazed at the smooth finish. And it looks wicked awesome from 10' away (which was my goal).

The problem with Brightside comes with the non-flat bits. I flipped the hull and started working on the top-deck. The roll and tip went great until I hit the pylon. Trying to roll that thing, then smooth it with the foam brush was a nightmare.





With Brightside you really have to move pretty quickly. If you wait too long, you don't get the smooth flow from the new stuff into the stuff you laid down previously. It seemed I had about 3 minutes or so from the old section to the new (I painted in sections of about 18" from one end to the other). If I missed that window, the joint between the two sections wouldn't flow well, leaving some roughness. And you know when you're out of time when the foam brush starts squeaking. At that point, it's too late. So you have to just go from one end to the other in a single pop. You can't waste any time.

The pylons really slowed me down. So I came up with another plan...which also had it cons. I decided to pre-paint the other pylons...



The con with this is that joints between already dried paint, and new paint never smoothes out perfectly. But with the non-skid I was able to hide the problem pretty well...



The paint was so amazing that the original production flaws started showing up:



But I was pretty pleased with how it was turning out.







The problem was...I was using a hell of a lot of paint! 3 coats, and you could still just make out some darker areas...



By the time I finished this hull, I'd gone through 2 quarts - and just a tiny bit of the third. This was getting expensive. I was starting to wonder if the paint was the right call over the gelcoat. But it sure looked nice:



It took way longer than I thought it would. Was way too much sanding. Was way more expensive than I thought it would be (I ended up going through just over a gallon of paint) - but Lilo is starting to shine baby!



So it was time to put her back together. I re-assembled the tramp frame and had my boys lace it up.





It was at this point that I realized we had brought this skanky thing a LONG ways back...

From here...


To here...


We raised the mast, rigged everything, and hoisted the original, tattered sails for the glory shot...



We give you the 1975 Spirit 17!

Next is finishing up the rudders and tiller extension. Then it's off to the lake.

We're about to have some fun!
 
#35 ·
Nice job SmackDiddy. I like the yellow 'Banana Boat' look. Chicks dig that color too, or so I'm told.
The proof in the pudding will be after you let Lilo play beach cat for a year or so and see how the Brightsides holds up to a little beach dragging and abuse beach cats get. I'd guess that a 2 part LPU paint or gel coat might wear better than Brightsides but at some point you just have to make an executive decision and just run with it.
Looking good!
 
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