Remove deck or not?

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Just_Chuck

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My 87 BassTracker 16 Pro has a leak somewhere, albeit tiny, just a nuisance. Now it's winter and I have the time to work on the boat. What I would like to do is remove the front deck and back deck to check and repair leaks and or replace saturated foam and possibly add storage if at all possible. My question is for those who have done this before:
1. Would you do it again?
2. Ballpark hours involved?
3. Do's and don'ts in this situation?
4. Is it legal?
5. Or should I just let the bilge pump do it's job?
6. What else, if anything would you do, preventative wise with the decks off?

My plan is to get to the bottom of the boat from the inside and seal with either flex seal or silicone any leaks, welds, and rivets.
I'm choosing this route because I think that flex seal or silicone on the outside of the boat will eventually just leak again and cause more problems, but that's just a guess, I'm completely green in this area.
I have more than 250 hours available to do this project between now and April.
I have an extensive background in carpentry just not boat carpentry.

Any input will be greatly appreciated, Thanks


Chuck
 
Hey Chuck,

I guess the only advise I can give you is to try and isolate where the leak is. To do this you'll have to fill the hull with water, not completely, just enough to put pressure on the rivet or crack that's causing you problems. Once you locate it you can concentrate on that area. Tracker's are prone to using foam for bracing, at least most of the ones I have worked on have been this way. Not sure about your model but the decking on most is pretty flimsy if its aluminum, and spot welded on the edges to the hull. If its wood its not that bad. If you take the deck off, prepare to dig out some nasty stuff, but you'll have to do that to get to the hull. If its a rivet, I would use Gluvit to seal the rivet from the inside. If its a crack, find a local welder to fix it right. Don't do any leak repairs from the outside, they wont last. Not sure about legality where you live, But I would replace the foam in it with a closed cell type, Lowes, Home depot carries it. You wont really know what you've got ahead of you till you crack it open.
 
Planning on it this Saturday as long as you all don't talk me out of it. Just don't know what I'm getting myself into.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Chuck - there are literally hundreds of good threads
here from some very talented members as well as an
equal amount of first timers........ (such as yourself).
if you visual tutorials, there are many good videos on YouTube.
it's all in your mindset. set a goal and make a plan.
it sounds like you are not satisfied with your boat as it is.
it will not fix itself..... you said you have 250 hours to get this
done..... from reading many, many posts about this same transformation,
most are accomplished in just a few weekends and a few hundred dollars.

in my world, I would do the project in these steps.
1 - carefully remove all decking - set aside to either put back or use as templates.
2 - remove all the bad foam.
3 - try to work around all the wires and plumbing the best you can. try not to break anything.
4 - when you get to the bare hull, clean and vacuum
5 - with the boat on the trailer and somewhat level, fill with about 10" of water.
6 - crawl around under the boat and mark any leaks with a Sharpie marker.
7 - drain water - repair leaking rivets and anything else that leaks.
8 - fill with water again - to make sure you got all the leaks taken care of.
- - - - I used a dab of 3M-5200 fast cure sealant to seal the offending rivets on the outside
because they were not accessable from the inside of the boat.
9 - drain the water and proceed with your plan to rebuild it the way you want.
. . . . . . . . . . . simple as that . . . . . . . . . . .
if you overthink anything, you will quickly become overwhelmed and frustrated.
there are many very talented members here that will help you with any of your concerns.
leaking rivets.JPG
good luck in your project




.
 
Don't waste your time with Flexseal, it's garbage. I leak-proofed my 16 foot jet jon with Amazing Goop Coat-it. A fair bit of preparation but worth it for a dry boat.
 
Excellent plan Johnny, thanks for the path to follow. I'll do some homework today and start tomorrow. 2 more quick questions, best to sawzall the deck off? (screws are toast) and I would guess everything stainless going back in, but do you coat the screws with anything going back in?

Thanks Again, much appreciated

Chuck
 
Goop coat looks like a great idea too, obviously something that can't be done on the trailer though. Would it be best to take engine off and flip this bad boy somehow or are there tricks to lifting it off the trailer to coat the bottom with a roller? I admit, I did not search for a solution to lift the boat yet, but I will search the forums now. Just always good for me to write things down before I forget it.

Thanks Again


Chuck
 
I'd use the coat it inside the boat. From what I see its much like gluv it. I intend to apply that myself in the coming weeks to my conversion I'm doing

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
the rule of thumb is to use STAINLESS STEEL fasteners on a boat.
not automotive or household things that will rust out later and
cause you grief - such as what you have now.
this is your project - you will make your own decisions as you go along.
personally, I like to start with the less aggressive method and move up
from there to what ever it takes to git-r-done.
unless - you know you will not reuse any of the wood later, yes, break out
the big guns and just get it all out quickly. any moldy, black or rotten wood
must be replaced with your choice of materials. (NO pressure treated wood).
and most members agree with StinkFoot - spray seal and bed liners are junk on a boat.
use the correct products for your boat and you will be satisfied later.
come back after you have it stripped and cleaned up and the gallery here will be
more than happy to help in your next steps.
while you have a lot of time before you start putting stuff back, try to round up
your hardware that you think you may need.
stainless hardware is a hot topic here. some like fine thread - some like machine thread-
others like coarse thread. me personally, I like the stainless self tapping screws as
per this example....... stainless wood screws for woodwork- sheet metal screws for metal work.
be flexible !!!! accept challanges as just being part of the journey.
deck screws.jpg

have fun !




.
 
Ok, so far not my best decision making done here. After quite some time, possibly 3 hours didn't keep track, I managed to get a side panel of the rear deck off, a majority of the middle rear deck unfastened and completely destroy my pedestal seat plate fasteners. (not understanding the anatomy). The good I guess is I don't see any damage other than what I and a mouse caused. The rear deck screws all had to be removed with impact screw driver, drill, sawzall, and prayer.
There is no way that these could have been stainless steel screws! That being said, what do they use knowing that the boat is a boat and will get wet? I am baffled. And lastly, where do you all recommend I get replacements for these horrible sheet metal screws with a fat washer head, that they used?

Thanks Again...Dumbfoundedly Yours:

Chuck [-o<
 
Chuck - Google is your friend.

those screws are called automotive upholstery screws or metal lath screws.
if you can not find them at your local ACE Hardware,
Lowe's or Home Depot - then go to the internet and put in
"Stainless Self Tapping Screws" or "Stainless Self Drilling Screws".

X2 on McMaster-Carr, Grainger, Fastenal, etc etc etc


your options would be:
#1 - use the zinc plated steel screws which are inespensive
but must be replaced every 2-3 years when they start to rust a little.
#2 - invest in stainless fasteners - 3 times the cost of zinc plated, but is a one time deal.
deck screws.jpg
your call.
 
Thanks guys, I bought some stainless ones, project coming along nicely. A lot bigger of a project now , but what the heck might as well do it right the 1st time.

So far, taking the decks off carefully to look for leaks has turned into complete overhaul. It will be basically brand new when I'm finished. I'll post progress reports on the correct forum page.
 

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