Restoring a '62 Chris Craft Sea Skiff

14486 Views 139 Replies 24 Participants Last post by Kenh3497, 1 mo ago

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · Feb 26, 2021 (Edited)

4

Busy restoring a 1962 Chris Craft Seas Skiff. Almost have the boats hull sealed but had to take a break from laying on my back replacing, repairing and swearing at wood screws. You can replace a 100 screws, stand back and look and get ZERO feeling of accomplishment. It just doesn't show. You know you worked hard because you shoulders and neck ache so bad, but it just not satisfying work.

I have to stop sometimes and do something that 'feels good" when you stand back and look. I am going to paint the inside of the boat and needed to get at least one coat of varnish on the bright work in case there is any over spray. It is SO much easier to strip a little varnish off of bare wood than paint is. So I always put at least a couple of coats of varnish on before painting anything adjacent to it.

First I have to remove all the gauges and switches.

Stripping the bulkhead was no picnick either. Need to sand with 220 and then it will be ready for a good cleaning and some varnish.

Next is filler stain and then Varnish.

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Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #41 · May 3, 2021 (Edited)

4

Last week was a hard week with little to see/ show for it. I worked on adapting the new trailer to fit the boat. Lot of head scratching. Sitting the boat on the trailer. Measure. Raise it up. Lower it down. Measure, test fit. Raise it up over and over! The crawling under and then getting back up over and over was exhausting.

I ran the old the existing bunks through the planer to clean them up.

Added a couple of bunks under the motor stringers. They will carry most of the load of the boat. I just used a single to fit with. Now I will remove these and double them up and trim to size.

Added a bunk at the front or rather I am in the process. Cut some aluminum angle and will attach it to the trailer and the bunk to that.

Doesn't look like much but it has been a BIG job and not enjoyable at all. But it is close to done and I can move on to something more fun.

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Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #42 · May 25, 2021

WHooHooo! Pulled her out of the shop ON HER NEW TRAILER for the first time in several years. More than I care to admit.

Work on her has virtually stopped for a couple of months. So will not be any updates for a while. Have to do repairs to the house to put it for sale and build my new shop. But once that is done I am going to jump back in and get busy on finishing her up!

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m.n.j.chell

· #43 · May 25, 2021

Should be ready for the water before the end of this decade, right?

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #44 · May 25, 2021

No hiccups with selling the house and moving, end of the year.

_Ogre

· #45 · May 26, 2021

don't give up on it. my avatar TRUK took 8 years for a 2 year project. life gets in the way sometimes...
i like old wood boats, something about wood and water mixing that should be impossible 🤣

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #46 · May 26, 2021

Give up? Are you kidding? I am highly motivated, just have to do some other stuff first.

The hard part(s) are behind me. Now I get to move on to the more fun stuff. Making new peices, varnishing, painting, stuff that really shows you have been working.

Rebelwork

· #47 · May 26, 2021

_Ogre said:
don't give up on it. my avatar TRUK took 8 years for a 2 year project. life gets in the way sometimes...
i like old wood boats, something about wood and water mixing that should be impossible 🤣

He's not going to give up . I've been married 31 years today and I'm still trying to rebuild and fix my wife's problems..😆 As soon as she stops saying no, she'll be perfect...

_Ogre

· #48 · May 26, 2021

dream on reb 🤣

Kenh3497

· #49 · Jun 12, 2021

I build, fly, repair, etc radio control airplanes. Some take a long time as in several years to build. NOT a full time job and my OCD, ADHD, "SQUIRREL!!!" and "OH Shinney" get in the way😂 .

One thing that holds true with all my projects is you get to the point of "90% done, 90% left to do". You work and work and work at something and seemingly make no progress and then one day it's done! You look back and see all your work and feel good about it!!!

You have a fantastic project there. One I would never take on but fully appreciate the work and time invested. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Ken

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Rebelwork

· #50 · Jun 12, 2021

_Ogre said:
dream on reb 🤣

You know how it is. I'm the boss when she's not around...lol

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #51 · Jun 12, 2021

I hate not being able to work on it right now. But priorities, must get this house sold and new shop built.

Sanded on the transom a little the other day. Going to have to bleach it to rid of the old name 'shadow'. When I get a few minutes I work on it but nothing to show for the next couple of months I expect.

Roybrew

· #52 · Jul 23, 2021

Wow! What a project. I'll be following this.
Roy

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #53 · Dec 3, 2021

2

Six months ago I stopped working on the boat "for a couple of months"....

Thought I would update this. I built a new shop (covered inanother thread on here) and have it ready to accept the boat.

Moving my shop was a major undertaking! Still working on the house. Not that many repairs but it just goes so slow but seeing an end now.

Recently moved the last big item out of the shop. My gantries I lift the boat with. Had to take the casters off to get it out the door and then it just cleared by inch. Never anticipated moving them so I got lucky there! Same going in the new shop. JUST cleared the door.

I think it is time to repair the lights on the trailer I bought and time to get it moved. When I can't work on the house I can work on the boat. Been hesitant to do that but I would much rather work on the boat but I think the time may be at hand.

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Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #54 · Dec 11, 2021

Makin' Waves is back in the house!
Expect to finish up the 'fix ups" on our house and have it on the market by end of the year.
Then I can start back on her. Expect to have back on the water next year.

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BigJim

· #55 · Dec 12, 2021

Your boat is bigger than I remembered it being, that is a fun project. Looking forward to your project.

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #56 · Mar 12, 2022

2

OK, time to catch up.

Taken much longer than expected to get back to this. But we spent a lot of time working on the house, getting it ready to sell. Starting moving lots of things out. Downsizing, donating, storing, etc. Put the house on the market and flooded with viewers so we moved to the camper just to be out of the way. Sold in 7 days! Crazy times are living in!

Anyway, we are settled... well settling in the camper. I have been cramming stuff in the shop trying to arrange it like I wanted.

Brought the engine down, built a stand for it so I could move it around and fire it up on here latter on.

Yesterday I finally was able to push her back inside. My goal was to lift her up and pull the trailer out but that didn't happen. Woke up sick in the middle of the night, spend most of the day sleeping. But she is in and I will be able to start back on the restoration in the next week or maybe sooner!

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Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #57 · Apr 6, 2022

2

FINALLY! Real work on the boat. Camp Whoville is pretty much together and we have settled in. So time to move back to the boat and planning the new house.

First order of business was to remove the gas tank and paint that hideous blue. I liked it at first and more I looked at it the uglier it got! Originally intended it as a primer anyway so now it is gray like the rest of the boat.

I need to order wood for the decks so I started the one job no one looks forward to. Stripping paint.

A heat gun and paint scrapper work pretty well. I just got a new heat gun and sort of wish I had spend the money for a commercial quality that gets really hot, really fast. This works good and no chance of burning the wood. And it works well, just not as fast as I would like but I am not sure I would be happy with anything.

I have also started stripping the transom but no photos.

Just feels good to be working on it again.

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BigJim

· #58 · Apr 7, 2022

THAT, is you boat motor? Man you don't do anything in a small way, that is going to be a super nice boat when you finish it.

Kudzu

Discussion Starter · #59 · Apr 7, 2022

BigJim said:
THAT, is you boat motor?

That is the Factory engine. Original to the boat.

BigJim

· #60 · Apr 7, 2022

That is really nice, I see why you want to restore your boat. A very worthy project.

As high as building materials are today, have you considered using the Structured Insulated Panel System. I don't know the cost of SIP vs stick building but it sure goes faster and is super on insulation. A friend of mine built his house using this system and the heating and AC factor alone was a super pay back. Just thinking out loud here, I don't know the costs factor but by the time you figure labor at 55% less and insulation, building materials etc it is well worth looking into. Not to mention the time factor on a construction loan payback. I am not trying to tell you anything, just making a suggestion.

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