1989 Sea Ray 220 OV Complete Restoration

[Katracho86]

Hello all! I'm new here but not new to boating. I just acquired a 1989 Sea Ray 220 OV (as the title implies ) that is in desperate need of a hull up restore. It has been sitting for 7 years and I'm pretty sure not very well cared for since 2012. I have been referencing the restoration project that Friscoboater blogged/videoed of his Sea Ray experience and have found it quite inspiring and helpful. I pulled the motor this weekend so that I can begin the demo process. I will be posting questions, pictures and progress here to document my journey.

I know that I am in for a much longer project than I originally anticipated but am really looking forward to it. I know that my family will benefit from this project for years to come and really want to do things right the first time while being as responsible as I can with the budget.

I do have a few questions though, to see what you can recommend.

1. I have the "kitchenette" area on the port side that I will either either keep as is or change completely (haven't decided yet). There is wood rot in all areas of the boat which leads me to believe that any wood used in or under this would also be rotten. Has anyone removed this area or an area similar in size to know what I can expect when I get into this?

Pictures are not of my boat but one with the same layout as mine.



2. My dad keeps telling me that the boat is "probably" double-hulled and that I shouldn't have to replace any foam, but everything I have ever referenced for boats of this size indicates that the entire area below the deck (minus ski lockers, gas tank area, etc) is foamed. Is my assumption correct? For reference, my dad did work on boats and has experience, however mainly house boats and therefore could explain why he thinks this.

3. The motor is a 5.7 350 Mercruiser. I was able to get it to move a little bit by handbut, due to a small working area, didn't try any more. The boat was in such a bad state that I would not feel comfortable trying to crank it over in its current state. Would I be better off to look at completely replacing the motor or is it worth my time to look at either rebuilding it myself or having it rebuilt?



I greatly appreciate anyone's and everyone's input.

 

[Katracho86]

Worked on the boat for a couple hours last night. Cleaning up just to tear apart sucks but is necessary. It was full of leaves and dirt from where it's been sitting. Today I plan on removing the rest of the items in the stern and maybe the side panels. Thanks to the time change I'm working in the dark every day after work. Here are some pics of the progress I've made so far...as you can see...lots of work ahead of me!

 

[OllieC]

Katracho86

Welcome aboard. I don't have much to offer other than checking out Friscoboaters info on the restoration, which you've already done so. Where you may find more help from CSR is in securing some replacement items when you are into the rebuild process.

Very cool boat and project. Please keep us updated.

 

[Katracho86]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, Friscoboater's build has been great and I will reference it throughout this build process. I will definitely need some replacement items. Does yours have the "kitchenette" area? I'm debating removing/repurposing this area and just installing a grill instead.

 

[OllieC]

Mine does in the cuddy. Port side. This is a photo I found on the web. It's ahead of the V-birth. Basically it's under counter storage and there's a cooler with cover on the counter that has a drain overboard.

 

[Katracho86]

Got a little work done today. Cleaned out the cuddy, almost have the wiring harness free, and got the power steering disconnected. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow so I set up a 10x20 tent over the boat to keep my working area dry.

 

[Katracho86]

It's been a slow go but I did get some work in earlier this week. I got the port side floor ripped out, foam mostly removed (it was a mix of dry and soaked foam but I was expecting this) and am to the point that I will be focusing on removing the stringers and foam below the sink/burner area and the helm. I really do not want to remove the top cap just to get access to the small area below these two sections - they are molded into the top cap with no access - I know that would be the correct way to do it but it's just not worth the work. I really just want to dig all the old stuff out and just fill this area with foam since there is no weight in these areas (other than the weight of a full 11 gal. freshwater tank). Anyone have any thoughts on this - whether this is a bad idea or not? Once I get the foam & stringers out I will have a better idea of whether or not I could somehow fit a stringer through or not, I just won't have access to glass that section of the stringer and I don't like the idea of that - hence why I'm leaning to just foaming it and being done with it.

 

[Katracho86]

Yesterday was a great day! I finally got clarity on the issue I was having with the "kitchenette" area. As I was ripping out the foam from underneath that area I happened to notice the tip of a few screws coming through the wall from inside the cuddy and thought...YES!...an access panel! I was sure that there was no way Sea Ray would have put in a freshwater tank with pump and filter and not given access to any of those components but I had definitely started to doubt. The carpet inside the cuddy does a fantastic job of hiding the screw heads! I removed the access panel and was able to remove the tank and everything attached. I also now have access to remove the stove burner and see if that can be brought back...doubt it but worth a shot since I've had trouble locating an exact replacement...maybe for the better, an upgrade probably wouldn't be bad. With the tank out, I can easily see that I will be able to replace the full stringer now even though the work area will be restricted. It's amazing to me how rot just takes over once it's in! I'm seeing now that there isn't ONE piece of wood in this whole boat that isn't rotten - but understandable since there's water in all the foam that I've ripped out so far.... All in all - a great day - not for progress but for my mental state! Here's some more pics of the progress.

 

[Lazy Daze]

A positive mental state will go a L-O-N-G way in helping you with this project!

Quick note... as you're removing a lot of the structure of the boat... you may want to add more blocking in key places (under the hull) to keep the hull 'true'. Otherwise it can flex and deform... and once you put new stringers and bulkheads in, it will stay deformed leading to ride/handling issues.

 

[Katracho86]

A positive mental state will go a L-O-N-G way in helping you with this project!

Quick note... as you're removing a lot of the structure of the boat... you may want to add more blocking in key places (under the hull) to keep the hull 'true'. Otherwise it can flex and deform... and once you put new stringers and bulkheads in, it will stay deformed leading to ride/handling issues.

So half of the hall was already stripped out when I got the boat so I don’t know how much help blocking will do, but can’t hurt. Do you have some pictures of examples of blocking that I should be doing in this situation? It is still on the trailer. I really appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

[Jack Dadali]

I hate to ask this question but when you get around to the stringers and fiber, can you give a rough estimate on cost? Im thinking of the same thing, just I dont know if I want to due to cost!

 

[Justin1982]

Wow... It's like you had the same owner as the boat I got. It sat in a field since 2012, no idea what model it is, Sea Ray customer service said it was an 84 srv 207, but I have my doubts( I think it's a 200) w/305.
As far as the motor goes, you could try to crank it and see. The beautiful thing about these engines is their simplicity, I assembled a TBI 350 when I was 17. They are super cheap to rebuild, hillrods put them together in dirty garages, and they run forever. I'm guessing it's a carb, not TBI? Try pulling the plugs and cranking it...see what you have??? There are small things that would need attention to make it fire up but I'd guess it should fire up.... unless you've already tried. Honestly, I'd try rebuilding it yourself if you have any mechanical know-how.
My previous boat had a 3.0, which is the same as the GM "iron Duke" 4cyl. I found going to a regular auto parts store was cheaper and easier than getting parts at a dedicated marina.
TLR.. it's an antiquated truck engine in a boat, don't be scared.