Restore of 1986 Sorrento 19' bowrider

Yes, I did the work myself. I spent about $2,500 +/- in materials. I would guesstimate that if I hired someone to do the work that it would have added another $5K to $7K to the price. When you clicked on the pic, where you able to see the entire photo album? I can, but I'm not sure if it's because the website automatically logs me in, or not.
 
Lazy Daze,
all I could see is the one picture.

To all,
any experience with composite stringers? I know they will cost more but it might be a choice I need to consider if re-doing all of them. I was looking at the videos for the Coosa Board.
 
Got a quote for $1600 (this assumes they don't have to pull the motor). I've asked to update the quote assuming the motor needs to be pulled and to replace the floor on the port side where the damage is located.

I don't think the floor needs to be replaced as I spent the last few days poking around looking for soft spots and could not find any. This makes sense to me if the rot is related to just the areas where water leaked down a seam in the floor (Fuel tank hatch and Ski Locker) then I should be good-to-go.

Bought a new battery and cranked the engine for a few revolutions. Next step is to pull the plugs, change the oil, and change the fuel filter.

Question. I plan to change the belts but they are the old v-belts. Should I consider converting to a serpentine belt? Less about reliability and more about belt availability?

Thoughts appreciated.
 
I think I would just replace the V belts. Would have to change all the pulleys and add a tensioner for a serpentine belt. Not worth it - use quality belts and tension them properly and old fashion V belts work fine.
 
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All good points mentioned above. Another consideration is the fuel tank which may have issues if it was sitting in water much of its life. It needs to be removed and tested for leaks. Might be better to buy a new one so you don't run into a leaky tank after doing major structural work. Fuel lines need replacement as they are not likely safe with e10. The list goes on. I say go for it if you are handy and like doing this type of work. I did get rid of a great looking Corvette that I owned since it was new. Had just the 30,000 miles that I put on it and looked brand new. My son owns it now, and has replaced the gas tank, brake lines, rotten tires more than once. The list goes on. Glad he owns it and not me. Do what makes you smile.
 
sbw1,

Good point. The boat has a few hundred hours, mostly lake use. When it wasn't being used it was stored in a hanger or by our garage. It hasn't been started/used in four years. With that said, in addition to changing the fuel filter I'll pull a little out of the tank and check the condition of the fuel. The tank is aluminum so I suppose I'm just looking for water or debris.

Based on your feedback I've added new hoses (water & fuel) to the list.

BillK,

Understood. I've never lost a belt on a car/boat since I was kid :). Do you think that replacing them every other year is a good schedule?
 
sbw1,

Understood. I've never lost a belt on a car/boat since I was kid :). Do you think that replacing them every other year is a good schedule?

(Don't go by my equipment service life because my storage conditions are unusual - just posting my experience)

We just sold our 1984 Mercruiser powered boat this past Summer. I always avoided replacing the belts because it required jacking up the engine and removing the front motor mount. So, I would just inspect it annually for wear or cracking.

At 20 years I figured it may be about time, even though it had no signs of failing. When we sold the boat the replacement had 15 years on it and it still looked good. That's 35 years and 1250 engine hours on 2 belts.

Of course, I DID carry an emergency orange rubber belt on board in my safety kit. It could be snapped on in an instant and was at least good enough to get me home. Never needed it.

YMMV...
 
Jim, Excellent idea to carry a spare. I typically throw the old belt after they have been replaced into the trunk of the car...might as well use the same practice for the boat. I'm also reading that my replacement schedule is too short.
 
If properly adjusted and no problems with the pulleys (ie rust etc) belts will last along time. I have replaced the serpentine belt on my current 1999 boat once about 5 yrs ago even though it didn't really need it. The Correct Craft had V belts and in the 15yrs we owned it I couldn't have replaced the belts more than once. Inspect them, replace when needed, but don't try to fix what isn't broken.
 
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sbw1,
Good point. The boat has a few hundred hours, mostly lake use. When it wasn't being used it was stored in a hanger or by our garage. It hasn't been started/used in four years. With that said, in addition to changing the fuel filter I'll pull a little out of the tank and check the condition of the fuel. The tank is aluminum so I suppose I'm just looking for water or debris.
Based on your feedback I've added new hoses (water & fuel) to the list

Aluminum tanks can and do develop corrosion. So you need to look for leaks as well in addition to water or debris.
 
Hey gang, any recommendations on where to buy the little things related to old Sea Ray boats ie: exterior bilge vent, plastic SR logo for the side of the boat, etc? Maybe I should be in the classic Sea Ray forum...
 
Moving forward on this.... Estimates in for the stringer fix, looks like it will be around $7k, with carpet.
I'm removing the interior and carpet to reduce the cost by $1.2k.
 

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I have been finishing up a restoration/refurb of a 1985 Cobalt CM23. This was a boat I owned from 1989-98 and bought it back a little over 4 years ago in October of 2014. I had some sentimental attachment to this boat but also it was pretty rare as Cobalt only made this model for 3 years and only produced 84 units over the production run. And lastly, I knew there were very few boats left. I know because I've searched extensively. I've documented this project in some detailed elsewhere on this Forum.

When I got the boat I knew that it had a newer SEI outdrive and that the motor was a 383 Stroker built about 12 years ago with pretty low hours....maybe fewer than 300. I also knew the boat had lived in salt water its entire life, the starter was bad and the past owner had pretty much neglected it for the past 4-5 years. But having owned it for 10 years I had very intimate knowledge so I bought it in a not running condition.

When I got it home I first started cleaning all of the crap out of it . I then installed a new starter and while poking around I found oil in the cooling system (a closed system). A compression check revealed a blown head gasket and a few other things. I repaired these, had the heads done at what I thought was a reputable machine shop and moved on to the rest of the boat. At the same time I was forced to change the gimbal housing and transom plate.

I had a friend who is a surveyor check the hull and we found no moisture anywhere in the boat's structure. The transom, stringers and floor were/are all solid. I later found out that in the early '80s that Cobalt built their transoms and stringer assemblies and then encapsulated them in resin and then installed and glassed them into the boats.

This is getting into more detail than I planned so let me fast forward. The best advice I can give you is to plan on this costing you twice what you think it will and take 3 times as long. I have replaced or rebuilt everything inside the boat. New cabinets, bulkheads, instrument panel, wiring, lights, carpet, cushions and upholstery. I put about $1800 into the trailer, refinished a ton of teak, had the hull wet-sanded, polished and waxed and bought a new bimini top. After about $13,000 (for a boat NADA lists as worth $4500) I thought I was ready.

With only a few hours on it, the motor developed a hard miss. Turned out to be an exhaust valve stuck in the guide. Further investigation revealed all of the exhaust guides too tight and all intake guides too loose. The first machine shop shit the bed and screwed up my heads. I had the motor repaired in the boat but while trying to start it after assembly the ring gear on the flywheel went away and the motor had to be pulled to repair. Add $3000 to the total. A week later while running the boat I began to hear a lifter tapping. I took it back to the shop and they found a flat lobe on the cam. Add yet another $3000 and I am now at $19,000 for a boat worth $5000 that I told the wife I was only going to put a few grand in and have it done in 6 months and do most myself.

I am very happy with the boat now, but in hindsight, if I knew then what I know now, I would have looked for another trailer rather than put money and time into the old one and, I would have bought a 5.7L long block rather than put all the money into this motor.

The moral of this story? Its going to take you much longer and cost you much more than you think it is. Remember….There is never time, or money, to do it right but always time, and money, to do it over.
Shawn
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norcal boater,

Thanks and your boat looks great! You are more likely to get a double take from somebody than in a new boat.

My justification was simple... A nice new boat (for me, I love the CC Launch) would cost me more than 140k.
We use the boat for one week out of the year...maybe the kids will restore it again in another 30 years:)
 
I have been finishing up a restoration/refurb of a 1985 Cobalt CM23. This was a boat I owned from 1989-98 and bought it back a little over 4 years ago in October of 2014. I had some sentimental attachment to this boat but also it was pretty rare as Cobalt only made this model for 3 years and only produced 84 units over the production run. And lastly, I knew there were very few boats left. I know because I've searched extensively. I've documented this project in some detailed elsewhere on this Forum.

When I got the boat I knew that it had a newer SEI outdrive and that the motor was a 383 Stroker built about 12 years ago with pretty low hours....maybe fewer than 300. I also knew the boat had lived in salt water its entire life, the starter was bad and the past owner had pretty much neglected it for the past 4-5 years. But having owned it for 10 years I had very intimate knowledge so I bought it in a not running condition.

When I got it home I first started cleaning all of the crap out of it . I then installed a new starter and while poking around I found oil in the cooling system (a closed system). A compression check revealed a blown head gasket and a few other things. I repaired these, had the heads done at what I thought was a reputable machine shop and moved on to the rest of the boat. At the same time I was forced to change the gimbal housing and transom plate.

I had a friend who is a surveyor check the hull and we found no moisture anywhere in the boat's structure. The transom, stringers and floor were/are all solid. I later found out that in the early '80s that Cobalt built their transoms and stringer assemblies and then encapsulated them in resin and then installed and glassed them into the boats.

This is getting into more detail than I planned so let me fast forward. The best advice I can give you is to plan on this costing you twice what you think it will and take 3 times as long. I have replaced or rebuilt everything inside the boat. New cabinets, bulkheads, instrument panel, wiring, lights, carpet, cushions and upholstery. I put about $1800 into the trailer, refinished a ton of teak, had the hull wet-sanded, polished and waxed and bought a new bimini top. After about $13,000 (for a boat NADA lists as worth $4500) I thought I was ready.

With only a few hours on it, the motor developed a hard miss. Turned out to be an exhaust valve stuck in the guide. Further investigation revealed all of the exhaust guides too tight and all intake guides too loose. The first machine shop shit the bed and screwed up my heads. I had the motor repaired in the boat but while trying to start it after assembly the ring gear on the flywheel went away and the motor had to be pulled to repair. Add $3000 to the total. A week later while running the boat I began to hear a lifter tapping. I took it back to the shop and they found a flat lobe on the cam. Add yet another $3000 and I am now at $19,000 for a boat worth $5000 that I told the wife I was only going to put a few grand in and have it done in 6 months and do most myself.

I am very happy with the boat now, but in hindsight, if I knew then what I know now, I would have looked for another trailer rather than put money and time into the old one and, I would have bought a 5.7L long block rather than put all the money into this motor.

The moral of this story? Its going to take you much longer and cost you much more than you think it is. Remember….There is never time, or money, to do it right but always time, and money, to do it over.
Shawn
View attachment 64763
View attachment 64764
Awesome looking boat !!
 
Has anyone....glassed their floor?

Since the floor is coming out for the stringer repair I was pondering the idea of glassing the floor and finished the same as the hull. The advantages I see are; cleaning, removable or snap in carpet, reduces the chances of future stringer rot.

Thoughts appreciated.
 
The "proper" way to build a boat is to glass in the deck after the plywood is fastened to the stringers. So that should be done anyway.

I imagine what you are thinking of is a complete inner hull like many boats are built today. (all current Searays). That would involve gelcoat on the surface. Since yours is a rebuild, and the surface will be uneven (not built in a mold like the hull), I think it would look funny.

If it were me, after glassing in the deck, I would install Marideck or Nautolex vinyl. It cleans easy, is non-skid, doesn't hold water like carpet and looks nice. Comes in any color you like. I've owned 4 boats with it.

Keep the boat covered and the bilge dry. No more rot. Every screw you put in to fasten the seats are another point of entry. Standing water permeates everywhere. The only way to ensure no stringer rot is to never use wood.
 
I've removed all the teak. I had to make a new armrest piece as one of the old ones had holes drilled in it (must have popped off years ago and thats how I thought it should be fixed:).

Also bought a bung bit to cut my teak plugs, $14.99. Hole size is 7/16.

Hull has been stripped of anything that would come off (bow rails, etc). John and the crew from Performance Fiberglass should be able to start the stringer repair this week.
 

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