Old Sport (1962) FBC

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » May 26th, '14, 12:04

Hello my name is DJ Casey and I have been working on my 31 now for almost one year. I bought it last year in Boston and ran it around the North Shore a bit for the summer but it was in need of a lot of love. I am 22 years old today and am the proud owner of Old Sport. Some of you may know the boat from the Boston area and the old green hull paint and tower. Although I am only 22 I have worked in boat yards, on mega yachts for a year and am lucky to have a father that has a workshop that could rival most boat yards. I cannot afford to do everything I would like but the boat has come a long way. I have stripped most of the boat except the interior, leaving that for later down the road. The hull, rubrail, decks and superstructure are ready for primer and I hope to be on the water before the 4th of July. I have learned a great deal from this site and want to thank everyone. Photos will follow as soon as I figure out how to do that.

scot · Post by **scot** » May 26th, '14, 13:51

Nice to know there is a next generation of stewards for these old gals. Looking forward to the pictures, enjoy your classic ride.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » May 26th, '14, 15:13

welcome
was that Eds old boat with the long tuna pulpit

MarkS · Post by **MarkS** » May 26th, '14, 16:06

DJ welcome!

John F. · Post by **John F.** » May 26th, '14, 21:00

DJ. Welcome. Glad you're here. Post up some pics.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » May 26th, '14, 21:42

Welcome aboard, DJ, you'll fit right in with this crowd; it's about boats and fellowship.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » May 27th, '14, 06:29

Welcome to the forum.

Can't wait to see the transformation of your new girl!

Carl

Dug · Post by **Dug** » May 27th, '14, 08:14

Hi DJ!!!!

Was that boat Chocorua? Welcome to the world of B31's! Its great to know you are diving in with all hands, and if you ever need help, please ask!

Glad to have you here!

Best,

Dug

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » May 27th, '14, 08:31

It was Ed's Boat, green hull and teak decks all over.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » May 27th, '14, 09:36

Are you removing the keel?

Bob H. · Post by **Bob H.** » May 27th, '14, 17:35

DJ welcome aboard, sounds like you rolled up your sleeves and jumped right in. Put up some pics and share the progress, I love a good rehab of a classic 31. BH

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » May 27th, '14, 21:31

DJ

Welcome. New owners and then not so new owners are always welcome. Heck every now and then we even let Hatteras guys stop buy.

You will find everyone here ready to help out and look forward to seeing the pics.

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » May 29th, '14, 06:05

DJCasey,
Welcome to the sandbox, where are you keeping the boat and what yard did you work for? I'll be up there sometime within the next month or so to have my knee replaced at Mass General Hospital. Good luck with the boat redo.
Pete Fallon

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » May 29th, '14, 07:56

The boat will be kept on a mooring in Marblehead. Mike the big wooden keel will be dropped hopefully next week. One of the many "wood" additions to the boat.

Dug · Post by **Dug** » May 29th, '14, 09:40

Very cool!

I'd love to see pics of that keel. He probably needed it with that mega tower!!!!

Dug

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » May 29th, '14, 12:12

Welcome aboard DJ - although I don't own a B31 at the moment, its still in my blood and there will be another down the road. But as everyone else has said, ask anything - someone here has dealt with the issue, and 99.99% on here are really smart and condsiderate -- I'm the .01%

Tom

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 4th, '14, 07:41

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 4th, '14, 07:45

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 4th, '14, 07:51

you can see the wooden keel...

engine boxes out to rebuild with closed cell foam, and then gelcoat ice blue inside

sanded down to 2009 barrier coat

all screw holes filled with west system

paint shed

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 4th, '14, 08:03

I lost many good photos when my iphone was lost in some snow...

The major goal for the boat was to make it look respectable and to have it run safe and sound for local fishing and to have fun on it.

In order for it to look good all teak was removed and old glue/5200 and epoxy. holes counter sunk and filled and faired, entire boat sanded with 60 grit, then 120 and faired with 407. I loved the old gas engine boxes and rebuilt them entirely with closed cell foam and then gelcoated the insides. the rub rail was pained with car spray paint to give it a cleaner look to go along with the awlgrip pint job I am doing on all topsides.

The boat ran well and no new engines or major costs like that will be going on for now until I get a job that pays very well, tough as a still undergraduate of college...

I am able and willing to to all the basic work such as sanding and painting and simple glass work, and hopefully later on I can go at it with bigger check items.

Its a heck of a lot cooler and bigger than restoring a 17 foot whaler like I was originally looking to do!

Dug · Post by **Dug** » Jun 4th, '14, 09:24

Damn dude! Nice!!!!! You are crankin'!!!!! Lots to be proud of!!!!!

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jun 4th, '14, 10:07

dcasey,
You have go your work cut out for you, I want to know how the black pick up truck is going to get out of the driveway now that the temporary plastic shed is up? Good luck with the refit, Dana Sponagale from Dion's did the re- gel coating on my 1961 31 express back in 1994-95 in a heated building where the big self storage building is now at the intersection of Boston & Bridge St. he Imroned the house and decks and the hull still looks great. I had the old 2 lid engine boxes up until two years ago when I got Marlin's old one piece boxes out of his 31FBC named Wahoo. A suggestion for the side panels in the cockpit and for the cabin, head and V berth overhead get some 3/8" core matt and gel coat one side white or whatever color you want, I makes for a easy no maintainace panels that won't dent or crush like raw foam core or Coosa board. The auto trim paint for the rub rail is made by Carhart you can get it at Crown Auto Supply, they used to be on Mason St in Salem. If you need any parts let me know I have a few sources for old Bertram parts. Hopefully I will be in Salem within the next month for knee surgery. Your getting there slowly, but it will be worth it in the long run. 561-310-7179 cell
Pete Fallon

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Jun 4th, '14, 12:56

Pete Fallon wrote:dcasey,
You have go your work cut out for you, I want to know how the black pick up truck is going to get out of the driveway now that the temporary plastic shed is up? Pete Fallon

Pete: I wondered the same thing -- so I zoomed in -- in one pic the truck is nose in, and in the other it is tail in - so there must be an entrance there. Good luck DJ, I spent the better part of 3 years doing the same thing, many fun moments removing old teak, wiring, filling holes, etc. Memories and scars that will last a lifetime.

Tom

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 4th, '14, 16:55

That end of the drive way actually goes to the street so its pretty easy to get the truck out!

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Jun 4th, '14, 17:12

Welcome aboard! you have come to the right place!

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jun 4th, '14, 17:17

looking good, as others have said it will be worth it in the long run

Bob H. · Post by **Bob H.** » Jun 4th, '14, 17:27

Dc, how did that keel affect the ride in a following sea? 31s have a great ride down sea, but keel boats get a bit squirrelly in the same direction. Brings back a ton of memories, as Capt Pat told me at the beginning of my redo, focus on the tree not the forest. Keep up the good work. We all have a ton of spare parts, just post up what you may need. BH

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jun 4th, '14, 20:50

Looks like she found the perfect home. Anymore pictures of the keel? Just curious.

34Hatt · Post by **34Hatt** » Jun 6th, '14, 14:42

Here's some pics of Ed leaving Montauk back in 2007 after the B31 Rendezvous

She sure did STICK out then.

Good luck she looking good.

scot · Post by **scot** » Jun 6th, '14, 17:26

Dang Bud!! I need some of that 22 year old energy :-) Nice work, your not messing around. Get-r-done now while your young and still walk upright without a limp.

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 7th, '14, 07:12

After putting on 4 coats of 545 on the flybridge the other day I took a fall right off the bridge right to the hard. Fell on my back and my leatherman on my back waist line. Not fun. Not sure if it was the fumes or if I just missed a step after working all day.

A few questions.

I removed the corner windows and am trying to take off all the old sealant, what is the best way to do this other than hours and hours of razor blading it and acetone rubbing?

some of the T bolts have corroded the track it sits in to the point where new T bolds will not work, how have people delt with that, should I epoxy new ones into it? and what is the proper sealant for the new lexan aluminum sandwich spread?

I am looking for a aluminum trim piece from someone who has glassed in the side step panels. it looks like a fishing hook and is about 4 inches long, looking for the starboard side...

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Jun 8th, '14, 00:17

Some T-Bolts

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16409741

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jun 8th, '14, 05:40

Dan,
When I replaced my side curved panels on the upper and lower windshields (express cruiser), I used automotive black window sealant made by GE, that was back in 1995. Check with an auto glass windshield company, I think Phillips Glass on Canal St near the do it your self car wash, up the street from Big Fred's Roast Beef end of Canal St, is where I got mine. They have never leaked a drop from the joint between the Plexi glass and the aluminum frame, make sure you use a pillow block between the plexi and the aluminum frame the glass guy's will know what I'm talking about. Use mineral sprits to clean off the excess black sealant, DO NOT use Acetone it will etch the PlexiGlass.

I am not sure what your talking about when your saying side step panels, about 4" long.? Are you talking about the steps that attach to the side of the pilasters so you can get up on the fly bridge? If that is it, they were still available from Danny at HiTide in the Keys, a few years back. Take a picture of what your taking about, 4" long shaped like a fish hook???.

Dan, another thing before you get too far along on the aluminum rub rail redo is to make sure the screws that hold the rub rail to the hull deck joint are not rotted away, the only one's that have any holding power on an old boat (1961 to 1978) are the 1/4x 20" thru bolts at the bow section and at the transom pieces.(Unless she was a fresh water boat, like Steve's DUCHESS). Mine were all completely eaten away. When I redid my rub rail I removed the entire thing, filled the old holes( check to see if the rivets are still good also) and cleaned out the entire joint opening, filled with thickened epoxy, sanded them smooth and re-drilled the holes. I over killed my replacement, I used 1/4 x 20 thru bolts, nuts, 2-1/2" and a few (5) 2-3/4" at the bow, with 1" SS washers and black silicon at every hole. You can get away with thru bolts just near the ends of each rub rail section. I also ran a bead of caulking along the top and bottom of the rub rail to prevent black streaks from forming on the hull sides. Also when I removed the rail most of the screws were corroded into the aluminum, I used a flat head punch to knock the screws from the inside out, re-counter sunk the screw holes to accept the 1/4 x20 Phillips head thru bolts and put teff- gel between the thru bolt heads and the aluminum rail, I had a few spots that had some bad scarring, I sanded them as smooth as I could , put in a layer of epoxy and then sanded them smooth, I primed aluminum and then sprayed everything including bolt heads with black auto trim paint. When your working at the hull deck joint sand the radius all the way down almost to the bare glass, this will prevent crazing for re-appearing and it gives it a smooth surface for the rub rail, to sit against.

Good luck, I hope you didn't screw up your back too bad. What boat yard did you work at?
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jun 8th, '14, 05:49

Dan,
On the subject of removing the old sealant at the window frames, mine were held in with dried up old Dolphinite, get a 1" gasket scrapper from the Snap-on tool guy, stainless steel blade with a black handle. The cheap ones from Harbor Freight don't work worth a crap. I used a heat gun to soften the old dried up sealant, then scrapped it off.
Pete Fallon

my other east · Post by **my other east** » Jun 8th, '14, 11:01

Dan,
if you're talking about the small "J " pieces of trim that go from the rear of the pillar over the inside of the gunnel down to the engine boxes, i have them.
Just shoot me you're address at eric@npbcid.org and i'll mail them out tomorrow.
Just remember to mail Capt. Pat a donation to the website for them.
I doubt you would have found them anywhere else than this awesome site!

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 8th, '14, 19:30

Pete- Thank you for the insight on the rub rail. Mine is actually in very fair condition. The screws and bolts are very strong and will not budge even with a impact gun, and I tapped them to see how rotted they were, and most are solid, so the rail will stay for now, and the cost of the new pvc rail is not in my budget. I cleaned it, grinded, sanded, acid treated, primed and pained it with spray from Crown auto body and saved a bunch of paint for touch ups down the line. I will use some white caulking to keep it clean as well. (great tip) Also I worked a few summers at Popes landing marine, just a simple rack store type of place in Danvers... we did nothing like this! The most heavy duty work I did was some simple bottom sanding/panting and detailing.

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jun 9th, '14, 00:06

Dan,
As long as the rail is tight you should be alright. I know Tom Cargill very well, I think I know you Dad, If that's him with the white hair in the pictures of the temp building going up. If you don't want to put the caulking all the way around the rub rail joint you can get a piece of clear isinglass plastic and cut a 12" section and put it under the rub rail where the toe rail ends mid ship, that will keep the rain water from running down the hull side also. It's sort of like a drip edge on a house eave.
Pete Fallon

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jun 12th, '14, 21:13

Currently my boat has 4 coats of primer on the hull, decks, flybridge and engine boxes (out of boat) and I sanded down the useless automotive paint on the rub rail. What products should i use on the rail? I am also doing the window frames and want to have the rail and frames match.

what order should I go about painting final coats, I have to do flybridge, window frames, deck, rubrail, hull, and bottom paint....

The final coats are a bit complicated for myself and I really am thinking it would come out best if it was all sprayed, awlgrip or imron. Anyone know of someone North of Boston who would be interested in such a job?

JohnV8r · Post by **JohnV8r** » Jun 13th, '14, 00:08

Nice job!

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Jun 13th, '14, 01:07

Dan,
Always start from the top down, leave the bottom for last, the cockpit should be done next to last because your going to be in and out of it a lot before you finish. I never had any problem with the automotive trim paint, you have to sand aluminum rail and window frames down real good I used 2 coats of Duratec and a couple of coats of Carhart black trim paint(GM flat Black spray cans), I did my outside window frames and rub rails with it in 1996 and the rub rail was touched up every 2 to 3 years with the rattle cans. Two years ago I removed the entire aluminum rub rail, took it home to my garage and stripped it down to bare metal, re-sanded smooth, drilled out the countersunk holes to fit the new 1/4x 20 Stainless steel Phillips head thru bolts. Re-primed and shot 3 coats of black paint, it came out like new. You cannot use any acetone or any other products that have MEK base around the black paint, it will come off in a heart beat. On the window frames and rub rail you might have to use an alodine primer before the Duratek. I didn't and it came out fine.
Call Dana Sponagle at Dion's in the Salem Yard, I think he's still doing that type of work, he did my re-gel coat and Imrom in the mid 1990's, if he's not doing it call Paul Doucette might still be around, you can check with Bob Gallagher at Port Marine in Beverly for a good painter. Johnny Gelcoat, John Lyming from Marblehead, if you can keep him out of the Landing Bar room, is another painter up there. Good luck, make sure you dish out, fill and sand all the holes on your hull sides or they will show up like a sore thumb, it's all in the prep work for a good paint job.
Pete Fallon

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jul 2nd, '14, 00:43

I wanted to say first off thanks for everyone who posted earlier.

Some of you guys have boats I dream about. I have looked at endless photos of how everyone has done their work and have learned a ton.

Ed came by the other week to check out what I was doing to his old boat and he told me that I was really robbing you guys from my project.

I wanted to give a little update and ask a few questions to you pros out there.

Take a look let me know what you all think about the work and as always any pointers are great.

to those of you who knew the boat and the keel... it was a heavy duty keel wow! 16 feet long, 3 inches thick, 18inches deep at transom. it was beveled to match the bottom of the boat to that the 3 inches at center were flush the whole length not just a flat piece bolted to the curved V bottom. it was attached by a ton of serious glue(way more intense than 5200) and bolted with 4 bolts, 1inch SSteal custom rod with welded heads. sunk into the solid mahogany (that had a threaded pipe inside of it, then through the hull and custom nut backing plates to fit each spot of the hull where the bolts came through. Some boat yard did a great job on this beast of a keel but it had to go! I will post some photos of the keel. Now you would never know there was a solid tree bolted to the bottom. the holes were ground out, filled and glassed in on each side and faired then re glassed with heavy glass mat. While fixing these hold a few other large holes were also filled including 3 !!!!! thru hulls. these thru hulls had huge underwater fairing blocks on them for older style ducers. I will be putting in a B60 tilted to replace the old ones, even though I can not really afford to buy a sounder for it.... Gunna go fast now though!

well heres some photos ..

I left you guys some photos earlier of the rail with just primer on it, this was the finish coat, but i have to re shoot it because all the toe rail sanding and the solvent wipe downs, but it came out nice before all that.

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jul 2nd, '14, 00:59

interested in a few items if anyone has any of these please let me know...

aft bulkhead windows/frames

the 4 inch J hook aluminum trim piece (photos of it at in my photobucket) it connects the top of the older style side steps to the part above the aft side windows...

also any imput on what to do with all the old flybridge aluminum trim? I have glassed in all the screw holes and faired it all out but I think the trim is nice to keep the edge from getting all dinged up yet at the same time the aluminum is so pitted and rough. do most of you just keep it off and round off the edges? and epoxy it all up nice and fair?

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jul 2nd, '14, 06:10

DJ,

Go back to your post of the images and click on the EDIT button. You'll see what I did to make the first image work. You were trying to use html code, but this board only functions with ubb code... Just use the image url sandwiched between the img tags. Highlight the url, click the img button. Be sure to preview your post to make sure that you got it right.

dcasey10 · Post by **dcasey10** » Jul 2nd, '14, 19:42

Thanks Cpt pat.

here is the photos. check it out everyone!

had the lower station I guess way back

This was the keel

keel bolts

some underwater lights I picked up

this is a part I am looking for if anyone knows anything about this part let me know

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jul 2nd, '14, 20:48

You made a lot of headway in a short time. I have to give you a lot of credit. Keep going. You may want to take a look at the Pics John just posted of his new helm, and I believe Jimmy G has similar pics. Just in case you need more ideas.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Jul 3rd, '14, 07:59

Good work!