General boat restoration project questions

Well, hopefully the marine industry has settled down some so my wife and I are back looking for boats again.

Curious, where do yall buy/order parts for your boat from? I mean things like doors, hatches, windows, portholes, etc. I know for trucks there are magazines like LMC and Classic Industries, anything like that for older trawlers?

I know it's a pretty open question, but maybe it will lead me in the right direction. Thanks!

There really isn't a aftermarket for boat parts like there is for cars and trucks. This is a totally different game. If you need a part for your furnace, water maker, auto pilot, radar, etc,etc, you will probably be buying replacements from a dealer for that manufacture, or maybe good used parts from ebay. It's mostly a repair what you have game, using parts and products that are common to many different boats. The older the boat the harder to find the parts.

I do know of one case where a former employee for Tollycraft has bought up a lot of factory parts and is even having some of the parts made just for his business by local shops. But that's pretty rare.

Your either going to fix what you have or find something else to adapt to fit.

One well know brand of windowsvdoor etc is bomon. The factory is 15km from my home and i have two windows from them on my boat. They standard size and can do any custom work.

Greetings,
Mr. 86 I thought there was a sticky somewhere on site for parts suppliers/sources but I can't think of where it is now...

That's what I was afraid of. Windows are pretty simple, same with portholes. It's the funkey sliding doors and entry hatches that I worry about. I may be able to replace some of the rotten wood and rebuild the origional myself.

Also, some of the older trawlers have that fin (not sure of the actual name) on the stern that I can only assume is to help with stability when rolling. I see those rot and I guess I would have to custom make something like that as well. (See link) http://boote.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bv_149979_12fb62-500x375.jpg

Lastly, I see some of the old wood paneling that has been damages due to water or whatnot, would it be ok to take that stuff down and replace it with something like this? 1/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Plastic Panel 63003 at The Home Depot - Mobile

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. I thought there was a sticky somewhere on site for parts suppliers/sources but I can't think of where it is now...

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That would be great! I looked around before posting this and didn't see anything.

Greetings,
Mr. 86. Sounds like you're looking at a specific boat. Is the "fin" you refer to the swim platform (that device that is just above the waterline and against the transom in the picture)? If so, there are several threads dealing with re-build/repair. As for the paneling, I think Mr. psneld has replaced some of his (again, the memory fails).
As Mr. RC mentioned, the older the boat, the harder it is to get some parts but unless you're going to do a restoration back to original condition, there are a lot of repairs that can readily be done using more available bits and pieces that will work quite well.

Russell Clifton said:

I do know of one case where a former employee for Tollycraft has bought up a lot of factory parts and is even having some of the parts made just for his business by local shops. But that's pretty rare.

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That is Gordon Graham. For couple decades he was the lead purchasing agent for Tollycraft... during their manufacturing heyday. Gordon is a great fellow to chat with. Knowledgeable as all get-out regarding Tollycraft boats, with many parts available.

Tolly Classified - Authorized Tollycraft Parts

Original Tollycraft Song [can we spell mellow! - LOL]:

http://www.tolly-classified.com/tollysong.wav

Lol no, I'm well aware of what a swim platform is. Maybe this picture will help (I'm just grabbing them off google) http://newimages.yachtworld.com/res...7994_1_XLARGE.jpg&w=924&h=693&t=1487168596000

Running down the side of the hull, about half way up. I see a lot of older trawlers with that part rotting. I don't want to make it original, I want to make it better (and mine).

Greetings,
Mr. 86. Ah. that's what I would call the rub rail. They are usually bolted through the hull. The problem comes about in access to the nuts on the inside of the hull IF you want to use the same bolt holes. There will most probably be some sort of liner/paneling that would have to be removed for access. We had a section of rot on in the rub rail on our vessel and the fix was to cut out the rotted section and epoxy in a new piece. No access to the inside was necessary in our case.

Looks like rub strakes? They don't help with rolling, they are kind of sacrificial ie. a piling or warf or whatever will tear it up before it hits your hullside. Replace with something that you won't feel bad about if it gets torn off

I've found with my sailboat that if I can't find a good used equivalent at the local chandlery or on ebay, I'm out for a new replacement. The good part is new typically means modern = better. . .typically.

Case in point: I have the original Nicro-Fico traveler setup on my Ranger. The traveler car is a 4 wheel version with a mangled attachment point on the verge of breaking. I lucked out and found the a 6 wheel version (probably the only one for miles) that works ok, and has for years now. Option "B" would have been a new Garhauer setup for around $800 The upside would have been a new pulleys, wheels, lines, etc. and not having to worry about the next part of my 42 year old traveler to go (probably the pulleys).

Also, little weird bits and pieces like rollers or bushing or handles can probably be recreated at a local machine shop. Struts, bronze bushings, rudders can be cast new from measurements taken from broken pieces. For something like a Marine Trader, I'd imagine everything outside of machinery was hand made or cast on the spot for that particular boat. . .I've seen original bronze cleats with rough file marks on mold parting lines

Ah, a rub rail. Makes sense. Naturally it's designed to be beat on, but replacement may be a little harder haha. But now I understand a little more about what I'm looking at.

Can I replace that with some regular wood (oak, teak, etc) and cut it? Assuming I can reach the bolts?

Maybe epoxy is the way to go....

cool beans said:

Also, little weird bits and pieces like rollers or bushing or handles can probably be recreated at a local machine shop. Struts, bronze bushings, rudders can be cast new from measurements taken from broken pieces. For something like a Marine Trader, I'd imagine everything outside of machinery was hand made or cast on the spot for that particular boat. . .I've seen original bronze cleats with rough file marks on mold parting lines

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Yea, going into this search I was thinking I may be learning how to hand make stuff. You have any luck on your boat search?

Greetings,
Mr. 86. As Mr. cb said, they're meant to be sacrificial to save your hull from oopsies. While the majority of the wood on our vessel is teak, our rub rails are mahogany, a cheaper wood if you can consider ANY wood to be cheap now-a-days. In replacing, you'd want to use something that is rot resistant. Red oak is a bad choice. White oak is a better choice BUT $$. You could probably use a plastic of some sort if you could find the proper profile. Maybe something like this: 2x4 Board

I like that option. Looks solid and will definitely be rot resistant!

SaltyDawg86 said:

Yea, going into this search I was thinking I may be learning how to hand make stuff. You have any luck on your boat search?

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I don't want to jinx it but. . .tomorrow morning I'm going to survey on a 1987 Bayliner 3870 This was the same one I wanted to buy last year but the running gear was damaged. Since been fixed, runs better and faster than last time I went out for a spin. As long as the surveyor says there isn't anything major and oil samples don't forsee impending doom, I'm buying it

cool beans said:

I don't want to jinx it but. . .tomorrow morning I'm going to survey on a 1987 Bayliner 3870 This was the same one I wanted to buy last year but the running gear was damaged. Since been fixed, runs better and faster than last time I went out for a spin. As long as the surveyor says there isn't anything major and oil samples don't forsee impending doom, I'm buying it

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I remember you talking about that boat. Hopefully everything goes well and you get yourself a good boat!

The boat's named "Second Chance". . .hopefully that is a good omen

And Thanks!

Taco Metals had rub rails and much more for my 82 BlueWater

When replacing a rub rail you may need to steam it so it will take the bend without cracking. No big deal, just build a long plywood box just big enough to fit the piece into, devise a way to heat some water and direct the steam into the box. Will probably take a few hours. Do a search on You Tube on steam bending wood.

"No big deal, just build a long plywood box just big enough to fit the piece into, devise a way to heat some water and direct the steam into the box"

Some folks will use 6 or 8 inch galvanized stove pipe.
Comes apart for storage ,for "next time"