1982 Hydrostream Viking Restoration

1982 Hydrostream Viking Restoration
Part 2c: The Rebuild
©Daniel W. Rickey
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
daniel@CancerCare.mb.ca
2000-09-22
Introduction
Part one of this report showed how the shoddy manufacturing necessitates the replacing of all
wood in this Viking. In Part 2c I show the procedures I used to replace the remaining core and floor.
Figure 40 At this point the recore has been finished and the stringers need to be
glassed over. The stringers were previously glassed on the outboard sides. It looked
as though the stringers may have bent very slightly due to moisture absorption on the
unfinished sides.
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Figure 41 I put a layer of 10 ounce 8" wide glass tape on the insides of the stringers.
As the stringers were only about 5" high (at most) the remaining 3 inches of cloth was
placed on the pad core. Another 8" wide strip was place on the pad core with the
extra width running up the sides of the stringers. Keep in mind that the pad core had
one layer of 6 ounce cloth on it already. This gave a minimum of 26 ounces of cloth on
the pad core.
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Figure 42 Here are the stringers after they have been covered in fibreglass. I tried to
cover the tops of the stringers with 1" wide tape but this did not work very well: there
were lots of air pockets. I had to sand most of it off and coat it in epoxy.
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Figure 43 Here is what the stringers and core should look like. Three stringer
separators were epoxied in place. These I just coated in epoxy with fibreglass on the
top sides only. The original spacers were not coated at all and they managed to
survive. Note that the bilge drain tube has been epoxied in place.
Also visible is some of the preparation work required for the new floor. The inside of
the boat had been painted and this had to be scraped off where the fibreglass for the
new floor would go. The original glass work was very rough and it took many hours
with a wire wheel mounted in a drill to remove the paint. These areas are to the left
and right of the new core in the above photographs.
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Figure 44 The transom had suffered some damage from a small hole leading from the
bilge into the lower port side into the transom.
Figure 45 The fibreglass covering the wood has been removed here. The area of rot
is visible as a dark stain in the plywood.
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Figure 46 The transom consists of three sheets of 1/2" plywood fibreglassed together.
At this point I had to decide whether to repair or replace the transom. Three things that
helped me decide:
1) The transom on the Viking does not extend below the floor. If I want to replace it at
a later date I can do so without destroying (much of) the new floor.
2) The transom can be replaced from the inside of the Viking. However, this would
take a long time and it is getting late in the year.
3) I would not put a large engine on the boat this year or next.
4) I am not going to use a jackplate until a larger engine is installed.
5) When I do put a jackplate on, I will add more reinforcement to the transom by way of
an aluminum frame that will tie the engine mount bolts to the floor and stringers.
Thus, I decide to patch the rotted areas and install a bit of reinforcement. As shown in
the photograph I cut out sections of the first two layers of the transom. New pieces
were epoxied in place and a layer of 10 ounce glass went over the repaired area.
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Figure 47 An important point is that the original transom tow rings were not sealed.
as indicated by the rust on the threads. This is an excellent point for water to enter the
transom. You may wish to remove the ones on your boat and seal them properly.
Figure 48 The transom patch work was coincident with the installation of a new floor.
The floor was cut from 1/2" marine grade plywood. I cut out holes for three deck plates
to allow for inspection and (very important) ventilation. The hole for the bilge pump
was also cut. The underside and sides of the floor were coated with epoxy using a
roller. The board on the left is the transom reinforcement.
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Figure 49 A thickened layer of epoxy was placed in the boat where the floor was
expected to sit. The floor, still wet with epoxy, was lifted into the boat and slid into
position. This is actual a tight fit and is messy. Concrete blocks were placed around
the edge of the floor to hold it down. Thickened epoxy was poured (using a spoon)
into the gap around the edge of the floor. The front floor and vertical support were
installed at the same time. I also epoxied a sheet of 1/2" plywood over the bottom 8" of
the transom. I was up until 2:00 am putting the floor in.
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Figure 50 The floor was covered with 10 ounce glass with an 8" wide 10 ounce tape
around the edges. This was actually a bit of fun as it went relatively quickly - until I
dumped a pan of epoxy into my toolbox! I had to pick up the new engine two hours
after the glass was laid so I turned the garage heat on until it was 35°C, which is a bit
warm when wearing coveralls and spreading epoxy.
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Figure 51 It was the Thursday before the August long weekend and I had to pickup
the engine or wait until the following week. Thus the engine was mounted before the
boat was finished. That’s one of the owners of the dealership.
Figure 52 Before the engine was mounted, the plywood over the bottom 8" of the
transom was covered with a layer of 10 ounce glass with and additional 10 ounces
along the bottom and sides. Note that in this photo the engine has already been
mounted but not rigged. After the new glass had cured the floor was washed and
sanded. The fuel tank mounts were then epoxied into place.
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Figure 53 I moved the fuel tank from its previous location: it now sits a few cm further
forward to allow a better connection to the fuel filler. Thus, the rear seat mount (just a
2X4) had to be moved forward to clear the fuel tank. Note that the battery is mounted
to port of the fuel tank. The wiring still needs to be cleaned up.
Figure 54 The front seats in this boat are original and are a bit rough. I may replace
them in the future. However, I decided to use them at least for this season, so I
removed the seat mounts from the original floor and epoxied them onto the new floor.
They were bare wood underneath so I coated them with epoxy first. The floor was
coated in another layer of epoxy (two layers total) using a roller.
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Figure 55 Here it is with the front seats mounted. The front deck plate is also visible.
Figure 56 This is the back seat in place. The seat bottom is off centre because the
deck plates interfere with the frame, i.e. the frame bottom is asymmetric. This will be
fixed in the future.
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Figure 57 Well, here it is at long last. For now I have installed a 1992 115 Mariner
running a 26” pitch Trophy. With no setback, the engine will turn 5300 RPM, which is
about the maximum recommended. The all-black finish and cut-down windshield are
factory original. The boat is easy and fun to drive. It is a obviously a “guy-magnet” as
men often come over to look at it. Unfortunately the women stay away (perhaps it’s
just me?)
Discussion and Conclusion
From the photos of this repair project, you may have guessed that the time requirements for a
project like this are quite large. In fact, I spent all of my spare time for three months, including twoweeks worth of holidays, working on this boat. It is not an inexpensive pursuit either. The marine
grade plywood, balsa, and especially the epoxy are expensive.
It’s also fairly messy and
unpleasant work.
In part 1 of this article I stated that this boat sounded solid and looked very clean. During the
rebuild process I pounded on the bottom of the hull and pad after I had remove the core. The hull
still “sounded solid”. Thus, it is very difficult to access the condition of a core without having a look
at it. In addition, the damage to the transom would not have been found (before the engine fell off)
without removing the floor.
Although this boat was well maintained (the reason I bought it), it was in poor condition because the
original construction was shoddy. Much of the poorest work was hidden under the floor, e.g. bare
wood stringers and holes from the bilge into the core.
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Because many other owners of
HydroStreams have had similar problems, one should approach an older boat with caution. If you
have or are planning on buying a boat of this vintage, you should give it very careful going over.
Things to look for are a soft floor especially in the stern on either side of the boat. Remove the fuel
tank and put as much of your hand as you can through the bilge hole and up between the stringers.
The stringers should be covered with solid fibreglass (note that some Vikings have solid fibreglass
stringers): bare wood is a bad sign. Look very carefully at the drain holes leading from the front
floor. If they are just drilled through the plywood and are not fibreglassed or epoxied over, then
there is certainly going to be some rotten wood in the boat.
If you own a HydroStream I recommend that you remove the transom rings and reinstall them
making sure they are properly sealed. I also recommend that you install a few inspection ports in
the floor to allow for ventilation and a proper examination of the wood under the floor. Keep in mind
that once you install an inspection port, you may not like what you find.
Future Work
On my boat, there is still a bit of work remaining. I think the safety aspect is a high priority. I still find
it hard to believe that the power trim & tilt is always active on these engines. This is very dangerous
especially when there are little kids around.
I am now in the process of installing a battery
disconnect switch. I also have a foot throttle that I have to install: it was in the boat but the previous
owner was obviously taller than I.
The trim switches on the steering wheel also need to be
connected.
The rather soft stock engine mounts add a fair bit of unwanted excitement, i.e., bow motion at top
speed and a change of direction when the throttle is cut. Unfortunately firmer/solid mounts don’t
seem to exist for this engine. Thus I may have to make my own. The epoxy floor can be slippery
when wet, so I will put in a small carpet. It will not be glued in place. I have a complete set of
(surplus) gauges to install. The original water pressure and speedometer had water in them and
were damaged due to freezing. Lastly, I expect to put on a larger new engine 18 months from now.
--the end --
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