1996 Barefoot Sanger Rebuild / fiberglass reinforcement stage
Currently restoring my 96 Barefoot Sanger. Started with finding and buying a clean Barefoot Sanger to simply clean up and get it in the water by summer. After starting it, I realized at 63 and recently retired, this is probably going to be my keeper, the last boat I'm ever going to have, so I need to do things right. Part of the decision to go deep and go through anything I thought needed repair, restoration or improvement is that these boats, in good condition, are hard to find. They aren't easy to find in poor condition. But the clean ones in good condition, anyone that has one knows what they have and they just aren't found for sale often. I'm in California and after looking for one for 3 years, when I found one I put a deposit on it, dumped my Ski Nautique and drove out to Mississippi and back the same week. Its clean, there is absolutely no rot, the gelcoat is in great shape except for a few scratches on the bottom hull and some very minor ones up top. There were 3 small screw holes that penetrated the hull, but I drilled them out, found no rot and filled them with thickened epoxy. The upholstery is in near perfect shape with only a couple very minor wear spots on the lower section. All the upholstery is removed. I stripped out most of the wiring and intend to replace every bit. (I'm a retired IBEW electrician.) I fabricated a panel with a battery switch, terminal and fuse blocks and installed it under the splash well behind the rear seat because I can't stand all that inline fuse wiring spaghetti crap. I installed a new sump pump and float in the bilge and that wiring will go to TB's on the panel, not to any inline splices anywhere. I replaced the pot metal 5/8" through-hull discharge with the smallest 3/4" chrome plated bronze one that I could find. All hoses everywhere will be new and of the correct type, with Skandvic 316SS solid band clamps w/tips, except for the engine, which I'm leaning toward using AN and stainless (as opposed to aluminum) fittings.braided
But right now I need some help with the proper way to do some fiberglass flooring and bulkhead reinforcement. I've ordered some new bow eyes in A4 316SS to replace the 3/8" 304SS factory ones. The transom eyes will remain 3/8", but the bow eye is upsizing to either 7/16" or 1/2", I'll choose when they arrive. Since both the boom and Fly High pylon extension have cables that attach to the bow eye, bolstering there is necessary. What I am totally in the dark about is how to go about making those reinforcements on the inside. I will make a 316SS 1/4" plate to back up the eye, but how do I properly lay the glass? What type of cloth do I use? How do I prepare the existing resin to bond to the new? Should I cut out the wood block and replace it with something like delrin then glass it in? Also there are a few other places that I would like to add a little glass to for either additional reinforcement or smoothing. I pulled the gas tanks out yesterday and at the very least I need to lay one strip at the outside bottom of each tank where they ave rubbed on the hull over the years, and replace the layer that rolled up off the floor to the tank I cut out to pull the tanks. I'll be cleaning and polishing the tanks, replacing all the hoses and fill caps and inspecting and replacing the sending units if necessary. The bulkheads at either end of the tanks also need some reinforcement and I'm unsure of how to proceed there as well. The carpet was so good that I wouldn't even replace it if everything wasn't torn out. Now I will be able to take a peek at the floor as soon as I pull the carpet up. I will take pictures of everything I describe above when I get home tomorrow so I can get some expert eyes and expert advice from you seasoned guys here at S&F. Thanks in advance for taking the time to help me out.
