Delcraft Tunnel Boat Complete Restoration

**Tom Smyth** · 05-23-2022, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by WaterZebra

SJJ Class? I'm looking at the transom photo................twins? You got to be kidding? On that little boat? It's a miracle it didn't swamp when it came to a stop!

Just got these. Better pics coming….

**WaterZebra** · 05-24-2022, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

Just got these. Better pics coming….

There appears to be a tie rod linking the engines in the front. Can't tell if there's anything in the back? At least a tie bar attached where the trim tabs were?

There's no transom tie rods attached to the combing boards but your photo posted on page 1 shows that the combing boards were really thick and backed up with a stringer? Or was the stringer just a stop rail for the aft cowling? What became of the aft cowling?

Photos sure are a sign of the 70s though...........the outfit was towed by an Oldsmobile VistaCruiser station wagon.

**Tom Smyth** · 05-24-2022, 09:24 AM

The boat originally had no rear cowling. Greg added one sometime during his ownership of th eboat. I have a flexible rear cowling for th eboat but plan to add ribs to it to make it a bit more conventional.

**Tom Smyth** · 05-26-2022, 02:30 PM

Flipped the boat over and started to strip it. Looks like a layer of fiberglass resin that is not well adhered to the bottom. Good for me it is coming up in strips and chips, much easier than sanding. Wood looking pretty good except for some minor rot at the two front points of the tunnel. More pics to come. Day 1 destruction completed.

**WaterZebra** · 05-27-2022, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Tom Smyth

Just got these. Better pics coming….

Is there a picture of the boat sitting in the water without the twins running? The freeboard would be next to nothing!

**Tom Smyth** · 05-27-2022, 04:14 PM

So good news and bad news. Bad news is the d3cision was made to remove the entire tunnel bottom. Good news is no more scraping off a layer of resin…let the fun begin removing close to 800 screws, nails and other crap….

**WaterZebra** · 05-27-2022, 05:36 PM

That tunnel deck grain looks funky? Mahogany? Something else?

**1954bmw** · 05-27-2022, 08:25 PM

Sure hope that's bourbon in that glass, are you taking all those screws out with a screwdriver, I mean without a power driver???

**Tom Smyth** · 05-28-2022, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by WaterZebra

That tunnel deck grain looks funky? Mahogany? Something else?

I am thinking it is fir. Smells like it.

**Tom Smyth** · 05-28-2022, 05:23 AM

Originally Posted by 1954bmw

Sure hope that's bourbon in that glass, are you taking all those screws out with a screwdriver, I mean without a power driver???

Got to dig each one out and need to not strip them. Hand screw driver the only way.

**WaterZebra** · 05-28-2022, 10:11 AM

Back in the period when this boat was built, air driven staples, cordless drill drivers and spin free torque slips did not exist. The appearance of the screws and rib nails indicates this was a very labor intensive project. And of course, torx fasteners would not be available for nearly 45 years? A lot of race boats were built using aluminum fasteners to save weight. Never could figure that one out except that these hulls were not intended to have long lifespans. Over time, blisters would form under the resin and paint and any attempt to dig them out would reveal a pocket of powder caused by corrosion.