OCT 15 2022

Here we go..  again !

Great project for the cold months..  So I thought..

I couldn’t resist the price..  $550.  Basically I bought a trailer and it came with a free boat and motor.  And if you follow my blog and the posts you know I’ve seen and had a lot of free or cheap boats. And in most cases there isn’t much left that’s any good.  Plus if your lucky and a motor comes with it ..it’s old and hasn’t run for a very long time.  The  motor we have here is not new.. It’s a bit more than 30 years young. However I’m optimistic ..  And even though I don’t know much about it and neither did the guy selling it.  It should run.  There’s a story for him.. But that’s not mine to tell.  Let’s just say he’s only had the boat for a few weeks …and that’s cause he wanted the trailer.  Changed his mind and put it up for sale just to get the money back.

As for the boat… way to good to throw away.  It must have been stored with a cover.  Anytime you get an old fiberglass anything ..it’s covered with mold spots and needs a bath.. Not this boat.. Oh sure it’s sun faded.. but it’s 40+ years old.. Original gel coat finish.. a few chips ..but should polish up nicely.

The carpet has seen better days, there’s a bit of green. However you can walk around without falling through the floor..  I like the red and gray theme..  But I don’t like the old cassette deck.. I’m doubting it still works. And I don’t care cause I don’t want a stereo.. would rather have a fish finder.  Which brings me to the general wiring in the boat … Big  thumbs down.. Typical rat’s nest of patched and taped up wires. That will need sorting out.  I will make a video once the boat is in the shop.

Future ME :

Let’s put the brakes on this post..  and the other pages.  This was a bad idea. too many things wrong with the boat and some I don’t have the skill to fix ( like the motor) . So like many other things I sold it as is and moved on..

May 25 2022

Hey it’s Spring , warm and I’m busy…

A couple years back I bought a “sea slipper” tri- hull boat.   And it’s a heavy beast..  It came with us on our move to Drumheller … and now it needs a trailer.

Cool hull design.. Should be very stable.

In very good shape. It was a rental boat at a popular fishing lake near Vernon.  It made the trip here on one of my trailers that I picked up also a few years back.

That’s all good …but the boat is upside down..  I need a proper boat trailer not a flat deck.  Solution !  build one by modifying the flat deck frame.

When I got the trailer it looked like this.. I took the sides off and below is what it looks like now..

Has new 12 ” wheels , the lights work..  BUT I will be making some changes!  And that’s what I got up to today..  First I ripped the deck off and tossed it.  then I parked it on stands in front of the garage so I have access to tools.

And this is what we have..  Too much metal !   Nothing a zip cut  can’t fix.  I only need the middle part.

There !  I believe I removed 100 lbs of steel.  don’t need it .  Now I’m planning how to extend the tongue an extra 2 ft out front. As well I would like to keep the tilt feature. So I moved the hinge point for the tilt 24 inches forward.  this was the way to extend the tongue so that the boat would not be too close to the hitch and keep the tilt.

You can see where it was over the axle..  A good place for tilt balance…  But a boat trailer works different.  I’m re- using some the the  channel steel from the extra pieces to add a vee nose out  front.

This brings the saddle for the tilt lock pin closer to where you can reach it.  I’m having problems with my welder … It’s not hot enough to really penetrate the thicker steel..  So I’ll be bolting everything.  A bit of extra work but I don’t want trouble later.   In fact it did not hold at all.   So I will have to think of a way to bolt these two parts together.

And here’s something to fix..  The angle pieces must be different lengths.. Cause things are not meeting in the middle.  I measure from the hubs to the hitch from both sides.  This is how you get a trailer that tracks straight.. I will fix this.

Here’s some more bolts for extra insurance. This is one of two places that take the weight of the pull going down the road.  I’m have to say that’s important !  Yup it’s important.  So at this point I want to put the boat on the trailer and fit the bunks and the winch stand.

Yup it’s a good fit..  Now I need to do some fitting ..  I started with the bunks..  Easy to make. Three foot 2 x 4 covered with boat carpeting.

And large angle brackets too.  Getting the right height was tricky.  I’ll mount them after painting.  Then I need a winch mount .. Lot’s of work getting this right.  And finding metal that would work.

But I got it.. !  Sturdy and the winch strap passes through straight to the bow fitting.  Now to re work the tilt lock so only bolts are used.

Well because we are moving ..with no place to park extra stuff..  I have sold the boat on the unfinished trailer with the 3.5 Merc motor.

Sept  9  2020

Another trip to the lower mainland

Well I don’t need any more projects..  But this isn’t one..  ready to go and kinda special.

And I have to admit it was the bimi top that sold me..  Also i prefer Fiberglass boats to aluminum..   They don’t leak when they get old.  But this boat isn’t old …. as boat go 1995 Kencraft made in Port Coquitlam.  Very sturdy, with good free board ( height of sides), so if the lake gets a bit choppy no worries.  The motor is a 15 hp Tohatsu (Nissan) 2 stroke outboard.  Runs great…also from 1995.  Lots of goodies came with the boat …  fish finder with GPS,  down riggers, rod holders, Storage cover, anchor, and a few more small things.  The trailer is great …new axle & wheels, LED lights ..

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Even a spare (new) 6 gallon fuel tank.  The whole package is good to go… but not perfect.  Here’s a short video .. We took the boat out to Christina Lake for a shake down cruise.

Beautiful day on the lake …  And we are finding some things that could be improved.

Trailer :  I don’t like the 1-7/8 coupler …  I like 2 “..  everything else is 2 ”  so that needs to be changed.  The wiring & 4 pin plug are wrapped with tape..  I like to use loom.  Need a 12″ spare tire too.

Motor:  Just a bit of tuning.. maybe new plugs.  maybe touch up the scratches..

Boat:   Needs more weight up front.  So move the fuel tank , could use a polish…  maybe a nice blue stripe…  Hmmm.

And those seats are very comfy..

Sept 2006:

“ What the bicycle is to the road…the Kayak is to the water”  A  quote ?  yeah from me .  What I was trying to say is these are ..or can be inexpensive human powered ways to enjoy the great outdoors.  “GREEN” if your into the politically correct things.  And I like that.  Since I was pre-pubescent  I was into the water thing.  lots of boats, anything that floated I thought was cool.  But in the seventies you didn’t see very many kayaks, unless they were home built.  Now they are everywhere..  And knowing me I can’t resist finding out what it’s all about.  So a little research was started…  Some surfing on the NET , a little browsing in an outfitter store in Edmonton..and I was hooked.   I focused in on the 12 ft recreational boats. They seamed the most reasonable for my needs.

  After a few visits to our local kayak shop, I wanted to try two boats , the Dagger Blackwater. Which came with very high recommendations from the shop owner ( his personal favorite)….. Pictured above…. And my favorite the Pamlico by Wilderness Systems.  Because it got the highest ratings in user reviews.  So first I rented the Blackwater on the weekend that we camped out at Christina Lake.   Well I liked the quality of the boat.  The seat had lots of adjustments on it.  In fact it was real comfy too, but the cockpit opening was on the small side.  Just 34” long, which was a squeeze to pull the other leg inside.  My other concern was the twitchiness (tippyness) of the boat. Just reaching down to adjust the foot braces sent the boat into a spasm.  However once you relax and start to move the boat is great… So my friend Dave and I spent a good four hours paddling around with one of us in hot pursuit in the row boat.  It was a fairly good first experience .  But I really needed to try a PAM .   So three days latter I’m booking off work early.  Unfortunately the only Pamlico 12 ft the shop had left was the olive green anglers boat… the same boat just ugly.So off to the lake …now this boat was less money than the Dagger..and mostly because there is no drop-down skeg to help in the tracking.  And the outfitting (seat & stuff) was not as fancy.  But it was every bit as comfy too me.  And the quality was just as good too.  The real big difference was two fold…first the cockpit was a whole ten inches longer…that made getting in and out easier.  Second this boat was more stable .. you could move around without any concern for getting wet.  I spent a good hour on the lake, and made sure I hit some waves. Both head on and sideways.  No problem.  It might have taken a little more effort to keep the boat tracking straight, but it turned better .   And I can live with that.  So back to the shop only to find out that he had none of the PAM’s left. But I could order one for next year…any color! So  we talked about paddles & PFD’s  and I tried on a few. Boy way better than my Coleman life jacket.  And found out just how important the length of paddle is.  A 230 cm is good for big guys like me.

 Half the money down..and wait till spring for the boat…you bet.  The shop did good on a package deal …boat, paddle & PFD.  So I ordered a BLUE boat.Ok that ‘s a good story …but wait there’s more.  While I was checking out E-Bay .I found a Dagger kayak for sale inAbbottsford,BC.   Pick up Only..the auction said.. no kidding it’s pretty hard to ship a kayak.  Hmm . This was a 15 ft Edisto  model that has been discontinued from the Dagger line.  It came with a rudder, paddle and neoprene skirt.  After a few E-Mails back & forth, I decided to win the bidding on this boat.. And I did just that.  Still paid way less that a new boat . And the guys roommate was bringing it toKelowna…how cool.   No  regrets here.

Yes it’s purple ! but that’s just a color..and it’s different .  Here it is the thanksgiving weekend and the lake is still very pleasantly warm. So off I go for a paddle … I was concerned for the small size of the cock pit, but I found it wasn’t too bad getting in and out.  This boat is very stable and with the rudder deployed it tracks were you want it . Rudders are cool!  If it’s wanting anything it’s a taller seat-back. After sitting in the other boats you really get to like the back support.  If I can fix that I will.  The paddle that he gave me with the boat is very much like the one I bought.. just purple.   There’s a cool little hatch in the bow for keeping small stuff dry.  And a large rear hatch too.   So with the new rack on my truck I’m good to go..  I’ve put in a few days of using the purple Dagger now, and it’s a great boat.  But its getting cool now so I have to put the toys away for the winter. Look forward to next season ….

The rack for Kayak’s on my Avy..

Any one who’s come to the family camping in the summer has seen this on my truck..  It holds 3 boats and cost me $40 to build.  I’m still using it five years later…

January 2007:

Well surprise  the kayak I ordered was delivered to the shop early.  And Wildways wanted me to pick it up so he’d have room for more that were coming.  So here it sits in my basement ..cause I didn’t make plans for it outside yet.   Oh well as soon as it warms up a little I make a place for it outside..  I’m sure glad I chose the blue color ,  it’s a very nice break from the yellow ones that were in the store.  It came with a little bonus of knee pads on the cockpit rim.  A cup holder and great seat.  Looking forward to using it this spring.   These are very user-friendly boats with a long cockpit opening.   I found another PDF on E-bay for thirty bucks . way less than the $120 in the store.   So we are set up good for the season.

September 2007:

Well we took our two kayaks with us on our yearly May camping.  The first stop was Okanagan Lake.  It was windy both days we were there so I only used the “Pam” for a little jaunt on the lake.  What a great boat.   Our next stop was our favorite Herald Park on Shuswap lake.  It was there that the boats got a workout.  I even got Maureen into the “pam” for some first time paddling.  She really did enjoy it, but found it hard to  keep the kayak going in a straight line.  One of my future projects will be to install a drop down skeg on the back end of the Pamilco.

The boats came with us again when we went to our annual family campout at Kettle River park.  I transported them 10 km up the river to Westbridge, and paddled the river back to camp.  This was so much fun..  we did it several times.  I will be doing that every year for sure.  Next year I’ll be sure to get some photos of the river runs..   And this coming spring I have some paddle holders to install on both boats.

Update..  2011 :

A few changes to the Kayak ‘s I have..  in 2009 I bought another Pamlico 12 because I loved the blue one so much.. This time it’s red, and it is the fishing model so it has a rod holder and paddle clips on the side.  Also that year I sold the purple Dagger for what I paid for it.  So I’m down to two boats.. Perfect.  These are the boats I enjoy the most.. and when my Brother comes to the camping he brings two as well, so we’ve enough for a good group paddle.

The paddle down the Kettle river during our summer camping is a high lite for me. It’s about a two hour run and easy enough for beginners.   And we have introduced a few new people to this for sure… Maybe more will bring boats ..it’s a great way to see the river..

Rob

This is a little story I wrote back in May 2002.  I was sailing the Weekender boat I’d built that winter.  It’s a read …enjoy

Oh ya I’ll never wish for wind again….cause I got it…

The first two times I took the boat out for my shake down there wasn’t even a hint of air movement. So on Monday it was blowing real good here so I headed for the lake hoping for the same… Yup a real nice breeze blowing north up the lake. Oh boy Rob’s going sailing this time. And this is where things started not going so smoothly… First off I have a choice of two boat ramps (both halfway up the lake). I have been using the further one because its not as busy and it has real nice docks on either side with nice bumpers. BUT I thought I’d check out the first one that’s right beside the marina. I was driving past it anyway… Well no one there so I give it a go…. First thing that went wrong… I set up the mast before I back up too close to the water. Then I look up and there’s a friggn power line 12 ft off the ground at the top of the ramp !!! Ok no problem down goes the mast and I back up past it to clear the line. Fine now the boats in the water tied to the wharf (Little with no bumpers). Now I must take the time to describe the launch area here. This is located at the narrowest part of the lake ( something I figger’d out later ) So the wind’s a little faster here. And then there’s the marina and all the docks sticking out in the lake on the south side of the ramp. On the north side (wind blowing against it) there is a LOG BOOM breakwater extending about a 100 ft out. I thought I would just sail on out to the open lake….WRONG the wind pushed me hard against the boom and I GROUND my way along it …so much for the nice red paint.. When I finally got past the end of the boom the Weekender took off like a bullet, but not before the line I have from the end of the boom to the gaff boom ( for flags ) caught the stupid light they had on the end of the log boom. Snap! Oh well you can sail without that…. But wait my steering cable decided to part company with the turnbuckle, and this all happened with in seconds….. So I’m in a good blow (whitecaps) leaning over the back of the boat holding the rudder with one hand and the main sheet in my other….and I can’t reach the other lines. And I’m crossing the lake ! This was not good… so about the halfway point I turned to the wind then headed back …. I let the main right out to try to slow down but the jib was working  way to good …. But I managed to steer for the launch and miss all those boats tied up at the marina. I don’t think anyone from the marina was looking outside, because if they had they might have freaked at the out-of-control sailboat blasting into they’re ramp…. sails flapping..   My halyards are cleated to the mast.. and I will change that so I can drop sails quickly…. And I thought I was smart using cable crimps for my steering lines… they will get tied now with good knots.

I think I sprained my hand in all the excitement…but I’ll live to sail again..

Rob

March 2014:   Back at it…

Don’t forget to read PAGE 1 first…  Spring is in the air.. and soon the snow will be all but a memory..  I do need to get the Bazoo 6×6 finished and out of the shop..  Set up the Costco garage again..  and get the boat done..

Delays Again:

Never got to move the boat out of the shed.. there was other things that were more pressing to do.. There’s always next year..  But I did get some prep done this fall..  The Sabercraft  boat that I got for free.. was kind enough to donate a few bits.. before getting cut up for the landfill.  First was the motor well ..This Motor Well is prefect… and I’ll make it work.   The other important stuff was the side trim..

 

It’s aluminum trim in the perfect shape I want for the side..   Also saved the bow light.. and a few other bits.

New Power :

As well this year I decided to pass the Chrysler 55 ‘s on to a new person.. and go with the 50 hp Merc I was given…  Supposedly it runs !  We’ll see.   I’m going to make it one of my winter projects this year.

Jan 2017:

It saddens me to think I’ll never get to see this boat finished..  But so many things keep me away..   The latest is the cost of finishing the boat.. I’m living on fumes here… yes by choice.. but I’m not able to do any projects that will cost money..   So I’m going to part with the boat.. and move on.. I’m also realizing that I have a lot of toys to play with and hard enough to use them all… one more is too much..  there would be litte time to even use the boat..   And my storage is filling up and since the Fifthwheel takes up so much room the boat got kicked out of the nice cozy place it’s been for a few years now..

So it’s up for sale..

Sold to a guy who will love it to…

March 2013..

This is the new post for the restoration of the Performer.. And this is page 1 dedicated to the work done in 2013. Page 4 is for work in 2014  I decided to start this new post and the pages cause I thought the old post would grow too big.. A fresh start..and..so  I had been determined to complete the boat by the summer of 2013.. but that did not happen.. But look at what I did get done..

She’s a good looking boat !  And I’m naming her after our much loved and sadly departed Kitty “Bessy”  We had Bess in the family for a long time… Boats should have names and this seems fitting.

Today I made some support blocks up and dropped the boat onto them.. It’s easier to work on the boat when it’s low and not tipsy.  This weekend I’ll set up the garage over her.. and put some lighting in there.

Look I can just step over the stern to access the boat..cool. When I went to Kelowna to get the garage I also picked up some fiberglass supplies ..including white Gel-coat for the hull.  I’m getting a price on solid teak hardwood flooring too. And I decided to completely strip the boat’s inside down to the fiberglass.  Yes that means new cabin walls and rebuilding the berths too. There’s just too many holes in stuff..  And the rear bulkhead for the motor well will be raised higher and moved back a bit for more room.

Just once more I thought I’d show the plans for the boat.. I haven’t changed anything except give myself a bit more room at the stern..

This photo is my inspiration for the color scheme I like.. it’s a 50’s car color and the boat is also 50’s so it just works for me. It’s going to look great with the teak interior too.  We’ll see if this all comes together.

You can see in this photo that the floor under the cabin is in bad shape.. at least the part you can see.. The 1/2″ ply bulkhead walls are in good condition..  But they need to be firmly attached to the floor.. so maybe instead of removing them I’ll cut them up an inch or so and then add a piece back on the bottom after the floor is in.

The roof of the cabin will get some Finnish as well. To make it look nice and to hide some wires.  The wood beams are in perfect condition so I will probably just paint them..

Day 1

Got the garage up today.. so the boat is safe & dry. Dave & I removed all the windows ,fittings… and stuff from the boat.

I Bought my own oscillating multi tool today and gave it a try.. going to make short work out of removing all the wood. It flush cuts very nice.

The plan is to clean out most of the interior of it’s wood parts.  Then rebuild the stringers , ribs and the floor.  Also replace the rear bulkhead and some of the transom.  Everything will be glued and fiber glassed into place.  This puts the strength back into the boat.  Then I plan to roll the boat 45 degrees to one side and re-gel-coat that side of the bottom..  Then do the other side. After that the top of the boat will get its fresh blue paint.  And then it’s time to start putting things back together.. and finishing the interior.. Wow all before July.

I Had Help for the day… it takes two to undo the bolts holding things on.  Now it’s stripped down.

Here’s the pile of parts. They will need cleaning up..

In two days I’ve got a lot done.. All the floor right to the front is gone..  I’m not touching that chamber in the bow.. there’s no floor there, there’s no ribs or stringers .. The bow doesn’t need support.  You can see I cut the cabin walls about a half an inch above the floor. There’s no rot on them.. but there was lots under the floor in the cabin.. bad !  All that’s left is to grind it all flat. And I need to remove the inside layer of the transom..

Today I scrubbed in inside of the boat.. You can see a stick I’ll use to locate the floor level.  I also cut out a new transom piece from 3/4 ply.

Here you can see one of the many ribs I removed ..  not much left.. and just bands of fiberglass holding them down..  I’ll do better..

Here’s the new 3/4 inch inner transom.. Glued..screwed.. and clamped.  This has hopefully taken the bow out of the transom too. I don’t want to remove the clamps for 24 hrs.  I’m using Polyester construction sub floor adhesive..  Waterproof and strong..  I’m gluing the four stringers into place with it as well.. using big concrete blocks for weight.

So far so good.. The glue is holding good.  The resin and mat with be the real strength in the end.  The bottom of the boat takes a real beating with the water & waves.  So the only thing that is strong enough will be multiple layers of fiberglass.  Here it’s all in.. ready for the mat & resin..  Using foam to fill gaps.  Today I got the resin & mat out and was determined to get that part done..  4 Litres of resin and a lot of mat.  Got it done.. after it’s all cured I’ll put a 1×4 down the middle for the floor to join on.. I’ll need to get the 1/2 ” ply for the floor..

The floor is now in and very solid. It turned out good..  I used lots of PL Premium glue and coated deck screws. Today I glassed in the outer edges to the hull.  I’m also taking the time to plan the cabinets and seats.. and so I’ve made a few adjustments to some measurements on the  plans.  Nothing to much just a tweak here and there..

Nice place for the tank & battery box.  The aluminum tank is 18 gallons.. lots for a long day. We tested the fuel gauge too. Works great.  Next is the inner wall for the motor well.

My Friend Dave had a great Idea !  Two braces are better than one .. So I made these up and fit them so the fuel tank fits nicely in there.. Glassed them in and now a much stronger transom..  I like.  And before I install the motor well wall I’m going to rebuild the berths & lockers in the cabin.  Much easier when you can just step over the stern.

But Summer is coming and other stuff to do …  so the Boat got put back on it’s trailer and moved to the franknport.. I’ll bring it back out in the spring and continue then. In the mean time I’ve added goodies from older campers to my pile of parts.. I have more stoves and sinks and pumps …. etc to choose from.

Continued on Page 2…

Oct 2011

They need a little love…

Oct 10 2011   This is an ongoing and current project… watch for updates

Today it was raining hard .. so being the non-coastal person that I am.. I hid in my shop.  I built a stand out of wood to hold the running 1975 Chrysler outboard.. the older 1972 one is on a stand I bought at Princess Auto. The 1975 motor will be the one I use on my Seven Seas Cruiser.  The other will be my spare.  No Dave I’m not doing the twin thing on the boat.. One should do the trick and be less complicated.  If you checked out my blog on the Seven Seas you will see a link to a video of a bigger boat running great on a 75 hp Chrysler.. So I’m inclined to think my 55 will do just fine.  I’m not out to break speed records.  As per usual I’m ordering the shop manual for these motors so I’m not guessing how to tune them up.. Why these old motors ?  Well I got one for free.. and the other was very cheap.  They aren’t as old as the boat , but they are still nostalgic.  And they are very simple to work on.

4 Cowls….

That’s because I’ve got two more parts motors !  Ok ones a 45 hp cowl.. but they are all the same size.   I have two 1975 and two older ones.

This is where Rob has fun…

Painting stuff…pimping stuff… This is where I shine.  I’m going to choose two of the cowls that are in the best condition and repaint them .  One I will keep the white & gold scheme ,  the other I will custom paint .. white & light blue to match the boat… Just watch me go…

I’m not sure what to call them but they are a pain in the butt..  Those little circle clips.. they are easy to install but hard to get off.  But after I take off all the trim I’ve got a naked cowl..

This will be the one that gets the hammered gold paint job..

Holy Cowl !

Thanks to the great way they put things together I can mix & match the badges with the trim to get the best.  I’m going to chose the chrome “Chrysler” letters to go with the custom lt blue paint.  And I’ll redo the “55” in blue .  I’ll keep the red numbers for the restored gold trim cowl.

I changed my mind … I tried different combinations , and the chrome badges look better with the gold.   This is the newer cowl ,and it has a new hammered gold finish.

Here’s the blue cowl.  That color is a perfect match to the top of the boat.  I painted the badges all black because they were quite scratched. Now I’m trying to decide on blue letters or white.

White letters it is..  So this is my custom cowl, with the blue that matches the boat.

And here’s the (original ) looking cowl.   As soon as my service manual arrives I can get to work on the motors.. they will get a fresh white paint job too..

May 2012 :

Reality bites …  and the motors got wheeled over to the corner last fall for other projects.  But soon I’ll be wheeling them back out.. there is a new bigger Chrysler 70 that came on the Glasspar that will get the run first..  and then these will get their chance at fame..  Stay tuned !

 Bring out the BIG guns first…

Once this 70 hp has been run a bit (on the lake too)  then it will be a dolly queen till the Performer is ready for power..  Looks like I have another cowl to paint.

Page 3

Oct 2011:

They are called “FiberGlassics”  the boat equivalent of a cool old car…

After the dust settled from all my boat dealings. I was left with a repairable outboard and a good trailer.  Then I saw an ad for a older cabin cruiser for sale in Creston.  He wasn’t asking much, and it included a very cool video depth / fish finder.  I went to have a look.. What a cool older boat.. A classic !  When I showed interest he said nobody wants this boat.  If you give me $50 bucks for the finder.. You can have the boat..  Wow.. It’s perfectly what I’ve always wanted.  Not to big, outboard powered,  all fibreglass with some wood inside.  Needs a bit of work , but I can handle that.  The cabin was full of wasp nests.. Once I got it home It took  me awhile to clean them out.  We weighed the boat at the scale in Castlegar, and found it to be 1234 lbs. wow that’s more than the claimed 950 lbs.  But it still towed very nice.  A little concerned about the 55 hp being enough to power the boat.  But I’ll try it before I go looking for a different motor, because I like the simplicity of the Chrysler.  I’m thinking I’ll remove the floor panels and then store the boat over the winter in my new RV carport. That way the bilge will have time to dry out.   Old boats don’t have to die.. This old girl is way to pretty to let that happen……

About This Boat :

There’s not a lot of info on Performer boats.. in fact I could only find one other on the web.  But here’s what I’ve learned so far… Seams Performer made seven models of boats from 1958 to 1962. The factory was in a LosAngles  California industrial suburb of Bellflower / Paramount.  Nobody bought them out like other small boat builders, so they just disappeared.  They are rare to find.  This was the era of outboards.. and this model could accommodate twin motors.  Rated for 100 hp, they commonly had twin 40’s.  Completely fiberglass with only glassed over wood in the bulkheads and floor stringers.  Plexiglass  windows with good rubber seals.  The hull is designed to give the most interior room possible.

Note: I’m finding more of these boats as time goes.. and I’m trying to contact the owners..

Wow I found an ad for a Performer boat…

Note:  I found a you-tube video of one of these Performer Tropicana’s .  It’s the same blue as mine. and it was zooming along with a 75hp Chrysler motor on Silverwood Lake in California..So Cool  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcfDg6ZC0zo&feature=player_embedded

The good stuff :

Well for starters it’s a small boat you can actually spend the weekend on.  But  what’s really good…..The gelcoat only has the smallest of hair cracks.  With a good wet sand and polish you won’t see them.   The cabin is in very good shape and the berths are plenty big enough.  I can sit up without banging my head.  There is a cool hatch up front you can crawl out, or use to access the anchor with ease. The flat bottom hull and straight sides give the floor area lots of room.  And lots of wood is embedded in the fibreglass  for safely attaching to.  At 17 feet the boat is not too big, not too heavy.

 

 I have plans already :

For now I’m measuring up everything and I’ll make some plans to create a functional cockpit.  And I have a few neat ideas to incorporate.  This will document the whole process and perhaps encourage someone to do the same.   In the spring when I have the time to work on her I plan to drop the boat onto a low dolly and push it into the shop.  Hopefully it will be only eight inches off the ground and I won’t need a ladder to get in and out  of the boat while working ..   The debate is ongoing as to how far I go in the restoration.  This is a boat I would like to keep for a long time ..so I don’t want to redo anything.. Do it right the first time.  For instance the windows have cracks.   Dave thinks I should just glue them up.. I think that making new ones is the only way to go.  They are Plexiglas so bending them to fit is not hard.  I’m inclined to remove everything anyway so I can do a proper polish and reseal  stuff and replace rusty screws.

Here’s the plans I drew up for an improved interior.. Giving the boat more “stay onboard “ appeal by adding a Galley, Cooler and a table.  More cubbies and storage as well.

In this photo you can see that the weight of the  100 hp motor has caused the transom to bow out a bit.  I will try to pull it back and add a brace & some aluminum plate to make it stronger.   I’ve cut the bottom panel in the well to have a look at the wood under there.. and that wood should be replaced. after 50 years it’s very soft.  I was careful to leave a lip around the outside to reattach a new floor.. and I will glass it in good.  This well will get wet.

Today Oct 23 I finally got a chance to get the floor ripped up.  It was chip board screwed down with drywall screws..no good..  And as I had suspected the floor supports were replaced.  And they are still in good condition… But I’m not liking the workmanship..   We will be rebuilding this all the way to the transom.  For now it can sit like this for most of the winter.. and dry out good..  I will be removing the stringers and glassing in new ones that are taller to make the hull bottom stiffer.  The old seat , foot rest and the chip board floor went to the dump.  I have two new seats, and they will be on top of useful cabinets.

Note:  I did not use this tank , because I acquired a very nice aluminum tank.

In the mean time I’ll keep busy on some of the parts for the boat.. like this gas tank.  I favor this over the portable one ..because it’s bigger !  And it will fit nicely under the port-side rear seat.  This will also give me a fuel gauge on the dash.. The catch is that it had a leak..  I’ve repaired it and freshened the paint up.  So it’s ready to install.  I have the nice chrome filler cap and the boat has a vent already there.  All these parts came from the Reinell that I parted out.  That boat also donated a very nice horn, a wiper motor, a nice steering wheel and lights.  I’ve done well.   So for the winter working on the two 55 Chryslers will all I do..boat wise..  Work on those is covered in it’s own posting.

I’m doing the compliance thing !

Which means I took and passed the boater course, so I have my operators card. .. 94% not to bad..  And I’ve mailed away a” transfer of boat licence ” form to the government.  So the BC # on my boat will be in my name.   Being all legal is easier than trying to explain why your not !

I’m doing the compliance thing !

We’s a Seven Seas that’s being used.. regularly ..  A few years newer than my boat  (white panel on cabin)  but still very much the same boat..  It’s home is Colorado.  And I presume that’s Jeff’s daughter in the photo.  I hope to meet Jeff & the boat this summer.. but that’s quite a distance for us to travel.hich means I took and passed the boater course, so I have my operators card. .. 94% not to bad..  And I’ve mailed away a” transfer of boat licence ” form to the government.  So the BC # on my boat will be in my name.   Being all legal is easier than trying to explain why your not !

Other Performer Seven Seas boats:

But soon to be Big Aqua !  He is repainting it blue like mine. But this is an Admiral Boat made in Florida ?  It’s identical to our Performers.. We are trying to figure that one out..   Also this boat had extensive damage done to the top-side ,  and Wayne has been repairing that fiberglass.  He needs an upper windshield as well.  This boat is a lot closer to me in Northern Idaho.  The plan is to get all three together for a photo..  Yes !

Jan 18, 2012 :   

Today another boat came home with me.. traded a lawn tractor for it…  Glasspar Citation.  I want it for the 70 hp Chrysler and the bigger trailer..  Both of which will be for the Seven Seas.  The 70 hp motor will take away my worries of enough hp for the weight.  And the 16 ft Glasspar will fit nicely on the trailer that’s under the Seven Seas now.  And this new trailer means I won’t have to modify the other one .  it’s too short for the 17 ft Seven Seas.  Win Win…

As well I was checking the Seven Seas out and found that my plan to dry out the bilge is working great.  The weather here this winter has been very dry. Come spring when I can start work on the floor it will be easy.

May 21 2012 :

While the Seven Seas is nice and safe in the RV port.. there is no panic to get at it..  I need to make sure the motor runs good..

And here it is .. I’m hoping this works out good for the boat.. In my mind this is the perfect size motor.  We’ll use it this summer on the Glaspar  so it will be ready for the Performer..

Someone was selling a bunch of boat parts as a lot.  It was a good deal , included was a steering system, two 12 gallon steel tanks, running lights and these very nice gauges.

Here’s the gauges new still in the boxes..  they will look very nice indeed.

Fall 2012:  The boat got set aside for other things,  Hopefully this coming spring I can get at it..

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