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1974 Checkmate TRV-17 Restoration

 

As Recieved

This is her, as recieved. You can see the bunkboards need to be replaced and the trailer needs a paint job. The top side of the hull is severely oxidized. I will get a better pic of her when I can get her outside.

 

As Recieved 2

Here is the better pic. Did not have time to get it outside.

 

interior shot

The drivers chair is not missing. I do have it. The box it is mounted to has been broken and is starting to decay. Passenger side box is in good shape. The vinyl on the captains chairs will be replaced. The wood for the two captains chairs was fiberglassed and is in great shape.

 

Decayed box

Better photo of the decayed box. It is fiberglass over wood. Wood has almost completely rotted away.

 

interior trim shot - original color was Bright white

I found a product called ColorBond leather and vinyl restorer. If it works I might be able to save the original vinyl trim.

 

Bow seat vinyl - original color was Bright white

May be able to use the color bond on this seat back also.

 

bow hatch as received

Wood beneath the vinyl is rotten. Will be replaced.

 

Bow hatch fitted inside boat.

I placed the old bow hatch back in the boat to get a feel for how it fit.

 

Bow hatch fitted inside boat wtihout hatch lid.

Another pic of the bow hatch for reference.

 

Bilge and gas tank area

When I crawled back to inspect the bilge and gas tank area I felt some soft spots in the rear floor and the area I was kneeling on almost gave way. Looks like my original assumption of not needing to replace the floor was wrong.

 

Rear of boat w/ carpet removed

Removed the carpet and interior trim. You can see the area where my foot went through the floor.

 

Bow w/ carpet removed

There is a small area of the floor beneath where the bow seats sat that needs to be replaced also.

 

Bow floor

Better shot of the bow floor that needs to be replaced.

 

out comes the floor

I decided to rip out all of the old floor. There was not much left of the stringer and foam was completely wet.

 

Wet foam shot

Better photo of wet foam and rotten stringer.

 

Floor is out!

Floor, foam and everything rotten removed. I found a spot in the hull that is soft. It is a small area where the balsa core needs to be replaced.

 

Balsa core

I have never replaced balsa core in a fiberglass hull before. I was a little worried. I found instructions on a forum board and talked to a few guys who had done it. Here is a link to instructions and my thread on the checkmate - boats forum : http://checkmate-boats.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3343

The larger area marked with a sharpie is the area to be cut out. You can see the center hole I made in order to determine the condition of the balsa core.

 

Balsa core continued

I cut out the rotten balsa. Cleaned and sanded the inner skin of the hull. Cut my balsa and fiberglass. I then laminated them to the hull. Here is a photo of weights on top of the repair while the resin sets up. Sorry, I forgot to take pics of the rotten balsa and cleaned up inner skin.

 

Balsa core patch

This is a photo of the almost finished balsa patch. I put down threa more layers of fiberglase roven woving cloth in order to blend it in with the rest of the inner hull.

 

Rear Floor Stringer and floor supports glassed in.

Center and rear stringers glassed in. The center bow stringer is in.

 

Photo of rear stringers.

I cut drain holes in the bottom corner of the stringers to allow for water to drain to the bilge.

 

Better photo of cut corner of support for water drainage