# 14' Feather Craft V-hull



## FishFry (Aug 14, 2008)

This followed me home:







I'm still working on the layout for the boat. While I think about that, I'm working on the trailer. It looks to be from roughly the same time as the boat, late 50's. No lights, and the hubs had some badly installed zerks that would let in more water than grease. The frame is good, and that's about all that will stay. I've been collecting the parts I need to fix the trailer, and might have it all together this weekend.


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## dedawg1149 (Aug 14, 2008)

welcome nice rig


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## FishFry (Aug 14, 2008)

Somebody started to replace the transom on this boat a long time ago. Or I should say they took it all apart and I got the boat without any transom in it at all. This transom is made up of two pieces of wood, one outside and one inside the boat. Right now my guess is the wood on the outside was 3/4" plywood. I'm not so sure about the inside, any thoughts on how thick that should be? Is there a standard transom width for small boats?

From inside:






and outside:


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## bassboy1 (Aug 14, 2008)

What is that bar off the side of the frame on the left side of the trailer?


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## Mossy535 (Aug 14, 2008)

I'm curious as to why you say there should be a piece of wood on the aft of the transom. The aft side of your transom area looks almost identical to my MirroCraft, which only had a 1-1/2" thickness of wood on the inside:
















I'm not saying you're incorrect, I'm just trying to understand.

On second look, is the "silver" area on the aft side an aluminum plate like on my MirroCraft? Or is it an unpainted area where wood once was?

Mark


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## FishFry (Aug 14, 2008)

As far as the wood being on the outside of the transom, I've found pictures of feather craft's online and lots of them are like this. I've been wondering if bolting an aluminum plate on the outside would be a better solution though. I didn't get this to restore.

The bar on the side of the trailer frame is some sort of primitive tilt trailer. You pull two pins and swing the lever out, this drops the weight of the stern of the boat on the rear roller by lowering the rear of the two bunks. Pretty complicated approach, and I'm not sure how usefull it will actually be. Here's a picture I have of the lever:


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## ben2go (Aug 22, 2008)

Looks like a purdy good start.Wish I could help with the transom,but I haven't even seen a boat like yours or trailer.You planning to buy/restore an engine from the same time period?That would make one nice old timer.


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## FishFry (Aug 22, 2008)

I've got a plan for the transom now, and some plywood and aluminum ready to go. I've been fixing the trailer first, I'll have some pictures of it soon. While working on the trailer I found a date welded into the frame, 1957. I think the boat and trailer were sold together. There's no id number or date on the hull that I've found, at least not yet. 

A motor from the 50's would look good on it but I'm not holding my breath expecting to find a reliable motor that old. I don't own a motor right now, so I am looking while the rest of the project comes along. 

I've dumped a quart of paint stripper on the bow so far, horrible stuff to work with. I'll need the big container to finish the job with. But under the paint the aluminum hull is anodized blue, if I can clean the paint off I might leave it like that.


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## FishFry (Aug 24, 2008)

Here's what the trailer looks like now:






And here's what the boat looks like under the paint:






The trailer may get some tie downs added, I'm going to launch the boat a few times first and see how it all works, and what really needs more attention. Maybe goalposts too. It needs a new axle right away, new hubs just didn't seat properly on this old axle. A little too unique. It will look the same with the new axle though, and that's a quick thing to change. I'm happy to move on to working on the boat at this point.

Also - the tilt mechanism works much better than I thought it would.


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## phased (Aug 24, 2008)

Man the trailer looks great! Good job.


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## russ010 (Aug 24, 2008)

Good idea working on that trailer - your boat probably spends more time on it than it does in the water.... you take care of it, and it will take care of your boat


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## Waterwings (Aug 24, 2008)

Wow, the trailer does look great! 8)


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## delmonte67 (Aug 25, 2008)

FishFry said:


> Here's what the trailer looks like now:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## seaarc (Aug 25, 2008)

Nice work on the trailer not the same old black. Did you paint it yourself?


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## dedawg1149 (Aug 25, 2008)

nice job looks like new


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## ben2go (Aug 25, 2008)

If the finished boat looks as good as the trailer you will have a hard passing it off as an old boat.Good werk.


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## SlimeTime (Aug 25, 2008)

Nice job! I'm curious....is your tow vehicle yellow?

ST


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## FishFry (Aug 26, 2008)

Thanks guys. I painted it myself, nothing fancy just wirewheel then rustoleum. And the tow vehicle is not yellow, the kids got to pick the trailer color is what happened. I'm pretty happy I didn't have to paint it pink or purple.


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## Old Bill (Aug 27, 2008)

FishFry said:


> Somebody started to replace the transom on this boat a long time ago. Or I should say they took it all apart and I got the boat without any transom in it at all. This transom is made up of two pieces of wood, one outside and one inside the boat. Right now my guess is the wood on the outside was 3/4" plywood. I'm not so sure about the inside, any thoughts on how thick that should be? Is there a standard transom width for small boats?
> 
> I own a 1957 Richline 14-foot aluminum V-bottom boat that was made with 3/4-inch plywood on both the inside and outside of the transom. The metal transon consists of only one sheet of .o63 aluminum sandwiched betweeen the two sheets of 3/4-inch plywood.
> 
> ...


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## bassboy1 (Aug 28, 2008)

Reason I ask about that lever is we once had the same sort of thing under a 50s Larson trailer. Except, it raised and lowered the middle roller, not the bunks. Thought maybe you might have a little more info.


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## SlimeTime (Aug 28, 2008)

FishFry said:


> I'm pretty happy I didn't have to paint it pink or purple.



lol, and if they would have? :mrgreen: I like the yellow myself, it's different, but different is good.

ST


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## FishFry (Sep 1, 2008)

All the paint is gone and I won't be in a hurry to do that kind of work again. The anodized aluminum was a nice surprise, I'm going to keep some of it. I'm looking at the steelflex bottom paint that I've seen on a number of boats. And the inside will get fresh paint too, but I've got to frame out a deck first. Lots to do, the transom rebuild is gonna be next.


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## ben2go (Sep 1, 2008)

I agree with the paint.I'd cleaner up real good and coat the bottom up to the stakes running down the low sides of the boat.


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## FishFry (Sep 10, 2008)

Some progress here worth taking pictures of. First, I installed a new boweye. The old one pretty much tore through the boat, so I got a stainless eyebolt and made up a custom aluminum washer:






Then I went to work on the transom. From the inside out, it is 1/4" aluminum plate, 1/2" ply, the boat itself, 3/4" ply, and 1/8" aluminum sheet. Originally it would have been 2 pieces of 3/4" ply. I have good access to scrap materials, stainless bolts I had to buy. Luckily the handles on the rear were stuck under a seat, I didn't know they were there when I got the boat.  
The whole boat is really stiff now, I'm much more confident about cutting out a seat. It's going to be the front one that goes. The original owner had cable steering rigged up front, and a seat installed there. And he was fat, and cracked that seat. Owner #2 was a duck hunter, and I've gotten rid of all trace of him as well, he's the one who gave it the bad paint job.


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## dedawg1149 (Sep 10, 2008)

nice work i like the eyebolt


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## FishFry (Sep 18, 2008)

I've removed the front seat and started framing in the floor. I'm using U shaped stock, welded to the boat only on the ribs. I'm working under the bow next. Cutting the front seat out has me wanting to get rid of middle one too. I also want to keep it and use the inside for storage or livewell or both. But with an open deck, I can have good rod storage on the sides, with the middle seat in I can only lay a 71/2 foot pole down on the bottom. I don't really have enough room to put storage boxes or livewell on the sides if I cut out the middle bench. Decision time, if anybody has some great layout ideas in the next day I'd love to hear them. There's no issues with removing the seat as far as flotation foam goes, I've got enough pourable foam to fill in under the new floor.


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## ben2go (Sep 19, 2008)

looking good =D>


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## btk (Sep 19, 2008)

I think the feathercraft I'm picking up next weekend is the same boat! I can't wait to see what you do with yours. I'm fulll of ideas, but until I get the boat in the garage, I'll be living vicariously thru you
Brent


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## dedawg1149 (Sep 19, 2008)

nice framing are you leaving any space when you do the foam for drainage


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## ben2go (Sep 19, 2008)

dedawg1149 said:


> nice framing are you leaving any space when you do the foam for drainage



I was thinking about that also.You could split 2 inch PVC pipe down the middle and then cut out sections that will run between the ribs.If you're doing the entire bottom you may need to cut a drainage channel thru the foam.


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## ceejkay (Sep 20, 2008)

that trailer came out awesome. like mentioned before take care of your trailer and it will take care of your boat. good progress so far.


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## FishFry (Sep 20, 2008)

I've decided to leave the middle seat. The framing is finished, and I filled it with water to see if any of the heat from welding pushed anything around, creating some leaks. No leaks from the welding, but the original seams leak pretty bad. Seams where two sheets of metal are rivited together in this boat have some sealant from the factory sandwiched in there. I knew some of it was bad, because I was able to pick out a couple chunks of it when I was stripping the paint. So I need to replace the sealant that is missing, and cover up what is still in there. I think this calls for gluv it on the inside. I won't put on the bottom paint or floatation foam until this boat doesn't leak.
Drainage is something I've been thinking about, and leaving the very bottom (middle of boat) open so water can run to the back would be a good thing. Tape and cardboard might be enough of a form to contain the foam to where I want it to be, I like the idea of pvc pipe too.
I'll put some conduit in there for future wiring before the foam. Everything is on hold until I get control of these leaks. I'm putting up a picture of the leaks below, we'll all see how well gluv it works. If somebody knows of a better product, or another approach to stoping these leaks I'm listening.
BTK, I'm glad you got a feathercraft, they're cool old boats. There's another one on this site (posted by USSWormy) that's finished up really nicely you should check out too.


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## SlimeTime (Sep 21, 2008)

Lookin' good! You obviously have a TIG (or spool gun) anf the ability to use it (or know someone who does)..here's an idea........

Remove all the rivets, weld them & all the seams....how many "all welded" hulls have you seen like yours?? :wink: 

If your hull is hot from setting in the sun, and you're filling it from the hose, be sure it isn't condensating (sweating) on the outside of the hull. Leave the water in long enough to let it & the hull equalize (match temps).

ST


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## FishFry (Sep 21, 2008)

SlimeTime, the seams have a sealant strip in them, at least 1/16" thick, 3/8" wide of something that would have to be all cleaned out before I could weld it together. And to get a good weld on the old metal, both surfaces need to be cleaned with a stainless wire wheel. I would do better pulling a pattern off this boat and starting with some new sheet metal.

I hope I just need to replace the messed up sealant - and there's some really obvious bad spots - then paint the bottom inside and out. The water was in the boat for about 1 1/2 hours, maybe there was some condensation but I did see water seeping through the seam sealant in a couple bad spots. It's really only coming through maybe 5-6 spots in the front and both rear corners just a little. Once the water got on the outside, it ran towards the back of the boat dripping the whole way.


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## Victor Coar (Sep 22, 2008)

You clearly have great skills and at the risk of sounding like an idiot I would load that thing up with steelflex and move ahead... That stuff is really worth the $$ and you'll be done in no time.


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## hartstriper (Sep 26, 2008)

My little motor just found a wonderful home. I really hate Fishfry saw the paint job on my rig!!! His looks great. The 'Rude has gone to heaven.


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## FishFry (Sep 26, 2008)

Nice meeting you hartstriper. I ran the motor a little this evening. Idles real low, shifts smooth, very easy to start. Can't wait to run around the lake a little. She's an Evinrude sportwin 9.5, model year 67. For the boat, I have some gluvit to paint on this weekend, and steelflex for the bottom side is on order.


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## ben2go (Sep 27, 2008)

Sweet deal.


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## dedawg1149 (Sep 27, 2008)

good deal that motor matches the boat it will look good


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## fowlmood77 (Sep 27, 2008)

FishFry said:


>



I like your test tank =D>


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## FishFry (Sep 29, 2008)

Gluvit works, here's the after picture. It's been 48 hours after painting it on - when it reaches full cure according to directions. No leaks and you can see that the boat has plenty of water in it.







And here's the before so you don't have to go back a page to see how bad it was:


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## ben2go (Sep 29, 2008)

Sweet.


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## SlimeTime (Sep 29, 2008)

Good deal! Glad to see 'er dry.

ST


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## dedawg1149 (Sep 29, 2008)

sweet no more drips =D>


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## FishFry (Oct 14, 2008)

Work, hunting season, and family have all collided recently resulting in the boat collecting dust. I did get a coat of steelflex on and got the boat wet a couple days later. No leaks.


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## FishFry (Oct 15, 2008)

I thought I would pass on what I've learned from making this boat watertight. First, both gluv-it and steelflex are really nice products. There was plenty of information on steelflex on any number on threads, not much on gluv-it. Gluv-it does cost more, but has much, much, better coverage than steelflex. Gluv-it is also available in both quarts and gallons, as is steelflex. Which one you use really depends on whether you want to paint the outside of the boat, or the inside. Gluv-it is easy to paint, and has a longer working live before it starts to set up. Steelflex is difficult to apply due to how thick it is and sets fast. Gluv-it really works it's way into crevices and flows well, no drips. Can't say that about steelflex at all, though it does stick to everything extremely well once set up. I wouldn't want anything else on the bottom of my boat. The worst thing about steelflex is having to order through the manufacturer who doesn't do web sales or even take a card over the phone. Gluv-it you can buy from any number of suppliers.


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## dedawg1149 (Oct 15, 2008)

nice feedback good to know


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## FishFry (Nov 6, 2008)

Here's a couple pictures of the flotation foam going in. The manufacturer recomends plastic down first if you don't want foam sticking to everything. I was able to use a sheet of plastic draped over the framing to create a channel front to back for water to work its way out. I mixed small amounts for each pocket of plastic at first to lock in this channel. Then I filled it up and shaved it down with an handsaw. Fairly quick and simple actually.


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## ben2go (Nov 7, 2008)

Looks good.Should float anything you put in it plus full of H2O.


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## spanky543 (Nov 10, 2008)

What type of foam did you use? I have a V-Hull I am restoring and I am trying to put foam down in the bow and under the decking. Could you let me know what you used?


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## taino_racing (Nov 10, 2008)

nice job very interesting!


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## FishFry (Nov 10, 2008)

> What type of foam did you use?



The foam came from aeromarine products / John Greer. 

https://www.jgreer.com/Foam Page.htm


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## RStewart (Jan 10, 2009)

so you used gluv-it also. i as well have not seen many reports on it or ever heard of it for that matter.


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## CrappieReaper (Jan 10, 2009)

I love the Feather Craft Boats. My last aluminum was a 14' Feather Craft. I had brought her back from the depths of dead by repairing an 18" gash along the starboard floor/side. It was so bad, I had to create doublers for the inside and the outside of the gash. When it was said and done, it held and became the little boat I had dreamed of. I sold her about 4 years ago to a young, enthusiastic kid for a mere 4 bills sporting and lil 9.9 evinrude. I had been running an '84 model 25hp Mariner on her and that lil boat screamed for it's size. Most of those pre 1950 aluminum boats were built out of the left over aircraft aluminum that was in abundance after WW2. They sure made some nice boats back then. Hope you maintain the integrity of what a Feather Craft created. They were a fine ship.


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## baptistpreach (Jan 11, 2009)

Really nice job so far! keep it up!


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