1978 Fleetline Sapphire Restoration Project Videos

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 1978 Fleetline Sapphire Restoration Project Videos
    Posted: 21 Jan 2017 at 9:20pm
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Hi everyone,

Long time lurker, recent registered user.

As a young dad it's now my turn to provide a family ocean experience and so recently begun my foray after plenty of research here, and purchased a 1978 Fleetline Sapphire to kick things off in a low-cost low-risk-of-my-stupid-mistakes-costing-me-too-much fashion.

Beyond the knowledge and wise advice here about these boats I struggled to find much more on these boats, and indeed even the outboard that came with it. So I've decided to share what (little) I've learned about buying a boat, this one in particular, and also hope to share videos of the little bits and pieces I will do to get the boat back into better order.

Two videos so far are here for your pleasure/entertainment https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRQxroBCXPnUBM6CKxgAB7wOi1L0Ms5gD.

Dead keen for any further advice, corrections or even recognition of where I do and don't have a clue. Comments here or on the videos themselves are welcome.

Cheers!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote BigLiddy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2017 at 12:22pm
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Good stuff!  Look forward to following the restoration efforts.

I looked at Sapphire for my first boat but ended up going Ali.

Do you keep your anchor etc in the anchor-well when you're on the water? And how do you set and retrieve the anchor? I remember the forward hatch being incredibly difficult to get in and out of...
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MacSkipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2017 at 1:22pm
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Great clips and interesting.  We had one of these when I was a kid in 70s with a 33hp Johnson that dad upgraded to a 60hp Volvo outboard.  Very fond memories of.
 
Don't know about the Evinrude 60hp motor - but I know several mechanics recommended removing oil pump and running pre mix on similar era Mercury outboards - more than a few motors seized due to pump failures, suggest you check this out on forums etc.
Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2017 at 1:41pm
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Originally posted by BigLiddy BigLiddy wrote:

 Good stuff!  Look forward to following the restoration efforts.

I looked at Sapphire for my first boat but ended up going Ali.

Do you keep your anchor etc in the anchor-well when you're on the water? And how do you set and retrieve the anchor? I remember the forward hatch being incredibly difficult to get in and out of...

Yes that is very tricky, if you wind up leaving the anchor on the floor I think even Houdini would get a hernia trying to wriggle up and out.

I've got the anchor in a rode bag now which I set up in the front well before heading out, I usually step up and over the windscreen to deal with it - or get my young and nimble son to get it out via the hatch- it's not that easy single-handed.

I plan on carpeting the floor which will hopefully make hatch access a bit more comfy, but from there I won't be able to reach tiller or throttle ;-)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2017 at 1:45pm
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Originally posted by MacSkipper MacSkipper wrote:

Great clips and interesting.  We had one of these when I was a kid in 70s with a 33hp Johnson that dad upgraded to a 60hp Volvo outboard.  Very fond memories of.
 
Don't know about the Evinrude 60hp motor - but I know several mechanics recommended removing oil pump and running pre mix on similar era Mercury outboards - more than a few motors seized due to pump failures, suggest you check this out on forums etc.

Thanks for the note on the oil pump, I'll look into it. The manual suggests keeping a moveable piece of tape on the tank so that you can always ensure it's moving down as it goes - doesn't exactly demonstrate massive confidence in their own gear ;-)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2017 at 10:29pm
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Just a quick update on this boat. I've now installed one of those rather cheap ($15 on Trade Me) engine-hour meters to keep better track of the boats running time.

Process and learnings (along with deafening cicadas) can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyz-dg3ZoRk

Cheers!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jul 2018 at 10:15pm
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Further update - steel rope broke when trying to haul it up the ramp. Replaced with synthetic - for those interested, process documented. :-)

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Aug 2018 at 8:58am
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Another update - installed a cheap Amazon engine hour meter on the Evinrude - works a treat!< ="text/">

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Sep 2018 at 8:08pm
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Original three-stripe vinyl decals had perished, become brittle and in some parts have rubbed completely off. I decided on try a Caramel Wheel to remove them. Wheel available at https://amzn.to/2PZqUHA - it worked pretty well.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fraser Hocks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Sep 2018 at 9:13am
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Thanks for that Ross Thumbs Up.  Good trick to have up the sleeve for one day!! 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Sep 2018 at 9:36am
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Hair dryer works on most decals
 Pre mixing.. The VRO are very reliable, even old ones.
 If dig into case where theVRo fails, you find so called evidence doesnt stand up to scrutiny...ie 1 cylinder fails but no evidence of oil issues in other cylinders.. stuff like that
 Also read the repair service manual, they list reasons why a certain cylinder goes down and not others..

Moveable tape.. my tank, when checked for water/ crap few yrs back..change of oil type... when I re filles did so 500ml at a time , and with a sharp knife scored large mark for L small mark for 500mls.
Just note what mark.. and go on about 1L per 50L fuel.. usually little under if motor doesnt get loaded up a lot.

Your rope breaking... check the eye in the bow.. these , the way mounted, get loaded on one shaft only.. they do corrode over the yrs inside, and break.
 I have an old thread onthis subject...
 If going to pull out to check, may as well buy a newer larger diameter one any way..
 They are of greater width thu...and diameter shafts.
 When re mount, decide which current hole to use for best even pull in the eye.. drill that out, and the new hole... 
 The old hole... drill out.. wipe some epoxy inside the hole and on a tight fitting bit of dowel and tap in.

If need to peel back the keel strip..do the same to those screw holes, and re drill.

 The carpet lay..a very imortant thing I didnt see mentioned, was the gluing.. do the hole surface, not just stripes or areas.
 The reason is if there are areas underneath that have no glue, and ppl may stand turn, the carpet will eventually stretch, bulge, and rip.. far quicker than you think it may.

 Cool boats.. these older boats, that are still in good condition, are very cost effective to do  up.. even rebuild compared to expensive modern models... and not only that they tend to handle chop sea far better   min powered, and far better when well powered than most modern hulls.
Funny thing is , unlike modern conception , they are not heavier than modern boats... modern boats are built lighter , but also have a lot of extra stuff, double dress up skins and stuff.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2018 at 1:37pm
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Another update (subscribe on YouTube for updates). The original vinyl seats had dark staining on them. I had tried cleaning, but with little success. So I decided to repaint with black and white vinyl paint  (https://amzn.to/2oxScYQ) came out like new!



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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2018 at 8:40am
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The interior has 40 years of scrapes, marks and dirt. I did some research and found a three step processes for painting fibreglass interiors.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2018 at 9:07am
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Suggestion
1/ doesnt take much to remove bolted controls , etc, rather than cutting in around.
2/ Use a roller.. small cut in roller on edges.. a cut in brush in tight cnrs, then finisgh with cut in roller.
When looking around older boats that have been painted the biggest stand out put off is brush makes... 
Gives an impression of a quick flick paint job.
  What you are doing is some good pre work...
3/  Should kill AND remove mould.. spray  gone in 30 secs..
 leave for a day then blast...
Also a light mist spray of everything, seats m carpets walls bulge.. everything after wash down after every trip prevents mould growing during storage..
 Dont breathe the mist in.

4/ Ideally should pull the windows before painting... if not , chances are you will find they leak due to warping and old rubber etc... Good idea if not replace is to pipe silicone in under the rubbers... then mask and paint.
If seal after painting you end up with uncut edges, and if touch up , they stand out when look at an angle.


 The "speckle" paint.. it is gelcoat over a layer of gelcoat.. both with styrene was added to allow to dry non tacky...
It is put non  (the speckle) the 'hide' the rough rear lay up surface.
If you wish to re speckle, u can buy speckle paint in a aerosol.. goes quite a long way...and can also get in a couple colours a that spray out at the same time.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote ripfishnbust Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Oct 2018 at 3:02pm
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I've got one of these boats and have done it up a bit over the years. If you ever want to meet up and check it out/discuss the boats let me know.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 10:14am
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Cheers for the suggestions and offers to chat guys!

I had sprayed and power-washed with anti-mould, and agree on pulling the rubber window surrounds - my alternative execution was a pain in the arse! The two-pot approach has held up well this summer and there was no mould after a wet winter so that appears to have worked well.

Also decided to lay some marine carpet for comfort. Here's the process and results - I'm pretty happy!

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 10:23am
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Was also sick of having to second-guess the battery when starting the outboard, during a fishing or day trip. So I decided to buy a cheap voltmeter (From Amazon - https://amzn.to/2wAzbtu) to keep tabs on the battery condition. Here is my installing into an OMC Evinrude Control unit, and how it performs.


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 9:48am
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you glued both floor and carpet?
and the whole area not just spots edges?

The carpet going over the sides shapes wilk not work.. it is too stiff with the backing to from around and stick.
 Hence why .. I think its called flocking...ie check out a commanger and most other larger boats where this is done.

 Another attinative may wish to consider is panels.. Thu may have to glass some blocks to the hull to screw them to (???)
A thinish ply, sponge carpet underlay off cuts glued on.. The material stretched and pulled over the edges, stabled and glued.
I used heavy curtain material that has a sort of rubber backing...6 yrs on all good, and even water blasts well...using a little common sense.

Cost (ply, staples, glue material etc) not including the squab foam around $110.





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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote rh2600 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2019 at 12:54pm
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I'd been running without a speedo for years, but after getting some 'feedback' from the Coastguard after returning to the ramp that I was probably over the 5 knot limit I decided it was time to get a GPS speedo (From Amazon - https://amzn.to/2RKN8AL) to keep tabs on my speed. Here is my installing into a fibreglass runabout OMC Evinrude Control unit, and how it performed in the water.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jan 2019 at 2:44pm
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Couple simple solns
 1/ a free app on your phone.. or better still navionics GPS on yor phone/ tab
2/ If have the johnson/ evinrude speedo...I know later model johnsons evinrudes have it.. there is a small port on the front of the cavitation plate area... bit of 5mm tubing.. garden irrigation does the trick, connected to the speedo

5kns is not hard to do or estimate.. its not much more on most boats of just throwing into idle speed.


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