Scrapping Forever

 We are now down to bare aluminum!

If I had to guess, this is the step (in the project) that took the least amount of thinking and the most amount of labor. The foam that was originally there, was poured in as a liquid state and then changed into a foam that stuck to the surface of the aluminum. Thus, we had to dig into it with a floor scrapper and a shovel to pull out the large chunks. After the large chunks were removed, we used metal scrappers to get down to the aluminum by hand.

I have to take a quick moment to vent about the difference between going to a big box store like Lowes verses a small hardware store like ACE.  On Saturday, I needed to get supplies to start the job and walked into Ace Hardware to find three employees waiting at the front of the store to help me. They got me out the door in less than 10 minutes with an even better product than what I came in looking for. On Sunday, I walked into Lowes and walked all over the store to find someone, who had  to find another person to finally tell me they don't even have what I was looking for. Lowes is great for "big stuff" but for simple items or if you need any kind of help - Ace is the place.

I started the project around 11am on Saturday and was finished with one side by 7pm. Talk about a slow going and labor intensive job. The thought did cross my mind to just "leave it as is" but I felt that if the project is going to be done - its going to be done right from the very bottom to the top. Even if it took 15 hours of misery over the weekend.

Thankfully, my dad offered to come up on Sunday to help.

I did some research to see what type of foam I should replace the "old stuff" with. What I learned is that "poured" foam (also known as 2 in 1 foam) is great for custom fitting areas in order to fill in every nook that also provides the best in sound absorption.What it also does well is absorb water over a long period of time and has a tendency to become "water logged".

 There are sheets of foam that you can buy from Lowes or Mendards that can be cut to fit the floor and is easy to take up along with a less porous surface to resist water. Not to mention it's about half the price. The only downfall I could find is that it doesn't absorb sound as well as the 2 in 1 poured foam. Fortunately, I still have a few weeks before I have to decide what I want to use to replace the old stuff.

As you can see, we are now down to bare aluminum. Then next step will be to pressure wash the inside and drop it in the water to see if we have any leaks in the hull - most likely from loose rivets. With Mother Nature throwing curve balls at us with 65 degrees one day and snow the next, we will have to see when the boat can get into the water. I suppose that will give me some more time for "planning".

Getting Started

Here we go....

I have kept this boat in my garage each of the past 5 summers and have told my self each year that I would take on this project. Each year, I would find other things to do and would never get it started. This is the year and the day after we brought it back from storage, I dived in!

Here are the  "before" pictures:

I started off with the front and worked my way to the back to get the rod storage bench and live well & minnow well benches off. I will plan to keep all of the old pieces to use as a template for building the new floor and sides.

As you can see, the electrical system is not exactly the "safest". It will need some care as we begin to rebuild it.

As I started to pull up sections of the floor, I was curious to see if I would find anything interesting. In the back section, an old Quaker State oil bottle was found. It could have been there anywhere form 10-25 years.

Thankfully, each piece came up relatively easy with the exception of a few stripped screws that I had to drill out. I was really happy to see the "stringers" or steel frame that holds the floor was in good shape and I can simply reattach the new floor to it once we are able to replace the foam and seal the hull.

In addition to an oil bottle, I did find an adjustable wrench. Not sure how it could have slipped under, but it did. Again, it could have been there up to 25 years or so.

Well, here it is... all stripped apart. 

As you can see, the foam is waterlogged and worn and will have to come out - but not today.

As I was taking the boat apart, I saved all of the screws and labeled them for each section they were removed from. Most are in good shape and if you have ever purchased stainless steel screws, you know these are valuable.

I was wondering if I would find anything of my Grandpa's during this project. I did find this!

Well, that's it for now. Next, I'm going to take the foam out, pressure wash the aluminum, and drop it in the water to see if the hull is completely dry.

The History

In the Summer of 1989, my Grandpa Melvold brought home a brand new fishing boat.  I was 5 at the time and was excited because it opened up an opportunity to get out on the Mississippi River and lakes across the area. He named the boat "Emily Frances" after my cousin, Emily, who is the first female grandchild in the family.


Most of my memories on this boat reside in Northern Wisconsin. Each August, we would go up for a week and rent a cabin. In the Summer of 1991, I had just turned 7 years old and had decided that I wanted to try water skiing. My uncles were big into it which gave me the drive to learn. My dad bought a starter set of Mickey Mouse wood skis tied together. It was decided that my first try would be behind the Emily Frances. To my (and probably everyone else's) surprise, I got up on the very first try and was hooked from that day on.

                     
As the years went by, I spent more time in my Uncle John and my Dad's boats. At the time, if you would ask me if I would rather go fishing or water skiing, I would respond with water skiing 10 times out of 10. Although, during the summer after I had graduated from high school, I regained my interest in fishing - along with a few buddies of mine. We would get up just after dawn and take the boat out on the Mississippi a few days a week. Occasionally, I would go out with my grandpa as well.

As my grandpa's health began to decline, he called me into his office one day to tell me that he has decided to give me the boat. I was shocked and honored at the same time and couldn't believe that I would be able to have this boat as "my own". I promised myself to take care of the boat and keep it in the family for as long as possible.

Going fishing with my Uncle Gil

Now that it has been almost 10 years since he has passed, I have decided to "finally" bring it back to life. The sun, water, and usual wear and tear has taken its toll and the boat needs a new floor. I plan to keep the configuration the same - with a few upgrades: extend the bench to keep two gas tanks and two batteries in it, change the fishing rod enclosed bench to allow for more rod storage,  add dry storage for various small items, and finally add a radio to listen to White Sox games on the water. Sorry Grandpa - I know that you wouldn't approve of the last one. We can't all like the Cubs. :)

Anyway, I'm not even close to being a "handy" person but will give this project a shot and update you all - along the way. Let's hope I can finish this over the summer and still keep all of my fingers.