bring 342 back to life

javhav

reneechris14 said:

Did you put the gel coat on with a roller or sprayer 

sprayed the gel coat I'm almost done body working top side so can shoot it to finish it off  then I'll have some more pics and also once I put it back I will painting the platform with the whole cockpit in a acrylic enamel 2 part 

javhav

reneechris14 said:

that's better maybe this will help.

you're the best

javhav

@randy56 thanks man this will save me so much time I going to send them an email now

randy56

Hellen @ mellers will try and talk you in to sending you a sample. Shipping is very expensive for just a sample. I have some left over. If want to see it, feel it. Good luck. Next time I come to the City, we will have get some pizza, best in the world. Love NY pizza.

boatman37

Very nice work! We have a soft spot in our swim platform so the plan is to remove it at the end of this season and cut the bottom out and replace the core. Not looking forward to it but you give me motivation and confidence. Great work!

javhav

@boatman37 thanks man I appreciate it happy to help

javhav

platform done for now another thing off the list 

javhav

Dream_Inn

Very nice!  Did you put a non-skid surface back on?  Or is that the next step?  or maybe just wait and put fake teak?

javhav

Dream_Inn said:

Very nice!  Did you put a non-skid surface back on?  Or is that the next step?  or maybe just wait and put fake teak?

no eva foam aka fake teak feels good on the feet plus keeps cool  and cleans up well

MarkB

javhav said:

@MarkB I fully understand your concerns but from factory the platform has a fiberglass cast over a foam core and 1/2 plywood ribs the epoxy acts like the core but with more rigid filled in half way then back filled with long hair fiber glass bondo aka gorilla hair feathered out along the cracks and ads even more ridgedite the ribs where screwed in from the edges then stiffen with 3/4 ply at the broken points screwed together in a sandwich so I wouldn't any flex there then the joint where reinforced 6 layers of glass mat crossed layers then 3layers of mat along all the bottom now the top has gorilla hair to level it off and 3 layers of glass mat over all it's about as ridged as it gets personally I think it's over kill I have confidence there will be no issues 

Oh wow, foam core! I wouldn't have guess, but now it makes sense how it broke up. I couldn't figure out how that break pattern evolved ... if it was ply core, you'd expect straight splits. 

I assume it won't flex with your weight on it?

MarkB

javhav said:

@Handymans342 whats got your knickers in a twist i take offense of what you wrote I feel like you're trying to belittle me and why would you worry about what I can afford and you can't afford there's no need for me to tell you how much I make but will tell you this I have 18 employees a shop and machinery do the math running costs are 40k a month alone but that's nether here or there and when I say I can't afford buy a boat turn key it isn't because i can't it's just a luxury not a necessity 

Get used to handy ... he has a funny way of saying "I love you".  If he isn't messaging or replying, that's when you should really be worried.

javhav

@MarkB ya most big platforms have foam cores that's why you get soft spots on boats because of the foam breaking down common on a lot boats saves on weight consider a  composite 

Handymans342

I tip my hat to you. That was great work! Do you have a title for the boat or a salvage title?

Handymans342

MarkB said:

javhav said:

@Handymans342 whats got your knickers in a twist i take offense of what you wrote I feel like you're trying to belittle me and why would you worry about what I can afford and you can't afford there's no need for me to tell you how much I make but will tell you this I have 18 employees a shop and machinery do the math running costs are 40k a month alone but that's nether here or there and when I say I can't afford buy a boat turn key it isn't because i can't it's just a luxury not a necessity 

Get used to handy ... he has a funny way of saying "I love you".  If he isn't messaging or replying, that's when you should really be worried.

What is a Knicker?? LOL

reneechris14

Nice platform.you are going to love the 342!

javhav

reneechris14 said:

Nice platform.you are going to love the 342!

how's the maneuverability is it easy to handle or does it feel like big tug boat and also do you think I should add a bow thruster??

aero3113

@javhav , great work! 

reneechris14

My previous boat was a 270 rinker single. Felt like the bow would run  with little wind. Also when backing moving the wheel to much makes the bow run. Now the 342 is much heavier so I think it says still a little longer. Twin screw you put the wheel strait move the throttles and she will pivot in place. Oh and the ride in 2-3 feet seas is like a Cadillac. 12 ft beam when someone moves from side to side boat does not move. Bow thruster is not needed.

javhav

reneechris14 said:

My previous boat was a 270 rinker single. Felt like the bow would run  with little wind. Also when backing moving the wheel to much makes the bow run. Now the 342 is much heavier so I think it says still a little longer. Twin screw you put the wheel strait move the throttles and she will pivot in place. Oh and the ride in 2-3 feet seas is like a Cadillac. 12 ft beam when someone moves from side to side boat does not move. Bow thruster is not needed.

nice sounds good on my old boat when people move around it be a pain in the a$$ when docking 

javhav

aero3113 said:

@javhav , great work! 

thanks I appreciate it 

boatman37

Shortly after we bought our boat I noticed a soft spot in the swim platform right in front of the transom door. It is right above where the strut attaches so I looked underneath and there is a small crack right by the strut. I'm guessing that's where the water got in. I figure I can cut the bottom out and replace the wood core then patch the cutout piece back in. Should work fine and cosmetics won't be that important but I want to get it as good as I can. If by the end of summer I happen to find a few thousand $$$ then I might just order a new one from swimplatforms.com and get it just a little bigger but that probably won't happen.

boatman37

Before we bought this boat we looked at a 2000 Sea Ray Sundancer 270. There was damage on the swim platform similar to yours. My plan was to just buy a new one but after looking closer there were cracks in the gelcoat on the transom too. I got ahold of the original owner and he said when they were storing it it somehow rolled backwards into a steel pole. Besides that there were quite few spider cracks in the gelcoat all around the boat. They were asking $27,000. I told them if I was going to buy it the most I would pay would be about $17,000. They said they would take it...lol. They sold it a week later for $25,000....lol

raybo3

@javhav you do great work. I find it amazing how much you have gotten done since you joined the RBOC. Not only does your work look great you are fast.......... 

LaRea

javhav said:how's the maneuverability is it easy to handle or does it feel like big tug boat and also do you think I should add a bow thruster??

I had a 342 with no bow thruster for ten years.  It's easy to maneuver and dock.  Very responsive with twin Bravo 3s.  

Being an older boat, what can complicate docking is stiff shifter cables.  If you need more than a gentle push to shift gears, consider it a safety issue that you should fix.  

A thruster gives you that little bit of extra confidence that maybe lets you take the boat out when there's a bit more breeze.  Nice to have?  Most definitely, but do you "need" it on a 342?  No.  

javhav

@raybo3 thanks I appreciate the compliment 

javhav

@LaRea been there with sticky cables never again when i did the throttle controls I replaced all 4 cables with extreme series cables now shift nice and silky and I also changed the steering cable as well and my drives are being serviced resealed and  new gear ratios for the higher torque motors I have volvo dp-sm drives 

javhav

@aero3113 how you holding up with the weather did you get much snow

Wildboating

You sir are simply amazing!   I love seeing this being brought back to life!  You deserve all the enjoyment you and your family will have with this!

javhav

Wildboating said:

You sir are simply amazing!   I love seeing this being brought back to life!  You deserve all the enjoyment you and your family will have with this!

thanks for the feedback I hope to enjoy her this summer like other owners on here still aways to go but the to do list is getting smaller