20 Hourston Project

[salmonkiller01]

I purchased my latest boat back in April it is 1984 20 Hourston. It was in really nice clean shape, all original, 2 owner boat (original owner was the 2nd owners neighbor). Power was provided thru a v6 chev and Volvo 280 leg. It had 1650 original hours but the engine although well kept was needing a re-fresh which I expected when I purchased her.

Now I am on the re-power update of this old beauty of a boat.

I am putting on a pod and 4 stroke outboard. The old engine and leg are gone, sure opens things up.

I done core samples of the transom and stringers and all I can say is, a well built fiberglass boat will last forever! Zero rot found, even took it to a fiberglass shop and did some more core samples and it is solid. I called Hourston and in 1984 it was still an option to have foam under the floor, an option my boat does not have. Yaaaa!~

Few pics as I get started.

I am having an issue on choosing a pod, I can get them built locally, the price is all the same within a few hundred bucks(wolf, coast propeller, fiber-pro. I want a pod with a swim grid and kicker mount. Most go aluminum, however I have read great things about fiberglass pods. Anyone have any experience with them? Fiber pro in Campbell can make one and mount it for the same price as aluminum, but he can make it with a bigger flotation chamber for the power I am putting on(big 4 stroke).Also the fiberglass pods are bolted on( insurance purposes) and fiber glassed on inside the pod. I plan on mooring my boat next year so the one advantage I see is I wont have to treat it any different than the rest of the hull.What you all think??

 

[albernifisher]

Going to be a great boat, looking forward to the pics. I think the reason my hourston is still so solid is because it doesn't have foam either.

 

[salmonkiller01]

These hourstons are well made,but I also think stern drive transoms last longer due to being more protected. I was kind of surprised how well mine held up as it has a lot of holes on the interior side of the transom from factory for wiring holders. Bored them out and they are clean. Tomorrow I am going to fill all the holes and start the filling of the old stern drive.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Worked on filling the holes today, nice day for it. Got the leg hole filled, and most of the holes in the transom interior. I bored out all the screw holes and used epoxy and dowels to re fill them. What a pain!! Anyways she is all sealed up for now, lots of finishing to work on.

 

[albernifisher]

did you grind down to raw glass before you applied the fiberglass matt?

 

[salmonkiller01]

did you grind down to raw glass before you applied the fiberglass matt?

On the inside I did grind all the way around the transom hole, hard to tell from the pics. Where the screw holes were I put the dowels in and just put a patch on the hole( did small grinds over the holes but my patched are too big, to keep the weather out for now. I am just trying to get it sealed before the weather changes. Once I settle on a pod I am going to have them make it and temporary mount it. That way I know where all the bolts are and I then I will start the major clean up and build up of glass for the bolts.The outside transom hole I used a fiberglass filler, forget the name, my buddy gave me a huge bucket of it. Its for filling around wood in transoms,( brain is fried from all the beer today) and just started putting on layers of matt and weave. Still need to grind it out and feather it in.
I am not that good at fiberglassing so I have more of a fill and grind method.

 

[Paul Burak]

Salmon killer

This is what I did Salmon Killer I had a pod on boat but I made it wider and this is how I incorpriated my swim ladder into it. This way it completely flush

 

[salmonkiller01]

Another nice day, so I decided to finish glassing the outside of the old stern drive hole. Started early so my cloud of fiberglass dust was not so noticeable to the neighbors, the fog disguised it. Feathered out the edges and glasses away. I ended up putting a drain in the transom also. Boat is lined up for the pod, going with a fiberglass fiber-pro pod.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Here are some of the cores I took. First pic is my transom drain core, and the smaller ones are from bulkheads so now my floor will drain from the cuddy back. Who says fiberglass boats rot, 30 years and still holding. Must admit the quality of this boat is much better than the last one I owned.

 

[albernifisher]

What did they quote you for the pod???

 

[salmonkiller01]

1850 for a single pod installed or 2450 with swim grid and kicker mount. I am going with a heavy 4-stroke and the pod will have extra flotation. He custom builds them for your hull.

http://www.fibreproboats.com/

Do you have any hints on how to keep the dust down when grinding or sanding fiberglass, I want to clean up the inside but I am dreading the dust cloud, I have tried using a shop vac and dust bag but have had limited success . And yes I have a good respirator facemask!

 

[albernifisher]

Lol, there is no way to keep the dust down. Try and pick a windy day...

 

[island idiots]

Apply lots of baby powder!

 

[salmonkiller01]

Well dropped the boat off today for the pod, going to be a couple weeks before I get it back so guess I should start the bathroom reno-project thread!

 

[salmonkiller01]

Been a few weeks but just updating, pod just came out of the mold and should be installed this week. I don't really care it is taking longer to get done than expected, almost like free indoor storage.

 

[albernifisher]

any pics of the pod???

 

[salmonkiller01]

I will grab some pics Friday, it should be on the boat.

 

[salmonkiller01]

I kinda have a merc v-rod picked out for my boat but any suggestions on what a max hp would be for the hull? The original pamphlet for the boat shows 260hp but thats and inboard.

 

[albernifisher]

I'm thinking that a 200 would be just about perfect

 

[salmonkiller01]

Pics of the pod on the boat, prepping for some paint. The pod is huge but then it is designed for a 635lb mercury verado, pulled the pin and bought one today!