# Ballin' on a Budget - J16 Project



## csulzer (Apr 29, 2014)

I got this 1995 J16 a little over a year ago. Here she is on that day.









I recently decided I wanted to set up the rigging differently and that has turned into a full on makeover/resto/reno.

Before I started:









The front deck and center console came off fairly easily. That damn bench seat is another story though. It took a lot of wedges, banging and debond spraying, but she popped off only ruining a couple spots of the floor.














































The previous owner had installed these nice custom rod holders. I hated to see them go, but needed to remove them to let more light into the boat.



















Here she is butt nekkid










When I removed the motor it was obvious the transom needed to be repaired. I was hesitant at first, a little intimidated by the job, but figured now was as good a time as any. 










The outer skin had separated from the inner skin and water had to be getting in. The PO stored the boat outside uncovered, so I knew it had been exposed to a lot of water. The metal plates that were acting like the bread on my transom sandwich was only further evidence that it had already began to fail.










You could see some pretty extensive cracking in the inner skin.



















It took me 6 hours. However, taking everything I learned and did wrong the first time, if I had to do it again I could get it out in 30 minutes or less.

For anyone thinking about doing this here it how you do it. Get a 4 ½" angle grinder, cutting disc, 36 grit flap disc, ¼" and 1" wood chisel, hammer and pry bar. You'll want a long sleeve shirt/pants, a respirator and some safety glasses (goggles would be better the cloud gets pretty thick). You will also need to make some long thin wedges like the ones pictured in the bench removal.

Start by taking the angle grinder with the cutting disc and cutting around the edges of the transom. Use the pry bar to pop the fiberglass away from the wood. Next, take the grinder and switch to the 36 grit flap disc and start grinding about a 3" strip between the two points where the transom meets the floor. This area should be raised compared to the rest of the floor. You'll know you've gone far enough when you hit a wood strip. There is a ¼" strip of resin between the wood strip and the transom wood. Use the ¼" chisel to remove the resin about ½" deep. Now, you should be able to pop the wood off the outer skin using the wedges fairly easily. Use the 1" chisel to remove any wood left on the outer skin. 










Removing that ¼" strip of resin holding the wood from popping out. 










Transom removed









Cutting the new transom from measurements I took before removing the old one.










I glued it together and got the old man to cut some kerfs every 2" on the back side. The kerfs for the first 16" on each side are 1/2" deep and 1/4" for the 16" in the middle. On the opposite side we staggered 1/2" kerfs for the first 16" on each side. 










We then took some measurements to recreate the curve of the transom. The curved was transferred to a couple 1x6s which we used to bend the transom.



















I packed the kerfs with resin and left it for a couple of days to get it to hold the shape.

In the mean time I decided to cut a bilge box out of the floor at the transom. This will allow the bilge pump to work better and provide a place for water to go. 

Unfortunately/fortunately, in doing this I discovered that the first 2 foam cells had water in them. It was maybe a cup or 2. It was most likely from the failed transom. The third cell was exposed and it was dry, which also led me to believe this was from the transom.










So, with the transom project sidelined for a week while it dried I switched to fixing the bow lip. The PO obviously like running into the dock and the shoulder of the lip was almost completely absent from the bow. This prevented the rub rail from be properly attached and held in place by a coat hanger. 



















I used an angle grinder with cutting wheel to get rid of the damaged areas. Then I used a piece of drywall trim (really thin angle aluminum) and shaped it to fit the bow lip. I fiberglassed the 'L' in and then shaped/removed excess.




























test fit









By the time I finished the bow lip project the bilge box had dried out. I lined it with some 1/4" BCX ply and glassed it in. After that cured I was ready to put the transom in.

Here is the dry fit.


















I probably mixed up about 5 6oz batches of epoxy and fumed silica to a peanut butter consistency. I would say it was just the right amount. I didn't have a whole lot squeeze out, but enough to know there was plenty of resin in there. You'll notice my clamping setup changed a little from the dry fit. The top was always part of the plan, just didn't make the dry fit picture. The bottom 2x4 I had to add on the fly. I noticed there was no squeeze out at the bottom and stuck my finger under there. I felt a gap, so quickly fashioned the bottom 2x4 using the already existing drain holes and some extra all thread. 



















So, this is how she stands now. Hopefully I will be able to glass the transom in before the end of the week.


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## Capt Dan Medina (Apr 28, 2008)

Looking good


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## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

GREAT work! You'll be worry free with that transom, it looks like. Keep the photos comin'!


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## csulzer (Apr 29, 2014)

Alright, well spare time has been sparce, but I have been making progress on the project. 

Here is the transom after the mold was removed 24hrs after being set.









I tabbed in with 2 layers of 1700 biax (no CSM) and glassed over the whole thing with one layer of 1700 biax.









I added a couple layers of fairing mixture (epoxy, micro balloons and some fumed silica)









I sanded it all smooth and it looks great and is hard as a rock. I forgot to take a picture of the finished transom before I flipped the boat. 

So, this is how she is sitting now:









I wanted to ask y'alls advice on repainting the bottom. I plan on using Interlux Brightside paint and the roll and tip method. I also plan to fair any divots that are through the gel coat. 

What is the best method for doing this? Should I just sand the gelcoat and paint over it or take it down to bare fiberglass? If I paint over the sanded gel coat do I still need to prime it with Interlux Pre-Coat? I also plan on using the same fairing mixture I used on the transom. Will this be sufficient or do I need to use something else to ensure it holds up to the everyday abuse.

Lastly, for anyone undertaking a similar project and, like me, wanting to know how much epoxy to get; I got a 3 gallons kit and it only took 2 gallons to rebuild the bow lip and glass in the transom.


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## chrisw (Feb 22, 2007)

Any updates on this project?


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