Hello Everyone,
I am a new member. I just bought this 1985 Monark deep vee hull cabin boat, motor, and trailer off Craigslist for $6000.00. It was a hydrographic survey boat and the company closed down. A Honda 6000 watt water cooled generator came with it. It is built like a tank. It has been sitting for a while. I am restoring her. I am in central Florida.
There is very little corrosion but I am concerned about lots of missing paint on the hull. It has some black paint and then some type of auto paint (I think) on top of that. The paint is chalking and fading. There are many bare aluminum areas. There are no corrosion pits, but there seems to be some slight "small suspicious rough spots" maybe under the paint in places. I am thinking about stripping the paint off and leaving it bare aluminum. It is a trailered boat. Hull is 3/16" thick I think. Lots of options, including reinforced keel, dive door, bomar commerical hatches, inclosed bow, 3 bulkhead compartments, etc.
OK to just leave it bare aluminum? Can I use a carbide scraper? Or should I use a chemical paint remover? Pressure washer with sand attachment? (which I would have to locate) Sand blaster?
Is this a good idea? The alloy is probably 5052 from 1985 but I am not sure. I am cleaning & restoring this boat from the inside out, and it would be great if I did not have to worry about paint and the cost involved.
85M,
You are nothing but a lowdown thief! :shock: :shock: :shock:
Congratulations.........you appear to have got the deal of the century. :D :D :D
What to do with your bargain? Is the motor OK? Are the electronics/wiring up to scratch? Do you want to use the boat soon, upgrade slowly or do it all at once? What is your budget? How do you want to use the boat?
If you can advise us of your intentions, I am sure that lots of suggestions will appear. I am an advocate of of bare alloy but others will differ. Post some more pics of your interior, controls, wiring, etc so everyone is up to speed.
A warm AAB welcome to you 85MonarkVC........ Peterbo knows his stuff and yes we do become opinionated on paint. I prefer the alloy look myself.
What a deal you have made for yourself. I too would like to hear more details and see more pictures. Personally if within your budget I would let the professionals strip her down.
Thank you! I will take some more pictures and post them along with other info by this weekend. I have not cranked the motor, but it is very clean and was running when it was parked, over a year or more ago. The trim works great, and the motor has no corrossion. I plan on having the water pump changed before I try to crank the boat.
The gas tanks were full, four 30+ gal tanks, I gave the gas away and pulled the tanks out last weekend. We found the gas to smell fresh, but there was quite a bit of water. I do not plan to use the old tanks. They have some slight surface corrosion. The hoses were well worn. I've thought about sealing the tanks and using them as flotation.
The boat has some kind of an electonic hull isolator. I will find out more about it. There are zincs on the transome exterior and 2 large ones in the interior stern floor.
It has a rule bilge pump which I plan to replace. I'm considering poly fuel tanks from Moeller. I do not have a tow vehicle at the present moment and have to borrow a truck, so I really will not be using this boat a lot initially. I also plan to stay within 10 miles of the ramp, so I am considering portable, or topside fuel tanks of some kind.
This will probably be a slow project, I have funds to fix it up nicely but am frugal and enjoy searching for good deals. That's part of the fun for me. I don't mind paying for help when needed but I also enjoy a hands on approach.
I plan on using the boat for crusing, fishing, exploring, and just enjoyment working on it. I am close to Tampa Bay & the Gulf and within 2 hrs of Sabastian Inlet on the Atlantic Ocean. There also also several fresh water waterways.
The boat came with an air conditioner. The generator muffler is rotted off. I have pulled the generator out, it was very heavy. I have not tried to crank it. I have thought about getting rid of the air conditioner, putting in a vent and fan, maybe opening up the back two windows in the cabin, and removing the back door. This would open up the cabin and give me some fresh air, yet I still would have a nice half cabin with lots of room & shade. The idea of a generator sitting on deck, making noise, and kicking out exhaust on a 23' boat really is not appealing, but a cool cabin is. I would love the airconditioner because it gets very hot in Florida. It is kind of a trade off. I am trying to lighten the boat and am thinking about getting rid of stuff I really don't need. Removing the air condtioner & opening the cabin up would save several hundred pounds.
The cabin was empty except for a pilots seat and a nice aluminum bench seat with storage. I have pulled the carpet, and taken out everything. It has a hydraulic stearing system, Seastar I think. It came with a radio but no other electonics.
It has a very nice transducer well built into the bottom of the hull with a transducer of some kind and cable still attached. Three marine batteries came with the boat.
The dive door works great and allow me to enter the boat as it is trailered. I have begun to think about a back up motor/kicker of some kind.
I have no idea what the boat weighs nor the minumum horsepower to plane the boat. I have been told the 97 Ocean Pro is a good motor. It is carburated. I am concerned about fuel economny and practicality, rather than speed. My brother has a 250 Suzuki four-stroke on his 23' Grady White. I have told him he needs to upgrade and give his old motor to me. :D The trailer (2001) & generator were bought new by the company that had the boat.
After work today I will take pictures of the rib structure and other details of the boat. Thanks again for any input you might have.
In FLA. if you take the paint off......be prepared for all the stupid human questions. (which for some reason mostly come at the gas station. Don't know why, but it happens to me.)
Right now, I'm sure all the lurkers still think its a ping-pong boat of some kind.
SILVER freaks-out the people that believe F'glass was the first boat ever produced.
YOU need to Stick with us. And belong here. Thats what this sites about. I'd love to have a project boat just like that.
I had a 97 Ocean Pro, and that baby is a guzzler compared to todays engines. But I'd run it and when it finally "pops" then repower with a 4 stroke. If I was serious about the boat.
Opening that cabin up is a good idea.
When someone is busy doing lots of work on a restore like you are, KEEP THAT DIGITAL CAMERA HANDY!
We love pics, or at least I do. (I'm the photo-nazi here, and push for them because they're better than words.)
Welcome is all I can say. We need more Floridiains here. I get lonely.
Nice find " I'm surprised that it didn't get scrapd for that price .. great find .
About the finish .consider just removeing the paint from the hull and leaving topsides and interior if the cost becomes an issue . bubbles under can be spot cleaned and repainted .
Soda blast is a good way to remove the paint and is quick ,(forget scrapeing) But the hot set up these days comes from the Military for cleaning aircraft grade alloy .It is Walnut husks . they sand blast with crushed husks instead of sand .The result is a smooth flawless finish ,simular to but not as shiney as mill finish .It is the best thing I've seen and I've been watching Metal Finish for 40 years .
Good luck It's quite a bargain and a wonderful looking craft .
Great deal you got....I look forward to some pics of the paint stripping. You could see any problem spots at that time and then maybe take a look at Sharkhide clear coat or Nyalic if you like the look of the bare metal. I know I do.
Looking over your photos again, I really can't wait to see some details.
Of course for me, I'd be concerned about fishing.
From what I can tell by the pics, I'd get rid of the paint. Go with bare hull ands maybe white topsides and cabin again.
Generator would go, A/C would go, and maybe the whole back side of the cabin wall/door. Get some Fresh salt air in there.
Are you concerned about the fuel tanks? If they are okay, leave them. And just do filter changes till you know all is really good.
If you are handy you can do all the engine maintenance yourself. Plugs, Wires, lube, etc.
Check that 2-cycle oil tank, and oil line, if it still has one. Them things can get nasty in the bottom and pick up crap, with age. The bottom of the tank is where the filter is. Dump it, and clean it out. That's really good insurance, since 90% of all failures with that engine is "lack of lubrication".
I know. I blew my up twice in two years! There's always a concern with that model not getting enough oil to the top bearing under the flywheel, on the crank shaft.
Mine went twice. And meant New Crank, Prop shaft, pistons, and head. Under warrenty both times.......$4600.00. Plus lost charters, another $4600.00, so you can see it costs dearly!
I swear if I could have gotten in there with a pipe cleaner to swab out the oil path every six months I would have. Where the oil passes thru obviously gets clogged. And so siad to me an Evinrude engineer at the Maimi boat shopw one year......WOW!
Use one kind of TCW- III oil, and stay with it.
You can get a can of OMC decarber, that connects via a short hose to the fuel pump via a shrader valve like on a tire. That will really help clean that thing out. But afterwards, run oil in injection system and in fuel for awhile. Because that decarber will eat everything clean.
Here are some more pictures. I will also be sending more interior pictures of the cabin & hull when the weather clears up & sun comes out. It looks like rain here all day.
I have included:
3 more views of the boat, Pictures of the dirty fuel tanks in the boat and out of the boat, Dive door, rear hatch closed and opened that the generator sat over & pictures of the enclosed bow and hatch.
The tanks were really dirty and nasty. They had to come out.
I have aluminum rust stains where the generator muffler rotted. What removes rust like this safely on aluminum?
That boat just is aching to have a comfortable life as a cruiser/ sport fisherman! And will eventually be a show stopper, if thought out.
TLC and some elbow greeze and you'll have a really cool ride.
Hmmm, rust on aluminum? I don't know what might take that off. But as you go along, I bet there's something that'll shine that floor and hatches right up.
Maybe the blasting will take care of the floor too...walnuts or soda/sand??
G'Day John,
Looks terrific. Can that crud, flaking paint & rust stains be removed? Absolutely. The above posts give you options for cleaning things up. Any of the commercial rust cleaners will get rid of the stains. It is just cosmetic.
Those alloy tanks may look crappy, but they are bulletproof & the once the gunk is off, they will be like new. They appear to have been coated with a tar epoxy as do the tank wells. It is no big deal to flush the insides. There are numerous products around which will do this. New fuel lines, clamps & a Racor fuel filter will see the job finished. This is the beauty of alloy. It will last forever if you look after it.
Those watertight deck hatches would cost a small fortune to buy today. They will come up like new. They may need new rubber seals but that will be all.
If the motor is good, get it serviced & keep it. It might be thirsty but it is probably worth zip as a trade in & you can buy heaps of fuel for the price of a new Zuke. As Dave said, get everything checked, cleaned & sorted. New batteries, cables & an isolator switch. Get the motor checked first. Once you know it is good (or otherwise) you will have a start point for costs.
I fitted out & wired up the boat in my signature. It was a new hull but you can gut yours & start from fresh. It will be easier to remove all your wiring rather than try to patch it up. It is simple to do but will take some time. But you will save a TON of money. Plus you know the job is right. If you are unsure of your 12 volt skills, there is plenty of help on the site. You have purchased wisely.
8) 8) 8) 8)
Heh heh Jetty down here they are a little more educated. The aluminum can collectors eyeball my boat as if they have seen the mother load. Aluminum prices being what they are worries me a little.
Hints on blasting. If you blast with soda as well as walnut you will want to make sure you understand how much material you will be buying. some of this stuff runs 35.00--50.00, for 50 pounds and depending on your blaster 25 cfm min. and nozzle size most likley for a rental 1/8--5/32 you will be using this stuff up pretty fast. 25--90 cfm 1/8 works fine. 100+cfm, 5/32 will get the job done. Both of these medias will clean, but depending on the paint type, coats and primer used you will be spraying for some time. As one person mentioned walnut looks real nice on the aluminum skin, but does not have the hardness to cut thick paint and won't touch the rust especially around the diamond plate areas. When we spray boats we try to use a 3:1 hand mix of pounded slag mixed with a 20/40 slag. with the right psi and spray height and angle you can get a good surface clean in half the time of most lighter media. If the boat has been sprayed in the past you should take a real close look at any bare spot and see if you have any very small black micro crack lines we use a basic magnifing glass to see them, if you have these micro cracks from previos cleaning be very careful how you spray these areas. These micro cracks come from direct angle or to high psi. and as the boat stresses so will these cracks also anything you spray at the surface will leave inbedded debris. If you do spray try to cover exposed areas with vinyl tape or a deflective material and when you have reached the same depth on the other areas remove this cover and blend the spray. A real good wash down and cleaning after a spray job is a must, chemical cleans will also need a good wash before nyalic, ect. hope this helps... down the road a bit I will post some pictures of some of the finish and refinish samples we have here...
I have to disagree with the Masterblaster on this point . slag or iron grit is an absolute negative on your boat .Do not let any one use this product on any of your surfaces , shops and vendors use this type of media to clean steel surfaces and reuse the media again and again . Iron grit is harder than aluminum and will change the surface of the area that is cleaned and is generaly used to remove mill slag from weldments. Silica sand or Black Beauty will will remove paint and rust but will still have a distortion effect on your soft surface . soda bast is bakeing soda and water delivered at a pressure suficiant to remove paint and marine growth . this is the prefered media by boat yards they use it to clean NON ALLOY and steel and is non toxic . walnnut husk is a media used to clean or polish aluminum surfaces .
IMHO you should do prep work with soda blast and finish with walnut husk wash the hull and surfaces to be covered with a light acid solution then clear with Nylac . good luck with your project !
There are many vendors out there that will come to you and do it at your place .soda blasters are trailered for the most part and can be found in in a search of your area .
Like everyone else, I congratulate you on a great deal on the boat. It is nice to have another Floridian with an alloy boat.
I agree with Jettywolf that bare alloy is the way to go; but as was also stated many on here prefer paint. I would also stick with the aluminum gas tanks unless they are corroded, Jay, at BlackLab Marine has said something about some non-metal tanks they used "outgassed" and they went back to aluminum. I'm sure he would be glad to discuss with you if you call him.
Good luck and enjoy your time spent restoring the boat to pristine condition.
The sun is shining so I took pictures of some of the interior hull structure. The first few pictures are of the interior bow through the hatch, the reinforced keel (welded plate on the outside), then there is a picture of the hull structure from inside the cabin, then I took a picture of my CONCRETE ballast. There is quite a bit of concrete ballast in the rear of the boat as well as a few blocks in the center of the hull. Most of this stuff is bolted down between the ribs.
Is concrete ballast normal on a alloy boat? Maybe because of the cabin to keep it stable in the water?
To everyone: I am making note of all your great info and advise, and will be using your input in working on my boat. Thanks again,
Nuke has a very good point on the fact that any material with a mid to high hardness rating should not be used on plate or standard aluminum or log homes, glass etc. my advive was only for warning purposes before you attempt to go at it yourself. I have seen a number of boats cleaned with straight up blasting with too much psi. and straight spray and it looks like a bad grinding session. The blast process is for a low budget fix and as Nuke was right soda will cut it off it will just take time and coin, but will be better on the surface. There are other steps you can take after the initial blast clean to help with the rough surface issue, but you need to invest the time and money to get the smooth look back. Good catch Nuke I should of made a better point about the down side of the process and not just the process itself.
I have been looking for some quotes on a soda blast job but have not found anyone locally yet. I have found several who are willing to try water blasting. I'm in no hurry. Thanks for the heads up on the perils of too hard of a blast medium with too high of a psi. I have several real good carbide scrapers and have been tempted to see if the paint will come off with a light touch. But so far I have resisted this temptation because I don't want any extra scratches.
I am going to call Seaark marine this week and talk to their restoraton service and see what they recommend.
Here is a link to some professional restorations of old Monarks by Seaark Marine:
I haven't seen concrete balasts before, but I have heard of them being employed on boats like yours that looks like a pretty deep V all the way to the transom.
To eliminate roll on those hulls take a look at what our friends from Down Under do for ballast. So cool...
(see the ballast tubes on page 1) http://aluminumalloyboats.com/viewtopic ... 28&start=0
"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
Since your boat was used as a hydrographic survey boat I assume (just guessing) they needed the ballast for additional stability when taking bottom soundings.
I look forward hearing about your contact with SeaArk.
[/img]
