TOPIC: 1962 Crestliner Del Rio Imperial - Any Advice?

Ok, now that I know a little about the amazing support the experts on this site have been able to provide on the questions I had on my Evinrude Starflite 100-S (thank you all, really. Without it, I would still be looking at her sitting in my driveway wondering what to do), my attention now turns to the boat itself, and needless to say I have some questions 

Now, I have followed the thread on the restoration currently underway by Classicfins on the 1963 Winner Rebuild, and while simply amazing, I am now trembling with fear

I have a 1962 Crestliner Del Rio Imperial which seems to be in very good shape as it was apparently stored indoors for most of it’s 48 years on the planet. The exterior hull seems clean and although the gel coat is slightly faded and chalky, there are no spider cracks or rub marks on the hull. Upper deck has a little sun damage and original paint seems to be rubbing off or fading. Interior is faded but otherwise in very good shape. All seats, fold down rear seats and tables are all present an there is no major fading on the very cool folding sun bed seats in the front - they look almost new.

So, here is my problem – I look at the Winner rebuild and note that the deck seems to be separate from the side walls of the hull, allowing easy access to the sub-deck (this could just be me misreading the photo’s) however in the Del Rio, it is glassed to the side walls and sealed.. However, when I tilted the boat to drain surface water out the stern, I noticed a number of small cracks in the deck towards the rear of the flooring where water from beneath the deck appeared to be draining…. I suspect this does not bode well for me to expect sound stringers or flotation systems below the deck.

How does one check the integrity of the boat overall to determine what should be done to make sure it’s structurally safe. And if one needs to open the deck, how is this done – I’m almost afraid to ask

Finally, the boat came with a Starflite 100-S but I note that the original documentation recommends an 85 HP max for this boat – should this be a concern? The transom looks like it’s completely overbuilt (and structurally intact by eyeballing it) but I thought I would float this observation to the experts in the forums…

Oh, sorry, one last question - any sources or ideas for suitable resources for canvas replacements?

Again, grateful thanks to all those that have replied to my previous posts and for those that are able to assist with this question,

DelRio62

Oh, and out of curiosity, what is that big black knob to the right of the wheel mounted on the dash as seen in picture one... any ideas what it's used for?

DelRio62

Removing the deck isn't that bad on most boats. First you need to remove the rubrail and molding to determine how your hull and deck are attached. Some boats have the top deck slip over the hull like the lid of a snuff can, the lid on a tube of lip balm, etc. Others may have the edge of the deck and the edge of the hull flare out at 90 degree angles and they simply rest on top of each other. Once the deck and hull are in place they are secured with a strip of fiberglass running along the inside. Some of the ones that have the top deck slip over the hull may also be bolted or screwed together.

If the deck slips over the hull, you will need to cut the fiberglass strip on the inside that secures them. I used a die grinder with a 3" cut off wheel. On the deck and hull that have the little 90 degree lip you can usually just slip a jigsaw or sawzall blade between them from the outside of the boat and cut all the way around. Everyone is a little different, but that's the general idea on seperating a deck.

The motor well will be fiberglassed to the transom from underneat, so that is usually tricky. You just have to crawl up in there and trim and cut the best you can. I usually end up with a sturdy wide scraper or wood chisel and a hammer cutting through some of it.

I've attached a pic of my Razorback Fury being cut open. It has the 90 degree lips on the two halves. I've also attached a pic of the Winner which slips over the hull.

Dear Classicfin

Many thanks for the “sounds really easy” explanation. To simplify my life, if you don’t mind, I will take some internal and external detailed hull shots and perhaps you could let me know which it is. While this separation you discuss will “pop the top” so to speak, how do I get to the enclosed space beneath the flooring where I suspect if any damage or rot will likely exist…

Again, I’ll take detailed photo’s outlining my confusion over the weekend and post which might be a little more helpful to you,

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond – wish you lived in Toronto

Best,

Matthew

ClassicFins,

Here is a page from the 1962 catalogue, shows that it likely sits on top of the hull. My concern is actually getting to below the floor, not the upper deck. As you can see from the cut-away, the flooring hits roughly 1/3rd of the way up and is glassed onto the side walls of the hull.

Any thoughts on evaluating the condition without tearing it all up?

Again, appreciate the assistance,

Cheers,

Matthew

I really like those old ad graphics!

The obvious to look for are weak spots in the floor when walking around in the boat. Also, lightly tapping with a hammer on the floor and transom will give you some ideas of how solid things are. Solid areas will have a solid tap sound, while weak areas will be more of a dead thud. If you can walk on the floor without any give then it is probably ok.

You can also use an ice pick on the inside transom areas to locate soft spots, as well as taking a drill with a 1/8" bit and drilling a few holes at different places in the transom to see how the wood looks. Just be sure not to go to far and damage the outer hull. You can then mix up a little epoxy and force into the holes if the transom is ok to use.

Classicfins,

Many thanks for the terrific and simple advice.

I have walked and pounded as you have suggested and all seems solid.

A couple of more questions if you don't mind. Obviously water has entered at some point through slight cracks between the hull and the floor - should these cracks be filled in order to reduce the water intake? Have these boats been designed to have any air circulation beneath the decks or are they designed to be water and air tight. Once I discovered that there was water there I drained by tilting for an extended period and then tarped the boat with air access to the deck, flooring and transom while making sure no new water could enter the boat so it has been sitting for four months protected from any new sources of water.

Finally, do any of these older boats not use wood in the sub structure and stringers - the "old" graphic of the construction under my floor seems to show the use of aluminum... in your experience, is there always wood?

Cheers again, Matthew

I too noticed the picture showing what appears to be FG stringers with an aluminum cap to screw into. An interesting twist to construction for sure. If this is indeed true, then the floor could be bad but underlying structure should not rot.

As for your question about the floor, typically thay are secured to the hull sides with glass.

Jim