1970 O'day 23' Pop Top Project

[nateman]

1971 O'day 23' Pop Top Project

Well it has finally begun! We bought her new years day and took ownership on April 10th. It truly was a long winter! We are very happy to have her!

This is my Don Casey boat, because it needs just about everything that is in his Books! :laugher It's part of the reason I bought it, I wanted to learn as much as I could - this boat won't disappoint. LOL

Here she is on her way home!

I started with taking the rub rail off to expose the chain plates. The pop top does function, yeah!

I cleaned just the corner to see how well that gunk will clean off. Doesn't look bad at all!

Pop Top all the way up! I'm 6'4" so i'll be a happy camper while aboard.

A little more to show you what i'm dealing with. Oh yah, by the way, the sole is rotted! That's gonna be a fun repair! Lesson number one - never buy a boat while it's frozen solid! LOL

Captain guarding the mast!

That's it for now, more reading and researching to be done.

 

[nateman]

More progress. Pressure washed it and removed the "custom wiring".

Now we can start scrubbing and really bring the white back....

Here's the wiring! :laugher

I cleaned the bilge somewhat, but can't wait to attack it with simple green. The bulkhead that needs repaired is just 1/4 plywood so it won't be hard to repair. I think the toughest repair is going to be the cabin top and sole. I will have to run stringers on the cabin top before I remove it so it doesn't distort while off the boat. The sole I won't have any idea until I remove it. I did play with the winch for the centerboard and it does making a clunking sound when hitting the trailer while being winched up and down - that's good news!

 

[nateman]

Finally making some progress! Started repairing the sole, it's nice and rotted. I'll be repairing it with plywood and west system. Not too bad of a job so far.

Now i'm going to enjoy a cold one!

 

[nateman]

I spent the day getting the floor built. It's coming along, slowly! Everything is in there and in place, next tear it back out and prep it. I'm using 3/4 inch plywood - no marine grade, since it wasn't used to begin with. I scored the plywood cheap, damaged at Lowes. Gave it to me for 8 bucks!

I'm at a crossroads now on whether to pot the keel bolt holes? That is the cause of the rotted floor. Hell, it lasted 40 years without - if I do, it will take some more time for sure. This boat isn't an expensive boat, it never will be... I'm just not sure it's worth the time?

I know there are some big gaps, I'll just mix more thickened epoxy!

 

[Joe11688]

You have your work cut out for you Nateman. A guy up in my area fixed up a 1973 O'Day 23 a few years ago. It wasn't a pop top though. When he got finished with it, it looked like a new boat. He did a lot of swearing at the keel and centerboard while he was working on it after he got it off the trailer. He used house jacks and he built a beam out of planks, lags, and Gorilla Glue to go under the bow and support it so he could roll the trailer out from under it. He had to build his own centerboard. Many thanks to Bill Pellegrino for posting his boat on his blog for everyone to see. He's a fine craftsman. http://baysailorbill.spaces.live.com/
Check it out. Good luck with your project!
Joe

 

[nateman]

Work indeed! These are the kinds of boats people warn you about when buying. My boat has is all! It'd be all rotted if there wasn't fiberglass! LOL I'm a very capable guy, so it's all sweat equity to me...

I ran across that boat when researching mine, he did a ton of work for sure!

 

[RichBone]

Enjoy.
Good Luck!

Rich

 

[nateman]

The floor is going down. Here it is epoxied down! Getting closer...

You can see the thickened epoxy with colloidal filler. This shit is rock solid!

Should have the whole floor laid back in place today!

 

[nateman]

Glass floor is epoxied down. Next lots of grinding and glass layup.

 

[nateman]

Started chamfering the joints. Hopefully glass the floor tomorrow. Nasty job! Grinding gelcoat and glass isn't one of my favorites!!! I'm itching a tad, thank god for BEER!!!

 

[nateman]

The sole is complete! Chamfered and glassed. I'll paint it eventually, i'm more concerned about sailing right now! What you're looking at is two layers of glass tapered to fill the area that was ground out. Fun stuff - mixing epoxy this past weekend. My shirt and shorts were completely soaked through and through!

 

[nateman]

Cabin top is off now! This is just too awesome, one of the many benefits of a pop top! I don't have to glass over my bald head now!!! Hehe

I installed a brace to keep the top rigid and to the proper shape...

I drilled two holes on each side and sank some lag bolts to keep it tight.

Now she's a big Canoe!

And safely nestled in the garage until I feel like starting the re-core.

 

[kenny chaos]

Nice work. Real nice work.
I have a mast, rudder, sails, etc. for a 23 pop top
if anyone is in need.

 

[Joe11688]

Excellent job Nateman! I've always loved the interior of these boats especially the way the galley is set up. I brought my boat home last Thursday because of the hurricane threat and I was able to do a couple of things to it that needed doing on dry land. So I'm planning on bringing her back to the club and launching her either tomorrow or Tuesday. The best of luck with her!
Joe

 

[nateman]

Nice work. Real nice work.
I have a mast, rudder, sails, etc. for a 23 pop top
if anyone is in need.

I got your email. Man, I could use a Mast in the worst way! I bought the stuff to lengthen mine. But I would love to get a nice solid one to start with.

 

[kenny chaos]

You know anybody traveling the Erie Canal who could bring it to ya?lol

 

[nateman]

You know anybody traveling the Erie Canal who could bring it to ya?lol

Depending on where you're at, it might a nice trip! I'll be in touch for sure.

 

[jackhartjr]

Get it close to Hickory, NC...within 2 or 3 hundred miles...I can get it to Arcadia, FL by New Years. (I assume you are in No Name Key, FL?)
Actually if I can strap it under a 53 foot trailer, I can get it to within 3 miles of the Miami Airport.

 

[nateman]

Yah, I need to change that. I'm actually in Ohio now. Eventually she'll be in No Name!

 

[nateman]

Excellent job Nateman! I've always loved the interior of these boats especially the way the galley is set up. I brought my boat home last Thursday because of the hurricane threat and I was able to do a couple of things to it that needed doing on dry land. So I'm planning on bringing her back to the club and launching her either tomorrow or Tuesday. The best of luck with her!
Joe

Thanks alot! Do you have any pics of yours to share? I often think that if I'd done more research I'd be sailing instead of restoring. The later model 22 and 23's were worlds apart from the pop tops!