maybe I'm crazy???

D

deltabighat

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I'm not sure whether it is advancing age, too much Crown Royal over the years or just plaim middle age crazy but I am thinking about a boat project. I have a very nice 24 footer in perfect condition but I absolutely love the shape, lines, design and creature comforts of the old 32-36 ft Uniflites. My wife will not spend the weekends with me on the fishing boat (not because of me, the boat) and that cuts down much of our cruising possibilities. I am thinking about getting an older Uniflite or similar and restoring it. Sounds like a ton of money and time but I think it would be a great project. Has anyone ever undertaking such an adventure.

DBH
 
I'd get your wife to buy into the idea of your spending a lot of time and money on this project prior to committing yourself to it. A project like this will cut into your "wife time" a great deal! If she buys off on it, I think it would be an interesting project as long as you don't expect to get your money back if/when you sell the boat.

I'd post this in ATC to get more responses then will probably be garnered here.....
 
No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)

No, you are not crazy. Upgrading for more creature comforts to meet changing family needs is a sensible move. So is your inyerest in Uniflite -- But relatively few were made. Although a high quality boat they were forced out of business in the Vietnam ere when they were required to fireproof their fiberglass epoxy which caused severe blistering that included recreational hulls.

I would suggest you check Tollycraft, also made in WA, and also considered a fine boat. Their 26' sedan was extremely popular -- very roomy for iys size and still to be found for sale. They also prodeced various express models in various sizes. There is a website you could browse at Tollycradt.net.
--Warren PS -- My boat is a 1970 24 footer. (W)
 
xyzabc - You really need to work on that stuttering problem.
Jim
 
My apologies for the glitch in my reply. Also, the reasun Uniflite was required to use fireproof epoxy is that they produced patrol boats in Bellingham WA for use in Vietnam using one of their recreational hulls. Warren
 
quote:
Originally posted by xyzabc

My apologies for the glitch in my reply. Also, the reasun Uniflite was required to use fireproof epoxy is that they produced patrol boats in Bellingham WA for use in Vietnam using one of their recreational hulls. Warren

Click to expand...
Those were the PBR's (no, not Pabst Blue Ribbon)that we trained on in the Delta. You could put lots of firepower on that hull and they were durable.

32 ft long powered by twin Detroit 6V53's and a jacuzzi jet drive which allowed it to operate in less than 1 ft of water.
 
Deltadb,
You're not crazy at all. I have 1 1/2 years into restoring an old 32 Bayliner, and it is work, but very rewarding. I ended up replacing a lot of things I didn't expect, but you know what - if my boat ever stops on me - you can bet I will know what it is! It is a real bonding experience and you will find that you spend a lot of time alone, working on stuff, but it sure feels good to look at it and know you did it! It adds up - all the little stuff, but you don't have to do it all at once. Be a wise shopper - find a boat thats been well cared for, and one thats been kept under cover will be in much better shape as far as the gelcoat and it's ability to take a shine. There are some screaming deals out there - one of the guys at our maring just got a free 28' Owens, in really nice shape!
If you are not familiar with the 32XX Bayliners, come by and I will give you a tour. They are the most popular mid-size cruiser ever built and really great boats.
Jim
 
Not all Uniflites used Hetron resin. As it was much more expensive, Uniflite sales to the public offered the option for regular everyday resin. Most of their yachts were sold with this regular resin, not the Hetron. Only the Navy and the taxpayer seemed to consume the Hetron. Notice that it was so expensive no other builders ever used it. They were nice boat regardless of the type of resin. The Tolleys were great too, and they went bankrupt because they were not charging enough for their product to remain profitable. Thus, usually Tolleycrafts are great buys if they have been maintained.
 
Jim,

I think you hit on a very important part of a project like this and that would be day to day working on the boat and putting sweat equity into your own boat. Getting my wife involved with some of the interior work would be very beneficial for several reasons. I spent a couple years while in college in SoCa working for Glasspar Boats out of Costa Mesa. That was 45 years ago and I have been fooling around with boats ever since and this whole thing really appeals to me. I would love to have the boat bome here in Fresno on stands while being re-done but don't know how feasable it would be to haul a boat and transport it bere for work and then back to the delta. Making weekend trips to the delta to work on one in a slip is doable but not very practical if there is a great deal of work. Any thoughts.

DBH
 
Jim

Are you finished restoring that 32 Bayliner...? Next time I go up that way, would sure like to see it. I bought my boat new in 1989, and have never stopped working on it till now...!
 
From what I've heard, Uniflite were all glass. No wood to rot or get wet. Hopefully no foam either. This should put you way ahead of the game in fixing it up. I had to strip all the plywood from the transom to the cuddy in my 24' searay.

Get some six of your project boat.
 
xyzabc

Why not go in and edit your posting? To do so, click on the paper/pencil icon.
 
DBH
I had the boat at Perrys for about 3 weeks on stands while we did the bottom and an bunch of the hull work, but the rest of my work has been done in the slip. Am I done? You are never done, you know that, but I have the boat to the point where I know when I turn the key, it goes, and if it stops, I know where to work. I usually only put in a 1/2 day of work per visit now, and most of that is just cleaning and normal maintancnce. I always work on my boats anyway, even my last new 27 Bayliner - I waxed, or cleaned, or?? Always doing something. As for the equity stuff, I don't know that you can ever recover the work in terms of dollars, it is really a labor of love in most cases. I'm on the boat right now and changing the oil, plugs, then some cold beer! If the weather holds, I'll probably go for a ride this weekend, but even if I don't take her out, I'm here and thats the main thing!
Uniflites are great boats, real seaworthy and tough although not a lot around. I recommend finding a boat that seems really clean and well cared for. It will cost a little more, but will be well worth it in that the "deferred" maintanance of a boat not cared for is hard to catch up, and not fun. If you found a pristine older boat, it will still be a lot of work. This boat was actually very well cared for, but not up to my standards, and then you add the fun "custom" stuff, and it takes a lot of time, but you know that...
Jim
 
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