1996 Blazer VL100 Restoration to Crappie Chaser

As many of you have seen the finished boat posted on Crappie.com most have not seen what goes into a complete restoration of a fiberglass bass boat. As these boats age on trailers all kinds of things happen, inside and out, most negatively affecting the boat performance underway, life span, appearance, transportation, etc. I will show proper structural repair techniques, gelcoat application, balancing, wiring, rigging, etc so hopefully if you need reference material to help you in your project, or to repair something on your boat, help guiding you can be found here.............

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Sounds like an awesome thread. The finished product is awesome

Sounds like a good thread. I love that green on the boat!!!! :popcorn

I guess it's time to start a thread on this boat. I posted pictures of it with the cap off the other day but it is getting a makeover. My other has sooo many Hooks & Rockers, even has a Rocker in the little Pad. They put Wedges too, really? Not needed especially 90HP and up. Boat pops out of the water. Blazer made this boat back in '95. I love my other but can't really enjoy knowing how it was built. I bought this one because the '95 interior I like better.

Transom has some soft spots so replacing while split.

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:popcorn:popcorn, I’ll need two bags for this one please!

Like making Sausage, do you really want to see what's inside a old boat.

That's for sure

Update on Progress, Still cutting good wood out of Transom. Termites were in foam and a small area of transom. I assume they entered where the inner skin was cut from washers but quickly moved to saturated foam. This boat was drying for a year in a hot area, out of any rain, how water was still present above the waterline is a testimony to keeping your hull as dry as possible. Both side flotation, transom reinforcement blocks had termites eating wet foam.

The manufacturing design left a water trap in the bow too, termites made it there so it was completely removed. Just a added note, although I remove all wood, I spray termiticide on all areas and let completely dry before re-foaming.

The aft hull skin is so thin I can deflect it 3/16in with my index finger alone. Since my other VL100 tries to shove the bow down in the water I am assuming a very dramatic hook is forming causing enough drag to keep my Prop slip 14% or higher. Reinforcement is difficult to add due to only 1in of clearance under floor. I hate laminating this time of year, having to add heat to finish curing. Another layer of 1708 will be added over foam blocks used to form reinforcement.

To improve the Spine, Transverse Rigidity, Compression Strength, and Transom support the new floor will be laminated on a laminating table then epoxied to all stringers when set into hull. This is to lock all stringers in place and add side support to the lower sides where the hull and sides meet.

All this work has to happen so I can flip hull over for blueprinting and Pad modifications. Also looking to add one more set of lifting strakes.

Something needs to be said here, Blazer as well as other manufacturers of these "Pocket" bass boats, had to keep the cost of the boat in a range the consumer was willing to pay. These boats didn't bring anything close to "Premium dollars" like the bigger boats, just the opposite. Please do not criticize a manufacturer when the consumer would not pay for "Top Shelf" quality.

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Good post. I agree with your statement “Please do not criticize a manufacturer when the consumer would not pay for "Top Shelf" quality.” Goes right along with the “you get what you pay for” saying. I try to do my research best I can and buy good products when I can for this reason. You do good work.

Question - Is the stringer wood wet also? Do you pull the cap the boat then flip it?

I replace stringers usually but on this boat I'm wrapping in one layer of 1708. The glass on the stringers is thick but is also chop. The added stiffeners you see now and in future posts are to shut down the flexing of the skin inward creating the massive hooks. In my other VL100 you feel every ripple through the Hot Foot, the skin flexes easy outside the stringers. Not enough foam was sprayed in outside the stringers to contact the floor which was not waterproofed on the underside before stapling down. Looks like 1/4in plywood was used for the floor form to support a very thin layer of chop mat. The beneath floor area was fully foam filled trapping the water that ran through the floor drain wetting everything.

I always flip a boat with the cap off if possible. Now I don't pull a cap just to flip a boat. On this unit I will make a full contact jig to rest the boat floor on upside down. It will be upside down for a long time. I need to get it to that point so I can get back on my 171SC Champion. Plan is to work both boats to completion together. I have equipment to assist in flipping when needed. It is just a pain to flip the hulls over.