Update: Paris Hilton meets my favorite Cuddy

[deckie]

Hiya...still working on her whenever i get the chance. Not much ever posted regarding upholstering/refitting lately so thought i'd post a few progress shots.
A quick background is she's a one owner since new (me) A1 nick Vickers Offshore being modernised and completley refitted for the next 20yrs. Everything new and plan is now for the new lightweight Yammie 70. That is still 35kg heavier than the old donk so both batteries went forward after a new transom. All up net hull weight increase only approx 45kg (rough guess ::)), zero screw fastenings into existing v.solid deck.

This has been a very happy and lucky hull taking everything from pittwater kings up to small striped marlin....and the plan was to now use it for chasing surface schools inshore and downrigging kings. Small and light enough to move about at home but nippy enough to flog hard by myself when needed. No pedestal seats coz i stand to drive, just good comfy helm pads and very strong collapsible seats for a completely open flat deckspace. That was the plan anyway 8-) Its now starting to look more like a Vickers Paris Hilton :-[. I'll eventually finish it as time permits.

Here's a few update happy snaps and some info.

pics 1,2,3
Original cuddy setup with nice deep bunks making battery refit easy. Spruced up, divided bunks to isolate batteries, then new large front shelf/sidepockets, 6mm bendy ply glassed at the back to maintain shape, then everdure and upholstery, fitted using stainless t nuts and xmas tree clips. Used super 77 for the hull liner works a treat but not cheap. Cutout for tackle boxes and sidepocket underpinned and tightened up using thin stainless bar full length (always assume sidepockets are also structural on glass boats).
pics 4,5,6
More glass strengthening going onto wet area of deck after new transom and stainless mounting brackets back on. 6mm bendy ply again for rear cushioning, glassed on one side to maintain shape then upholstered using monel staples, fitted using xmas tree clips. Bendy ply is not very waterproof so 5 coats everdure in a very wet area. Its light as a feather but now got some comfort where i want it.
pics 7,8
Some of the upholstering in progress showing the dacron wadding cut to size before the vinyl. Its great stuff and helps make an amateur look good, whilst maintaining the vinyl nice and taut over yrs of abuse...plus its comfy as hell;D. Also a pic of some completed stapling before staple holes resealed. Oblong sidepocket pieces use 12mm higher density foam and get an ally strip along the top upholstered using pinchweld, to protect from anchor chain, and general abuse from me throwing stuff.
pics 9,10,11,12
Some of the almost finished cuddy, including tackle boxes, new sidepockets and bunks. Middle piece between bunks wont go out much. Still enough room for shelter or curl up. Last pieces are detachable bunk extensions that can be fitted out onto the deck to stretch out for a snooze. New virginal white steering wheel on fresh dash after rewiring with a dozen carlingswitches and space waiting for gauges...cant wait to get my filthy pilchard stained hands on it.
I should put some sort of motor back on it i guess.
Steve.

[cgibbo308]

ooooooooo she looks nice :)

[Midnight]

Awesome mate, well done!

[dreemon]

Thats looks amazing !8-) extra profesional, cant belive how diff from original it looks, sorta pimped bling.. I was wondering how far you were getting with your rig, nearly there by the looks of it,

had mine outside today trolling around the 24's , nothing took the lures then dropped some pillies and scored my PB snapper at 600 mm, lost anouther about the same size, ( I felt like a greenie) the wind gradually picked up along with swell and chop, sitting on near 30 kph and got only the smallest spray in the boat , there such a dry ride !

keep up the good work, it's worth it, Cheers

[deckie]

Thanx guys....been a learning curve this upholstery thing. Wanted to try to get it looking half decent by not rushing it.
Not big on colours and stripes as u can see..first to sit on it with prawn juice or crushed pilchard is going overboard ;D
The seats are done and might take some pics and whack em up...my own design and build, sprung loaded with 100kg stainless compression springs with 316 supports, and offset hinges so they fall dead vertical. I reckon most of the collapsible seats made have been either inherently dangerous or used too easily worn/stressed metals like ally...these sure feel comfy and got the completely open deck i wanted.
Largely cosmetic and fishing fitout from here on. Will look more like a boat when the windscreen goes back on.

The thing is that since i started the weight of the 4 strokes has come down dramatically, so the timing is perfect....new 60 suzi's and 60 honda's as well as the 70 yammie. The perfect donk is the 70 yammie 2 stk with power to weight and i love the simplicity (and that smell of 2smoke in the morning still spells "fish" to me)..but so much up in the air about 2 stks these days.

Hey Johnny...tx mate. Great to hear u out there after em. Drag enough plastic and liveys around for long enough and eventually a dumb one comes along ;D. The red sounds a gooden. Yepp they're more than likely the driest hull for their size and of all the time i've spent out there in it the only thing was to make sure she was well trimmed up to avoid any chance of ploughing/broaching downhill...and thats pretty much normal on all rigs.
I hope this one of mine doesnt look too "pretty" now asa fishing platform...i can see myself jagging some vinyl with a lure casting at some stripies ;D...i'll spew.

[sleepygreg]

Mate...thats not a boat....its a work of art!!!!

Seriously though...they are a great hull, and very seaworthy for their size.

Cheers

Greg

[Axl]

Thats awesome you should feel very proud no doubt you will get 20 more yrs no worries.

[deckie]

Its sometimes hard to describe to guys who are newer to boating why we resurrect older hulls instead of simply buying a new one. By the time i finish i'll probably have receipts totalling about the same as a brand new hull. Sounds dumb and probably is.
To me its a bit like still having the first car you owned..its been through all sorts of things with you during your life and been an escape ....they take you where you want to go and the good ones bring you back safely. Like most guys when i was in my 20's i had more balls than brains and when i look back i shudder thinking about how dumb i was and the kind of conditions i'd "brave" in a trailerboat just for a fish.
Plenty of memories and fishtory and u dont want to let it go. This particular boat was actually in Modern Fishing magazine articles in the early 80's written by a bloke who is now senior journo and chief fishing writer for a big Sydney newspaper. If you've heard the term "match the hatch" this was the boat where the term was first mentioned as a catchy title for a piece done on Port Stephens chasing reds in the wash of the islands. It also has memories i just cant replace and they bring on a laugh thinking about them..such as the "wtf am i gonna do ?" look on your mates face as he picks up a tiny 3kg baitcaster outfit that was set in the prop wash for stripies, now having a 100kg black galloping away after the prick avoided all our best offerings on a mirror calm day and chose the tiny lure ...how the reel didnt blow up i dont know but the panicky look on his face is etched in my memory bank ;D...so is the 4m tiger that set up residence under this rig one day at esmerelda off broken bay. These sized rigs are not meant to take any kind of sea and in Sydney when the first puff of noreaster comes up its very much time to head in. Cant be pigheaded about it coz they're just fish.

Unfortunately there's a tradeoff with trailerboats i reckon...the smaller lighter ones you use far far more and it never seems an effort to just chuck it on the towbar and go for a fish...dont even need a mate. Once u get up there in size around 5.5-6m its time to start planning a day out rather than just heading off whenever u feel like it, and everything can just seem more effort leading to it getting less use over time. Its the reason tinnies are so popular and so much fun...the best boat for you is the one that will get used the most i reckon. Often all u want to do is to be on the water fart arsing about...and u dont want 2 hrs of cleanup at home plus the added costs and then also be dependent upon mates being available.

You know you;re getting old when u start thinking about going out and parking at the end of a quiet bay having a snooze, rather than wetting a line ;D...or blowing up the air mattress and chucking yourself on it on a sandbar on a rising tide, rather than wetting a line ;D.
If i could put a coffee machine on this thing i would...do they make them for 12V ?

[Tangles]

that looks just great, wonderful work and a credit to you,

[wamjam]

Nice work deckie !!...Thanks for posting.

Scott

[Jarrah Jack]

Like your work Deckie and the philosophy behind it even more so. If ever I'm mad enough to do a refit of the Haines I'll know who to pester.

[fishfeeder]

Looks fantastic and with a Title like that you must have a video somewhere to share !!

Cheers

[deckie]

Cheers
Anytime u like Jack. Had a 565L with a 175 which i bght during the early 90's recession on the cheap and probably should have kept that one too. Great riding hull and luv the look of them so might save my pennies and try to pick another one up in another few yrs time and give it the treatment...i'll start by ripping out the pedestal seats of course ;D Also had a Swifty Dominator for a short time. Always wanted a Hydrofield Jag but i think i;m beyond heavy trailer rigs now being mid 40's. Funny thing is this Vickers just kept getting used the most.

Popped a few more pics up but just realised how much is still left to do...
Some sort of softtop/Sounder/GPS/27meg/VHF/Stereo/Compass/Fuel Lines/Anch light/Rod Holders/Downriggers/Trailer winch/Refit Windscreen/Baitboard/Livey tank/Cup holders/Led strip lighting all round/Transom light/Spotlight/ Decklight/blah blah ...and of course a motor.
Maybe i'm not as close as i thought :o Boats are just one big mounting bracket arnt they ::). At least i've got the deck the way i want it now 8-)

[sleepygreg]

only one word I can think of.....................AWESOME!!!!!!

[leelee]

only one word I can think of.....................AWESOME!!!!!!

I second that.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

Cheers

Lee

[NTMID8]

Truly amazing mate! Almost too good to fish from..... Hats off to you, you will appreciate it all that much more as you built it yourself. I know this isnt a car site but I built my car from this:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/NTMID_8/Picture007.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/NTMID_8/Picture019.jpg

To this:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/NTMID_8/DSC00761.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/NTMID_8/DSC00744.jpg

and it killed me when i sold it, whatever you do dont EVER sell it you WILL regret it!

[deckie]

Thanx guys. Sweet work on the Commordore :o.

Not much done in here about amateur upholstery so i'll whack up a cpl more pix to in case u ever want to tackle it. Easy enough to put stripes and colours into it if u like but just make sure your cuts are straight/accurate. No sewing done avoiding any potential manboob problems in the future...but any household sewing machine will go thru marine vinyl without much trouble if u want some sort of pattern.
You cannot get monel staples in this country ::) which is truly stupid but Jamestown Distributors and other places will ship them out no troubles...even stainless can rust out as i've found over the yrs and cause trouble in wet areas, but perfectly good for most of the boat. Everdure aint cheap and is really just thin epoxy. Only really necessary in really wet parts and normal epoxy resin or multiple layers of poly would also do. Already had some bendy ply but many other things u can use. Any old resin/flowcoat and even enamel paint is sufficient treatment for ply inside your cabin as long as cut edges get extra, but stuff rots damn fast outside where its wet and u cleanup, so worth a little extra time. All sorts of really lightweight alternatives to ply about these days to save weight. If u need a stapler get one that takes what are called Arrow T50 staples coz they're a bit of a standard item available anywhere from gal thru stainless to monel.
Doesnt take more than only 75-100 mm width of f/glass on one side to hold stuff in shape so u can work on it outside the boat. If u dont do it when u put the vinyl on it then try to bend it afterwards the vinyl will bulge all over the place and not be what u had in mind. Those little plastic xmas tree clips are brilliant things but need to put them in early.
Quick plug for a QLD business i found on the net called Fabtex...i;d ring them up and it'd arrive interstate the next day at a great price and bugger all shipping.
Steve