New Project Caribbean Crusader

[DATCOL]

9297592974929739297292971 Hi All I have acquired this old Caribbean that needs some TLC
Can any one tell me where the best place is to buy Mercruiser parts Seals & bits for the Leg
mostly as it has lived in the water for a long time
Due to this new arrival My 6 Meter Try gull wing walk around cab will be for sale shortly
Hers some pictures of the project

[Greg P]

Grand old girl. Are you doing mods or just refurbishment? Father had one for a few years on the hard stands at east coast and used to get Des Hughes (from memory) to work on the leg and he looked after the v8. Liked a drink and he had two auxiliary tanks mounted in the side pockets for offshore trips. Road well with the old manual pump up hyd trim tabs.

Look forward to the pics

[ozynorts]

Nice mate. This is one hull that I think would be awesome to do up. Classic boat that will look great when finished.

[DATCOL]

Greg There will be a bit of both modification & Tide up
Propose to build a false alloy floor about 260 - 280Mm higher above the standard floor So i can get the rod over the side, That will give plenty of storage under floor for extra fuel tanks & a kill tank
Also alloy roof extension coming up & back from the top of the cab for more shade in the rear deck aerier, A hot water system fitted into the rear corner up under the gunwale for showering
Also a 85 - 100 liter 12volt fridge freezer fitted against the port side seat

[Bull]

Hope you have fun doing the old girl up Col.
A couple of picks of my old girl.

[Noelm]

not too sure about the alloy deck thing, wouldn't it be better in glass? The were a good boat, must be lots of them hanginga round the place.

[caravellerob]

They are a nice boat, was that the one on gumtree, I was thinking of looking at it myself except I am in Mackay.

[ozscott]

Michael at cooparoo marine knows the Crusader and little brother the Reef Runner well. He is Merc.

What size fuel tank. My mates Reefy is too small for his 5.8.

Cheers

[Alchemy]

Good luck Col, they are a lovely old hull. I look forward to seeing how you progress and ultimately the finished product.

Regards,
Dave.

[Horse]

They are a hull that has stood the test of time. Great choice. I personally would rebuild the floor in glass

[Vitamin Sea]

Great boat, excellent for extended stays, enjoy to resto

Cheers
Vs

[Giffo65]

Beautiful old boat, should come up a treat. How long is she ?

[DATCOL]

Thanks guys for the kind encouraging words
Caravellerob Yes it was on gum tree down at Wynnum, There was also one on gum tree in Caboolture, The Caboolture one was pretty rough & had a blown motor
Ozscott the guy that i bought the boat from told me that the tank is 180 liters
Giffhttp://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=93113o the length acording to the sighn on the side93113 is 23'.6"

[caravellerob]

How does your tri-gull wing go haven't heard much about them, But I like the concept. a bit like the early hydrofields.

[DATCOL]

The Try-Gull Wing is a brilliant sea boat, Stable, Soft riding, Heaps of fishing room (3MX2.4M) behind the cab & economical to run, The only reason i will sell it is that i want to be able to live on board for about a week So the cabin boat will be more suited to this use

[bobbyb]

looks good mate, can't see your attachment but I'd say the wires coming though the tansom will be your trim senders. to tell you position of leg.

[DATCOL]

Trying again These are the two things that are poking out of the transom.

Any ideas what they are for ????????

[ScottB]

Hi DATCOL,

The units on the transom are the Mercathode system to slow down electrolysis.

For parts, Marine Parts Express in the states are the go, most things will be half price (or less), the shipping can be expensive but it is still well worth it....

Regards

Scott

[DATCOL]

96393Have made a small amount of progress on the Crusader There seems like more things are getting pulled apart than being put together at the moment
But I have finely started the motor today after getting most of the missing parts from USA So it is basically ready to put back in the boat
But I want to tidie the hull before I put it back Cheers cOL96394

[ozynorts]

Hey mate, how is the rebuild going?

[DATCOL]

HI Ozynorts I haven't had much time to spend on the Crusader, Have had to many other things going on, Any spare time I have been spending on the Gullwing tiding up the paint work, I also have to update the brake system on it as it only has over ride brakes on 1 axel & weights 2.4 ton so I have bought new brake assembles & breakaway system just need more time to fit them up
So I can sell it to finance the restoration on the crusader
Have Gathered a few bits for the Crusader New sink, New retractable wash down hose & shower spray, New hot water unit, New electric toilet, New starter motor, New alternator, New coupler to drive the leg
Can any one advise what the best product is to fill gouges out of the gel coat on the bottom were the guy I bought it of tried to get the antifoul of with a chisel & made a right mess
Also have quite a few hair line cracks around the boat is the a product that will fill these before painting it
Is there any reason that I shouldn't paint the bottom in a red colour
I was thinking of using Jotun paint products, Where is the best place to buy them Cheers COL

[DATCOL]

103532103533 This bit is just about ready to go just have to fit the Just have to fit the heat exchanger to it

[mallan888]

google magic ezy for the hairline cracks...not sure if that what you are after?

[DATCOL]

Hi Mallan888 Thanks for the info looks good I will look in to it more Col

[scottar]

Only reason not to paint the bottom any colour besides white is that glass always scratches white. Any little marks on a white hull "disappear" with a polish. Not so in colour.

[DATCOL]

Trailer renovation job, Have just bought a trailer for the Caribbean It is a 4000 Kg Mackay has a bit of rust but will be ok, Cost was about half of the cost of the new running gear to upgrade the trailer that the crusader came on the originally.
The original one is only a 2000Kg So after a bit of a tidy up I will have a good 2000Kg trailer for sale, Cheers COL
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