1980 Midland project

[OVRehaber]

Just bought a 1980 19' Midland skiff from a guy in Knotts Island, NC. After a once-over by a friend, I've found that the 88 evinrude mounted on the transom has low compression in one cylinder. That, along with the spongy floor, has me considering just cutting my losses and selling her. But there's something about the lines on this boat, really makes me want to put the effort in to bring it back to life. Your input as to whether my time and effort (trying not to dwell on the $) will be worth putting in to this project.

 

[Eastporter]

The best person to ask is Bill (the admin moderator) since he rebuilt the same boat. I rebuilt a 20' Eastporter and it was a lot of money and time. A full gut job and rebuild was 3 years and the money was substantial. It was fun and a great learning experience. I would like to do it again with a bigger boat and use composites. Having a dry barn or storage area is the key to keep it out of the elements, and you can work on it in all weather and time. Check out my link if you want or Bill's link for detailed rebuild photos. The satisfaction comes when you are on the water and people admire your boat-- you can tell them you rebuilt it. It can be custom to your likes/dislikes, and if you pay for items over the course of three years it doesn't hurt the pocketbook as much. Keep a log of all of your materials and it will be substantial. A new boat can cost 30-40k for a similar 20' Eastern/Seaway so it keeps everything in perspective.

 

[OVRehaber]

I saw a post of someone rebuilding a 1976 midland on here. In fact, its the reason I joined the forum. It was one of the few sites that had any information on a Midland. If Bill is the person that did that full restoration, I'd definitely like to talk with him and pick his brain. I was really impressed with the outcome, and was inspired by his work to do the same to this one of mine. I'd never seen the Prisma products before, they seem to be a great time saver.

Thank you for responding, I appreciate it.

 

[Eastporter]

I just sent Bill (admin) a PM to post a comment on here. I'm sure he'll jump on it when he can.

 

[RKrough]

I have a 1982 Midland I'm almost finished restoring. It was a working boat around Noak Ct for 28 years. I got it through an Ebay charity auction from the original owner.

Mine had a spongy de-laminating deck but the stringers were still good except for a small area of the keel stringer. I later discovered the transom was beginning to rot so I replaced it also. Hardest job was the transom, most time consuming has been filling and sanding the big nicks and gouges on the starboard side from years of hauling lobster pots. Finish wise I'm keeping it at a work boat level. I only used epoxy for gluing and I used MDO (signboard) plywood instead of certified marine plywood . Fuel tank and hardware I got on Ebay. I saved money by buying the resin and cloth at a repackager like Merton's in Springfield MA

Time wise I have almost 200 hours in her , Cost so far including a new fuel tank and new electrics(including gauges) is a little over $1900. I'll probably spend another $300 on railings this fall. Next year I'll spent about $200 on making 3 new windows for the cuddy.

The Johnson 70 that came on mine was cooked after 30 years of running in salt water. I found a '87 Johnson 60 in very good condition for $500.

http://downeastboatforum.com/downeast-projects-boat-building/1982-midland-19-project-909.html

 

[2brits]

OV
IMHO if you like the boat and the hull is in pretty good shape, go for it. I recently refurbished an 18 pointer. The hull is a 78, I was lucky in that the floor and the transom are both in real good shape. I did build a new console, rehab all rubrails, enlarge scuppers, misc glass work, etc and repowered with a new sussie 50 hp. It took a lot of time and I went over budget by @25%. But, I enjoy the restoration work, Have the space and time to do the work and I really love the boat. Remember, the process is supposed to be fun. Half the fun is making them pretty, the other half is fishing the hell out of em. Build it, you will be happy you did.

 

[BOSBoatMan]

@OVRehabber, just don't be one of those people that expects to do a restoration and get their money back. Only restore it because YOU want to own it and there is nothing like it..it's a labor of love.

That being said, have fun. And like @Eastporter says you need to have a dry area to do it. That way you can work on it in the rain, snow, etc. I did a restoration of my Strathmore (imitation fiberglass lapstrake 16') outside in Marion, MA and it was awful. Had to break out the heat gun every day almost and dry the thing because condensation would build up under the plastic cover.

 

[OVRehaber]

Started the dirty work

Alright, just got started. Got all of the hardware pulled, and seemed like one screw in each piece wasn't coming out without a grinder and a cutting wheel.

Once i got everything off the floor and opened it up, sure enough, the floor was soggy. To my surprise the hull was full of foam. I'm wondering if this is how the boat was built, originally, or if this was an repair done some time after its birth. Anyhow, the hull has quite a bit of moisture in it, so I'm gonna give it a few days to dry out after removing all of the foam. Now i'm toiling with whether or not to save the foam and put it back in the hull. I have a feeling that this foam is part of the reason why these boats have a good reputation for being able to get into small water. Any advice, guys?

The console had the original coastguard label on it, and I was happy to see that the previous owner had not painted over it. For all you Midland fans, check it out. Doubt there's many of these left to be seen.

 

[Badlatitude]

Aside from safty regs and keeping you afloat if you sink the foam most likely does nothing. It surely doesnt help you draft LESS. Taking weight out or increasing displacement are the only two ways to reduce draft.

 

[harpoon83]

do yourself a favor and get rid of the foam. I took about 6 contractor bags of foam out of a 19ft hull last summer. Its extra weight that you dont need, and the rebuild process will be much easier without having to worry about placing the foam back under the hull.
IMO

 

[RKrough]

My 82 was all original without foam, I elected to add the foam. It took 8 gallons of 2 part pour foam (4 gal A plus 4 gal B) to fill the bilge. It works out to about 2000 lbs of flotation. Total weight of foam is about 70#


BTW, I just saw a beautiful 79 Midland 19 center console in Clayton NY ( 1000 Islands) All original except the motor ( 2010 50 hp Honda) The owner uses it during the summer as a grocery-getter and water taxi for his seasonal bed & breakfast on one of the islands. The boat is kept in a boathouse and on a lift so the original deck and finish is near perfect.

 

[BOSBoatMan]

Foam gotta go. Otherwise, if you keep this for the long haul, you'll be repeating this process in the future. Every hull with foam will eventually be compromised.