I recently purchased a 82 p-16 .Ifound an original paint boat w/ x-celent sails,but other isues were to be discovered later. Generaly I restore autos so a new type of resto was interesting to me. it has been a new education in restoration, school is in,so far it has been really fun I found a soft spot in the hull about 28 x 16 inches in diameter. west system should give in and try a new name "best system" seems more apropriate in my oppinion. The mini pumps are worth the extra bucks.just watch the ammount you try to patch at once when this stuff goes off it will smoke, if you are tryin to do too much work at once...stainless steel is another education in metal work siezed screws &such,newer hardware that doesnt quite match og equiptment,"allen heads suck"try useing a hammer impact screw remover on this type of fitting after 20 years of service, it is inferior in my opinion. attn to detail is a hard one to ignore when your life may depend on it.any one purchasing a used boat should be prepared for some time investment making sure your safety is addressed properly. Iwas told my boat was "ready to sail" bullshit on that statement many repairs were in order but not mentioned b-cause it might hinder a sale. remember your safty is most important.just buy new if you dont want someone elses problems, or are not ready to deal w them.I love projects cause it means more to me to accomplish somthing some are to lazy to deal with or incapable of dealing with so far my cat is coming out really nice,it just needs the time put into it that has been ignored for so many years.cant wait to sail her ,will keep you all posted on my progress .
new sailor Bill



edited by: nitrodub, Jun 24, 2010 - 01:41 AM

You are way ahead of the game if you restore old autos. Many of the same problems crop up, seized/stripped/corroded parts. The fiberglass might be something new, but unless you are tackling structural beams etc, it goes pretty easy.
I bought an '84 Nacra that needed some work, not a lot, but enough to keep me researching over the winter.
There is something to be said for rebuilding, anybody can go buy a new boat, but the thrill of getting what is essentially an antique back on the water gives a grater connection to the whole experience, in my view anyway. Start an album & document your progress.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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i bought a 1980 p-18 CHEAP, but it was missing a bit of stuff, but the large soft i found freaked me out. If ya havent fixed yours yet, here is what I did, and it worked out very well. Everyone I talked to suggested using a seringe to inject resin through small holes, way pain in the ass. After fighting with a seringe and air bubbles for a while, I drilled large (3/8") holes every few inches throughout the soft spot. Careful not to go through the second layer of fiberglass, i did in one spot, kind of a pain in the butt. layed the hull on its side so the holes were aimimg upwards, mixed up a whole solo cup of resin and started poring it in the holes. its liquid so it keeps spreading out filling the void. a couple of cup fulls later all the holes were full and starting to harden. let it set, grind off the extra, sand and bondo,sand some more, repeat, u know the drill, then prime and paint. i did mine some time ago and its done well. There are many ways to fix these soft spots, but this worked well for me. And i agree with Edchris177, fixin up an older boat is fun, and by the time its on the water, u know every nook and cranny. the first time I get em out on the water I feel great knowing its another boat saved from the garbage pile. Hope ya get her out soon.

when we broke down my '77 p-16 this winter to do the resto, i was not surprised to find a few issues. cracked shroud pin, dolphin striker rod bent like a paper clip, keels skint through, soft spots, etc.. but i was even more surprised at how good of shape all the structural pieces were. after going through everything thoroughly, i feel way more confident in the boat. any used boat no matter how old or new can have some serious problems you can't see until you break it down, sometimes you never see them until too late. antique boats are like antique cars, it helps if your willing to turn a wrench and can see the finished product. the whole experience of restoring the boat was a blast! its 1000 times less time consuming(and cheaper) than restoring my '59 panel van, all the bolts from the boat can fit into a cereal bowl!

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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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