1987 Sea Ray Seville 18' Restoration

R

richiemoe

Member
Nov 1, 2021
30
West Michigan
Boat Info
1988 Sea Ray Seville
Engines
115 Mercury Saltwater
I am finally about to start restoration of the boat we drove home from Florida, back up to Michigan. It was actually originally a Michigan boat, I believe. Anyway, it has been in my garage all winter. I've been nervous to cut up the floor, as I wasn't sure where to start.... After watching many youtube videos, it looks like everyone sets a circular saw to pretty shallow, then just starts cutting..... Once I clean out the inside, and pull up the carpet, i'll start cutting. And my respirator filters should arrive shortly. I'll post pictures as I go. Many pictures are already in my original post: http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/was-just-given-1988-sea-ray-seville.106962/

I absolutely love input!! If you see that i'm about to do something dumb, please let me know!!! My plan is pull up the current floor, hope and pray that the stringers are in good shape. Then put down 3/4" flooring, with fiberglass on both sides. I was going to do it cheap and easy, by just putting new flooring on top of the current, but there are humps in the current floor, where it has likely been replaced before, I was told, so i'll pull up the floor and see what I find. If the transom needs extensive work, i'm going to get rid of it, and find a different boat, and put my current 110hp motor on it, and use the current trailer. IF all is well, then after we replace the floor, my wife and I will redo the vinyl ourselves. We have a 2 and 4 year old. They will make messes, so we aren't doing anything fancy. Just want to enjoy the boat, without dropping a lot of money into it!! Yes, I know what BOAT stands for... haha We also have a '95 Jeep Wrangler (Just Empty Every Pocket). That hasn't been bad, since I've done the mechanical repairs myself. Minus the frame repair and lift kit that were recently done. I didn't want to deal with the rust doing the 2.5" lift myself.
 
richiemoe said:
I am finally about to start restoration of the boat we drove home from Florida, back up to Michigan. It was actually originally a Michigan boat, I believe. Anyway, it has been in my garage all winter. I've been nervous to cut up the floor, as I wasn't sure where to start.... After watching many youtube videos, it looks like everyone sets a circular saw to pretty shallow, then just starts cutting..... Once I clean out the inside, and pull up the carpet, i'll start cutting. And my respirator filters should arrive shortly. I'll post pictures as I go. Many pictures are already in my original post: http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/was-just-given-1988-sea-ray-seville.106962/

I absolutely love input!! If you see that i'm about to do something dumb, please let me know!!! My plan is pull up the current floor, hope and pray that the stringers are in good shape. Then put down 3/4" flooring, with fiberglass on both sides. I was going to do it cheap and easy, by just putting new flooring on top of the current, but there are humps in the current floor, where it has likely been replaced before, I was told, so i'll pull up the floor and see what I find. If the transom needs extensive work, i'm going to get rid of it, and find a different boat, and put my current 110hp motor on it, and use the current trailer. IF all is well, then after we replace the floor, my wife and I will redo the vinyl ourselves. We have a 2 and 4 year old. They will make messes, so we aren't doing anything fancy. Just want to enjoy the boat, without dropping a lot of money into it!! Yes, I know what BOAT stands for... haha We also have a '95 Jeep Wrangler (Just Empty Every Pocket). That hasn't been bad, since I've done the mechanical repairs myself. Minus the frame repair and lift kit that were recently done. I didn't want to deal with the rust doing the 2.5" lift myself.
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Golfman25 said:
Well before you start, check the transom. If that is your go no go point it could save you a lot of work.
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How exactly do I check the transom? From the outside, and what I can see from the inside, it looks fine. Driving home with the motor lifted up, without it propped up with the metal post with the small Y at the end, From Florida to Michigan, it still seems fine. I grabbed where the prop is, and tried to semi lightly lift/lower the motor, and nothing around the transom moved or made any "weak noises". I figured the next step would be to pull up the floor, then see how the wood looks under the floor, around the transom? If there are more things that I can check first, i'd love the input, thank you!!
 
bbwhitejr said:
Jeep=Just Empty Every Pocket....I thought it stood for Junk Each & Every Part...

Bennett
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haha I haven't heard of that one before. In all honestly, I don't see them being that expensive, unless you get the upgrade bug and want to pour a lot of money into making it a rock crawler, that also trail rides, and is the fastest vehicle at the sand dunes..... But ours in a 1995, so it does have a list of things that I should replace, before it goes bad.
 
Well hmmm..Transom check......During a survey you will 1) use a good moisture meter (keep in mind, bottom paint with metallics in it will provide false positive moisture to some degree) and 2) tap along transom listening for deep thuds vs hollow thuds. Same for what you can access within. Being its a more accessible transom in spots due to outboard (assuming access under seats etc), these would give a good clue. Wouldnt put a whole lot of faith in the transom lift theory. However, both of these methods are moot since its your boat now and you are planning to expose. Good luck and keep us updated. I am always good for a comment or two along the way.
 
89P270 said:
Well hmmm..Transom check......During a survey you will 1) use a good moisture meter (keep in mind, bottom paint with metallics in it will provide false positive moisture to some degree) and 2) tap along transom listening for deep thuds vs hollow thuds. Same for what you can access within. Being its a more accessible transom in spots due to outboard (assuming access under seats etc), these would give a good clue. Wouldnt put a whole lot of faith in the transom lift theory. However, both of these methods are moot since its your boat now and you are planning to expose. Good luck and keep us updated. I am always good for a comment or two along the way.
Click to expand...
I didn't think about a moisture meter! I bought one when we redid out last home, but i never opened it; just replaced everything. One the floor in the back-middle, there is a shape like 0, but with more squared but still rounded corners. I assume the gas tank is under that? I should probably undo those screws and remove the top, before I start cutting the floor.... I totally forgot about that. HA
 
Just sound it with a hammer. You're looking for sharp pings vs hollow thuds. You can search the you tube for surveyors who show how to do it. Any questionable areas, you can drill and exploratory hole. If it's dry, your good to go. Wet and nasty, forget it. Fill the holes with epoxy resin. A few min. with the drill can save you a lot of work if it's no good.
 
Golfman25 said:
Just sound it with a hammer. You're looking for sharp pings vs hollow thuds. You can search the you tube for surveyors who show how to do it. Any questionable areas, you can drill and exploratory hole. If it's dry, your good to go. Wet and nasty, forget it. Fill the holes with epoxy resin. A few min. with the drill can save you a lot of work if it's no good.
Click to expand...
Hey Buddy, if you haven’t seen “Zero_To_Floating on youtube you should. He is doing exactly what you are. He doesn’t brag about it but you can tell it’s not his first rodeo. My.02
 
So quick question/update..... I started pulling up the floor. The poorly done patch job that someone had done is bad. The boat has been in my garage for over a year, and there is still wetness in the wood that I was pulling up, between the carpet/fiberglass and the foam under the wood. And it goes back under the rear seat. But, the transom seems solid!!! Even where the wood is dry, it is all dry-rotted and falling apart. The shopvac is pulling up more that I could by trying to pull up chunks.....

So...... I got looking on fb marketplace, as now is the time for deals, when people don't want to store stuff..... I found a 2003 Silverline 1700 (17') with a '97 Yamaha 115hp, for $5,700. I hope to talk them down to $5k. Mine has an '02 Mercury 115hp that needs work. I'm thinking $1k at least to have my motor looked over. $1k for flooring (3/4" marine plywood, fiberglass & carpet) and the seats are cracking when you sit or step on one, so I'm nervous of even putting a cover other them, they need to be redone..... Do I just try to sell my trailer and motor for $1,500-$2k, and see if a salvage yard will take the boat?

My only concern with the Silverline is that in an invoice that I got from the marina that they used, the bilge pump went bad and "40-50 gallons of water was pumped out". Kind of a lot, but not really a lot.... Does it just depend on how long the water was in the boat? The rest of the invoices show that they have taken great care of it! New upholstery! Everything looks clean! The marina winterized it, so I won't be able to hear it run... It is currently stored in a garage, and i'm going to look at it tonight with my wife...
 
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