1988 242 SS with 7,4 330 HP slowly getting ready for summer
 

Hi

I have had some small projects going on with my Formula this spring.

Engine, some work on the the top, had a strange noice at the end of last season. Turned out to be a small blown in top gasket. Hopefully this will be finnished at thuseday.

New eagles and replaced some of the letters on both sides.

Changed the engine vent "ribs" from black to Chrom.

New proppeler quicksilver 21 pluss, hope it will spin ok.

Had a problem with the engine hatch (sunpad and sofa) the hatchlifter was burned needed replacement. I took the whole
thing (sunpad and sofa) of the boat, all the screws who attach
the hatch to the boat, where loose. The hatch was extreamly heavy we needed three people to lift it from the boat.

The pads where wet, so I dismantled the pads one by one
They where attached with acid-resistant screws, and it went quite ok to have released them

It was then Formulas showed its "quality":

50% of the weight caused by wet pillows, perhaps not so strange, if this was the first time in 21 years that they have been dismantled.
The matrial and foam rubber is formed around a wooden plate ?????
This plate does not appear to be water resistant, impregnate or processed by anything to protect against water or moisture!

The major surprise was that the surface of the hatch, consistent of raw fiberglass, which was neither treated
with polyester or any coat. I do not understand how Formula can build it like this, unthreated wood and raw fiberglass as a surface for paddings wich are exposed for water and moisture. Photos coming later

I drilled a series of holes in the woodblocks to a better dry. Slightly imprignerins oil for keeping this season. Next season
I have plans to rebuild the whole hatch with padding and verything.

Any one else had this or simulare surprises with their Formula???

Water logged?
 

Is the hatch itself saturated with water or just the pads? I know there are a lot of screws that hold the pads on. Every hole is an entry point for water into the core of the hatch.

The hatch it self are dry now, but with the raw fiberglass and all the holes from the screw it is not a very good sulution.

There is a wooden plate made as a reinforcement, this
is for sure rotten. I will seal it next winter when I am going to
rebuild transom, new fenderlist and new upholstery at the hatch. That is next years project.

I must say that the way this hatch are made, make me wonder if the hatch is rebuild or something. If not I can not
understand why Formula made it this way??????????????

But I think it is the original hatch:mad:

It's not a rebuild. The top surface of the hatch where the cushions sit is not finished-off becasue it is an unseen area. There's no need for Formula to gel it or finish it off.

As for the wood, it's pressure treated plywood. But, after twenty-plus years, there is likely to be some deterioration. Especially if the boat is not covered. Rain and water from swimming drains between the cushion sections and sits there. Then it sucks up into the foam. When that happens, it'll never dry out unless you do what you did - uncover and dry all the sections. Prevention is the key, I always keep my boat covered when not in use and when we swim off the back, I try to remember to lift the hatch for few minutes at the end of the day to let any water drain out.

Monaco, your boat is 21 years old! Who knows how many uncovered rain storms it's been through?

I fully agree with you that we have to consider that the boat is 21 years. I have no idea how many uncoverd storm nights tha boat had befor I got it, but since then it is allways coverd when not in use.

My point is not that I expect it to be mint after such a long time. The point is that if you do not do a propper and a good
job from the beginning, becuse it a unseen area, you will have
problems. To leave raw fiberglass open in a are who is so exposed for water and mositure is in my opinion not a sign of
quality work.

I love my old Formula and it has many good qualities, the hatch is not one of them. I also think that many rotten transom could have benn avoided, if one took more care of the areas who is unseen, but exposed for water and moisture.
This is not a special case for Formula, but many boatbuilders
in the 80 and 90 s.

In Norway we say the only thing who can stand saltwater is some types of fish he he.

And finaly my next boat will also be a Formula !!