42 Fountain Triples to Stagered Twins
10-03-2011 | 06:19 AM
#13
Platinum Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 21
From: Osage Beach, Missouri - 28mm
I know two people that had it done. One on a 47 and one a 42, I know the factory did the 47 you might give them a call and see what Brian Forehand tells you for a price and about the process.
Great work! That's flyin' in a 47' anything!
10-04-2011 | 02:17 PM
#16
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
From: Sunland, CA
Im re-powering my boat. I removed the twin side-by-sides and had the stringers re-done and the transom in order to convert to a single. It was very easy to do and cheap (a couple thousand $$, less than a week) for the fiberglass work. Its certainly as good as new.
You do realize that a plastic boat is made of lots of pieces all glued together. When doing something like this, you are really just changing the boat in the same process as it was originally built, so as long as you have fiberglass people who know what they are doing (not hard to find) the result is as good as the original.
I had the work done using the same vinylester and stitched glass as Fountain used originally.
The real work comes with rewiring, recabling, etc etc.
After playing on some outboard fish boats, I may change my mind and not install a mercruiser, but go for outboards. This would require yet more glass work, but as I said, its FAR cheaper to do massive reconstructive surgery than a single annual service on those inaccessible twins. FAR cheaper.
You do realize that a plastic boat is made of lots of pieces all glued together. When doing something like this, you are really just changing the boat in the same process as it was originally built, so as long as you have fiberglass people who know what they are doing (not hard to find) the result is as good as the original.
I had the work done using the same vinylester and stitched glass as Fountain used originally.
The real work comes with rewiring, recabling, etc etc.
After playing on some outboard fish boats, I may change my mind and not install a mercruiser, but go for outboards. This would require yet more glass work, but as I said, its FAR cheaper to do massive reconstructive surgery than a single annual service on those inaccessible twins. FAR cheaper.
10-05-2011 | 01:06 PM
#17
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Italy
You do realize that a plastic boat is made of lots of pieces all glued together. When doing something like this, you are really just changing the boat in the same process as it was originally built, so as long as you have fiberglass people who know what they are doing (not hard to find) the result is as good as the original.
Afaik, the structural strength of any GRP moulded part is higher when fabricated as a whole from the start.
Just think of the frayed edges of the mat, all interlinked and glued together by the resin during the lamination, throughout the whole thickness: such structural strength is lost where big holes are cut inside the same part, and re-filling/glueing them again can't bring it back completely.
That was the reason for my previous comment.
But maybe I'm missing something...?
10-05-2011 | 02:10 PM
#19
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,303
Likes: 109
From: McHenry, Illinois
Buy the triple. Sell the third engine package and it should pay for the conversion. Fiberglass repairs are no big issue for people who know what they are doing. Shogren Performance has done this before. Give them a call.
