Newbie with 1000 questions

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111KAB

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Newbie here so please be gentle /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Just inherited a small speedboat - a 4.0m Shakespeare....
boat.jpg

in one hell of a state but decided to do it up so.....
1) Best paint for a rusty trailer
2) Best place for new 8 ply trailer tyres and crossply or radials
3) Where to get Ambla or similar vinyl upholstery material
4) How much should I expect to get for a 18hp Johnson Seahorse - years old I think but it may still work - intend to put on ebay
6) Require an outboard with remote and electric start - any suggestions as to optimum size/make etc. Anything I should particularly look for

Other 994 questions will follow. TIA of replies.
 
OK, starter for 10, and others here will have good suggestions:

1. I'd use any old paint. Hammerite, whatever gloop B&Q sell for repainting your gates or whatever.

2. Any tyre shop from yellow pages. Remember too that the wheel bearings could need replacing, and the brakes (if it has them)

3. Loads of specialist suppliers of vinyl eg toomer and hayter, boyriven, etc. (all googlable) Cheapest might be your local fabric offcuts shop though - things from "marine" suppliers tend to cost more. You'll need stainless steel staples to do a pukka job. Lots of places for these eg www.seascrew.com. If you want the seats or panels professionally reupholstered try www.mastertrim.co.uk for very good work and very fair pricing

4. An 18 johnson seahorse is realistically a £50 job, kinda thing, if it runs. It's 35 years old+, remember

5. What happened to #5? :-)

6. Outboard for that size boat should be 50hp min, 75hp max, approx, if you want to go fast and have fun. The best current makes are yamaha, mercury (though opinions differ on that). But if you want a cheap one go for one in good condition and keen price, and dont worry about the make. All of Johnson, evinrude, suzuki, yamaha, mariner, mercury, honda are good quality engines. Tohatsu, Force and Selva are inferior engineering and cheaper imho. Look on ebay etc, and www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk. In the 50-80hp range nearly all with have remotes and electric start, and many will have hydraulic trim (which is well worth having, for convenience)

6A. On the subject of remotes, you might find the shakespeare needs a new steering system?

Good luck. Will be nice boat when you've done it - shakespeares were/are nice boats and good quality
 
Many thanks for both replies. Well wheel bearings ordered (just in case) and first ebay bid of £25 came in for the engine and still 9 days to go. Alf's lead suggests an engine of 40 > 60hp so I suppose I'll go for a 50hp! Steering system on the boat does look a bit antiquated - a few pulleys and wires but don't really know what a modern set up looks like or how it should work (told you I was a novice) - will check out Mastertrim but think this is something I should be able to tackle on my own as I'm getting two new seats (Wise?) for the 'front'.
I did type out Q5 then thought better of it ...... basically the floor of the boat is ply which has warped. I am going to replace this and the question was "what is the best material" but as the existing has lasted 35 years I assume the old ply is best replaced with new.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP.
 
OK s o modern steering will have a metal steering head behind the dash with a big wire-in-tube arrangement. That bolts through the hinge on the outboard motor bracket - you may well have to buy the link arm to connect the steering arm on the motor to the steering cable as well. It won't break the bank and it's a damn site safer than a pulley system. Google for Teleflex steering.

Definitely do the upholstery yourself if you can as you'll save a mint, but do use stainless staples or it will all fall to bits in a year's time.

In theory you should use marine plywood but for this sort of application outdoor grade ply should be fine and again will be a load cheaper. Have fun, and if it were me, I'd go for 60hp+ but try to get power trim. You'll see a bunch of letters after outboards, you want to get ELPTO if you can - that's

Electric Lift (lifts the engine clear of the water)
Power Trim (trims the angle of the engine for best speed/ride)
Oil injection (no need to premix two stroke oil)
 
Agree about the ply - use exterior grade if doing this on a budget, not "marine" ply

I'd also agree that it should be 60hp+ if a nice one is available. 50hp will push it along but it wont exactly be a white knuckle ride

Permission to be pedantic: the "EL" invariably refers to Electric start and Long shaft. The"PT" invariably covers both the powered lift AND the powered trim

Remember the outboard must be a "long shaft". That's 20inch transom height. It mustn't be short (15inch, but rare on 50-75hp), and it mustn't be extra long (25 inch, again rare on 50-75hp
 
On the vinyl upholstery front, you could do worse than checking out your local branch of Dunelm.

They sell vinyl off the roll at very low prices, in different designs and colours.

Definitely worth a look before you spend a fortune at a specialist marine upholstery supplier...
 
[ QUOTE ]
On the vinyl upholstery front, you could do worse than checking out your local branch of Dunelm.

They sell vinyl off the roll at very low prices, in different designs and colours.

Definitely worth a look before you spend a fortune at a specialist marine upholstery supplier...

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks again - they do free samples by post (just pay postage of £3.95) so I ordered samples of white, ivory and brown upholstery vinyl (they also do black) which is 54" wide and £5.95 per metre.
 
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