Rolling a Runabout

[texas boater]

I am finally going to muster the courage to flip my 1958 17'
Sportsman over next weekend to start the bottom repair (I plan on
putting on a 3M 5200 bottom). This is my first boat restoration and
first time to roll a boat!

It is currently on a trailer in my garage and I will be putting in
the cross bracing inside the hull according to Don Danenberg's book.
I know I once saw a website showing how some fella built a simple
frame over the top of his Thompson runabout that allowed him to
easily roll the boat over with just a couple of friends helping, but
for the life of me I can't seem to locate it again! Once the boat
was upside down the frame supported the hull as the bottom was
restored. It was a very eloquent solution to an awkward problem.

It was a frame built on the boat - attached to the cross-
supports you would normally put in the hull for flipping and it
allowed the owner to roll the boat over on the ground and then use
the frame as the support during the bottom restoration.

Does anyone out there have any past experience in flipping this size
boat and words of advice? If you have used a similar frame to roll a
boat, any details or pictures you can provide would be greatly
appreciated.

All I can think of for now is pulling the boat off the trailer onto
old tires (which I am now collecting) and then using several
volunteers and more tires, as a pad, to man handle it over. I wish I
could use straps and pulleys supported from my garage beams, but my
old house would not take the load, plus my attached garage has no
exposed beams. I have also given some thought to building a couple
of A-frame type supports to support a 4x8 rafter to employ
Danenberg's suggested method of flipping a boat, but that seems as
dangerous as just rolling and a lot more expensive.

I am looking for a brilliant idea – because I am coming up dry!


Texas Boater

[dfsuggs]

Just a photo, no details, of a very nice roll over.

http://www.glen-l.com/designs/cruiser/dsn-mtif.html

As for 3M 5200, research extensively before using this product. Search this forum and Woodenboat forum.

[txcaptdan]

Here is web site I think you are looking for http://members.cox.net/fiddleboat/index.htm
I have restored several boats and have not had the need to flip them, unless you are having to replace large amounts of bottom or ribs I would work from underneath. I sanded bottom and replaced Keel cap on my 20' from underneath.
5200 is a joint sealer not a bottom teatment, you may want to seal bottom surfaces with thinned epoxy. I have used 5200 to seal between replacement lapsand keel cap, but the factory used nothing between the laps that I can find.
I launched my 20' this last weekend and she didn't take on a gallon of water before she swelled. Good Luck

[texas boater]

Here is web site I think you are looking for http://members.cox.net/fiddleboat/index.htm
I have restored several boats and have not had the need to flip them, unless you are having to replace large amounts of bottom or ribs I would work from underneath. I sanded bottom and replaced Keel cap on my 20' from underneath.
5200 is a joint sealer not a bottom teatment, you may want to seal bottom surfaces with thinned epoxy. I have used 5200 to seal between replacement lapsand keel cap, but the factory used nothing between the laps that I can find.
I launched my 20' this last weekend and she didn't take on a gallon of water before she swelled. Good Luck

Thanks - this is exactly what I was looking for.

I am surprised at the negative feedback on the 5200 bottom.
I thought it was all the "rage".
And I was told that flipping the boat was the only way I could be sure the bottom was OK.

(I bought the boat recently after its previous owner had it dry docked for a few years trying to restore! All he did was strip the varnish and remove a couple of soft boards above the water line. So I am goingt in a little blind)