Another Broom Saturn 'FiftySix'

[ADF]

UPDATE ON PAGE 7

Now named 'FiftySix' referring to the amount of pounds it cost to buy

Hi all.

I've just bought a 14ft Broom Saturn speedboat off our favourite auction site for £56, plus £50 for delivery (not bad for the 60 miles he has to come).
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120896623590? ... 500wt_1287 is the link to the listing with photos

Nothing really is going to happen for a couple of months as I've got to wait until my exams are over, but then it will be all hands on deck (no pun intended) to get this thing fixed up.

The plans so far are:
Rip out all rotten/dead wood
Replace flooring
Try to polish up the paintwork or repaint it fully.
Buy trailer Seller has agreed to sell me the trailer it is on for an extra £30
Buy outboard

Couple of questions though:
If the paint will polish up, does anyone know any cheap machine polishing compound as my Meguiars #105 500ml bottle won't last long
Has anyone got any general tips for a first timer


Thanks for looking and I'll get my own photos up when it's delivered (hopefully next weekend )

[ADF]

This is a question for BroomBroom or anyone else who has restored one of these:
Did you bother with a bilge pump, or just make sure it's water tight then put the floor in?

Thanks

[Sicobra]

You are a brave man to take this on and I wish you the very best of luck, be very careful with the windscreen parts as the trim is very difficult to replace if you damage it, the screen it's self can easily be replaced and the existing one will probably be very brittle by now so don't be surprised if it cracks when you remove it. Depending on which engine you use you may find you need a different outboard control unit so if you end up changing out the twin lever one let me know as I might have a home for it. Keep us up to date with regular reports, all the best.

[ADF]

Thanks for the reply.
Would you recommend replacing the windscreen anyway before taking it anywhere more bumpy than a canal? Also, i'll give you a shout if I'm going to replace the engine controls

[BroomBroom]

Aaaahhhh - I saw that one... I don't think you need worry about a bilge pump quite yet

Has anyone got any general tips for a first timer

I think what you should do is:

1. Be prepared to accept it may take a little longer to fix this up than you might think
2. Learn all you can about fibreglass - click here to visit the West Systems site.
There are some great guides and videos there and you are going to be using a lot of their product - stringers, transom, hull etc. etc.
3. Spend £30.00 on joining the CMBA

I really think you're going to have to strip this right down to the bare fibreglass shell and start from there - it's going to be quite an undertaking but not impossible. Good luck and keep us posted!

Robin

[Sicobra]

The Broom screen is quite strong when fitted and if the plastic is not cracked then you can polish out any scratches that are not too deep, it is the frame sections that you want to look after any not loose, these are difficult to replicate if damaged, I actually bought a whole boat just for a spare screen!!!!!! As Broombroom said, concentrate on your hull for the moment as there is a lot of work there but it will be worth it for the pleasure of rescuing another Broom. And also JOIN up, best £30 investment you can make in the boat. It will be A

[ADF]

Thanks Robin. I am aware this is going to be quite a big job. Do you mean strip out everything until I literally have just a hull, then build it up from there?

Sicobra, thanks for the advice. I'm not totally sure which bits you mean that are difficult to replace? Please could you explain.

Thanks both

and sorry for all the questions

[Sicobra]

Sorry if I was not clear, when you look at the screen there are three metal parts to the surround, the U shape channel that goes from one side to the other over the top edge and then two sections at the bottom which are used to hold the bottom of the screen in place with screws, you will see what I mean, it is these three items that are difficult to replace, the clear polycarbonate of the screen is easy to get hold of. Hope that make sense, cheers, Simon

[BroomBroom]

Do you mean strip out everything until I literally have just a hull

Yep, everything - that's the way to do it. Take all the fixtures and fittings off and store them, get the formica off the foredeck, remove that old transom plate etc. etc. Give it a good hose down and see what you've got...

R

[ADF]

Hello again

Todays question (maybe first of many ) is: Will it be safe to use a pressure washer once I have stripped it? Its not a massively powerful one, but it packs more of a punch than a standard hose.

Thanks again for your help.