Armstrong Broadbill Re-Build

Rob Canady

Rob Canady

Member
I ran across a broadbill a few years ago and it had some water damage in the false bottom but otherwise was pretty solid so i decided to do a complete re-build on it. Heres some pictures of the process.

the boat before any work... i really didnt like the way the sides were not sealed, water would come in between the top and bottom around the edges where the cap wouldnt seal.

SoundTrip004.jpg


Here is the water in the floor after the deck was removed

BoatRebuildsept06001.jpg

 
heres the floor completely cut out with all the foam removed and everything dried out

BoatRebuildsept06006.jpg


BoatRebuildsept06005.jpg


New urethane expandable foam being poured in place

BoatRebuildsept06010.jpg


Foam sanded smooth with the existing deck level

BoatRebuildsept06012.jpg


First coat of glass applied to floor

BoatRebuildsept06013.jpg

 
on the next coat i tried adding in a tint of gray powder into the epoxy and it would have worked except for the fact that it was raining and the humidity was so high it began to discolor as it dried (all the moisture it had soaked up in the air while curing came out) oh well you live and learn. Now i know to not epoxy when its humid outside.. the last few coats did much better.

BoatRebuildsept06016.jpg


BoatRebuildsept06019.jpg


BoatRebuildsept06020.jpg


after this step i painted the inside floor, ran some tubing for wiring to the bow light and interior lights and then put the top back on. I ended up fastening the top back with stainless screws around the rim and then faired it out with some fairing compound and finally sealed it with a 6oz fiberglass tape all the way around the boat. I like this much better then the original design. (if you look close you can see the lines from the glass tape)

armstrong005.jpg


armstrong002.jpg


i added in a basic switch panel for the bilge, bow and stern light, and interior lights all powered by a lawn tractor battery. I found an old foam weightlifing mat that worked great in the floor

armstrong006.jpg


here it is on the maiden voyage before i could come up with any blind ideas. A 2 man limit of almost all drakes... thats good luck right?

Scotertrip001-1.jpg


the blind i came up with and my first attempts at sewing

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Since then i have added a 25hp and that really helps out with 2 people and some gear also i put on a splash shield from a sunfish and that worked good. The boat takes water a whole lot better then you would expect for its size. Its really versitile as well, hides good in the swamp

jan4080018.jpg




if i can get settled here soon and get a shop built i would sure like to try my hand at a devlin scaup for the next project. I believe that would be the same effective setup with more capabilitys
 
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Did your broadbill have a lip like mine? The edges look sealed on mine. John
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No it didnt have that lip around the edge (see my first pic) and the boat i have may have been the widgeon.. they are so similar i couldnt tell the difference from the pictures i had seen.
 
Did your broadbill have a lip like mine? The edges look sealed on mine. John
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Mine was sealed W/some sort of tar compound maybe from chalking gun. It was applied like a drunk monkey might of done it. Real pain in ass to remove seperate top from bottom.

Gene R
 
Did your broadbill have a lip like mine? The edges look sealed on mine. John
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Mine was sealed W/some sort of tar compound maybe from chalking gun. It was applied like a drunk monkey might of done it. Real pain in ass to remove seperate top from bottom.

Gene R
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Do they come from the factory that way? Seems like a poor design to be a production boat
 
Rob, on your boat the deck had a lip that came down over the top edge of the hull and the top deck screwed/riveted to the bottom hull, correct? I see the holes. When the two are joined, that joint was sealed with something, in the case of my boat it was clear silicone. There was also a rubber rub rail around the perimeter. Mine had some leaks where the deck joined the hull and I had to re-seal it. I don't recall mine having the foam in the rear corners above the floor like your does. Any idea what year your boat is?
 
Mine looks just like Rob's and was built in 84. I have to agree these boats are alot more
stable than you would think. I saw Gene's last year and it looked like a factory boat but
didn't really look that close. Did the factory sell kits??
John
 
John, I just re-posted Gene's pictures in the thread and commented. I believe his is a factory boat as well.
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Yes I believe so, it has a coast guard plate w/wieght people cap. Didn't you say you sold them or knew Tom ___ that owned them originally? Believe mine is 1988 have to look at tags. It's interesting seeing the different types of oar/gun racks and selves. My shelves are mounted to underside of the deck. They must of changed small details as the went through production years, much like car/trks. This is a good thread learn some history types of these highly enjoyable boats. I really like the traditional BBSB but that damn hull keeps me from buying one.


Gene R.
 
Yes Gene, I was an Armstrong dealer back in the mid to late '80s. I actually picked boats up at Tom Lindheimer's house in Kernersville, NC back then. There definitely appears to have been "inline modifications" to the boats as they went along. I think the boat I had was from '85, maybe '86 or '87. Too long ago to remember. They also made a double ender along the lines of the Carsten's Pintail, and a really neat one/two man sneakboat the was pointed on the bow and had a transom with a motor mount. It was a very lightweight boat, and seemed perfect as a marsh boat.
 
Rob, on your boat the deck had a lip that came down over the top edge of the hull and the top deck screwed/riveted to the bottom hull, correct? I see the holes. When the two are joined, that joint was sealed with something, in the case of my boat it was clear silicone. There was also a rubber rub rail around the perimeter. Mine had some leaks where the deck joined the hull and I had to re-seal it. I don't recall mine having the foam in the rear corners above the floor like your does. Any idea what year your boat is?
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Yep this is exactly how it was when i got it. I took it out and drove it in its current condition and water would actually spray into the boat from under the lip and i knew right off the bat i was going to have to seal it and glass it to make it one piece b/c that would drive me crazy. I really hate weak links in boats... especially ones your planning to be in the middle of nowhere in the dark in the winter time in. lol. In my opinion its much better the way i have finished it then it came from the factory. The hull is an 80's model but i will have to dig out the registration to see exactly what year.

So the original designer is from kernersville, nc or just the dealer for them? The front of the cockpit has "Aurthor Armstrong, Kernersville, NC" written on it, i didnt paint over this part.
 
Rob, on your boat the deck had a lip that came down over the top edge of the hull and the top deck screwed/riveted to the bottom hull, correct? I see the holes. When the two are joined, that joint was sealed with something, in the case of my boat it was clear silicone. There was also a rubber rub rail around the perimeter. Mine had some leaks where the deck joined the hull and I had to re-seal it. I don't recall mine having the foam in the rear corners above the floor like your does. Any idea what year your boat is?
Click to expand...


Yep this is exactly how it was when i got it. I took it out and drove it in its current condition and water would actually spray into the boat from under the lip and i knew right off the bat i was going to have to seal it and glass it to make it one piece b/c that would drive me crazy. I really hate weak links in boats... especially ones your planning to be in the middle of nowhere in the dark in the winter time in. lol. In my opinion its much better the way i have finished it then it came from the factory. The hull is an 80's model but i will have to dig out the registration to see exactly what year.

So the original designer is from kernersville, nc or just the dealer for them? The front of the cockpit has "Aurthor Armstrong, Kernersville, NC" written on it, i didnt paint over this part.
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Tom Lindheimer, who owned the Arthur Armstrong Boat Company, at the time lived in Kernersville, NC. If I recall correctly, he was originally from Florida. He raced those little hydroplanes earlier on, and supposedly the actual bottom hull design of the Broadbill and the Wigeon were from his racing days. I've posted a picture here before, but Tom's personal Broadbill had a Yahama 40 hp with a jet drive shoe on it.

Here it is:

BroadbillRZ.jpg


You can see the marsh boat with the transom in the background...

I think the method of joining the hull and deck was the quick and dirty, easy method. Allows for separation if needed for any reason, but definitely not the best set up.
 
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