AA broadbill restoration

J

Jay

Member
I havent hung around here in a while and currently I am in the sand with Uncle Sam. With that said when I hit the states I was looking to restore my AA broadbill. I was looking for information and maybe some personal experience with this. I tried the search function and I found one thread but wanted to get some ideas on a few things to get it straight in my head before I take on the project. My boat has an internal fule tank that the guy I bought it from mounted in the bow of the boat. I was looking to remove it as it takes up alot of room under the deck. As far as I can tell the hull is fiberglass and there is (it looks like paint) that has rubbed off the bottom of the hull. Originally I was going to sell it and move to an aluminum hull but the idea of a small compact boat is more attractive for my hunting needs. Im also not sure if it is a original AA broadbill (the guy I bought it from said it was). I dont much mind if it isnt but I have had some time to think while in the sand and I want to bring her back to life. I will post some pics or as much as I can for now but Im not sure where to start and what I need to be concerned with first.

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Jay, I'm leaving for ND in a few hours but stay in touch, I built one and would be happy to help out- PM me in about a week OK
 
I would start with getting that tank out then give it a sanding and some fresh paint and go from there
 
Cant off much advice on the boat, but I will say keep safe over there and thanks for serving!
 
I have a AA Wigeon and my group has a Blackjack. The great thing about these boats(I'm assuming yours is all glass and not home made) is that you can easily take care of them and make them stronger. Yours is very similar. Great boat for backwaters. Keep your head down over there and get your butt back soon!
 
I wouldn't be too quick to remove that tank. I had a factory built broadbill and there is very little
useable space up there. I put a portable tank in that area and to cut it in two and lowered it to fit
there. Mine was plenty fast with a 15 hp motor and can't imagine it with a 25 on it. I put sponsons
on mine and they were an asset in helping float in shallower water. It also got on plane faster but
that shouldn't be an issue with that 25 on the back.
Take care of yourself over there, God bless you, John
 
John, I will keep that in mind. My boat to tell you the truth is downright scary with a 25 on it. I had it out before I left and wide open it felt like I sliding across glass. Not sure how fast I was going but it was faster than I felt comfortable with. Now with no decoys, dog or anything else except myself in the boat and the gas tank wasnt full either. She will downright move with a 25. I have thought about downgrading to a 15. Its looking like I will be home right in the middle of winter which limits my resto ability.

Can you sand the deck and repaint it? I not real sure on how to prep fiberglass for paint. With that said I know the hull is fiberglass but could the deck be metal? I have searched the net for past models of the broadbill, you can find plenty of finished pics and some builds out of wood and epoxy. Mine has what seems to me a metal flange that is pop riveted to the hull on the sides.
 
Yours looks like a factory boat. If it is it will be all fiberglass. The top and bottom are formed separately
and riveted together. The factory caulks that joint but mine started to leak so I epoxied the joint to seal it.
If the deck is fiberglass just sand it to get loose stuff off and give it some tooth, then paint away.Your covers
are not factory and appear to be metal. Those can also be sanded and painted as well.
If you get back mid season I would just hunt it and worry about fixing it up next summer.
Be safe there and be careful with the throttle on that boat!! John
 
Well got home finally and started on the boat. I pulled the deck off and the boat is all fiberglass. I noticed there seems to be some type of lrotted wood between to pieces of fiberglass to form the transom. The wood is rotted and I am wondering how I go about removing the wood? The deck on the bottom of the boat needs replaced which looks easy just don't want to tear into the transom the wrong way.
 
Well got home finally and started on the boat. I pulled the deck off and the boat is all fiberglass. I noticed there seems to be some type of lrotted wood between to pieces of fiberglass to form the transom. The wood is rotted and I am wondering how I go about removing the wood? The deck on the bottom of the boat needs replaced which looks easy just don't want to tear into the transom the wrong way.
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Jay check out Genes rebuilt, that is a great job he done.

The transom wood need removed and you simply grind away the glass around the edge where its attached to the transom and then dig the wood out. You may end up having to grind it all down smooth depending on how well it was laminated and sealed to begin with.

Odds are you have wood in the floor as well. Check out Genes rebuilt and you will have all you need to know right there in that series.

Good Luck

Got any pictures you can post? and does your boat have the flanges on the edges or were they removed and the deck fit over the hull like a shoe box?
 
My boat does fit like a shoebox. It was a pain removing all the black tar stuff that was attempting to seal the sides of the boat. The wood in the transom is no doubt nasty looking. I will get some pics up here tomorrow. Im also thinking I will probably replace the floor of the boat too. I am suprised though how well the hull itself looks after I removed the deck. Fiberglass wears well.
 
I am also about to start re-building a broadbill like yours. Once I get started I will get some pictures and a thread going.
 
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An update I almost have the floor out. Didn't look as bad as I thought. I also put transom pics in there. So it looks like I will be replacing the wood under the deck. I was wondering if you could use trex material for beneath the deck. I have several left over planks in the backyard from my deck project.
 
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