I was recently gifted the responsibility of returning life to an old boat. It is a 1948 Douglas Air Skiff. Douglas Aircraft of Santa Monica, Cal. The Motor is also a 1948, an outboard Johnson 3hsp Seahorse.
The motor needs a new pull chord installed, trouble already as the bolts have long ago stripped and need to be drilled out.
First thing is to educate, I read many articles on aluminum welding, repairs, and anything else I could find that was relevant. I learn well from seeing it done, and found that someone else had already video recorded their experiences. United Kingdom.
I filled it up with water in the backyard, propped on bails of straw, with a marker i c
ircled all leaks, and marked 'W' where moisture appeared.Brought it into the carport the next day after allowing it to dry.
Sanded all leak areas to get a better look at the damage.
Drilled out all faulty rivets, and removed rusted bolts, some of which 40+ yrs old.
Next step is to remove the flimsy rear seat and reinforce the floor.
