| Macatawa Bay Boat Works
Premium Restoration |
| New
Project - updated Wednesday, November 16, 2011
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| 1965
Century Sabre 18' |
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(Factory
Photo)
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| Above
is a factory photo of this unusual model from Century, the 1965 18'
Sabre. Described as a small sporty, runabout with a part fiberglass,
part wood design, patterned after a Coronado.
This very well preserved and unusual
example has been owned by the same family since new. From the St.
Louis area, this very well preserved and boat came to Macatawa Bay
Boat Works for a new MBBW "no soak / no leak" 3M-5200 double
bottom. One of only 41 produced in 1965, it has only 163 hours on it! |
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"T" top assembly that holds the gullwing top panels has been
removed
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This model Century was built during the
transition years when the company was switching over from wood to
fiberglass. This boat has fiberglass sheer and covering boards, vinyl
covered plywood inner decks but the bottom and the hullsides from the sheer
down are traditional wooden boat construction.
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The fiberglass sheer removed from the
boat. Below we see the boat being rolled over.
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This boat upside-down and leveled up, we
removed the original single batten seamed bottom and assess the bottom
structure. This boat is in above average condition compared to most
Centurys, needing some frame replacement and most of the port chine and a
new keel and stem.
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With the batten reinstalled and everything
sealed up and assembled with 3M-5200 adhesive, we have a solid foundation to
begin the fit and installation of the 6mm Premium Okoume marine plywood,
Lloyd Registered and manufactured in France to British Standard #1088 --a
long way of saying the best marine plywood money can buy!
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From here we will begin the installation of
new solid mahogany outer layer planking, attaching it with new stainless
steel fasteners and a continuous layer of 3M-5200 marine adhesive.
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Bottom outer planking now complete, it is
time to fair the bottom in with grinding and hand sanding with a long
board. We check for fairness regularly with a straight edge...
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When the bottom is faired in it is sealed
prior to painting to protect it.
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Here we see the bottom painted in black
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We will remove the original hullsides for
refastening and reattachment in 3M-5200 adhesive. We strip the varnish
from the hullsides prior to rolling the boat back over.
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Carefully we roll the hull back over
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Below the hullsides are removed, the hull
frames and batons will be cleaned, repaired and sealed
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The original hullside planks have been
reinstalled with new stainless steel fasteners and 3M-5200 adhesive
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New mahogany bungs are cut and installed over
the new screws
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After fairing in the hullsides by thorough
longboard sanding, we are ready to stain.
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after the staining comes the first coats of
varnish....
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With
the wood bottom and hullsides restored and in several coats of varnish, we
are now
to
the point of restoration of the fiberglass deck cap.
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Some cracks in the fiberglass will need to be
repaired while retaining the leather grain embossed in the gel coat at the
factory by Century
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Preparing
the chrome for replate, some of it is seen here....there is a lot of chrome
on
this Century!
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please check back with us as the project
continues...
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