Tornado this spring got my10ft baby, any helpful hints for straightening this mess out?

[DANZIG]

I am thinking the seats and braces will have to come out even to start with the beating. I am not going to give up on her, the Dangerous Child will float again!

 

[GTS225]

The problem is that you've got damage pulling in multiple directions. The branch may have pushed down on the center of the hull/keel, but that also pulled the sides in toward the "cave-in". You could try clamping a 4x4 across the gunwales right above the cave-in, and stick a bottle jack in between, pressing the cave-in back out, but you may need to apply force across the bottom too, to push the sides back toward their original positions.

Good luck.....Roger

 

[Stand Up]

Well, if you can't fix it you can still sell it for scrap. Or use it for a big flower pot and place it at the end of the driveway. If it snows in your area, use it as a multi person toboggan. Soap box racing comes to mind too.
If you do try and repair the beast, post up your journey here on tinboats.net

 

[DANZIG]

The problem is that you've got damage pulling in multiple directions. The branch may have pushed down on the center of the hull/keel, but that also pulled the sides in toward the "cave-in". You could try clamping a 4x4 across the gunwales right above the cave-in, and stick a bottle jack in between, pressing the cave-in back out, but you may need to apply force across the bottom too, to push the sides back toward their original positions.

Good luck.....Roger

She is not really pooched out much but is crushed more than the pics show. If I had a way to press down on the inside bottom that might get 50% of it. But as of now it looks like heating and beating, then cleaning up whatever damage that causes. I and not sure what to do with the ribs, the bends are one thing, the tears are another thing altogether.

 

[DANZIG]

Well, if you can't fix it you can still sell it for scrap. Or use it for a big flower pot and place it at the end of the driveway. If it snows in your area, use it as a multi person toboggan. Soap box racing comes to mind too.
If you do try and repair the beast, post up your journey here on tinboats.net

I will not give up on her yet, 30 years of good memories, many of them with friends who are no longer living. She wasn't a beauty queen when I got her, patches and dents so a few more will not hurt anything. But after all the years of work on her and several paint jobs, that $25 boat is getting expensive. LOL Still putting the house back together so it might be a little while but I will snap pics and post what I learn when the work starts.

 

[Billy H]

Honestly I wouldn’t bother putting too much into it. That boat is totaled. I suppose if the sentimental value means that much to you it could be fixed to a certain extent. Decent 10 foot Jon boats can be had used for 300$ or less around here. Unless you have good skill welding aluminum I can see hundreds of $ worth of welding just in those couple pics.

 

[Bantou]

She is not really pooched out much but is crushed more than the pics show. If I had a way to press down on the inside bottom that might get 50% of it. But as of now it looks like heating and beating, then cleaning up whatever damage that causes. I and not sure what to do with the ribs, the bends are one thing, the tears are another thing altogether.

Is the hull still in one piece? It looks like it has a pretty significant tear in a couple of the pictures

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

The world needs more beer cans.

 

[Boosh]

Curious, was that chain to keep the boat from flying away in the storm or to keep someone from walking off with your boat?

 

[Crazyboat]

Find a sympathetic auto body shop and ask for some advice.

 

[DANZIG]

Is the hull still in one piece? It looks like it has a pretty significant tear in a couple of the pictures

So far as I can tell right now, on brace is torn and a couple of the seat brackets. That might grow as a beat her back into shape.

 

[DANZIG]

Curious, was that chain to keep the boat from flying away in the storm or to keep someone from walking off with your boat?

Security and light wind chain. 20 and 30 mph winds are common at the house.

 

[DANZIG]

Honestly I wouldn’t bother putting too much into it. That boat is totaled. I suppose if the sentimental value means that much to you it could be fixed to a certain extent. Decent 10 foot Jon boats can be had used for 300$ or less around here. Unless you have good skill welding aluminum I can see hundreds of $ worth of welding just in those couple pics.

Yes, I know it makes no sense but I am going to try anyway.

 

[Livn]

Yes, I know it makes no sense but I am going to try anyway.

I hope no one was injured in the tornado.
Sensible can be overrated! Your attitude is high, your expectations low; go for it!

 

[DANZIG]

I hope no one was injured in the tornado.
Sensible can be overrated! Your attitude is high, your expectations low; go for it!

Thanks! She will float again!

No, I think everyone in the neighborhood took some damage to one degree or the other but no one was injured. Scared the dickens out of us all and there was about 2 mins there when I thought I was a had lad. Lost a sizable chunk of the house, like just gone, and near everything inside got wet. I think I got the worst of it with my next door neighbor running a close second.

But the framing is done and I have a roof now as of yesterday. And this time it is built much stronger. The windows just came in and the electrician is scheduled for Monday. Not sure but I think the HVAC guy is this week too. Will still be a lot to do, all but two rooms took damage and are gutted to the studs. Looking at late February or early March to be back in the house if all goes well.

Been thinking of those folks that got hit in the last two hurricanes, their mess is just getting started and they will be dealing with it long after the news has moved on.

 

[crazyeddie]

Do you or a family, friend, or neighbor have access to a front end loader? My friend straightened out a taco'd Grumman canoe that was a tornado victim using short logs stood up vertically over the high spots and downpressure from the loader's bucket to press them down. Your boat has ribs running along the bottom but I think if you were to lay boards between the ribs on a flat concrete surface to avoid smashing them, you could press out the major damage to a point that you could bodywork the leftovers with some dollies and a shrinking wheel.

 

[Burner208]

Do you have a bumper jack or 3? Put them on the floor on top of a 2x4 and use the Jack's to pull the sides up while pushing down at the corner seam. Use a blow torch to aneal the aluminum beforehand and she probably won't crack to much. I think I could fix that, won't ever be 100% but it can live again. Just have to keep pulling and beating, trust the process and it will come back. Going to have some seam work in the end as well.