Restoration of a 1961 Chris-Craft

Photo after another 3 hours work.  The mess is astounding and in some places I can't figure out where the screws are so I end up grinding more than is necessary. I am wearing a jumpsuit, gloves, hat, mask and safety glasses.  When done for the day, I go around the basement door, strip down and immediately throw the clothes in the wash then take a shower.

After visiting the hardware store for sanding disks, I began work.  The fiberglass grinds down fairly easy with the 36 grit disks I bought.  This is about 2 hours of grinding. So let's see:  One row of screws exposed and the edge times about 38 rows (one every 6 inches) equals about only 76 hours of grinding.  Then we have to add that we'll need to grind the seam on one half of the bottom so each plank can be removed for a pattern.  Hum, if I work 4 hours a day all the screws should be exposed in about a month.  Wow, that's not too bad. The challenge with this is the vibration from the grinder and the dust that's created.  Not pleasant and my hands are still buzzing.  I am using a dust collector but it doesn't get it all so I am covering myself with long sleeves and gloves (also wearing an N95 mask for breathing). Going to be a little warm when the 90 degree weather gets here.

Today with the help of 4 experience people, the boat is flipped and ready for the real work to begin.  It took just an hour and 45 minutes including the trip that John made to get chain hoists and ratchet straps. We ran into just 2 issues.  Right after John said boy this is a lot easier than the one we did yesterday, our first issue arrose.  We got it half way and just couldn't muscle it over.  We hooked up a couple of smaller ratchet straps to solve that one and finally got it over. Then once it was over, the jack I had was way insufficient for the job.  That's when John suggested that he retrieve his gear.  Once we got it hooked up to chain lifts and new straps, it was an easy lowering to the ground. Special thanks to John from the Antique and Classic Boating Society and his crew.  Couldn't have done it without them.

Been working on and off over the last month or so in between moving out of Atlanta permanently.  The move is done and now I have prepared the boat to flip it over.  Here it's hanging by the straps (independent of the trailer), below are the reinforcements to keep the shape when we turn it over. After flipping I'll  attach another cross brace although it seems pretty solid.  I can't put the other on because the strap needs to go across the boat and that brace would get in the way.