Hello Fellow Marinette owners

[WeldZilla]

Finally got her home!! Now the work can actually begin. She is a horrible mess. The first order of business is just some clean up.



One of those should get you to the pic of it getting home

WeldZilla

[Seanik]

Welcome to the forum
I also had a 1972 32' Sedan with the fiberglass flybridge and twin 318's. The only problem I had in 5 years of ownership was the timing chains banging on the covers, they were really stretched out. Replaced both chains and it ran perfectly. Boltons Marine near Cleveland , Ohio was a major Marinette dealer and installed many fiberglass flybridges and swim platforms on 32's and some 28's back in the day. After the 32 I bought a 37' sedan with 440's and also had to replace timing chains.
The 1972 32' is still around after selling her 18 years ago, sitting on the hard and looking a bit sad and neglected, she is a great boat, I hope someone like you buys her.
You have the makings of a great boat.
Fare thee well,

[Seanik]

Hi Weldzilla,
The pic of your boat shows an express not a sedan. The 1972 32' sedan came with sliding glass doors and helm on the port side. I believe 1972 was the first year for the 32' sedan and the factory basically converted an express to a sedan, the later years also had the convertible bed/couch on the starboard side.

Seanik
1987 28' Express
twin 318's 240 hp
Erie Pa

[Rob]

Welcome and Seanik's right, that's an express. Good luck on your project. Nice you have a trailer for it too. Did you need permits to tow it? I towed a 26' and it seemed huge going down the road.

[WeldZilla]

Not much time to work on the boat this afternoon when I got home from work but, I got a little done.

I could see the galvanic corrosion all around the brackets holding on the swim platform. So....

It had to go!!. I got out a flap disc for the grinder to clean the bulk of the mess off then finished with a wire wheel.
Take a look at some serious corrosion here. it had actually eaten a hole all the way through the stern.



I will cut out about a 3 foot x 11 foot section of stern and weld in new metal.
With my other boat I used 5052 aluminum for my bracket on the back of the boat. On this boat I have to use 5086
as this is the formulation Aluminum Cruisers Inc. used when building Marinettes as 5086 is more resistant to salt water.
Were I to use a different grade of aluminum I would run into the issue of dissimilar metals causing galvanic corrosion due to the different alloys in these 2 types of aluminum. 5086 is a lot more expensive than 5052 (Dammit) But, that's ok.. The wife pulled a big box of charts and a few other items from the cabin today as the clean up is beginning!!

[Supersport18]

Keep up the great work,and keep posting pics. Glad to see another one of these great boats restored instead of being scrapped.

[Rivetman]

Hi there! Welcome. I'm restoring a 73 28 FB Express. Currently on the hard in Atlanta. "The Downtown Tucker Engineered Lumber Yard Yacht Club and Reggae Bar"... making progress. Have fun, it is a wonderful boat!!!!!!

[Roger2]

Welzilla,
You said you went to a "wire wheel", I understand one should not use a " steel" brush on the Aluminum, only Stainless. I guess since you are replacing most it really doesn't mater.

Roger

[Fastjeff]

Right. The iron particles contaminate the weld.

Jeff

PS: After 50 year\es of not being able to weld aluminum, I finally got me an Eastwood MIG that has a spool gun. Works slick!