Marinette Boat Forum

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

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,

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

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.

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!!

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

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!!!!!!

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

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!