1981 56 wide body refit

[billwilletts]

Thought some of you would be interested in the refithttps://youtu.be/xlBw8TGlPdA

 

[edward]

Great video! Great looking boat ! Congrats great job . Regards,Edward

 

[Chasemmc]

Bill,
Great video and quite an encouragement.

I have a 1981 56 Hull #320. My dock mate up here in Chattanooga three slips down also has a 56. Bought the boat for the same reasons you did, walk around engine room, headroom for a 6'-4" person, extra beam. So now we know where three of the are. I love the boat, even though she is a fat girl.

We have been vacationing on Bald Head for the past 20 years and hope to tie up there when we are out cruising in about 2 years.

I am just starting out on the refit project even though you started later than I did. We had some financial set backs that put everything on hold, however, I don't give a crap anymore, damn the torpedoes full speed ahead.

I had to take out the WD with a Sawz All, what a job...... Replacing with two separate units. That project takes shape next week.

One question: I was planning on adding another step from the helm to the galley by starting them earlier adding a tread. Want to lower the riser in each step and increase the width a little so my knees don't crap out. This would be right next to the electrical breaker panel by the pilot house amidship door. Looking up in the hole created by the WD I can't see where the wires enter the panel. Did you figure that out?

My naids worked for about 3 days and then pooped out. I'll wait until I get the boat up to NC where they are headquartered before having them worked on.

I am curious on the gauge refit. What brand did you use? Did you replace the sensors at the same time?

My alarm panel is toast. Did you have to replace yours? If so, by whom?

Regarding all the electronics, don't really need much here on the lake so was planning on having Scott, on the forum, do all that work when I can get the boat up in his area.

Well, thanks for the inspiration

 

[davidwigler]

I feel dumb but I can’t get the link to work.

 

[davidwigler]

I need a complete gauge and sender refit.

 

[Scarlett]

David, don’t fell bad I can’t get it to either. John

 

[SEVEN]

I need a complete gauge and sender refit.

I can’t get it either

 

[oscarvan]

Google this: youtu.be/xlBw8TGlPdA

It shows up.

 

[billwilletts]

Sorry it was my mistake on the video. Try this

https://youtu.be/xlBw8TGlPdA

 

[billwilletts]

Mark - I can only answer for myself on this. Some of the other guys may have different opinions. Changing the steps might be a challenge. I have had mine apart as well as the WD and they have used the space well. You might be able to widen each step (make them deeper) but I think it would be a major thing to rebuild them. I am not a carpenter so that is my 2 cents.

Gauges - I used SW classic style which are almost identical to the AC Delco gauges and yes I replaced all the senders as well. You must do that. I think i spent less that 2k on the whole systems.

I also had to have the systems monitor rebuilt. I also replaced all those senders as well as they were all original. This is a pretty important system. I would fix it before I replaced gauges. As far as I know there is only ONE person in the world that can rebuild these and he does great work. Les Henderson in FL. 954-663-5732. When he stops working we will all be in trouble!

Naiad - this was a huge pain. It took me a year or replacing stuff. I took it to Wilmington Marine Center to haul out and drop the fins. We replaced the seals, bearings and had one piece manufactured there. They did a great job. The rest was trial and error. I replaced all the lines next. Still didn't work. Sent the gyro off to be rebuilt (800) and they came to life but didn't work properly. SMS in Wilmington has a Naiad guy and he came and removed both actuators and cleaned them and put them back in and it all works now. So you can get all the done here in Wilmington as well.

 

[Chasemmc]

Thanks Bill I'm going to do some exploring tomorrow and will take pix of what i find

 

[riverrandy]

This is a great thread and story. Thank you for posting it for us. I was very interested as I had made an offer on a 56 Wide Body that the broker sort of messed me over on. (always about the dollar). Anyway I am very happy with what I wound up with. I would like to know a few things. If you don't mind, what is the flooring you used? the other is about the alarm system, but I will go to your guy in Florida. Mine is ok, but I have the desire to understand it inside and out.

Lets hear it for our Fat Bottomed Girls...they make the Rockin' world go 'round! (unless you fixed the stabilizers)

 

[billwilletts]

Thanks Randy. I used LVP luxury vinyl plank.

 

[trogers]

Bill,
Great video and quite an encouragement.

I have a 1981 56 Hull #320. My dock mate up here in Chattanooga three slips down also has a 56. Bought the boat for the same reasons you did, walk around engine room, headroom for a 6'-4" person, extra beam. So now we know where three of the are. I love the boat, even though she is a fat girl.

We have been vacationing on Bald Head for the past 20 years and hope to tie up there when we are out cruising in about 2 years.

I am just starting out on the refit project even though you started later than I did. We had some financial set backs that put everything on hold, however, I don't give a crap anymore, damn the torpedoes full speed ahead.

I had to take out the WD with a Sawz All, what a job...... Replacing with two separate units. That project takes shape next week.

One question: I was planning on adding another step from the helm to the galley by starting them earlier adding a tread. Want to lower the riser in each step and increase the width a little so my knees don't crap out. This would be right next to the electrical breaker panel by the pilot house amidship door. Looking up in the hole created by the WD I can't see where the wires enter the panel. Did you figure that out?

My naids worked for about 3 days and then pooped out. I'll wait until I get the boat up to NC where they are headquartered before having them worked on.

I am curious on the gauge refit. What brand did you use? Did you replace the sensors at the same time?

My alarm panel is toast. Did you have to replace yours? If so, by whom?

Regarding all the electronics, don't really need much here on the lake so was planning on having Scott, on the forum, do all that work when I can get the boat up in his area.

Well, thanks for the inspiration

Please reach out when opportunity permits. I have hull #13 and am eager to shamelessly plagiarize all of your good ideas in exchange for cautionary tales on how my ill advised efforts matured into minor crises.

v/r
Timothy

 

[Scarlett]

Hey Bill, saw your video, only question I have is did you copy my cabinets or did I copy yours. Looks really good and I know how handy that hatch in the galley overhead is, I put one in also and took 2 generators out through it. Your varnish also looks fantastic. John

 

[MV Mystery]

Very impressive and inspiring refit, especially inside the engine room! I have a 1989- 58’ Cheoy Lee motor yacht of similar layout but smaller aft deck. (I am in Trinidad- where the steel drum was invented! ) happy boating, restoring and pan-playing!

 

[edward]

Did you varnish your interior or was it already done . What did you use to clean the engine rooms?

 

[billwilletts]

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. The finish was done with a spar urethane.

Engine rooms were scrubbed from floor to ceiling with a degreaser called Awesome which you can get just about everywhere. Works as good as the expensive ones for only dollars.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Really beautiful boat. VERY impressive refit- very complete.

 

[edward]

How long does it take for you to get to the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge from your downtown Wilmington berth ? Regards , Edward