Hi, I went through this with my Sea Commander. My daughter bought it for me approx 5 years ago for $4 from a tip shop. Similar condition to yours with bad delamination in the keel and the timbers alongside the cabin.

She soaked up water through the keel. Many hours work later she was on the water with a 750 motor and gel battery. Quite a turn of speed.

She now has lith battery and brushless motor. First build and a great boat.

Sounds about the same time mine was 1970 Sea Queen which was fitted to the boat. When I emigrated to SA it was sold.

I got a Sea Commander in 1974, I was 14 then, and my father helped me build it.
Unfortunately I didn’t complete it and it was put away. Now is a good time to complete it and I am getting all R/C equipment and fittings together to complete it.

A little more stripping (paint that is, not an after hours passtime!) done.
Most of the blue paint now removed, just a few more areas that need some more work. As I said previously, the area around the stern tube that was previously thought to be fibreglass, turned out to be body filler, so still chipping away at that to get it all removed.
After I have finished getting all of the paint and filler off, i can resin the keel and around the stern tube to make sure that they are water tight. Then it's sand and seal the hull, ready for primer.
At least, I think that's the plan 🤔

Will

Aye Aye Chief. Will do 👍
😎

Keep an eye on that well known auction site Doug, TLC does come up now and then 😀

Will

"... in need of some TLC that I bought recently."
Hi Will,
Where do you buy your TLC?
I could use summa dat 😁😉
Happy renovating 👍
Cheers, Doug 😎

Dat's wot I tort Ian 👍
😎

Hi Doug,
Most Aerokit Boats were designed for a Diesel
Sea Commander was 2.5cc Sea Queen 7.5-10cc
The Sea Queen ran well with a Taplin Twin
My current clubs do not allow IC Engines at all
Cheers
Ian

It is certainly a good story - even if it is not true - I really like it!

"never let the truth get in the way of a good story" is an adage that is always worth remembering 🤣

Stay safe!

Bob.

Hi Doug,
Glad to see the humour!
This is the story I got on Aerokits when I was a teenager.
The original Aerokits company was of course Les Rowell and G Percival, they decided to name them Aerokits because of the aero ply used in construction. Where as KeilKraft boats were Balsa.
I don't know whether the story is correct or not.

Hi Will, That's exactly what we thought. This one is almost finished, we have had several day trips and it won't be long before we'll be able to do nights away. We bought a Chinese diesel heater this week which should warm things up nicely. It will run off a separate tank for heating oil. The conversion has taken about six months, but if we'd bought a library, it would still be going , unless we had bought one we saw which was virtually ready to use, right down to a woodburner, trouble was it was almost double what we could afford. Clocks go back next week, any luck, they'll lift travel restrictions soon and we'll be off as much as we can. And yes, for Doug's benefit, I'll be able to make sausage rolls on board.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Ian,
Glad you're back home and can 'stoke up' again 👍
"have noticed that I have 2 places for the SLA Battery. 1 forward of the motor and 1 under the cockpit floor. Will put it in the water next month to see where the battery should go (If I remember rightly it should go under the cockpit floor Same as my Aerokits Sea Queen)
I want to keep it as original as possible due to it being a genuine Aerokits Boat."
Weren't the Aerokits boats designed for IC engines back then?
So where the SLA battery, presumably for the motor, goes now has little or no relevance to 'authenticity'?
Surely more important will be balance and trim. Probably as far aft as you can get will be best if you want to go planing.
In my Sea Scout (the Commander's baby bruv) I have a 3S 3Ah LiPo mounted athwart-ships just abaft midships feeding a 2830 1000kV brushless. She planes well, even if not intended to 😁 Post some pics of your Commander some time 👍
Cheers, Doug 😎
BTW I always wondered why the boats were from Aerokits and not Oceanokits or Marekits.😉
S'Pose some folks might have wondered what female horses had to do with boats! 😮

"we really wanted a mobile library to convert"
Nah! That wooda bin a No Go Nerys!
Uda spent so much time reading u'd never have got any sausage rolls 😋 done! ☹️
😁😎

Enjoying yourself is the important part. Sounds like you did the right thing in buying what you have, so that you can get out and about making the best of life. Good on you I say. Yes, you could have held out for what you originally wanted, but how long before you found the right one. At least with the LT, you've hopefully been able to get out and about, plus spend the odd night away.

Building a 43 foot schooner, that's no mean feat, fair play.

Model boats are definitely an easier way of getting your sailing/boating fix. Easier to handle and easier to keep on top of too compared to the real thing.

Will

Hi Will,
That's a nice van to be converting, ours suffers from being too narrow to put the bed across the back, So we have
two beds on one side and the kitchen etc on the other. we really wanted a mobile library to convert, but kept missing out on them, or they became too expensive. So we bought this so that we could get on with it quickly, my health is not such that I have years left and I still felt there was a bit of camping left in me.

I have sailed everything from Mirror dinghies to Thames Barges, owning boats most of my life. The last boat of any size I had was a 43ft schooner that I built in the early eighties. My last, sold about six years ago when I became too immobile, was a Tideway 10 lug rigged dinghy.

Modelling is the best alternative to real boats that I have found.

Cheers, Nerys

Hiya Nerys, yes indeed, many of the older motor cruisers do look so good on the water in my opinion and they just really appeal to me. I enjoy wind power too, both full size and scale. Sailing is something that I really enjoy.
We used to go out sailing regularly with my parents, but due to his health, my Dad hasn't had the boat (Fisher 30) on the water for the last few years. They used to have a gorgeous Sovereign Match, 30' and a fantastic boat to sail. The Fisher is a compromise as in keeps my Dad on the water (when he can) but without the upkeep of a wooden boat.
I've got a Laser which I use from time to time.
My Uncle found a bare model yacht hull on a bonfire awaiting it's fate years ago. He gave it to my Dad who fitted a deck, etc, worked out mast and sail sizes, then made and bought them.
It's about a meter long, individually planked hull and it used to sail really nicely. My Uncle had it back a few years ago and it's not been used since.
I will find out what he plans on doing with it sometime and if nothing, will try and get hold of it.
Your van is the early Sprinter style I'm guessing.
Ours is a 2014 Peugeot Boxer. Quite a big van, but nice and wide, so we've got the bed across the van, giving the rest of the van as useable space. Still got lots to do, but plodding through it slowly, taking my time and trying to keep the number of mistakes to a minimum.

Will

Hi Will, thanks for the low down on your fleet. My main interest is sail, but I do have a Sea Commander, I think it was about the third boat I built, liked her very much, looks good , excellent performance. I can appreciate your liking for boats of this type, always look good on the water.
Interesting that you too are converting a van to a camper. Ours is a Lwb VW LT35, the old version 1996 to 2006. Most of the woodwork has been completed apart from varnishing, but there is still a lot of sorting out of the electrics to do. It was a disabled children's school transport. We bought it because it had a wheelchair lift in the back which I need.

Cheers, Nerys

Ian, they're a nice looking boat and a nice size the Sea Commander aren't they.
I look forward to getting this one finished, but have a long way to go yet.

Will

Hi All,
Also have a genuine Aerokits Sea Commander that is in very good condition. Only the hull sides need repainting and it needs a genuine tidy up inside I have replaced the motor mount so far but have noticed that I have 2 places for the SLA Battery. 1 forward of the motor and 1 under the cockpit floor. Will put it in the water next month to see where the battery should go (If I remember rightly it should go under the cockpit floor Same as my Aerokits Sea Queen)
I want to keep it as original as possible due to it being a genuine Aerokits Boat.😀😀

Morning Nerys, by all means you can ask.
Classic motor cruisers are the ones that appeal to me the most. My Uncle had a couple of Faireys, an aft cabin Huntsman 31 and a Swordsman 33, the one in my profile picture, so Faireys especially appeal to me.

How many do I have now: uh, nine all together 🤔
When will you see one on the water: Time and other jobs are my enemy, so to be honest, heaven knows. I am in the middle of a camper van conversion for myself and my wife, so that is taking precedence over other things.
Plus even with COVID19 lockdowns, with being an emergency services worker, I have been working all of the way through, so haven't even had that extra time to spend on my boats
I am trying to concentrate on the better of the two Sea Commanders I have, plus now and then, doing the odd job on the Sea Queen.

All of my boats were bought in need of some work/repair/rebuilding.
To be honest, they'll take as long as they take.
They will all get done, eventually.

Will

Just me being nosey. You are always telling us about boats that you have acquired that need rebuilding, or doing up, and they all appear to be Sea Comanders, Fairey Huntsman and other fast motor cruisers of this ilk. May I ask how many you have and when we are going to see one afloat and running.

Cheers, Nerys

So, the laborious job of paint stripping has been started 😫
The wood work seems pretty good under there and what was thought to be a load of fibreglass around the propshaft where it passes through the keel turned out to be bodyfiller, just a real rough job.
The question is, do I use bodyfiller again or epoxy around this area?
What are your thoughts on this folks?

Will

I think I had three attempts at rebuilding mine. So I guess about 2 years plus between moving house, etc. But it was worth it and a good feeling when I 'wet it's bottom' and it did not sink.

That was my first attempt at rc boat building - the saga continues.

Peterd, a couple of months! Have you seen the speed I work. 😆

Seriously though, thank you.
It will take as long as it takes, but hopefully I'll wet it's bottom at some point this year.
The number of boats I own increased very quickly from the end of this year, all of them need work of some description.
I will get there eventually though 😁

Will

It looks like you are doing well. Another couple of months and hopefully it will see the water once again. Mine had similar delamination so I took the shortcut of cutting back on the bulkheads and laminating new bulkheads in place. Probably a cheats way but it worked well. I resealed the hull from the outside with glass several times - each time i did it it did not seem to work. Water seeped in somehow and the keel below the motor kept on expanding with moisture.

To cut a long story short, all good now and enjoying the fact that I actually did the job. I have just started another build from scratch. This time a 1/4 scale Crandall Flyer, which is a 1935 vintage single stepped hydroplane. I will be posting images, but that under a different heading.

Life is interesting.

Cheers Colin.
Progress just seems a little slow sometimes, that's all.

I'll get there in the end.

knowing I've saved one from whatever future it had is partly my motivation. That and the thoughts of seeing it on the water of course.

Thanks
Will

Thanks Martin, I'm getting there slowly.

Will

Good evening Will.
Sounds like you are progressing quite well, your boundless patience will pay off in the end.
Cheers Colin.

Keep going Will.
You seem to be winning.

Martin555.

Yet again, not very much more done 😌

I found some clamps with suitable depth jaws, so some more gluing done and the re-bonding of the delaminated bulkheads is making a little more progress with each attempt. One more area that's still slightly bulging on bulkhead #3 to have another go at and then that bulkhead is finished.

Then, I have then same to attack on bulkhead #4 which is bulging near the bottom where it meets the hull.

After that, I have a load of epoxy-ing to do, all along the keel length (along it's sides between keel and hull plus all along, to seal the keel laminations), the bulkheads to hull bottom and sides join.

Then it's move onto the under sides and removing the filler on the keel to see what it's hiding.

No pictures to go with any of this I'm afraid.


Will

Bob, I'm not worrying too much yet, about what may or may not be hiding under that filler.
I'll tackle that, whatever it is, when it comes to it.
Fingers crossed it's nothing too bad though.

Will

I think the bows may be a bigger problem Will, so when you have sanded those blobs of filler off, let's take a look to see what is lurking underneath!
Bob.

Glad the method is working for you Will.

I have used this method many times during my various restorations , so when I suggested it to you I knew it would work.

Nice job - Bob.

Thank you Martin/Colin, much appreciated.

Will

Will, there aren't any silly questions if it's relevant to what you are doing.
So keep asking, cheers Colin.

Hi Will,
Don't worry about asking questions, that is what we are here for to help our members.

Martin555.

That's very kind of you to say Colin.
This sort of work is all very new to me, so I am learning as I'm going along.
Funnily enough, I find this job less daunting compared to the work needed on the Sea Rover that I have rescued, which although solid enough, has damaged cabin sides that both need replacing and previously had a total of three propshafts fitted. Due to the construction of these Aerokits models, I'm reluctant to attempt replacement of bulkheads and in the case of the Sea Rover, total cabin side replacement. Hence why I decided upon attempting to rebond the laminations on this one, the Sea Commander and I am only replacing the cabin sides down to deck level on the Sea Rover. I do have the plans for both of these boats now, so maybe in the future, I will do a proper replacement of these areas, it all depends how pleased I am with how these jobs turn out the way I am tackling them.

Thank you folks for your encouragement, it is appreciated and I will try not to be a pain in the ass asking too many silly questions.

Will

Hi Will, your patience with this model is great and you are making it solid once more, I've rescued some bad ones in the past but I think this one I would have binned.
More power to your elbow shipmate, your making headway, keep it up.
Cheers Colin.

Hi Nerys,
Yes, it does look like it was originally built to quite a decent standard.

I agree, ideally I would have liked to replace the bulkheads and keel, but my skills aren't up to tackling something that in depth yet.
Basically, I chickened out and took the easiest option.
I haven't had a model boat on the water since the 80's, so I'm looking forward to getting this and my others sorted, so that I can have some fun using them.
My parents live near the river and a small inlet on the Cleddau river in Pembrokeshire, so that is where I always used to use my Perkasa.
I haven't really decided where I will use the boats now, but there are a few rivers and ponds within a sensible distance to where I live in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, so I have a few options.
The local club tend to use Milford Haven Marina, so no doubt I will join the club at some point when I have at least one useable boat.

Will

Your Sea Commander looks to be quite a well finished boat, it's a pity she has these problems with delaminating bulkheads. Pity you couldn't replace them rather than just inject jungle juice into them ,though I do not doubt you are doing the most practical thing. Be nice to see her on the water when all these restrictions are lifted. Where is your nearest suitable stretch of water?

Nerys

Well, last nights glue injection into the laminations seems to have improved bulkhead no3 a bit more, so we're heading the right direction, albeit slowly.
I attacked it again this evening, with the syringe and a long needle, before getting more clamps and anything I could find that kept pressure on the worst remaining bulging area on that bulkhead.
So, we'll see what it looks like tomorrow after work.

Will

Well, I've managed to make a little progress towards making things solid again and sorting the delamination of the bulkheads and keel.
I found that jigsaw blades were just the right length and shape when it came to clamping the keel section in between the bulkheads.
I still have more work to do on the two bulkheads further aft. But, I'm making progress, albeit slowly.

Will