December 2003
Tail fin has been sanded, filled, sanded again, and primed.
Engine cowl being prepped for primer. Note area glassed over where exhaust and/or carb cutout was.


My restoration of the 1962 Lloyd 145 has begun. I just returned from a 2 week visit to my son’s home in Cortland, NY where we work on my project and his Karelsen. It’s unfortunate that he does not have an indoor facility to work on the boats, thus we are weather guided as to what can be accomplished.  However, some progress was made on the damage to the sponson tips (which was the major damaged area). On less than perfect weather days (and cold temps!) I was able to begin the teardown on a 144 c.i. Ford Falcon engine I acquired, as well as begin cleaning and polishing of some beautiful custom cast aluminum hardware that Charlie Lloyd made for this boat.

The dashboard was taken out, as well as the knee cushions inside the cockpit.

Boat was turned over and the sponson damage re-evaluated. Skins will have to be replaced, and one forward frame re-attached. Bottom is weathered, but not physically damaged. 
 



Bottom at stern has an aluminum plate which extends from ahead of the strut, to one inch beyond the trailing edge of the transom.  It is permanently attached to the aluminum plate covering the transom. The aluminum needs cleaning and polishing and new strut bolts.


Old plywood removed completley from sponsons and frames have been sanded and epoxyed.

New end pieces were epoxyed and screwed over existing  ends on both sponsons.
 
 

Skid fin bracket has been re-attached to sponson.
 

Using marine grade mahogany plywood for sponson sides and bottoms.
 
 

Sides and bottoms have been epoxyed, screwed, and nailed in place. 
They are rough finished as to edges, which will be finished next trip.
 

Sponsons have been closed in and varnished over to seal the wood. 
Will eventually be painted after edges are shaved down and bottom is finished.
 

The dashboard has been stripped, sanded, primed, and holes and gouges filled with epoxy. Ready for paint.
 
 

Lloyd cast aluminum motor mounts being cleaned & polished.
Charlie Lloyd stamped his identifying number in each cast part.
Next part is to loosen the screws in the bottom and see if I can pop it loose. If so, new epoxy will be squeezed in between the bottom and stringers to replace the dried out resorcinal glue used 40 years ago!

I have just returned from another junket to "The Boatyard in the Woods" (home of mcknightmare racing) in Cortland. Weather Gods don't like me at all!  Got a lot of sunshine, coupled with temperatures in the 40's and 50's. Anyway, got a fair amount of work done. The wood repair, replacement, strengthening jobs are almost all done. All that's left there is to turn her right side up again and strengthen the sponsons.


I finished the bottom work, including "popping" the bottom away from the stringers and injecting epoxy between them and the bottom to replace the dried out resorcinal glue from 40 years ago. Skip Gillam had told me of the strong possibility of losing the bottom due to dried out glue and non holding screws. I had loosened all 300 screws in the bottom prior to flipping her over, so that if the bottom popped, there would be some space created between the stringers and bottom. He had warned me not to be too physical with the hammer and 2x4, and if it would not pop, don't force it. In the long run, she popped 3 stringers wide on both sides, but not along the keel, chines, or transom. I also added several stainless steel screws to the bottom as additional support.

Also trimmed off the sponson sides and bottoms, and did a thorough coat of epoxy on the entire inside of the hull.


 

Built some new wood parts: 
cockpit floorboards, battery platform, tail fin supports, and a few smaller pieces. 
Still polishing aluminum and stainless steel hardware and feeling very good about the outcome.
Then rightside up and start putting hardware back on prior to decks....
 

We flipped her bottom side up again and wet sanded her down for a full coat of epoxy on the outside.

 
 

Then wet sand again and a primer coat of paint on the hull.
  

Finally, a first coat of a pretty sapphire blue on the hull,
to be followed next trip by wet sanding...
 

.....and a final spray coat of blue.
 

The picture would have me going right through the bottom!!

The restoration has been a labor of love and has "wiped" me!
At 64, I can't go as hard as the old days.

August 2004 - Just returned from the "Boatyard in the Woods" after a very successful effort on the Lloyd. Basically what was accomplished is this:  Hull wet sanded and final coat of blue sprayed on (my son, Keith, is very good at this) the bottom and sides; cowls and dash finished and sprayed. Rudder, new steering cables and hardware, new plumbing, and floatation installed. I'm a throwback to the 60s, so I went with auto inner tubes! We cut, shaped, and fitted the new decks. I chose to be a bit different with the coloring, so I applied a coat of cherry stain to the bare wood. With a couple of coats of varnish, and an accent color of yellow nearby, it looks pretty nice. I built new floor boards for the cockpit and a new battery platform ahead of the new gas tank up front. Seat is in, pillow block/thrust bearing, and cowls are mounted. Gas tank is not in yet. That will wait until Spring, as I am out of time and way over budget for 2004! We placed the boat on her trailer (a project for the Spring also) and rented space in a garage for the winter.

Keith sprays final coat

Spraying cowls and dash

Interlux Brightside "Sapphire Blue"

Aug 04, 2004 - Ready for Decks

New decks cut and fit

Cherry stain for color
 

New floorboards

Z Spar varnish and accent yellow
 

Looking Good!
 

Tired & broke, but one proud owner!

Greetings from "mcknightmare racing" at the Boatyard in the Woods. 
Progress is progress, regardless of how long it is taking.
Hope to be finished in the Spring of 2006 and get to some events!
Bill & Keith McKnight 
a/k/a/ mcknightmare racing

The following are a few pictures from the September 2005 work trip

 
 

yours truly - 1969 Thanks for visiting my restoration page of my Charles Lloyd built 145 ci class hydroplane.


© Bill McKnight