Introduction:

1. Introduction 2. History 3. Before Pics 4. The Damage 4. Square One 5. Grind, Grind, Grind! 6. New Stringers 7. New Bulkheads 8. The Cockpit Floor

Sometimes I think I don't have any common sense at all! If I did, why would I have begun a major boat restoration project right at the same time I'm expecting my first child?

Call me a crazy, nostalgic fool but I just couldn't resist the temptation of reviving a piece of flats fishing history to its original glory. Some things are just too classic to let them die and fade away.

This is the journal of my effort to restore an old Challenger flats boat into something special for myself and my son. Hopefully when she's finished we'll be able to build a lifetime of memories together the way my parents and I did when I was young.

I'm not going to dive into too much technical detail with this journal. It would take far too much time to list every little nuance that goes in to restoring a boat. If you are thirsting for more specific info on the "how to" and materials you absolutely have to buy the West System Fiberglass & Boat Repair manual. You can pick it up online or at a variety of boat stores including West Marine. It is the best resource I could have ever bought and made my project an enjoyable learning experience.

Special thanks goes out to all the people who have helped me along the way including Capt. Karl who got me started and pointed me in the right direction. Karl was always willing to let me pick his brain and shared a great deal of information from his many years of boat building expertise.

Be careful! You might not want to read or look at any of the above links if you are easily swayed into starting foolish projects that make no financial sense. Chances are you'll end up sitting in inches of grinder dust!

History...