I have always been a huge fan of 80’s and 90’s vintage ski boats. I remember regularly seeing the same old ski boat on my hometown lake as a child. The owner the boat kept it super clean and in original condition. It had simple graphics on the side with a mid-engine, direct shaft drive, and a very low profile in the water. I would see it year after year growing up and loved everything about it. I of course knew very little about brands and types of boats at that age, but my dad knew exactly what it was; it was a Ski Nautique made by Correct Craft. This type of tournament ski boat is what slalom skiers typical own, as they have tons of towing power, and are very light and maneuverable which lends itself very aptly to skiing.
The boat
As fate would have it, last fall we stumbled across a seemingly fantastic deal for a vintage Ski Nautique. It was the 2nd model Ski Nautique ever made, and the smallest hull at only 17’ 6” length (plus the swim platform on the back) and about 6 ft wide. The power plant however is a 351 cubic inch V8 engine. From the pictures I could tell the interior was in rough shape from sitting in the rain and snow, but the exterior looked excellent. I really wanted this boat even if I had to put some time and money into restoring it.
When I contacted the seller, it was clear he was not ‘boat guy’ and had come to own the boat through the purchase of a cabin property. He told me he had dropped it off at a boat dealership to have serviced. It needed a couple things when he got it earlier in the year. The trailer received new tires the motor got a fresh 4-barrel carburetor. When I heard the effort that was already put into it, I decided the price was right, assuming I would need to put another $1000-$1500 into it for the interior, plus my time. So I made the deal and promptly started making a list of what it all needed. Mainly, it needed new floor and carpeting, upholstery would be a bonus. I made sure the stringers (think of them as the “bones” of the hull) were solid, to avoid a complete teardown of the boat was needed.
The restore
First things first, I needed to rip all the old carpet and rotten floor out. Before I could do this though, I had to unbolt and take out the three seats and engine cover. The floor was so rotted out the engine cover wasn’t actual bolted to anything anymore, so it lifted right out. As I was taking out the “hardware” holding the seats to the floor, I noticed they were almost completely rusted away. Typically, all hardware in marine application should be made of stainless steel to avoid rust and corrosion, but there was plenty of hardware that was not done correctly by a previous owner. As I was pulling things out of the boat, I was happier and happier that I was going through so much trouble to do a complete restore, as opposed to only fixing the floor as originally intended.
Once I got all the seats out of the way I took what was left of the rear floor out. As I was shoveling out the debris, I found I large chipmunk nest that was packed to the brim with acorns and other goodies. I filled my 2-gallon Shop Vac multiple times with dirt, debris, and wood particles. Once cleaned out I assessed what I would need to fix the floor. I would need to do some fiberglass work, as well as use a piece of treated plywood for the main rear floor. The last step I did as part of the cleanup was removal of the original carpet. It was only lightly glued on, so it came out really easy, but it was old and falling apart so it was dirty and nasty taking it out.
With the boat cleaned out and with more working space, I took this opportunity to test out and fix any electrical accessories that needed it. I went down the accessories on the dash, with only about a 50% success rate. The bilge pump and horns didn’t work, and when I tried out the blower it turned on but sounded like the pulse setting on a blender. When I tore the blower assembly apart, I found more remnants of chipmunks, with the blower hose packed to the brim with acorns. I cleaned it out and checked the blower off the list. The bilge pump wiring needed to be replaced at the pump, which was an easy fix. That just left the horns, for which the problem was in the horns themselves. To fix, I opened up the horns, and with some playing around with the little set screw in them, as well as adding some WD-40, I was able to get them operational again.
The existing plywood flooring was really damp, so as I worked on replacing the floor, I had a dehumidifier and fans running for several weeks. I wanted to keep the internal wood as dry as possible to avoid rot. To get the plywood to sit level and at the right height I needed to cut some tabs out of the adjoining floor, as well as needed two layers of plywood. Because I didn’t have any existing floor pieces to model this off, I had to take my best guess on what exactly it should look like. I added the port hole in the plywood pieces and moved on to fiberglass. I have worked with fiberglass enough to be dangerous, and honestly this part took no time at all, except for waiting for it to cure completely. I used extra plywood to make mounts on the left and right sides and used decking screws to get everything secure. The back wall of the boat that sits behind the bench seat was rotten on the bottom so that also got replaced with treated plywood.
Originally, I thought I could salvage most of the vinyl and upholstery on the seats because the only real bad spots were on the two front seats. I did a complete 180 on that thought as I tore further into the seats while taking them apart. I found the name of a local upholstery shop and called them up. There was a two-month lead time on the seat skins so in the meantime I got to work on rebuilding the seats. I cut new plywood for the seats wherever there were rotten boards and kept a pile of hardware that I knew I needed to replace. The foam of the seats was all in pretty amazing condition, especially considering the shape of some of the seat boards. I took a trip to the hardware store with my assortment of crusty hardware, and the employees helped me replace everything with brand new shiny stainless steel. There was only one piece that I couldn’t get at the hardware store. It was more of a specialty hinge, and luckily, I have a great friend that sourced an exact match for me.
After rebuilding the seats, things were nearing the finish line as I waited for the seat skins to be ready. I started on the exterior of the boat and trailer to freshen them up a little bit. The trailer got new carpet on the front bunks, and it was missing a guidepost on one side, so I took the remaining one to a metal shop near me to have a replica created. I then purchased padded guides to go on the posts, and as a bonus they even say the name of the boat on them! As for the outside of the boat itself, I decided I didn’t like the dingy rope that was in the bumper all the way around, so I replaced it with a nylon UV-treated winch rope this is blue in color, and in my opinion really makes the other colors pop. The teak was faded and dull, so I freshened it up by applying multiple coats of linseed oil over a couple weeks to allow to soak in. Linseed oil is recommended for teak and the difference it made is astounding. Lastly, I touched up any black in the lettering that was chipping with auto detail paint.
I was able to pick up the seat skins in March of this year, so I promptly got to work putting them on. My dad made his career out of car and boat upholstery, so he gave me some industry tips and tricks, as well as let me use his pneumatic stapler. The stapler definitely saved my hand some pain, as I imagine I put in well over 1000 staples total, which would’ve been a nightmare otherwise! I went with a different color scheme on the new seats, with much less blue, keeping it as an accent. I think this really modernized and cleaned up the look of the boat overall. I added 1-inch foam as I put on the covers and it was a lot of work and time, but with plenty of staples, hand cramps, and a few choice curse words, I was able to complete them. If I do say so myself, even though this was my first upholstery job I think it turned out great.
The Maiden voyage
Overall, I am so happy with how the boat turned out, and I am equally happy that I chose to put my blood, sweat, and tears into the restore. I estimate the total hours I spent on the boat was well over 80 hours, and I calculated a little under $1500 in materials to do the job. It will be so rewarding being able to go out on the lake for years to come and enjoy the initial effort I put into. I feel connected to the boat since I know it so well from the rebuild. The best part about this experience is, all that’s left now is to just enjoy the boat!
I did not know I needed a boat in my life but I certainly need one now! 😀
You did a great job on restoring this beauty. I had fun just following along and offering advice. It turned out great and brought back lots and lots of fun memories of my restoration projects of the last forty plus years! I can see your pride in your accomplishments on this project and the honor of owning something that you have put your energy into. It’s becoming a rare thing in life anymore. Well done son!