Gemini boat buying and having a lift built for it

[videorov]

What year did they start making the crankup keels fiberglass with no wood in them.
Have the rudders always been made of all fiberglass?
Can older Gems be retrofit with the new all fiberglass
crankup keels and rudders if they had wood in the past?
The Gemini looks good for what I want to do, island hopping and skinny water exploring, run up on the beach and a little overnight fishing offshore.

I have property out on a island near Boca Grande, Florida and will put in
a boat lift for it. I wonder what the best lift and best way to have the dock built for lifting the boat.

I would also want a full cover to put over it aswell like I do my 23ft
Center console fishing cat with twin 150s I have now. I guess I can have my canvas man design one for it to even cover the side of the hulls like I do my power cat on the trailer and have had it on a lift in the past.

I like to keep all fiberglass out of the sun so it stays like new, shinny.
Not sure of all the changes made over the years but I want one that has never been bottom painted so it will be slick and will stay on the lift to keep it that way. Thats why my boats gelcoat is like new.

[Southern Star]

Videorov, not sure when they went to fiberglass boards and rudders, but I suspect that it was prior to the 105 model. Now, as for finding one which has never had anti-fouling on the bottom, I suspect that will be a bit more difficult.

Brad

[smj]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

Videorov, not sure when they went to fiberglass boards and rudders, but I suspect that it was prior to the 105 model. Now, as for finding one which has never had anti-fouling on the bottom, I suspect that will be a bit more difficult.

Brad

And to find a used Gemini with gelcoat that looks like new? Next to impossible!

[Waterway Guide]

As for the lift, we have a 16,000 lb overhead lift that's about 16' wide, and I built 2'x4' "platforms" at the lift points to distribute the weight a little and eliminate the risk of hull deformation that I've seen on some Gems kept on lifts. It's worked well so far. I have a 2005 105Mc bought new, and kept on lift when we're not cruising. The gelcoat is another story altogether.

[videorov]

Originally Posted by Waterway Guide

As for the lift, we have a 16,000 lb overhead lift that's about 16' wide, and I built 2'x4' "platforms" at the lift points to distribute the weight a little and eliminate the risk of hull deformation that I've seen on some Gems kept on lifts. It's worked well so far. I have a 2005 105Mc bought new, and kept on lift when we're not cruising. The gelcoat is another story altogether.

Sound good about your lift. Sounds like their hulls might not be that thick.
I keep a Power Catamaran fishing boat on a lift with two engines and its
30ft and all I had to do was put some rubber matter material on the aluminum cross beam. The hull hold it with no problems.

Where have you seen deformation in the hull of someones Gemini on their lift, must be a weak hull.

What about the gelcoat that you don't like since you bought it new.
I would have a full cover made for mine like I have on my cat fishing boat so it stays like new. The sun does damage to all fiberglass and I don't like to polish all the time so I keep things under cover even the sides of the boat.
What wrong with their gelcoat?
If I find one without the bottom paint it will stay that way.

[Dulcesuenos]

Have you ever seen an older gemini in person? If appealing looking gelcoat or fiberglass is what you want your looking at the wrong boat. They have the worse cracking crazing gel coat issues of any boat made

[Waterway Guide]

The deformation is usually very slight, but noticeable, right at the pressure point which is at the aft bulkhead (front of the aft bunks), but sometimes pushing the bulkhead up. Might be hard to notice if the boat's in the water. The key, too, is to not overload the boat when using a lift....we try to keep the water tanks and fuel tanks light.

As for the gelcoat, theories are abound as to why it spider-cracks so much. The most popular reason is that they coat the boats by hand in the factory trying to keep them as light as possible. Religious waxing/sealing probably helps...covering might as well. Using certain rust-away type products will make the spider cracks less noticeable...for a little while.

It's a great cruiser, though, despite its few foibles.