Three Wooden Boat restoration questions

B

bluey

Seaman
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
70
G'day Everyone,

Subject to survey, I am about to purchase a 23' wooden boat which is powered by a 4 cylinder Diesel engine. The boat is 1950's vintage and the hull, deck and Cabin/cockpit area are all constructed with Marine Ply.

I intend to have the boat put on blocks in my backyard so that I can work on it. Apart from stripping/sanding the hull and repainting the restoration will involve replacing the entire deck area and cabin. This will be my first project boat and as I intend to make some changes to the cabin size and it's interior I am going to need advice on a few things before I even buy the boat.

1. Could someone tell me if it is ok to take a plywood boat out of the water for whatever length of time it will take me to restore it. Is it damaging to the plywood to let it dry out?

2. I am told the boat has a 3" wide keel and that I will have to keep it wet when I work on the boat. To achieve this I was told that I should keep a couple of inches of water in the bilge and this will keep it wet. Does this sound like good advice?

3. When replacing a cabin/cockpit on a boat how do you know if what you are building is not to heavy for the boat and if it is in the right position? What I mean is - if the new cabin is built using a heavier timber or if it is built:confused: too far forward or aft then would this not upset the balance of the boat and how it sits in the water? If so how do you determine the correct dimensions and position?

Any advice on these matters will be much appreciated.
 
B

bluey

Seaman
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
70
Re: Three Wooden Boat restoration questions

Hi jonesg,

Ah, thanks but no thanks. I kinda like the idea of restoring an old boat to give it a new lease on life, so to speak.

Cheers,
bluey.
 
G

ghamby

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 3, 2009
Messages
193
Re: Three Wooden Boat restoration questions

I won't hurt plywood to stay out of the water. You are going to need it dry to
sand and seal it.
Is the keel made from plywood or planks? post us some pics.The reason for keeping a wooden boat wet is to keep the planks swollen so the seams stay tight.
As for the design and construction specs. hit the books. Read every thing you
can find on plywood boat building. Look at all the plans from Glen-l and Clarke Craft that resemble your boat. Wooden Boat Magazine is a great resource and
inspiration.
Post some pics. This will generate a great response here. Good Luck, GH
 
Yacht Dr.

Yacht Dr.

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
5,581
Re: Three Wooden Boat restoration questions

bluey said:
G'day Everyone,

Subject to survey, I am about to purchase a 23' wooden boat which is powered by a 4 cylinder Diesel engine. The boat is 1950's vintage and the hull, deck and Cabin/cockpit area are all constructed with Marine Ply.

I intend to have the boat put on blocks in my backyard so that I can work on it. Apart from stripping/sanding the hull and repainting the restoration will involve replacing the entire deck area and cabin. This will be my first project boat and as I intend to make some changes to the cabin size and it's interior I am going to need advice on a few things before I even buy the boat.

1. Could someone tell me if it is ok to take a plywood boat out of the water for whatever length of time it will take me to restore it. Is it damaging to the plywood to let it dry out?

2. I am told the boat has a 3" wide keel and that I will have to keep it wet when I work on the boat. To achieve this I was told that I should keep a couple of inches of water in the bilge and this will keep it wet. Does this sound like good advice?

3. When replacing a cabin/cockpit on a boat how do you know if what you are building is not to heavy for the boat and if it is in the right position? What I mean is - if the new cabin is built using a heavier timber or if it is built:confused: too far forward or aft then would this not upset the balance of the boat and how it sits in the water? If so how do you determine the correct dimensions and position?

Any advice on these matters will be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Hello Blue..

A few questions..and possible suggestions..

What D engine does it have ?

1. Do you know the Plywood construction ? mahog or doug or ... ? I would think that its fine to keep it out of the water for extended periods of time.

2. Does it Freeze in your neck of the woods ? keeping water in the bilge does not sound good in freezing weather..I would be shy to say keeping Any water in the bilge ( Floating or on the hard ) is a good idea.

3. The Idea of replacement/mods or repairs is concern to every boat builder/owner/repair. Its difficult to say if your boat allready had a lean/lisp then subtracting material and adding more weight for replacement could cause problems. Knowing the correct waterline before the reconstruction will help to guage what and where your added or subtracted weight should be ( In fiberglass repair there is allways the " resin to weight ratio " meaning you can repair a hole..but are you adding too much creating more weight on the repair side..therfore leaning the boat.

So to answer 3 correctly would require a survey of the current state of balance .. ( but yes If you add more up front or aft or beam it will affect the balance..will it help or harm is the question here ).

Also .. All wood boats Should be Blocked or Shored with Adjustable stands if extended stays out of the water is needed ( so you can re-adjust as the weather changes.. this is very important for larger mohog boats such as Chris Crafts etc. ).

And Also you May or may not need to set it in the water with support for swelling time when you are ready to put it back in the water for the next season( although I dont know the complete construction of your boat its a thing to keep in mind ).

Ill talk to the wooden boat guru monday and get his input..

YD.
 
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