Interesting dory project

    Here's a boat that came to me for some work just recently.  I know, it isn't a wooden drift boat but it IS an historic dory that may be of interest to some who visit this site.

  This boat was used as a Surf rescue boat by the Long Beach, Ca.  Life Guard Service.  These boats were state of the art before jet skis.  This one is now owned by a former  Long Beach lifeguard and rowing enthusiast.  Back In The Day, he and a partner attempted to row a similar dory (haven't got the full story yet) from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas near the tip of Baja, Mx.  

   This fiberglass hull was laid up by the Schock boat company near Long Beach, probably in the late 1960s.   Somehow, almost 40yrs later, it is here in Lyle, Washington.   Still a gorgeous boat, a 'blast from the past'    

  It appears to be a Swamscott dory shape.   It has a double bottom for buoyancy and rather large scuppers to allow self-bailing.  It's 22' long and about 5'  beam at the sheer, quite narrow on the bottom, lots of flair ...There is, compared to a drift boat, very little bottom rocker, perhaps 6" bow to stern.  These boats are meant to have two rowers,

    He's done the gunwhales and set the oarlocks and built the thwarts but the bow and stern...that stumped him.

 

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Permalink Reply by Don Hanson on May 3, 2015 at 8:53am

Here's what he came to me with

Permalink Reply by Don Hanson on May 3, 2015 at 9:05am

Trying to improve the visual transom.  Fudging from nothing to something, from too high to too low, too short to round radii and use the wood from the owner....In the end, it looks just fine but I would have preferred to do it properly...alas...$200 for the whole job precluded me even thinking about that.  I did total my hours and I made around $5.75/hr. on this project...not counting my own materials added in...dang!...good thing I like boatwork.

Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on May 3, 2015 at 11:55am
DH

Nice work as usual. Thanks for sharing.
Permalink Reply by Don Hanson on May 3, 2015 at 2:33pm

Thanks, Fat Boy...  I thought the double bottom and the foot brace system might be something unusual and interesting, and the lapstrake build, adapted for a river dory, has often crossed my mind as a way to minimize internal framing and associated maintenance issues.

   Sorry I didn't get to the Big Boat Show in Vida this year ..I'd planned on it but this boat was in the way...As you may see in some of those pics, my shop is only large enough for one boat and when I have one inside, it takes up most of the room...nothing else can get done till the boat goes out....

  Hi to any of my buddies left in Wilson...DH.

Permalink Reply by Ants Uiga on May 3, 2015 at 8:46pm
Good job on an interesting challenge!

It seems as a lifeguard rescue boat, there was little time spent in travel or towing - with little strength needed at the bow. Between deciphering the original build and charting a path to the next life, a challenge at best. It seems you did well.

There is a fiberglass project in my yard waiting for similar inspiration and detailed repair steps.

Ants
Permalink Reply by Don Hanson on May 3, 2015 at 9:19pm

  I compliment the Shock boat guys who built that boat, they did an outstanding job.   For the most part, choppered gel coat molded boats are usually pretty poorly done, with a few exceptions like these particular dories.   They knew what they were doing and obviously took a lot of pride in doing everything as well as they could.    It probably didn't hurt the quality of the build that these surf boats were contracted for by the State, or the City of Long Beach...not sure which, but both would have paid top dollar. They got their money's worth...Schock Boats is still in business. DH

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