Just another run of the mill meranti boat

Boat is coming along nice. I got bored this afternoon and decided to varnish the exterior. Looks pretty nice.

I put the bottom on over the weekend. Bottom is 1/2" Marine Fir. Sides are Meranti. I have confidence in fir on my floors of my other boats. This will be my first Meranti boat. I'm still on the fence about it, but we'll see. It sure looks nice.

I Couldn't decide on a bottom treatment. I'm halfway between putting on a full length 1/4" plywood sacrificial shoe or doing another glass bottom boat.

Can't commit to either one fully yet. I've done glass on previous boats, and love the slickness, but hate the impact fractures. The floor on my 16' boat is pretty banged up. What happens is when you take a hit, the glass bottom is so tough and stiff that the energy gets transferred to the inside top ply. This sometimes cracks and busts up. Usually happens right under the front seat, so you, as the rower gets full view of this!

I know, become a better rower and don't take those hits!

I haven't had a skid shoe boat but I imagine it isn't too slick, but can take the beating before my inner floor gets all cracked up. Once it gets bad, It can easily be replaced. I am not worried about rot as I always store my boats dry and inside a garage.

I spoke to my dear friend Roger this evening over a long overdue phone call, we had a good discussion about boat bottom treatments. After our talk, I'm leaning towards the skid shoe.

Let me sleep on it.

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Permalink Reply by Herb Jacobsen on March 24, 2009 at 8:04pm
Hits under the passenger seat are the norm. The only way you can overcome them is to put a doubler on the inside between the ribs. I have used 1/4" and epxoied and screwed it to the bottom. Even then you are going to get some crunching. It is the nature of the beast, the hits transfer the energy all the way through. Another thing was to put a doubler on the ribs. Keith Steele used to build his boats for Middle Fork of the Salmon that way. There was no way you were going to miss rocks over there.

I have used UHMW and plywood shoes. The best was what Keith Steele used to put on his boats, somethng called Formply or Finply. Birch plywood with epoxy binding it together. It held up well and took some pretty good hits.

I used to think being a better boatman would alleviate the hits. It ain't so, sometimes you dodge 3 to hit 2.... Just the way it is.....

Herb
Permalink Reply by Jason Knight on March 25, 2009 at 5:24am
Nice looking hull Dave. This makes me want to varnish my boat now... thanks a lot. ; )
Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on March 25, 2009 at 6:11am
Dave,

Very nice looking panels on that boat and the sanded nail heads are a nice addition to the look. I hear you about the bottom problems. See Brads post about glassing the interior bottom. The sound of splintering ply wood is not a happy sound. I have heard it to often myself. Here are a couple of thoughts. We have had success repairing fractured bottoms by laying kevlar or s-glass between the frames. You need to remove the oiled top ply with a router and chisel to find dry wood when making a repair on an oiled interior. On a new boat it is much easier. The impact area under the passenger seat, between frames 6 thru 9, is the main concern. We have done this on several boats and it has worked for us.

Using the old style sacraficial shoe is another solution. We have not tried this but historically it works. I have often thought of covering 1/4" shoe with heavy glass/epoxy/graphite, bedding it with 101 and screwing it on.

Whatever you decide to do keep us posted. Thanks for your kind words on our restoration.
Permalink Reply by Dave Z on March 25, 2009 at 9:15am
AJ,

couple things-


First off, thanks for your insight, expertise and willingness to share your experiences with wood boats. Please stick around this forum. Whether you know it or not, I learned alot from reading your posts over the last 5-6 years both here and on Sandys' forum.

I've found the nail heads can be brightened up without sanding by rubbing them with mineral spirits. pre-varnish, I vac'd the hull off, then rubbed it down with a lint-free cloth damp with mineral spirits. The nail heads turned bright. Its a nice look. The varnish is 1015 Captains, not thinned or altered. You may know form my other posts I have been toying with increasing the amber tint of this finish. I have successfully made a version of Captains varnish that is "Captain Morgan" color. I will probably do a coat or two of this coming soon....

You gave me an interesting idea, and I think I might try it.... Make a 1/4" plywood bottom, glass it up with maybe two coats of 7oz, and graphite. oil the inside face and the 1/2 bottom. Three coats oil possibly. Bed it down with a removable goop and screw it to every other frame......Could be best of both worlds???? slick and will dampen the blows???

I'd really like to take care of this on the outside rather than glassing the floor. I decided to use fir knowing I was oiling the heck out of the inside.

Our friend Roger discussed this with me last night, you will be pleased to hear that his 40+ year ould DET has only ever used a skid shoe and is impact fracture free. No rot either, and only an oil finish inside and out. The key here is the boat is stored high and dry, and the shoe has been replaced only twice.
Permalink Reply by chris bissonnette on March 25, 2009 at 9:50am
There is nothing run of the mill about it she is a beauty.....you built her show some pride!!!
Permalink Reply by Greg Hatten on March 26, 2009 at 3:12pm
Dave,
I want to know how you keep your garage/work shop so freakin clean. Well done. Your pictures of the boat are really nice - inside and out... please keep posting - I'm enjoying the process vicariously.
The weather has warmed up enough to trigger the first big bug hatch of the year... the "fabled" March Brown Hatch. Should be lots of fishing fun out on the McKenzie this weekend and next for sure... come on out for a visit...
GH
Permalink Reply by Dave Z on March 26, 2009 at 6:30pm
Greg,

I clean my garage pretty regularly. I try to do most of the sanding/cutting outside. I actually shop vac'd the whole dang place before varnish went on. Walls and all. Its a mess usually, but I try!

Oh, big bugs. nice! I'm taking a break tomorrow to fish the BWO hatch in central PA. Its very predictable and is pretty easy when its on. Wild fish, light lines, small flies. It's all wade fishing, but that's just fine. I'll be solo on this on my own schedule and it will be a great day. I'll be sure to post some pics.

One of these days I'll make that visit!
Permalink Reply by Jesse Ronnow on March 26, 2009 at 7:46pm
Dave,

Great looking work on the boat. As has been mentioned keep the posts coming, it's been a wonderful learning experience for me.

As for the fishing, I was also planning on trying to catch some BWO action this weekend on a trip to northern Utah. That was before it got all cold again and snowed. Enjoy the water for me.

Jesse

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