Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Newbie

Thanks for the add. Have read through quite a number of posts here... lots of great info and some impressive woodwork.

Have owned a couple glass boats and 1 aluminum. Just picked up a 1970 'homebuilt' wood db and doing a bit of work to make it float-worthy.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 6, 2020 at 10:09am

Good luck and welcome aboard!

Rick Newman

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Permalink Reply by Jon Stagnitti on August 6, 2020 at 12:46pm

Thanks Rick. If anyone in the group happens to be in the Portland area and wants to talk boats or fishing, I always have some good homebrew on tap.

I do have a repair question perhaps you or someone could provide some input on. There was no rot on bottom and I repaired divots with supermend and sealed up the whole bottom with 2 coats of coat-it. Not perfect but should provide a lot of protection.

Sides are a different story. Dug out 5 areas of rot where ribs meet sides at bottom, this being the worst.

Goal is to save this boat from someone's burn pile and do just enough to make it safe and sound enough to get some enjoyment out of it and maybe pass it along later. With that in mind, would appreciate any input on how to repair these holes. Probably have enough supermend to patch them and open to other product suggestions. Also, while I dug out most, if not all of the rot, should I first treat before patching?

Headed to AK to unplug for a couple weeks and will check this when I get back. Appreciate any input.

Thanks.

Jon

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 7, 2020 at 7:30am

Apparently your boat was stored where water could collect. It also appears that it has dried out since that occurred.

I have been hanging around this site since 2009. Anyway, back in the day one of the other old timers did some repair in the chine area of a boat and posted his techniques and methods. Visit this link to learn more.

http://woodenboatpeople.org/forum/topics/chine-rot-issue?commentId=...

The search function work especially well if you use phrases or sentences rather than just a word.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Rick Newman

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on August 7, 2020 at 7:34am

Here is some further info.

1. Check all the wood in the boat to be sure it is sound. Poke around with a knife or screw driver in search of soft spots that my be dry rot. If you find these types of soft spots they should be attended to by scarfing in new wood. The inside chine log and the adjacent plywood is most likely to be rotten due to it's location in the bottom where water will pool. Having said that I have seen many old boats that look like they are a wreck but on further inspection are still very sound. It the luck of the draw.

2. Get to bare wood in any area that you intend to glass. Good glass over bad is no good. A heat gun and dull scraper make quick work of glass/epoxy.

3.Oil or paint work best on old interiors. Varnish works well only when applied over a very good layer of Glass/epoxy which would be a nightmare to do on and old boat interior but could be done on the exterior.

4. Glass on the inside floor is not a bad idea but the bottom panel needs to be in good shape. Same goes for glass/epxy on the outside bottom. If the old bottom has been compromised a new bottom panel is in order. It is much easier to glass the inside of a new bottom panel before installing it. You can glass between the frames on an old bottom but it a bit more work intensive. Might consider glassing those section that are in the impact area below the front seat and back to the rowers seat. I've done that a few times with good results. Leave the bed liner trick for the S&G guys. Not a nice thing to do to and old framed boat.

5. Remove the chine caps before you do any bottom glassing and don't wrap the chine joint under glass.

6. As Rick suggested, check the search funtion as most of this advice has been given in more detail on previous posts.