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Permalink Reply by JACOB LANG on March 16, 2021 at 8:43pm

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on March 17, 2021 at 6:30am

Two choices that I see. 1. ignore the splits and be aware of them, using care to not hit the boat or oars again in the same places. 2. Take the boat apart, scarf in new plywood and gunnel/ gunwale, apply finish and continue boating!

Rick Newman

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Permalink Reply by JACOB LANG on March 17, 2021 at 3:55pm

I have been thinking  about  adding  plywood  to the inside frame to strengthen  this section.  Which would  probably be   a little  easier  for me to start with..  

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Permalink Reply by Bennett Yarbrough on March 26, 2021 at 4:08pm

I’d probably do new gunnels and something to repair or strengthen the frame. It looks like the ply is cracking as well so depending on how bad that ply is you may have to redo the whole side.  I’d start with the gunnels and maybe squirting epoxy down into the cracked frame and ply. Seems like every oar stroke would be flexing that area.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Newman on March 27, 2021 at 8:46am

Scarfing in a section of ply and replacing the gunnels would be the very best repair, however it woud also take the most time, effort and money. Can you contact the previous owner and see when it was damaged and how long he/she used it since then? The beauty of the drift boats as we construct them is the strength isn't just in one of the materials but in the integrity of the structure formed when they are all combined. When I built my boat I was very surprised at how much more rigid the hull was when everything was connect. Each sub-part, side, inner chine, side, gunnels etc contribute a great deal to the overall durability of these boats, not unlike other boats of similar construction.

I agree that continued use of the boat will eventually create more damage. The real question is, how long will it take for the damage to so bad that the boats continued use is no longer possibe or that continued use would cause additional damage resulting in a higher investment of time and money to repair.

As I look out my window here in Spokane I see sunshine and blue skies. The rivers, fish and lakes are calling. My point is the season to use your boat is upon us. If you were to enjoy your boat while the warmer weather is here would any expensive damage or additional costs to repair your boat be incurred if you used it until fall or winter? Yes, there is damage, is the damage such that limited, conservative use of your boat make it worse? We, at least I and others that I know all want our boats to be as good as we can make them. However, I seem to keep forgetting that I built my drift boat so I could go fishing! Perhaps a spring and summer of fishing and floating could be undertaken without further expenses and you could collect materials and knowledge in a timely manner for the eventual repairs.

I don't remember if I suggested that you investigate the early posts here on Wooden Boat People? I ask because AJ DeRosa and his partner Dutch illustrated how to splice in or scarf in plywood to do exactly the repairs your boat needs. Someplace back in 2010 or 2011, use the Search function at the top of the page and ask something like "AJ DeRosa and how to scarf plywood" to get the best results. If you can't find it let me know and I will find it for you.

I wish you the best of luck in your repair and hope that you get to enjoy your boat to the fullest!

Rick Newman

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