Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
A different kind of wooden boat
Not quite the whitewater boat the most of the posts on here are about- but thought that some people might be interested in a restoration that I just finished. It's a 1978 Pocock cedar single rowing shell. The boat is 26' long by about 14" wide, and is built out of a single piece of 3/32" steamed western red cedar that is supported by a mahogany and alaskan yellow cedar subframe. The trim is a mix of mahogany, two pieces of what I think might be ash, and yellow cedar. Decks are made out of airplane dacron heatshrunk over the frame and then waterproofed with varnish.
The boat was abandoned under a porch in Seattle until a friend found it last year. I ended up with it a few months ago as bare wood with numerous large cracks. After sanding, sanding and more sanding, along with penetrating epoxy, I finally got around to varnishing, varnishing and more varnishing. Finally got it out for a row on Sunday- its first time on the water in maybe 30 years!
Now the shop is clean(ish) and ready for a northwest-sized grand canyon dory.
ps- I have no idea why the second picture is upside down. Just twist your head around and it looks right side up. Sorry!
Views: 1322
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kurt Selisch on
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Wow, great job Ben. That is one sleek looking machine. I couldn't quite twist my head far enough on the second pic, and would probably hurt myself to stand on my head to see it, but can certainly tell the Pocock is ready to fly across the water again. Thanks for sharing.
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on
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Ben: Beautiful job of restoration. Sanding 3/32" WRC must be like brain surgery-a little too much pressure and your done. How many coats of varnish did it take to get that finish?
Good luck
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Permalink Reply by Ben A. Hayes on
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Yes, sanding was stressful. Luckily a beer or two can cut the anxiety :) The bottom actually has a layer of .4oz fiberglass applied with thinned varnish (called ghost cloth), so in all I think it has 7 coats, three of which were cut 30% with turpentine. The deck has 4 coats over the dacron.
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That is beautiful! What a find. By now you've probably got the hang of rowing it. Rowing with a sliding seat and outriggers, that is about a world away from rowing a river dory full of fishermen and beer.
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Wow!
Not my kind of boat, but a true work of art.
Great job!
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Permalink Reply by David Jensen on
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Beautiful boat. I grew up in Seattle. and remember the Stan Pocock shells. I live on the McKenzie in OR, so row wooden drift boats here. For while, I had a 21" fiberglass shell that I rowed on a lake, but nothing like your racing beauty.
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Permalink Reply by John Homer on
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Ben, Great job on bringing it back to life... Was wondering where you went rowing that day? I would like to take my guideboat up there for a row. Thanks
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Sorry- didn't see your post until just now. That is Wallowa Lake in NE Oregon, beautiful for rowing. I live on the slope just to the right of the photo and have a shop in town. Let me know if you come out- I'd be eager to see your boat.
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Ben-
Not sure if you have seen this web site but wanted to pass it on to you.. http://pocockclassic.org/index.htm
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