Help identify old boat anatomy! (You can laugh at us!)

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Waterfroggy, Jul 18, 2016.

  1. Waterfroggy
    Joined: Jul 2016
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    Location: Alberta

    Waterfroggy New Member

    Hi,
    My son and I bought this boat for $75 on a whim for a project and we don't have any boatmen around to tell us what is what.
    My son is almost 4 and it will be a pond boat and the roof for his playhouse when not in use. So were aren't serious boaters (yet!) just need help!

    In red in the picture there are two holes in the fiberglass like there may have been another bench seat. Any other ideas what it could have been?

    In green, is that for oarlocks or?

    In blue, the wood screwed on there is to attach a bench seat, right?

    And the little hole circled in purple, a drain or ? One side has a blue plastic plug and the other is just a hole!

    Thanks to anyone who takes the time to give advice to a momma and son on our little amateur project!
    Sara
     

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  2. messabout
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    messabout Senior Member

    Waterfroggy, no one here is going to laugh at you. It sounds like you are a super mom who is trying to have fun with and for the little guy.

    I am confident that you will get as much help, from we old sea dogs, as you need. Color coding your questionable areas was a clever method for inquiry.

    Pleas take some close up pictures of the areas in question.. The picture you have posted gets the idea across but is not sufficient to make an accurate guess at the functions.

    The little boat is short and wide by most standards. That is fine for the pond or small body of water. The boat appears to have flotation tanks in the sides. The purple holes are probably vent holes so that the tanks can breathe when temperature differentials are in play. One of the plastic plugs are not there. No problem if the hole is not large. Tanks usually have a larger hole or covered opening so that condensate water can be drained. In this case I do not see any such accommodation. The green ones are probably for oar locks, as you suggest.
     
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  3. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

  4. Petros
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    Petros Senior Member

    welcome to the forum,

    you will want to get some oars, either make them or find them on craig's list or a used boat shop nearby perhaps. and get oar locks if you do not have any, or you can fabricate your own simple tholl pins and leather strap perhaps instead.

    those look like where the bench mounted, but close up pictures would be helpful as suggested. you can fabricate some new benches from wood from a lumber yard. A fairly clear piece of 1x10 should work fine. or see if you can find something savlaved from a construction site scrap pile.

    You will want to get some life jackets, now called "personal flotation devices", or PFDs for both of you before you go out on the water (always wear them when in the boat). you can find them used cheap at a garage sale or off of craig's list or similar. Or ask around to borrow some from friends that have boats.

    good luck, have fun and be safe.
     
  5. Waterfroggy
    Joined: Jul 2016
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    Location: Alberta

    Waterfroggy New Member

    Thank you all, here are some close-ups.
    We are looking forward to learning all about this funky little boat!
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
     

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  6. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Yes, the hole along the gunnel is for an oar lock. The wooden piece may have been added buy a previous owner and the other two holes could have been a thwart, but also could have been for lots of things. The blue plug is as Messabout described. This boat looks like it could handle a small outboard and a 5 HP would do fine. It might row okay, though looks pretty fat for comfortably doing so for very long. This boat could have two thwarts; one near the transom for the driver and one around midship for the passenger.
     
  7. Waterfroggy
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    Waterfroggy New Member

    Thanks.
    Another question, there are already holes in the fiberglass where the previous thwarts or whatever else may have been there, but I can't see how to use them to put in new ones. Unless there is some kind of hardware like a wall anchor type system that wouldn't rust? Or should I just patch the holes and make new ones?
    I am getting a fiberglass repair kit today to fix two other spots.

    And finally, what kind of hardware would you use to attach the thwarts? I asked about stainless hardware at home depot and the fellow looked at me like I was from outer space. Decking screws and galvanized were all they had.

    Thanks again!
     
  8. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    From the pictures, you have several rusting fasteners in the boat. Just pull them now, as this isn't what you want. If they're holding something, replace with stainless.

    In fact, I'd fill all the holes and place the thwarts and anything else, where I prefered, in fresh, well sealed holes, using the appropriate fasteners. I don't know if Alberta has a "FastenAll" store nearby, but they'll have stainless and all sorts of cool fasteners that will work for you, like "nutserts". Home Depot has stainless hardware, usually in the loose fasteners section.
     
  9. hoytedow
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  10. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    PAR is right. Home Depot has stainless screws and bolts. I buy them frequently at the local HD. But when they don't have what I need I just order on line from West Marine, Iboats or any number of marine retailers.

    Do not buy used lifejackets! You have no idea how they have been used and abused. Buy new. You can get good new lifejackets relatively inexpensively. What is your child's life worth. I am sure you would say a lot. Don't scrimp on something designed to save his life.

    If you are going to be using this on a pond just stick with the oars. Measure the width of the boat. Double that for the length of the oars. 6 inches shorter won't matter. You can use used oars (they are good, just used) If they look like junk but the wood is in good shape (no cracks, splits, rot etc) just sand them down and coat them with a good spar varnish (you can get that at home depot too) It's non toxic and can be brushed on or you can get it in spray cans. They will look like new. Put on several coats. It will last for two or three years before you have to refinish them.

    Buy your son a simple fishing pole and teach him to fish. Just something simple like hook and bait. Worms will do as bait. It will teach him patience and perseverance, as well as an appreciation for nature. And it's fun. Kids get really excited when they catch their first fish.
     
  11. rnlock
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    rnlock Senior Member

    If you only need stainless parts and not special boat gear, McMaster Carr might be worth trying. However, if you're going to have this around only fresh water, and keep it upside down when you're not using it, I imagine that galvanized fasteners will hold up, if that saves you a lot of money.

    If it was my boat, I might build a lengthwise bench to sit on, making it easy to get the rowing position just right and allowing passengers to move fore and aft to adjust the trim of the boat. Plus it's pretty easy to make such a bench and, if you don't actually fasten it in, you don't have to carry it with the boat all the time.

    If this isn't making sense, this picture may clarify, at least if it's kosher to link like this:
    http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/dinghy1/simboi09.jpg
    You don't have to make frames or something, just some feet or legs or pieces of wood it sets on to fit in the hull. The picture is just to show the position of the bench.
     
  12. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Welcome rnlock.

    Let's keep this simple.

    You want to spread the weight, not concentrating it in a small area such as at the end of a leg. If you do use legs, make sure they rest upon large stiff pads so all the stress isn't concentrated into 4 small points of contact, each of which could potentially punch through the hull and sink the boat.
     
  13. rnlock
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    rnlock Senior Member

    Ok, make it a small sheet of wood cut to fit the shape of the bottom. Or use strong foam. Or whatever. But my guess is that boat is overbuilt anyway. If not, I think your point about the pads is a good one.
     

  14. WestVanHan
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    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    Instruction for use:
    -pointy end goes forwards
    -open part stays up
    -the spinny things ought to be in the water,but seeing you don't have any-the sticks with the flat ends go into the water.
    :)
     
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