Considering restoring a 32' Chris Craft Sea Skiff

You are between a rock and a hard spot if it's not your boat.

To know what you have to do requires taking some of the Damage away to see where a good starting point really is.

As to your question, you can do anything the Wood will allow you to do.
Any Butt joint has to be backed up with the Butt plate.

If a Keel has Rot, I think you can cut the keel back to good wood.
Replacing the rotted part is gonna be tricky because its the spine and backbone and stiffener of your craft.

If your talking about the first board alongside the Keel (the Devil) has rot, that's an easy fix, but make sure when you get it off, that the Keel is not also rotted.

You might wind up taking parts of Rib's off, making a real thick wide patch for several feet of the Keel and then making "Sister" ribs to re-attach the Ribs to the keel. Making sure you have good smooth limber holes when your done. Cut the limber holes BEFORE you put the Rib or Sister in.
Your best buddy is your imagination and a good close up Camera.
What's your location? Maybe one of us is close enough to sit in a lawn chair and Kibitz while you sweat!

 

The various repairs this yacht needs, requires a very specific set of procedures, if you expect it not fall down on you while you crawl around under it. The first course of action is to get it blocked up securely and under cover. Making her level at this time is also very handy. The next phase is restoring her shape, which currently is what we call "relaxed". The bilge turns need to be propped up, any hogging removed, the deck clamped closed, etc. This part of the job is very tricky, as you have to have quite a bit of experience to know where to place a jack, how much she can take and most importantly, the long length of time it requires to slowly jack, brace and wedge her back into reasonable shape, hopefully removing the hull distortions.

Now that she's "shored" up, you can start to relieve her of her burdens, such as tanks, engines, equipment, etc. Once stripped, you can start tackling the major concerns, such as the keel, stem and transom framing. Each of these processes are difficult and time consuming tasks, as they are major surgery and leaves the yacht very easily exposed to more damage and distortions, while these major structural elements are removed, repaired and replaced. With a renewed backbone assembly, you can move onto the ribs, stringers, engine beds, floors, clamps and other structural elements. It's often handy to remove the sheer strake, a couple of planks at the turn of the bilge and the garboards at this time to make many of these steps much easier (like the ribs). Lastly the planking is renewed and the hull structure is ready to have it's burden placed back in her and realigned.

Having done this many times to power and sail of every shape and configuration, I can assure you this is long difficult work, fraught with issues and potential hazards and pitfalls. A novice hasn't any business even thinking about this type of work, on this scale of yacht. An 18' runabout, sure, but not this puppy.

 

Alas, having to work a full time day job along with having to do all this in a field, largely solo, just doesn't quite seem possible Having it moved indoors at the marina or offsite is beyond the scope of what I can take on with the obligations (debt) I have at the moment. If I didn't work full time, go to college part time, and pay a car loan I'd probably disregard everything you guys have said and take it on anyway.

Like PAR said, I'm quite certain there's hundreds, maybe thousands of such Chris Crafts in similar, not quite-saveable condition, that are otherwise going to cease to exist. As much as I wish I could save it I can't devote that much time/money to it. It sounds like I ought to become a shipyard apprentice for a few years, or raise $20k and watch it done.

I guess there's always Catalina's and Commanders...

 

You might have said that first PAR

Anything can be rebuilt -- and some of us have romantic visions that supersede logic -- but I think most of us want to hear the truth.

I don't want to put words in your mouth -- but -- what I heard was a resounding and unqualified "NO" ... (correct me if I've mischaracterized your sentiment).

 

It all depends on skill sets, budget and tolerance for pain, though I've indicated it's not a job for the novice, it's possible for the right person(s).

 

Just got back from a trip to Yellowstone with my son and this is the first post I've read. Good to see that the wise advice continues.

Also nice to see a man like F14CRAZY, who's thoughtful enough to take that advice to heart. He must be an old Grumman man.

And yes PAR, I'm still plugging away. Just got a little slowed down this spring (my son needs attention too!)

MIA

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I tend to get that drive from deep within that tells me that I "need" to save something, a piece of history, a hand built, wooden boat unlike anything that's built anymore.

The good thing is that you guys were able to persuade me out of it because I would have been waaaay over my head. As much as I'd love to do it I simply couldn't with my time, money, and resources (physical resources included).

I definitely want a classic CC cruiser in the not so far out future, but it seems that it won't be a wooden one. But there's tons of Commander's with good stringers and Roamer's with hulls seem to be simpler to repair if needed.

But I thank everyone for replying and educating me this type of vessel