Removing Fiberglass (new to forum)

Thanks in advance for any replies.

After wanting a wooden fishing boat to restore for many years, I took the plunge this weekend.

In time I will ask your help in identifying this boat. For the present, I am content with my speculation that it might be an old Penn Yann. (I'll post pics in time)

Before my purchase, somewhere in this forum I picked up on the notion that using fiberglass to repair/restore a strip constructed small boat was inappropriate.

After I drove several hundred miles to pickup my new (old) boat I was disappointed to find that someone had fiberglassed the bottom of the boat.

Can you please help me understand the pitfalls and why this was not a recommended repair and how I can recover from it and restore her to original condition?

Before pictures I can tell you that the edges of this repair are already pulling loose and rotten wood can clearly be seen under these edges.

 

Fiberglassing the bottom is not right or wrong in itself. It depends on what kind of fabric, resin, preparation, condition of wood, etc. You need someone to inspect the boat in site.

 

Thanks! Big grin, I'm sure I've already broken another cardinal sin of wooden boat restoration: We've already begun pulling the old/dead fiber off from one side only. (rule violation: patience) :0)

Ok, so underneath there are reminants of paint, which tells me (I think) that originally she had a painted bottom. She was green, on the bottom anyway. Her strips were nailed? or screwed from the outside and either before the paint or the fiberglassing the nail/screw heads appeared to have been sealed or chaulked. There are a few patches where it would appear the resin permeated the wood/rot and those patches are still stuck and when removing them (the one or two we've pulled) wood/rot comes off with them.


Any suggestions on what or how to deal with the stuck patches?

Plowing ahead....... mikensherry

 

Use a grinder

 

Thoughts on strip plank by Paul Gartside

http://www.gartsideboats.com/faq/more-on-strip-planking-pauls-opinion.html


Bi axial glass cloth set in Epoxy is the standard approach and is used successfully by many builders. .

You will have to decide on the approach you will take. Many times with an older boat the epoxy glass treatment is the only practical way to put some more years into her.

 

First Pictures

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showgallery.php/ppuser/44980/cat/500 Thanks again for your responses. I've posted a few pictures here and I'm going to try to link them up. If I'm successful, maybe someone can tell me what they think she is, or where she came from. In the meantime, we'll be doing our homework trying to learn about the names of her parts and the method of construction. Since we pulled off the fiberglass on one side, there is the distinct heavy aroma of cedar in the air. I'm in heaven )

 

If it was built in Alaska or the northwest and smells of Cedar it is probably Alaska cedar,
which is a fine boat building material. http://www.connectedlines.com/wood/wood03.htm

 

Ok, I think I blew it on posting pics the first time. I'll try again a little later. Thanks all

 

Boat Pictures

Now I'm really confused. When I go to look at my "Gallery" thumbnails are there but not of my pics. Maybe it just takes them a while to populate because when you click them, my pictures come up. Anyway, there she is.

I think she is cedar plank construction, but I'm sure there is a more descriptive term to use that we haven't learned yet.

thanks, mikensherry

 

Sorry for any confusion mikensherry - I saw your 6:06 post above and found 5 images in the upload queue which appeared to be waiting due to a blank description so I went ahead and submitted them through. (In general it may be more expedient to click "go advanced" and "manage attachments" and attach the images to a forum post itself - it just depends on where you want them to be viewed.) In any case, I hope the photos are showing correctly for you now at http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=44980 and sorry again for the initial difficulty.

 

The photo show a lot of rot.

 

Yes? Is that unusual? It would appear that the fiberglass trapped moisture and contaminants which couldn't have helped.

Regardless, if we end up building a new boat by replacing everything that's what we're committed to today. Just need to learn where to start and how to do it.

Really appreciate you looking gonzo.

 

First you need to decide what you want the finish product to be. Is this a restoration or a boat for everyday use?

 

Both hopefully. Is that wrong?

 

Purpose for buying/restoring boat and others

Hi Gonzo et al:

I'm not sure if you got my last reply but, I'd like to restore the boat (forgive me if I'm not using the correct terminology) and use it whenever we like.

I've got other questions after removing the fiberglass as well. I'll post them here but if I should post them elsewhere, please feel free to correct me.

As one can see from the pictures, I believe the transom must be replaced. But, also 90% or more of the cedar strips (planking?) that terminate on the transom are rotten on the last couple of inches as well.

It doesn't seem logical to me that one would saw off all the strips at the same point and simply glue in new sections from that point on to the transom. (Someone already made a repair sort of like that on the keel and over time it appears to have separated.)

Can someone point me in the right direction for a "how to" properly repair these strips/planks?

Finally (for now ) ) What is the name of that strip of wood that runs from bow to stern on the side of the boat. I think it is intended to roll water back from the side of the boat?

Thanks so much,

mikensherry