Rangeley #2 - Complete Resto

I'm going to be restoring the 1930's (ish) Rangeley shown in the picture for a client. We're going to bring it back as close to original as possible. The boat is complete, including the H. N. Ellis nameplate on the bow. The goal is to replace the ribs (about 2/3's are damaged beyond repair). Is there anyone who has experience in steam bending something like this? No jig, it's done inside the planked hull. Each rib goes from gunwale-to-gunwale, and their oak.

I'm open to any suggestions that might help with technique. Also, is there anyone who makes Rangeley's in the "original" format? Meaning with the ribs? I've noticed quite a few folks who sell their versions of the boats, but none original. Wondering if it's worth lofting the boat and building one for sale.

Thanks!

John

 

The market for these quite delicately built tenders is rather small. Most want an inflatable or other lighter dink. They're very fine craft, especially the Rangeley, but as you can see they are also slightly built to save weight.

John Gardner's book "How to Build Small Classic Craft" covers the type fairly well, so it will be worth it purchase price in the information and drawing it provides.

It would be a better boat as a glued lapstrake, as it would remain watertight and be lighter, though not very traditional.

 

Thanks for the input Par!

I've got the boat, and Stephen Cole's book "The Rangeley and It's Region". The book includes drawigs done in 1987 from a #2. And you're right about parts of them being delicate, the ribs are less than 1/2" round and some of the bends are nearly right angles!

As for slightly built...I'm not sure I'd agree wih that - this particular boat is heavy with a capital "H". It's definitely not a car-topper. The oak and cedar over the years haven't decayed at all - the ribs have snapped in many places...mostly because it sat on a "hump" in the barn it was in and she started to form to that.

Any thoughts, comments on bending delicate (and long - gunwale to gunwale) oak ribs? I know it's a multi-man fast-paced project.

 

Actually, she' is light in comparison to all other, traditional building methods.

The ribs are likely broken perpendicular to the grain in most places. These are typically "tension" breaks. It's caused by the planking and framing cycling through wet and dry periods. The frames stretch at their fasteners when wet, then shrink the other way when she dries out. This puts huge strains on the fasteners and something has to give eventually. In many cases the fasteners stretch, elongate their holes or pull free, but often the fastener has such a good grip that the rib actually pulls itself apart. These breaks will commonly be found at or very near planking to frame fasteners and along the tighter turn of the bilge areas of the ribs. In your boat this would be the last third of the hull, just below the waterline.

Of course, sitting her on a mound in a barn wasn't any good for her either.

How to bend the stock? Choose you stock carefully. Most bending failures can be traced back to grain run out or other defect in the bending stock. Don't over cook the stock in the steamer. It doesn't help "soften" the wood, it actually decreases it's ability to bend. For your boat, no more the 40 minutes after a good head of steam is had in the box. Use a steel strap to assist in bending the frames around a form (if using one). This sheet metal strip will help hold the grain down and should by placed on the outside of the bend. Over bend the curves about 10% (more radius) to allow for "spring back".

If you elect to bend the frames back into the boat, as it was done originally, the planking and their fasteners need to be sound or you'll distort the hull.

Planking on these boats is the longitudinal strength element. I can't stress enough how important the planking and fastener condition must be, especially to receive new frames. If the planking isn't replaced, then do every third frame with new ones, continuing this sequence until all ribs have been replaced. This will maintain the hull shape and most of it's strength. In areas where you have several broken frames in a row (not uncommon near the transom of your boat) then brace the area back into position (yep, install pieces to push the planking back to where it belongs), refasten the planking, then replace frames, again every third at a time until completed.

 

the newest edition of wooden boat has som old penn yan designs and tips ,,similar to your rangeley

 

Par,

That info is amazing...and a good direction to start. The boat is already sprung four inches out at the waist because of the failed ribs. And her bow has dropped two inches as well from the original 17'.

I like the idea of doing every third...there is a long section between the bow and first seat - maybe 8 or 10 ribs that have failed...all mostly right at the bends under the floor boards (and yes perpendicular to the grain).

Between the planking and the ribs - there won't be much of the "old girl" left
when we're through, but with tips like this - she should be ready for another
70+ years...I hope.

longliner45 - I'm off to the store to pick it up this morning! Thanks!

 

I've restored quite a few lapped hulls over the years. Your biggest initial hurtle will be returning the shape to the hull. This is a time consuming and often difficult task, especially when you don't have lines to fall back on or have seen it preformed.

That hull looks very close to the lines I have and also the ones published in John Gardner's book. I'd have to have several more pictures and general dimensions to tell for sure.

Since your hull has hooked and the frames "relaxed" the hull will be considerably different then the original lines. Returning the hull to this shape is a painful process. It would be nice if you could jack it up here and brace it there, but it doesn't work that way, the wood has "memory".

Because of this tendency for wood to remember where it use to live, you have to make small, incremental adjustments to push, pull and twist her back into the original shapes. This is why it takes so long. Your boat may need to be on the "torture rack" for several months, before you can begin making frames and performing repairs.

If you contact me by email (click on my name) I can send you the lines to the Rangeley boat (which date to the 1930's). Making molds from these will give you an idea how badly distorted the hull is and permit accurate, new framing.

On boats like these there is a decided sequence of events that need to be preformed. Most restorer's follow similar practices (as a result of screwing it up on previous attempts). Not following the process will usually yield a boat that isn't the shape of a Rangeley and performs poorly, plus requires considerable up keep to stay after the various issues that will crop up.