strip built sloop

Hi I have recently bought a 26' mahogany strip built sloop the transom was rotten and about 18" x 42" of timber under the transom but above the waterline including the rearmost/stern rib. Water seems to have got in and lay inside slowly rotting through and getting under the west epoxy and varnish coating "yes she's all bright work great looker" and I need to cut out and replace obviously what is the best way to go about this? not all strips are rotted evenly I am about to start cutting out the bad with jigsaw fitted with a hacksaw blade to tackle the nails n screws and will need to cut strips and begin refitting them and the transom. Does anybody know a good book/website on this type of repair? all info appreciated cheers fella's

 

Try this.

One Day - WEST SYSTEM epoxy Wooden Boat Restoration Course.

Unfortunately we do not currently have any dates available for the Wooden boat restoration course but please do supply us with your full contact details if you wish to be considered. We have a waiting list which is slowly filling up with people interested in the wooden boat restoration course. Providing we are able to get enough people together we may be able to issue a suitable date.

We trust the above information meets your requirements and if you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.


Nikki Lamacraft.
UK Sales Administrator.
Wessex Resins & Adhesives Limited.
- Cupernham House, Cupernham Lane, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 7LF.
* nikki.lamacraft@wessex-resins.com
' Main Line: +44 (0) 1794 521111
' Direct Dial: +44 (0) 1794 510351
6 Fax: +44 (0) 1794 517779
ü http://www.wessex-resins.com/


Offer your boat.

Good luck,

Pericles

 

Thanks for your reply I will get my contact details to you today sounds very interesting how much does it cost for the course?

 

Superslooper,

Just to confirm, I am not Niki Lamacraft I just had an email from her and she included the details.

Regards

Pericles

 

Pericles are you suggesting I offer my boat as course material? Im up for it why not...

 

Absolutely. Why not? They might say no, but it's worth the question.

Pericles

 

Before you start hacking, make a form of the shape of the boat to be used later as a build jig if removal of the damaged areas will be extensive. Your description leaves a lot to the imagination so it's hard to say exactly how much material is being removed. It's easy now to copy your hullform, where as later, you might be left scratching your head.

There are others on this forum that have more experience that I, but I see two options for removal of rotted material. One would be that once the damaged material was removed, portions of alternating strips would be removed to create a "finger" joint between the old and new material. This, of course, is with regard to the strips in the hull. The other option would be, once the damage was removed, would be to taper the raw edge to a 8-10 to one ratio and start scarphing on strips to reestablish the hull structure. The "finger" joint will stagger repaired edge and, I feel, will br less noticable in the long run. The tapered might be slightly less strong and it will leave a "repaired" edge.

If the whole transom is bad, it will need to be replaced. If only a portion is bad, the lower portion maybe, I would make a horizontal cut just above the damaged portion and remove it from there down. If there is any damage to structural members underneath, they will have to be removed and reconstructed.

Again, there are other on this forum with vastly more experience in this matter than I. My comments presented in good good faith so hopefully if I have errored, someone will step forward information in that regard.

Good luck. Bright boats are beautiful.

 

LP has some good points. Strip built is not the easiest to repair. The most difficult part will be finishing bright. The epoxy/cloth must overlap and yet appear invisible.
A tough job to do! I don't have many ideas other than complex and tedious methods already mentioned. Is there an engine/ shaft inside?
To say any more would be guessing. How old is the boat? Is it epoxied inside? Glassed inside? What is the frame spacing and what is the framing dimension/material? Would you consider painting the boat?
Bright boats can be stunning, but man, I sure wouldn't own one. Too much work! I say, consider paint, and the whole repair process will change from super-difficult to just plain hard--- heck, you could even cold-mold the repair for real strength and it would never be known.
I would guess the work will be trebled if you want the repair to be varnished and the work done to be invisible, compared to painting.

Alan

 

Thanks for the comments guys I have considered all points and me being a stubborn SOB will go the hard way I will try the fingered approach as it was what I was kinda thinking any way. I am a time served aviation engine fitter so my handy work should get me through. I think I will take the whole hull back to the wood it was west system coated years ago but its been on the hard some years before I rescued it so its lifted in places and a patchy job would look awful. A good careful job and totally recoated could be the only way I think. Luckily the wood to be replaced is underside so will only be visible close up whilst on full tilt in a stiff breeze. One shouldnt look too closely at a ladies aft while she's running huh.... we gentlemen never would...

 

I added 2 x .JPEG shots of the offending area, the second shows a view from underneath the vessel. The area marked out is mainly soft and needs to come out and I think I will try fingering it back in which will take some carefull thought. The first picture is the transom board which has now been removed and will be replaced and a nice bird eye veneer placed over eventually I also want yo enlarge the cockpit area etc, etc, etc the cabin internals have also been removed not by me thats how I got it so we can have a rethink on that, my wife has a n idea of a Persian/Moroccan theme.. who knows..it will all be fun

 

Very serious undertaking indeed. Consider fully epoxying/glassing the inside, since the interior has been removed. I'm assuming this wasn't done?

A.

 

Yeah its a tough one

Ill get out there at the weekend with a camera and get a side shot and you all can see the lines and why I want to keep her bright n sweet I know its the hard way but its worth it in the end when shes on the water turning heads. There is an engine its a coventry victor marine (an old british flat petrol twin). This engine needs work but Im a motorcycle nut so nothing scarey there. The boat was built in Little Hampton in 1967 as a 1 off custom sport cruieser. The rudder was the aft part of the keel whick has now been moulded together and modified to a spade rudder setup. The original mast was wood rooted to the keel through the cabin now modified to an aluminum rig (foot on the coach roof) which willl need repainting etc. So I have a year or so of work to do and enjoying all so far. Inside is painted but I may glass it for strength and moisture resistance etc. I keep athought in my head " a man once walked into a forest a saw a tree and said to himself how do I make that into a boat?" I just have an easy bit to do really not having to start with a tree.....

 

A note regarding your repeat postings--- you can edit them out by deleting even days later.
The hull may have no epoxy on it at all. That glassing may have been done with polyester. Scratch and sniff.
The boat was probably built with nothing inside but paint (if that), and so the fasteners will be the tensile structure. However, in the way of the underside that is being replaced, you can epoxy the strips in without fasteners as long as you glass inside also. This is an acceptable method, and it is very strong. The only mechanical fastening that's needed is whatever is used to hold strips together until the epoxy sets.
A.

 

Most of your potential issues have been addressed by other members, but I have a few observations.

The first and likely the most important is, does this boat have the shape she's supposed to? The images aren't distant enough to get a good view, but is she hogged? Bilge sag? Gaps at the deck line? There are a host of things to look for when accessing a prospective project like this and shape is a big one. To do this properly (or even have a clue) you need a pro. You can complete repairs on a distorted hull, but it will still perform and have the resale value of a bent boat.

I also see repairs, which should be carefully examined. Clearly the transom will need repair or replacement and stripped hulls are one of the most difficult to repair.

Personally, I suggest you have the hull evaluated by an experienced surveyor, so you know what you've got. You'll get a real assessment of the condition of the boat, how it was built, possible repair alternatives and maybe a list of locals that could be of assistance. Supplying beer after the survey can cause an offering up of untold fortune in regard to your boat, from the surveyor.

 

Thanks Alan I removed the double posting something weird happened there.

The rest of the hull is in good shape I'm glad to say apart from a small piece if soft on the gunwale and thats not gone behind any further thank god I have been through and over the whole boat with a probe and not found any more soft. the coach roof which covers the entire deck as I will post a shot has no splits or gaps just needs a good rub down and tidy really.
I was going to pin the strips in place with silicon bronze ring nails by carefully pin holing the wood from the inside at an angle would this be over doing the job?