hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

Hello,
I have recently found an old (1960's?) Penn Yan boat, I think
about 21 ft. Under the false floor I can see that the ribs are rotting
as there is 1/2" of standing water in the boat. It looks to me like the
work to restore this and actually float it would be endless, though it
is a real beauty.
I've done some rough carpentry before, but never anything of this
magnitude, and would not know where to start.
I would like to know where I might get some comprehensive
expertise on what this sort of restoration would entail, including the
replacement of ribs and cedar stripping, and other possible
alternatives for making the hull sound.
I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Floydo.

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

Well, first you have to do a refurbish versus building a new one value
analysis.
If you never own and did repair maintenance on a wooden boat you better to
walk away from it. On repairing a wooden boat you do not use a square of
level. Many time you have to eyeball a piece to make a duplicate and to fit
it.

Replacing a few ribs and plank is not all that bad. But if you have to do
more than that you will require lots of time and cash.
Oak and other wood species are not cheap. You may want to use green wood
and dry it.

Before you do any work you have to wait until the wood is dry. Conversely
if you are doing it for a relaxing therapy you may enjoy every minute of it.
If you are doing it to safe money you may or may not reach your goal. Once
you are finish refurbishing the boat every year you have to maintain it with
about 25 hours of work or more.

"floydo" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello,
I have recently found an old (1960's?) Penn Yan boat, I think
about 21 ft. Under the false floor I can see that the ribs are rotting
as there is 1/2" of standing water in the boat. It looks to me like the
work to restore this and actually float it would be endless, though it
is a real beauty.
I've done some rough carpentry before, but never anything of this
magnitude, and would not know where to start.
I would like to know where I might get some comprehensive
expertise on what this sort of restoration would entail, including the
replacement of ribs and cedar stripping, and other possible
alternatives for making the hull sound.
I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Floydo.

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I have also noticed that, because the boat has been sitting on its
trailer for so long, that it is actually settling on it, to the degree
that the keel has a dent or slight curvature where it is resting on the
front trailer roller, and the hull near the stern is also bowing from
the weight on the rollers.
How scary is that ?(!)

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

floydo wrote:

I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.

RUN, don't walk away.

I won't bore you with the details.

Lew

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

Hehhehhehheh!
Much appreciated, and I think you are right, though it is such a pretty
sight, sitting there in the cow pasture...

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

If you are still looking at it you aren't running fast enough. Run for your
life and wallet because if you stay longer you won't have either, the boat
will.

Brian

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

I agree, run! Rot you can see is bad, what you can't see is worse.
If you're in the PNW, I know of a good wood project with Volvo motor and
outdrive for little money.
G
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
link.net...
floydo wrote:

I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.

RUN, don't walk away.

I won't bore you with the details.

Lew

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

"floydo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hehhehhehheh!
Much appreciated, and I think you are right, though it is such a pretty
sight, sitting there in the cow pasture...


There is an old Greek saying- "If you have a friend who has become an
enemy...buy him a wooden boat"

Having been there, I agree that the answer is RUN, AS FAST AS YOU CAN.

Peter HK

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

floydo wrote:
Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I have also noticed that, because the boat has been sitting on
its trailer for so long, that it is actually settling on it, to the
degree that the keel has a dent or slight curvature where it is
resting on the front trailer roller, and the hull near the stern is
also bowing from the weight on the rollers.
How scary is that ?(!)

A hogged boat such as that can provide you with endless hours of
amusement for many years trying to fix it. At the same time it will
provide an outlet for all your surplus money. Even money that isn't
surplus.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

The materials costs of fixing such boats may not be enormous, but it can be
lots of hours. Unless you have, or have ready access to, the very fussy
skills needed to restore it, you don't want to be anywhere near that boat.
A less than correct repair job will not add value.

"floydo" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello,
I have recently found an old (1960's?) Penn Yan boat, I think
about 21 ft. Under the false floor I can see that the ribs are rotting
as there is 1/2" of standing water in the boat. It looks to me like the
work to restore this and actually float it would be endless, though it
is a real beauty.
I've done some rough carpentry before, but never anything of this
magnitude, and would not know where to start.
I would like to know where I might get some comprehensive
expertise on what this sort of restoration would entail, including the
replacement of ribs and cedar stripping, and other possible
alternatives for making the hull sound.
I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Floydo.

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

You know, I daydream about these "fussy" skills. My mind often wanders
to speculations of the processes - the shaped and fitted plank, the
steamed and hurriedly bent oaken rib, and perfect, waterproof seams,
all varnished reflective amber - by a brilliant and efficient
craftsman, namely me, the Master Boat-Builder. (Surely I'll need to buy
an adze and some tall boots!) But then into my dozing revery barges the
truth of my limitations, escorted by my wonderful wife who likes her
reality served cold, and her escapisms tainted with practicality,(Yes,
I probably owe her a great deal.) and an old wooden boat romancing me
from a cow pasture toward untold adventure and unprecedented self
congratulation suddenly morphs into an horrific pain-in-the-ass,
rotting eyesore embarrassment that I can't look at anymore so I avoid
the back yard and the neighbours have used as a catalist with which to
lower their opinion about my judgement and my kids are all grown and
moved away by now anyway and are waterskiing behind a nicer boat that
they like to point out has never been weed-eaten around - ever...(sigh)
....and that is my real dilemma

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

if you want to work on boats you can do that with any boat, they all need
work. skills can be learned while doing and there is the modern invention
of epoxy that will do a fine job of covering the mistakes, ok, perhaps with
a bit of paint too. The boat you mention could be a fabulous learning
experience in renovation--- from the keel up. As a part time project you
could easily work on it for the remainder of your life until dementia sets
in (some would say that considering an old wooden boat meets all the
criteria for that anyway) and as others have said all of your available
excess funds, non excess funds, and funds you don't yet have will go into
the boat. You would come away from the project with untold skills, creative
cursing would not be the least of them, and then, except for the above
mentioned dementia, you would be qualified to do boat renovation for a
living and let someone else rid themselves of their excess funds.

If you check sites like www.yachtworld.com you will find many boats that are
inexpensive and perhaps need to be repowered or need extensive cosmetic
work. These boats are still projects and you will still learn skills with
them. The best part is that these boats are projects that you don't have to
kill yourself or your pocket book (at least in the short term, as all boats
will kill it in the long term) to make them fit into your fantasy. And with
tlc you may find that you will get the self congratulations that you seek
just as much and you will have a boat in the water.

Good luck in your search for a boat to love. They are out there to be had
but remember that any boat you can see the rot will have at least twice as
much that you can't see but will find once you start work. Any boat with a
hogged backbone will need most everything from the keel to the deck replaced
and very likely the deck and above will also have problems needing replaced.
And finally, reality and boats do not belong in the same sentence (ok so I
broke that rule, you know what I mean). When you find the boat for you it
is likely that you will forget all of what has been said, you won't find
someone to look it over for you or have it surveyed, and you will just go
for it because it has its own water ski.

Brian

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

What hasn't been mentioned is buying it, stripping off the goodies, and
having a nice bonfire. I'm eyeballing boats in my neighborhood with the
idea that it might be a cheap way to get a trailer.

Roger

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"floydo" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello,
I have recently found an old (1960's?) Penn Yan boat, I think
about 21 ft. Under the false floor I can see that the ribs are rotting
as there is 1/2" of standing water in the boat. It looks to me like the
work to restore this and actually float it would be endless, though it
is a real beauty.
I've done some rough carpentry before, but never anything of this
magnitude, and would not know where to start.
I would like to know where I might get some comprehensive
expertise on what this sort of restoration would entail, including the
replacement of ribs and cedar stripping, and other possible
alternatives for making the hull sound.
I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Floydo.

hesitant buyer of wooden boat
 

On 20 Aug 2006 18:29:31 -0700, "floydo" wrote:

Hello,
I have recently found an old (1960's?) Penn Yan boat, I think
about 21 ft. Under the false floor I can see that the ribs are rotting
as there is 1/2" of standing water in the boat. It looks to me like the
work to restore this and actually float it would be endless, though it
is a real beauty.
I've done some rough carpentry before, but never anything of this
magnitude, and would not know where to start.
I would like to know where I might get some comprehensive
expertise on what this sort of restoration would entail, including the
replacement of ribs and cedar stripping, and other possible
alternatives for making the hull sound.
I haven't bought the boat yet and am now leaning toward walking
away, as the work seems pretty overwhelming.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Floydo.

I restore boats like the one you are looking at professionally. I've
done speedboat repair for 30 years.

Many of the answers you have received are bs.

1. Get someone that is knowledgable to look at the boat. Pay him if
you have to.

2. Make a list of the items that need to be done.

3. Decide if you want to do the project.

Steam-bent frames can be replace fairly easily, but deck planking has
to be removed. My guess that it needs to be replaced anyway.

It's great to have a good looking wooden boat. If you don't want one
you can always buy a nasty plastic boat like the nay sayers have.