Renovating an old wooden sports boat, am I mad?

[maser_spyder]

Hi chaps.

I've got a hankering for an old, wooden (has to be wooden) sports boat/powerboat, sort of Riva style, but ideally British. Nothing too big, just a day boat for pottering around the Solent. 20-25' or thereabouts. Has to be 20s/30s ish. Don't mind getting my hands dirty.

I'm thinking, buy a shed with reasonable or good woodwork. Strip (boat, not me). Replace dirty wood. Flat off. Fair. Varnish (or exoxy coat?). Fit modern engine. Nice new interior in period style.

How hard can it be?

Basically, I want something like a Hacker, but ideally of British origin. I want to see it come together with my own eyes. I want something like this to be proud of. Am I totally mad?

[Simpo Two]

If you've got the skills and space and tools, I say go for it. Though what you'd start with I don't know.

Varnish and be damned

[Condi]

Not mad, no, but you would need to be quite rich, and have more patience than a saint.

[Huntsman]

You want a Fairey Huntsman or Huntress.

I'll do the rbuild for you at £30/hr.

Mine

[mickrick]

Yes you are mad! Do it.

Have you thought about building a new one from plans, say out of plywood?

Half the work, as by the time you´ve stripped an old shed, you don't have much left anyway. Don´t ask me how I know

[bluesatin]

I have been thinking exactly the same. Owned and maintained a slipper launch for 10 years, built and Ultima gtr so was thinking about time i did a boat project.
This is a cold mold wood/ply design.

[Huntsman]

bluesatin said:

I have been thinking exactly the same. Owned and maintained a slipper launch for 10 years, built and Ultima gtr so was thinking about time i did a boat project.
This is a cold mold wood/ply design.

Lots of nice designs on the Glen L website, Mickrick is right, a cold moulded epoxy cedar strip or ply build is easier faster and cheaper than rebuildign old stuff.

[Simpo Two]

http://www.glen-l.com/boat-plans-catalog-300-boats...

'Ken Hankinson Designs' and 'Inboards'.

[surveyor]

I think it's a great idea, providing that you like spending your time maintaining the bloody thing rather than driving it...

[maser_spyder]

Ok, so the end game isn't mad, but getting there is. As I thought.

I actually looked at some of these plans a couple of years ago and one of them really caught my eye. But the build diary I checked out put me off....

http://home.metrocast.net/~bcheckerberry/billys_be...

The guy that did this has ten times the skill and patience I have.

I sort of have a thing about having an old one too, something with history and all the hassle that goes with it.

The idea of making stringers and strakes and other bits just isn't up my alley. Unless I could get plans with CNC drawings and just pass it on to somebody else to do the awkward cutting out for me. I could probably manage to make a boat in kit form, where the main parts are already roughly cut to size and it's just assembly and joinery.

But I'd still rather have a proper 30s one that was originally owned by some cad with an inheritance and a Bentley Blower.

[Simpo Two]

Could you not start your own trail, ie one owned by a 2013 cad with an inheritance and a Maserati?

[maser_spyder]

Simpo Two said:

Could you not start your own trail, ie one owned by a 2013 cad with an inheritance and a Maserati?

I'm short of the inheritance, caddishness and general smoking jacket demeanour. :-(

Can't get a tow bar on the Lambo either, so I'd have to pull up to the slipway with the old Landcruiser, hardly stylish!

[Huntsman]

There's plenty of Fairey boats that need rescuing, the hot mlouded hull makes a rebuild much easier than a traditional construction. There's a very early Christina ashore in Alderney, not expensive, single shaft, 300hp would give it 40 plus knots, has a bit of race history too. Two people can weekend on board too.

What about a Nicholson Gelyce if you can find one?

Or, Boatshed Falmouth have a Brooke marine boat listed, been on the market years, could be very pretty.

[52classic]

Google Classic Motor Boat Association CMBA

I'm not brave enough to have a go at a wooden boat but I have acquired as a winter project...
A Moonfleet Silver Shaddow (OK it's GRP but still has classic lines) and even more recently an old trailer and a marinised Cortina engine.

Plan is to use it a a curiosity to tow behind a MKII Zodiac initially and then get it seaworthy as a next step.

[maser_spyder]

I'm coming around to the idea of building from scratch....

Most of the designs I'm looking at are from the US, where mahogany seems to be the wood of choice. That possibly isn't the easiest wood to get in this country though. What would you substitute at a better alternative?

It's mahogany frames, ply cold mold, mahogany strakes on top.

Actually, I'd prefer a lighter wood finish, more like an oak sort of colour.

Any ideas?

I've been researching plans, and apart from a bandsaw (cheap), I already have most of the stuff I would need....

[Simpo Two]

maser_spyder said:

I'm coming around to the idea of building from scratch....

Most of the designs I'm looking at are from the US, where mahogany seems to be the wood of choice. That possibly isn't the easiest wood to get in this country though. What would you substitute at a better alternative?

It's mahogany frames, ply cold mold, mahogany strakes on top.

Actually, I'd prefer a lighter wood finish, more like an oak sort of colour.

Any ideas?

Good question. Where do the Americans get their mahogany from that we can't?

Teak is a classic boat-building material but that's probably restricted as well (though there seems to be plenty of garden furniture in it).

There's lots of oak about - and of course it built Britain's 'Wooden Walls' - so I can't see why that wouldn't work.

[Perec]

maser_spyder said:

I'm coming around to the idea of building from scratch....

Most of the designs I'm looking at are from the US, where mahogany seems to be the wood of choice. That possibly isn't the easiest wood to get in this country though. What would you substitute at a better alternative?

It's mahogany frames, ply cold mold, mahogany strakes on top.

Actually, I'd prefer a lighter wood finish, more like an oak sort of colour.

Any ideas?

I've been researching plans, and apart from a bandsaw (cheap), I already have most of the stuff I would need....

Stop nickel and diming, buy a Super Aquarama to renovate.

[maser_spyder]

I'm on a budget....

So, oak frames sounds good. Strong and relatively easy to source oak planks in this country.

But straking (the outsidy bit for non sea-faring folk), from what? Needs to be flexible to make the bendy bits, so oak is probably out. Cedar?

[bluesatin]

These people will supply all you need!

http://www.robbins.co.uk/marine/sheet_materials.as...

[Simpo Two]

maser_spyder said:

But straking (the outsidy bit for non sea-faring folk), from what? Needs to be flexible to make the bendy bits, so oak is probably out.

There's always flush planking... CMBs and MTBs were two layers of opposing diagonal planking. Spile (taper) edges to negotiate 3D curves and then plane and sand to finish.

I think it would look a bit wrong in light oak though. What about American black walnut?

http://www.britishhardwoods.co.uk/planed-timber-am...