Renovating an old wooden sports boat, am I mad?

[MOTORVATOR]

maser_spyder said:

Huntsman said:

hidetheelephants said:

Plastic nails; every day's a school day. Chocolate teapots must be just around the corner!

When I did the keel on Playtime I very nearly used engineering plastic bolts, in fact, the only reason I didn't was not a technical reason, but a marketing one, I was quite sure that nobody would ever buy a Fairey boat with plastic keel bolts. The Marelon skin fittings look good.

This is the stuff I've been looking at;

http://raptornails.com/

When you think about it, strength aside (although they do seem to have plenty of it), it's a very sensible material for boat building. All the properties of bronze in salt water, but a fraction of the cost.

I would think it's only a matter of time before it becomes heavily used in the boat building industry.

If somebody told you 30 years ago we'd be flying around in plastic planes by the early 2000s, you would have thought them crazy.

I suppose if you are using plastic fixings on the boat then it should be possible to build the whole thing in plastic.

In fact now I think about it, you may be better sticking with irony fixings.

Edited by MOTORVATOR on Friday 20th June 13:25

[Wing Commander]

MOTORVATOR said:

maser_spyder said:

Huntsman said:

hidetheelephants said:

Plastic nails; every day's a school day. Chocolate teapots must be just around the corner!

When I did the keel on Playtime I very nearly used engineering plastic bolts, in fact, the only reason I didn't was not a technical reason, but a marketing one, I was quite sure that nobody would ever buy a Fairey boat with plastic keel bolts. The Marelon skin fittings look good.

This is the stuff I've been looking at;

http://raptornails.com/

When you think about it, strength aside (although they do seem to have plenty of it), it's a very sensible material for boat building. All the properties of bronze in salt water, but a fraction of the cost.

I would think it's only a matter of time before it becomes heavily used in the boat building industry.

If somebody told you 30 years ago we'd be flying around in plastic planes by the early 2000s, you would have thought them crazy.

I suppose if you are using plastic fixings on the boat then it should be possible to build the whole thing in plastic.

In fact now I think about it, you may be better sticking with irony fixings.

Edited by MOTORVATOR on Friday 20th June 13:25

Or break up everything done so far and use it for fire wood over winter to keep the warehouse warm, and build a new plastic one! I jest!

[hidetheelephants]

Huntsman said:

hidetheelephants said:

Plastic nails; every day's a school day. Chocolate teapots must be just around the corner!

When I did the keel on Playtime I very nearly used engineering plastic bolts, in fact, the only reason I didn't was not a technical reason, but a marketing one, I was quite sure that nobody would ever buy a Fairey boat with plastic keel bolts. The Marelon skin fittings look good.

They are good, the only obvious down side is their bulk. They probably need to be lifed, but then DZR brass skin fittings need lifing as well, even though people don't.

[Fishtigua]

hidetheelephants said:

They are good, the only obvious down side is their bulk. They probably need to be lifed, but then DZR brass skin fittings need lifing as well, even though people don't.

I've had a DZR brass fitting crumble on me. It was a 4" main-engine inlet and less than a year old. It almost sank the boat, filling the engine room under a foot of water. Don't touch them for underwater fitting. Bronze only please.

http://www.paulstevenssurveys.com/upload/Seacocks....

Marelon is very good but bulky, you shouldn't have to lift them for at least 5 years or more just to check the screws holding them down on the backing pads.

[hidetheelephants]

If it crumbled that quickly either it wasn't DZR, there was no/incorrect anodic protection or there were stray currents somewhere; was the boat in a marina with lots of boats permanently plugged into shore power?

[Huntsman]

hidetheelephants said:

If it crumbled that quickly either it wasn't DZR, there was no/incorrect anodic protection or there were stray currents somewhere; was the boat in a marina with lots of boats permanently plugged into shore power?

Similarly I would be suspicious that it may not have been DZR, its very hard to tell and all too often the chandlers don't have a clue and tip it all in together.

[Fishtigua]

It was on a steel 88' Fairmile built in the '60s. Restored in Spain before I joined, so gawd know what rubbish they fitted. Everything was bonded but the bloody thing just pinked. I've completely stopped using DZR below the waterline, bronze only.

[hidetheelephants]

Fishtigua said:

It was on a steel 88' Fairmile built in the '60s. Restored in Spain before I joined, so gawd know what rubbish they fitted. Everything was bonded but the bloody thing just pinked. I've completely stopped using DZR below the waterline, bronze only.

Steel boats and DZR do not go together, the zinc is just too easily mobilised. Sounds an interesting boat; perhaps a copy of the wartime wooden designs?

[Fishtigua]

hidetheelephants said:

Sounds an interesting boat; perhaps a copy of the wartime wooden designs?

No, a very classic canoe stern cruiser. It was a bigger version of this one. Twin Gardners and a single rudder, no thruster.

[maser_spyder]

Must. Not. Must. Not. Must. Not.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310992533996

[Fishtigua]

Stop it.
That's so unfair, me looking at it and thinking "That's really do-able. What could possibly go wrong"?

After 30 years I should know much, much better.

[Bonefish Blues]

Fishtigua said:

Stop it.
That's so unfair, me looking at it and thinking "That's really do-able. What could possibly go wrong"?

After 30 years I should know much, much better.

Yep, leave it to those of us without a clue about what might go wrong!

Just for the sake of discussion, if it was essentially sound, how much cost and time to restore might that be?

[Huntsman]

maser_spyder said:

Must. Not. Must. Not. Must. Not.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310992533996

£2500? Whyever not....get it bought.

[MOTORVATOR]

And while you're at it get this as well. A special little plastic number that wants saving.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avenger-17ft-Inboard-Pow...

[RichB]

Bonefish Blues said:

Fishtigua said:

Stop it.
That's so unfair, me looking at it and thinking "That's really do-able. What could possibly go wrong"? After 30 years I should know much, much better.

Yep, leave it to those of us without a clue about what might go wrong! Just for the sake of discussion, if it was essentially sound, how much cost and time to restore might that be?

exactly what I was thinking!

[Fishtigua]

RichB said:

Bonefish Blues said:

Fishtigua said:

Stop it.
That's so unfair, me looking at it and thinking "That's really do-able. What could possibly go wrong"? After 30 years I should know much, much better.

Yep, leave it to those of us without a clue about what might go wrong! Just for the sake of discussion, if it was essentially sound, how much cost and time to restore might that be?

exactly what I was thinking!

I grew-up in my Dad's wooden-boat restoration yard. Seeing multi-millionaires almost cry when they saw the final invoice, that tells you a little about classic boat ownership.

It's more hard work and many less parts available than doing a classic car. Lots of the bits were custom-made for each boat. Even marine engine parts for those Chrysler big block motors are getting harder to find.

Have a look at David's quick tart-up of his boat will give you an idea of what a restoration is like, his is a modern 1960's jobbie, not a 1930's one.

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-yachting...

[hidetheelephants]

Huntsman said:

maser_spyder said:

Must. Not. Must. Not. Must. Not.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310992533996

£2500? Whyever not....get it bought.

Danger Will Robinson.

Given its age I doubt the V8 is original, it would more likely have had a straight 6 Graymarine.

Edited by hidetheelephants on Tuesday 24th June 05:31

[Fishtigua]

hidetheelephants said:

Given its age I doubt the V8 is original, it would more likely have had a straight 6 Graymarine.

It's a late '60s Chrysler 440, same as they fitted in the Jenson Interceptor.

[mickrick]

I´ve taken on some bloody stupid projects, but that makes even me shudder!
As I said very early on in this excellent thread. Cheaper and easier to do what you are doing, and build a new one from scratch.
I even did the same with a house, spent 8 years of my weekends renovating something which would have been easier to knock down and start again.

[maser_spyder]

mickrick said:

As I said very early on in this excellent thread. Cheaper and easier to do what you are doing, and build a new one from scratch.

So it's your fault?