The PH'ers wood boat thread.
Discussion
It cant just be me on PH with a boat made of trees.
I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
Huntsman said:
It cant just be me on PH with a boat made of trees.
I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
I'd love to not leave you feeling lonely Ben but can't help I'm afraid. I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
Full of admiration for you guys keeping them going but haven't succumbed to the screw loose mentality yet.
I'm left wanting to know more about that BPBCo job. Did she do much?
I have a 30ft Motorsailer custom built in 1965, its got an amazing splined Teak Hull on oak and steel frames. 4/5berths, proper sized galley and full 6ft standing throughout, the perfect tool for G&T's in the bay and watching the summer fireworks on the beach. At 12.5tonnes she's fun to handle in the marina and everyone gives you a wide berth, I expect she'd chop the tupperware boats in half if we ever got things wrong :-)
Its beautiful but time consuming toy.... currently for sale to make way for the mortgage and babies that the wife insists we have to pay for, something about having my priorities straight? So if anyone wants to join the Tree boat club drop me a line!
Its a real pleasure to have something people (boatees and public) see as "different" whenever we go out we get tourists taking our picture, I don't see them doing than of much more expensive and modern boats, nothing like abit of varnished teak bling!
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/szrPE5v7.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/uDDa6jo2" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/uDDa6jo2.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/bGVBAZZn" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/bGVBAZZn.jpg)
Its beautiful but time consuming toy.... currently for sale to make way for the mortgage and babies that the wife insists we have to pay for, something about having my priorities straight? So if anyone wants to join the Tree boat club drop me a line!
Its a real pleasure to have something people (boatees and public) see as "different" whenever we go out we get tourists taking our picture, I don't see them doing than of much more expensive and modern boats, nothing like abit of varnished teak bling!
scubadude said:
I have a 30ft Motorsailer custom built in 1965, its got an amazing splined Teak Hull on oak and steel frames. 4/5berths, proper sized galley and full 6ft standing throughout, the perfect tool for G&T's in the bay and watching the summer fireworks on the beach. At 12.5tonnes she's fun to handle in the marina and everyone gives you a wide berth, I expect she'd chop the tupperware boats in half if we ever got things wrong :-)
Its beautiful but time consuming toy.... currently for sale to make way for the mortgage and babies that the wife insists we have to pay for, something about having my priorities straight? So if anyone wants to join the Tree boat club drop me a line!
Its a real pleasure to have something people (boatees and public) see as "different" whenever we go out we get tourists taking our picture, I don't see them doing than of much more expensive and modern boats, nothing like abit of varnished teak bling!
That is beautiful. Truly stunning. It must hurt to put her up for sale.Its beautiful but time consuming toy.... currently for sale to make way for the mortgage and babies that the wife insists we have to pay for, something about having my priorities straight? So if anyone wants to join the Tree boat club drop me a line!
Its a real pleasure to have something people (boatees and public) see as "different" whenever we go out we get tourists taking our picture, I don't see them doing than of much more expensive and modern boats, nothing like abit of varnished teak bling!
Was the photo taken at Weymouth by any chance?
I remember before buying a boat I asked my boating expert about wooden boats, his answer was not to be afraid of them as a well maintained wooden boat (cruiser in this case) would last forever, and to remember boats were made from wood long before GRP was around.
He added just because a boat is made from GRP it doesnt come without problems of osmosis etc
I thought these were fair comments, (thanks Alan) so swiftly booked us to look at a 34' Storebro in Worcester. Chatted to the vendor on the phone and was satisfied with my responses so paid a days wages to my boat expert and fuel costs to get up there to take a look at her.
It was advetised at the time at £20k, worth £35k once it had a lick of paint/ varnish, seemed a steal!
Well we didn't stay there long, 3 odd hours travelling each way to view a boat for 10mins, I remember Alan my boatman being asked "would you like me to start her up?" to which he replied "no thanks, we have seen enough"
It was rotten, inside the cabin was terrible, so god knows what the inner hull was like. He said to me "I won't take any offers below £19k" well.... its still for sale, advertised now at £16k or make me an offer. Not worth 1/4 of that price imho.
Anyway the point of this post is not to slate wooden boats by any means but, to me, correct me if I am wrong, a wooden boat is an enthusiasts boat, a boat that like certain cars need tinkering with, touching up, and care being taken to ensure they are in, and remain in tiptop shape, and if the owner does this it could be a great buy, that will outlive any of us. But.. if the owner hasn't, run a mile, as it could be a moneypit. Sound about right?
He added just because a boat is made from GRP it doesnt come without problems of osmosis etc
I thought these were fair comments, (thanks Alan) so swiftly booked us to look at a 34' Storebro in Worcester. Chatted to the vendor on the phone and was satisfied with my responses so paid a days wages to my boat expert and fuel costs to get up there to take a look at her.
It was advetised at the time at £20k, worth £35k once it had a lick of paint/ varnish, seemed a steal!
Well we didn't stay there long, 3 odd hours travelling each way to view a boat for 10mins, I remember Alan my boatman being asked "would you like me to start her up?" to which he replied "no thanks, we have seen enough"
It was rotten, inside the cabin was terrible, so god knows what the inner hull was like. He said to me "I won't take any offers below £19k" well.... its still for sale, advertised now at £16k or make me an offer. Not worth 1/4 of that price imho.
Anyway the point of this post is not to slate wooden boats by any means but, to me, correct me if I am wrong, a wooden boat is an enthusiasts boat, a boat that like certain cars need tinkering with, touching up, and care being taken to ensure they are in, and remain in tiptop shape, and if the owner does this it could be a great buy, that will outlive any of us. But.. if the owner hasn't, run a mile, as it could be a moneypit. Sound about right?
Here's mine (sort of):
She's a cold moulded epoxy constuction, built in 2000. Hull is 80mm thick, 4 layers of Siberian Larch finished off with 25mm Sapele, then 6mm glass fibre over the whole thing.
68 separately laminated ring frames, each with as many as 11 separate laminated components (beams, kneees, floors, etc). 18 months just to make all the bits, and another 2.5 years to put them all together!
Largest vessel built of this type of construction ever and a 'bargain' 14.3 Million quid to build
She's a cold moulded epoxy constuction, built in 2000. Hull is 80mm thick, 4 layers of Siberian Larch finished off with 25mm Sapele, then 6mm glass fibre over the whole thing.
68 separately laminated ring frames, each with as many as 11 separate laminated components (beams, kneees, floors, etc). 18 months just to make all the bits, and another 2.5 years to put them all together!
Largest vessel built of this type of construction ever and a 'bargain' 14.3 Million quid to build
This is my parents boat. currently out of the water, but due to be back in in a couple of weeks after a hull touch up and a tidy.
It's a 1935 Gentleman's Cruiser.
The hull was totally redone in iroco(sp) wood 5 years ago. It has 2x Ford 4LW engines driving through Scammell gearboxes to two propellors.
It has 5-6 berths.
We are contemplating taking part in the Queen's Jubilee flotilla next year. anyone else?
It's a 1935 Gentleman's Cruiser.
The hull was totally redone in iroco(sp) wood 5 years ago. It has 2x Ford 4LW engines driving through Scammell gearboxes to two propellors.
It has 5-6 berths.
We are contemplating taking part in the Queen's Jubilee flotilla next year. anyone else?
Life Saab Itch said:
We are contemplating taking part in the Queen's Jubilee flotilla next year. anyone else?
She's a fine craft, who built her?
Its Iroko, a fine timber, second only to teak in many ways and a common substitute.
Queen's Jubille regatta, yes, I'm registered.
Huntsman said:
It cant just be me on PH with a boat made of trees.
I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
I love those Fairey Huntsman/Huntress boats - one of the few power boats that really appeal to me. I am a Fairey owner, too, on a rather less grand scale, as I own (well, inherited from my dad, who had it from 2 or 3 years old) a Fairey built Albacore sailing dinghy - number 12 of that class. She is hot-moulded triple diagonal construction - the wood is Agba, I think...I have 2 wooden boats, a 1967 Fairey Huntsman and a 1930's racing boat by BPBCo.
Fairey is 7 layers of hot moulded agba and the remainder in mahogany and plywood.
BPBCo is mahogany with a double diag bottom and seem battened sides with a teak deck.
I also own a 50 ft. Fred Shepherd designed sailing yacht, built by the renowned Thames barge builders, Howard's of Maldon in 1911. She is pitch-pine on grown oak frames, but is, um, a work in progess. My father and I were restoring her, but my young family and his demise have put a stop to it. I really do need to find her a new home one of these days - she would be fabulous when finished. Ah well....
Edited by NLB on Thursday 19th May 22:27
Fairy Huntsman fans will like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGXQWGfpryM
A friend of mine had an unusual comment - 'the wine glass didn't move, good hull design!'
Compare it with the sailing types...!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn_itr47My8&feature=re...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGXQWGfpryM
A friend of mine had an unusual comment - 'the wine glass didn't move, good hull design!'
Compare it with the sailing types...!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn_itr47My8&feature=re...
Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 19th May 22:29
m0ssy said:
Anyway the point of this post is not to slate wooden boats by any means but, to me, correct me if I am wrong, a wooden boat is an enthusiasts boat, a boat that like certain cars need tinkering with, touching up, and care being taken to ensure they are in, and remain in tiptop shape, and if the owner does this it could be a great buy, that will outlive any of us. But.. if the owner hasn't, run a mile, as it could be a moneypit. Sound about right?
Possibly.Mine was bought after it had stood unused for four years in the harbour! (Other than a couple of days work for the last minute or two of The Boat That Rocked, it rescued the one of the crew when they sank- sorry if that spoils the end for anyone! :-)
The varnish was hanging off in large flakes and the weed was hanging 4ft off the hull, the prop was so encrusted neither forward or reverse made any headway!
Once it was lifted and cleaned off then repainted below the waterline and varnished on the hull it looked good as new, all it took was elbow grease for 6-7days, parts cost was pretty low.
The cabin door was rotten where the roof hadn't been waterproofed properly but we just spliced in a new post and all was good.
The thing with wood is it can be replaced pretty easily (well the Rangoon Teak in my hull probably would be hard to source but otherwise wood grows on trees :-)
I've seen plastic, ali and steel boats in totally shocking disrepair, anything left in the sea unattended tends to fall to pieces.
FWIW other than two-three visits to check the bilge (auto pump has broken) over the winter mine has stood unused for almost 6months, at Easter it fired up straight away and all worked great and very little degredation other than it needs reanti-fouling, not much different from my marina neighbours Tupperware tubs :-)
(PS- yes, Based in Weymouth)
I've been a wood boat owner for 10 years and I love it.
They way I see it, the maintenance of a wood boat is little more than that of a plastic boat but for one difference, on a plastic boat you can let it go for a bit, you cant do that on a wood boat.
For instance, I have lorry engines, stainless shafts and bronze fittings that require little attention, owner of plastic boat with outdrives have a lot more headaches and expense!
Rebuilding a wood boat is another matter...its several orders of magnitude bigger job!
They way I see it, the maintenance of a wood boat is little more than that of a plastic boat but for one difference, on a plastic boat you can let it go for a bit, you cant do that on a wood boat.
For instance, I have lorry engines, stainless shafts and bronze fittings that require little attention, owner of plastic boat with outdrives have a lot more headaches and expense!
Rebuilding a wood boat is another matter...its several orders of magnitude bigger job!
I do love a nice wooden boat, my uncle is a clinker boatbuilder.
I can relate more to the commercial stuff though,
One of my fathers old boats. Build early 60s by Nobles of St Monans in Fife.
They would start building the wheelhouse the same time as they started the hull, each would take the same amount of time to build.
I always thought it was a very nice shape.
Broken up now unfortunatly.
I can relate more to the commercial stuff though,
One of my fathers old boats. Build early 60s by Nobles of St Monans in Fife.
They would start building the wheelhouse the same time as they started the hull, each would take the same amount of time to build.
I always thought it was a very nice shape.
Broken up now unfortunatly.
Huntsman said:
4LW is a Gardner engine contemporary with the age of your boat and about the right size, not sure if Ford made anything with the nomenclature 4LW, but I'm ready to be corrected. 4LW Gardners would make me very jealous.
She's a fine craft, who built her?
Its Iroko, a fine timber, second only to teak in many ways and a common substitute.
Queen's Jubille regatta, yes, I'm registered.
Hmmm, I don't think they are designated 4LW now you've said that. They are the diesel engines that are much more commonly found in Fordson Major tractors. They have an extra water pump hung off the back of the inline diesel pump.She's a fine craft, who built her?
Its Iroko, a fine timber, second only to teak in many ways and a common substitute.
Queen's Jubille regatta, yes, I'm registered.
It was built by Guy Shelley of Gosport for his wife (called Elizabeth).
I haven't looked into the regatta in much detail yet, do you have a link as to where I can register?
I was up there on saturday and we got quite a lot of work done: we replaced all the bronze fittings on the sea cocks and we did the first topcoat over the freshly stained and varnished wood-work.
We have a light rub down, then the final topcoat of gloss to go on, re-tar below the waterline and repaint the white and the red stripes. The hand rails are going to be stripped back, stained and varnished but they will be done later when the boat is back in the water. The priority is to do all the bits and pieces that are below the waterline or you won't reach easily from the mooring.
The boat has a wartime history, she was requisitioned by the war office and was based at Milford Haven for de-gaussing work.
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