I'm about to start a project on an older Chriscraft
- Thread starter Scary
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Congratulations, Steve
You are the top level of “Boat Building Art”. In memory and applause to artisans who built thousands of pieces comprising that Chris, you matched or bettered their artful skills while keeping a beautiful rendition of their boat building souls alive and intact.
You are the top level of “Boat Building Art”. In memory and applause to artisans who built thousands of pieces comprising that Chris, you matched or bettered their artful skills while keeping a beautiful rendition of their boat building souls alive and intact.
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OP
OP
Scary
Guru
Progress
We are now into this job about $60,000. Half of it screws and bolts. The owner is getting uncomfortable with the expense and I don't blame him. One of the agreements with the yard when we hauled was that we would purchase supplies through them. We thought at the time we hauled the boat that the damage was pretty much exclusive to the transom. The boat appeared tight and sound forward. So we have been purchasing supplies as we progressed. If we had known the extent of the refastening we could have saved 30% or so on fasteners by purchasing around the marina in bulk. This yard has been very fair when it comes to insurance requirements as to liability and workman's comp, many yards want a 20% a share of our labor as well.
So in the long run the mark up on supplies has worked out well in the balance. If the owner had to pay the yard rate for labor this job would have been prohibitive. Attached are current pictures of progress with repaired or replaced frames and a ongoing dry rot repair on the stem.
We are now into this job about $60,000. Half of it screws and bolts. The owner is getting uncomfortable with the expense and I don't blame him. One of the agreements with the yard when we hauled was that we would purchase supplies through them. We thought at the time we hauled the boat that the damage was pretty much exclusive to the transom. The boat appeared tight and sound forward. So we have been purchasing supplies as we progressed. If we had known the extent of the refastening we could have saved 30% or so on fasteners by purchasing around the marina in bulk. This yard has been very fair when it comes to insurance requirements as to liability and workman's comp, many yards want a 20% a share of our labor as well.
So in the long run the mark up on supplies has worked out well in the balance. If the owner had to pay the yard rate for labor this job would have been prohibitive. Attached are current pictures of progress with repaired or replaced frames and a ongoing dry rot repair on the stem.
Attachments
Peregrinator
Member
We stopped by last Saturday on our way to CES and took a look at the project, these pictures do not do it justice, Scary is a master craftsman. I do think these pictures are a little out of date, I am sure there was a lot more new wood in the bow.
When he is done this will we one outstanding vessel, good for another 40 years.
Keep up the good work.
When he is done this will we one outstanding vessel, good for another 40 years.
Keep up the good work.
OP
OP
Scary
Guru
Current status
This project is still ongoing. Progress slow going. Here are some current photos. All the planks are machined from rough, cut using paper templates, fit on the boat, treated with copper green, bedded in Sinkaflex, and fastened. most of these planks take three to five tubes of caulking, and a hundred or so screws. In the photos you will see fender washers and wedges used to pull and force planks into compliance. Chriscraft used 3/8 plywood underlayment on the bottom of the hull with 5/8 planks fastened through the plywood to the frames. Originally fabric was applied to the plywood as a water barrier between the planks and the inner sheathing. This may have worked for a number of years until the fabric failed. This fabric failure is one of the major causes of dry rot in the sheathing and bottom planking. We are substituting Sinkaflex as a water barrier which I feel will be a near permanent solution. Every plank is treated with copper green including the 3/8 plywood sheathing and beaded in Sinkaflex. The plywood sheathing is coated with bilge coat as well. The hull side planking needed recaulking as well. Cleaning the old caulking revealed jagged seams that were unsightly to say the least. After cleaning the old caulking the seams have been caulked flush with smiths epoxy filler. We will recut plank seems with a small saw and batten fence to provide straight caulk lines before recaulking with Sinkaflex. This will restore the hull to near new condition.
This project is still ongoing. Progress slow going. Here are some current photos. All the planks are machined from rough, cut using paper templates, fit on the boat, treated with copper green, bedded in Sinkaflex, and fastened. most of these planks take three to five tubes of caulking, and a hundred or so screws. In the photos you will see fender washers and wedges used to pull and force planks into compliance. Chriscraft used 3/8 plywood underlayment on the bottom of the hull with 5/8 planks fastened through the plywood to the frames. Originally fabric was applied to the plywood as a water barrier between the planks and the inner sheathing. This may have worked for a number of years until the fabric failed. This fabric failure is one of the major causes of dry rot in the sheathing and bottom planking. We are substituting Sinkaflex as a water barrier which I feel will be a near permanent solution. Every plank is treated with copper green including the 3/8 plywood sheathing and beaded in Sinkaflex. The plywood sheathing is coated with bilge coat as well. The hull side planking needed recaulking as well. Cleaning the old caulking revealed jagged seams that were unsightly to say the least. After cleaning the old caulking the seams have been caulked flush with smiths epoxy filler. We will recut plank seems with a small saw and batten fence to provide straight caulk lines before recaulking with Sinkaflex. This will restore the hull to near new condition.
Attachments
Steve
Your work is simply beautiful... your height of wood boat restoration is artistry! Although it will be a few weekends before I get out that way, I hope to top by when we drive to the area for a cruise on our Tolly. Keep up yhe great work!
Art
Your work is simply beautiful... your height of wood boat restoration is artistry! Although it will be a few weekends before I get out that way, I hope to top by when we drive to the area for a cruise on our Tolly. Keep up yhe great work!
Art
VikingBay
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I just read this whole thread. You've done a very nice job and I'm amazed how much time you've put in and how much $ the owner is surrendering.
Nicely done, it appears you're getting close.
Nicely done, it appears you're getting close.
OP
OP
Scary
Guru
Hull planking Completed
The bow planking is done and fairing pretty much done. Sanding, filling, caulking,painting, and remounting the boarding platform and we launch. The boat should be in the water in a couple of weeks or so. The owner probably would have not chosen to invest this much work and money into this boat had we known the extent of rot present in this boat. this job started out as replacing a few planks to a pretty extensive rebuild. The hull is probably good for another 40 years at this point. It is impossible to estimate rot repair as it is very difficult to evaluate how extensive dry rot damage is without destructive removal. Pleasure boats are not rational investments, wooden boats have to have owners who are passionate about the history or classic beauty of these old boats invest in the repair cost. Most owners of these old classics have much more invested in the repair and maintenance then they could ever sell them for. You really do have a boat that is unique when you own wooden yacht. They are floating furniture, marine art, maybe an symbol of old money, They have a feel unlike any fiberglass boat, they even smell different. But then again maybe that's the smell of dry rot! The soft feel of the wooden framing and appearance varnished wood, the teak decks, just a pleasure to experience. Hopefully the owner will recapture the spirit, however his butt is a little sore at the moment. When jobs like this get bigger and bigger and the owner gets sucked in chasing what seems to good money after bad it take the pleasure out of restoration, it puts pressure on just getting the job done and over with. This can get to be a very slippery slope as short cuts in quality can compromise the quality work already done shortening the life of the boat. You have to hang tough and spend the time to properly finish the job. Wooden boats are expensive if you can do the work yourself, they are ridiculous if you have to pay others to do the work. At this point we have about 2000 hrs in this repair.
The bow planking is done and fairing pretty much done. Sanding, filling, caulking,painting, and remounting the boarding platform and we launch. The boat should be in the water in a couple of weeks or so. The owner probably would have not chosen to invest this much work and money into this boat had we known the extent of rot present in this boat. this job started out as replacing a few planks to a pretty extensive rebuild. The hull is probably good for another 40 years at this point. It is impossible to estimate rot repair as it is very difficult to evaluate how extensive dry rot damage is without destructive removal. Pleasure boats are not rational investments, wooden boats have to have owners who are passionate about the history or classic beauty of these old boats invest in the repair cost. Most owners of these old classics have much more invested in the repair and maintenance then they could ever sell them for. You really do have a boat that is unique when you own wooden yacht. They are floating furniture, marine art, maybe an symbol of old money, They have a feel unlike any fiberglass boat, they even smell different. But then again maybe that's the smell of dry rot! The soft feel of the wooden framing and appearance varnished wood, the teak decks, just a pleasure to experience. Hopefully the owner will recapture the spirit, however his butt is a little sore at the moment. When jobs like this get bigger and bigger and the owner gets sucked in chasing what seems to good money after bad it take the pleasure out of restoration, it puts pressure on just getting the job done and over with. This can get to be a very slippery slope as short cuts in quality can compromise the quality work already done shortening the life of the boat. You have to hang tough and spend the time to properly finish the job. Wooden boats are expensive if you can do the work yourself, they are ridiculous if you have to pay others to do the work. At this point we have about 2000 hrs in this repair.
Attachments
OP
OP
Scary
Guru
Getting close after five coats of primer
Progress, 5 coats of primer sanded and ready for top coat. We are debating whether to go with high gloss or semigloss. the owner would prefer high gloss, I'm not confident that the planks are flat enough to use high gloss. The seams of the old planks had been chewed up over the years and required epoxi filler and re-cutting before cualking. The sanding of the seams is tricky to do without ruining the planks. Extensive use of a long board or long sanding blocks is the solution to flattening the planks, very time consuming. At some point you have say enough is enough. We'll see what the final product looks like next week.
Progress, 5 coats of primer sanded and ready for top coat. We are debating whether to go with high gloss or semigloss. the owner would prefer high gloss, I'm not confident that the planks are flat enough to use high gloss. The seams of the old planks had been chewed up over the years and required epoxi filler and re-cutting before cualking. The sanding of the seams is tricky to do without ruining the planks. Extensive use of a long board or long sanding blocks is the solution to flattening the planks, very time consuming. At some point you have say enough is enough. We'll see what the final product looks like next week.
Attachments
Papa Charlie
Senior Member
Very nice Steve. Been a very long project. Wood boat estimate calculation:
Estimate x 5B x 10W = Wood Boat Estimate
Boat factor = 5
Wood Boat factor = 10
Estimate x 5B x 10W = Wood Boat Estimate
Boat factor = 5
Wood Boat factor = 10
GD Steve - Talk bout Boat Porn! GEEEEZZZ!! Transom picts are totally X rated!! And I like it!!!!
Congrats on your success in this project!
AussieCraig
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Simply beautiful !!!!!
denloe1
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Agree absolutely beautiful. Makes me soooo appreciate the 20 years I had from my 42 Dcfb. 14 after an extra screw re fasten and a 2x 300hp yanmar repower. Only had 1 cracked plank in all those years. Boathouse kept rot away. Now this one needs to go CRUISE !!
Sent from my iPhone using Trawler
Nomad Willy
Guru
What a beautiful and well loved yacht.
We've got some can-do guys on here and you're definitely one of them.
Is that what used to be called a "flush deck yacht"?
I love that long nearly straight sheer.
We've got some can-do guys on here and you're definitely one of them.
Is that what used to be called a "flush deck yacht"?
I love that long nearly straight sheer.
Eric - back in the day... mid 20th Century, New England waters... I believe at boat shows that design/model was termed "FlushDdeck Trunk Cabin Hard Top" I bet Scary knows better than me. What a beautiful restoration job he did on that ol' Chris!!
Qstopher
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Hi Scary, I am very close to splash the exact same boat. We have undergone almost the exact same repairs as well. Only difference is that it has taken us 5 years. If you don't mind I have a few questions or would love to ask for some advice on a few things if you don't mind. If so please send me a PM.
Thank you
-Kris
Thank you
-Kris
OP
OP
Scary
Guru
I sent you a private message. How can I help you.
Portuguese
Guru
Show me a 63 YO FB boat that can become as beautifull as this after re-furbishing?
They do indeed smell different. Much better IMO than FG boats. I used to love wandering in working boat yards full of wood boats. Yes if think that smell is wood rot. the smell of old boats slowly returning to the earth.
But it sure was better than the chemical smells of today. Not many more projects of that scale will be undertaken any more so congratulations on renewing history..
There is a yacht restoration school in Newport RI that is one of the few places I know where work of that scale is common.
Here is information on a project started in 1995! Coronet | Historic Yacht Restoration at IYRS in Newport, RI
But it sure was better than the chemical smells of today. Not many more projects of that scale will be undertaken any more so congratulations on renewing history..
There is a yacht restoration school in Newport RI that is one of the few places I know where work of that scale is common.
Here is information on a project started in 1995! Coronet | Historic Yacht Restoration at IYRS in Newport, RI
Nomad Willy
Guru
Thanks for the link bay.
Any idea the beam of the little lobster boat Sally? They are all big fat things now but in the days I'll bet they were quite slender. Perhaps 6.5 to 7'.
Any idea the beam of the little lobster boat Sally? They are all big fat things now but in the days I'll bet they were quite slender. Perhaps 6.5 to 7'.
Benchmark
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Another beautiful Chris saved for posterity. Superb result.
Nothing rides better or succeeds in looking "just right" than a good woodie!
Nothing rides better or succeeds in looking "just right" than a good woodie!
