Grand banks 32 wood

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CIER2

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
10
Location
Holland
Vessel Name
PLECIER
Vessel Make
Grand Banks 32
Hello everybody,
I am new here and from Holland.
Just bought a GB 32 on an auction from 1973. Wooden ship.
The former owner let do a terrible lot of work on the ship but a divorce etc...
I have one big question to start with :
Can I put her on the wall in winter or should she have to stay in the water because she is a woody ?
Thanks !!
 
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Lots of wooden boats in northern North America are hauled for the winter and stored ashore. They DO dry out and have to be soaked in the spring to cause the wood to expand and the seams to tighten up. This is usually done by letting the boat hang in the slings of the travel lift until leakage slows enough so as not to overcome the bilge pumps. Depending on the tightness, this may take anywhere from 3hrs to a day or two. It is NEVER a good idea to fill the boat with water when it is still ashore to accomplish this task. Are you in fresh or salt water?
 
My 1970 woody is in the water all year. Maintenance is planned accordingly to not keep her out more than 10 days if possible. Keeping them in water prevents screw tourqing and planks stay firm.
 
We are in the water year round. '72 GB Woody, 32-342.
 
There's a local marina here that won't accept wooden boats. Why would that be?
 
Planking that completely dries out, like in hot climates, shrinks to smaller than original size. They take a long time to resize and if over caulked can cause fasteners to pull out when they finally expand all the way.
Many marinas don't like wood boats because near their end of life (because of poor care) they get purchased by someone that spends what little money they have on the inside of the boat rather than the bottom. Eventually leaving the boat to sink at the dock w/o insurance.
 
Woody GB32

Hello again,
My woody was out of the fresh water for 4 weeks.
A lot of work has been done.
All the implements, underwatership completely bare, seams stopped, 4 times primer, two times antofouling, propeller shaft, hull and mirror bare, sanded etc .. New engine mounts and more. now she has been hanging in the slings for a day. it goes well !
 
There's a local marina here that won't accept wooden boats. Why would that be?

Owners like to blame the marina for perceived damages to their hulls which are not damages, but the nature of the beast, and marinas simply don’t want to take on the risk or the blame.
Marinas also don’t like to tie up their lift schedules with “hanging” wood boats while they swell for an unknown amount of time.
Our local marinas will haul just about anything, but there is usually a waiver involved to protect the marina
 
Congratulations on the purchase! There used to be a Grand Banks Woody site but the owner of the site is a knowledgeable, but a total jerk. You will find your hull is made of Phillipine mahogany; unless you are very lucky, some of the hulls were made of solid teak. Look for a gentleman who lives in England, he totally rebuilt his woody, a totally decrepit derelict (the boat, not the owner!) and did a fantastic job. He hauls his woody, Little Ship, for the winter every year and would be pleased to pass on his knowledge to you. In a fit of geriatric mindlessness, I have forgotten his name for now but I'll get back to you when it dawns on me...
 
I remembered his name, Tom. I sent you his coordinates in a private mail. Let me know if there is a problem. He is a super guy and very knowledgeable and tell him Ken says hello!
 
Engine trouble

My ford lehman 120 hp stopped when docking. Engine totally solid stuck !
Oil, cooling, everything were ok. All the valves are intact.
Any idea what can be the cause ?

Can the engine when stripped pas the sliding door ?

Thanks !
 
Leave it in year round is what I do, but we dont freeze into the slips here.
Some wood boats are in excellent shape, and some are badly rotten, but the rotten ones wont last long. I honestly think those against the wood boat idea will fade away as their is ever so many fewer year after year to remind them of the past. Both them and the wood boats will be gone.
Some marinas will flat out tell you they dont want your business, but see they are not hurting, they have plenty of business with FG boats. So you go to marinas where there are other wood boats and wood fishing boats to get a better reception. just dont take it personally if they dont want your business because you have a wooden boat. And you know they are probably snooty and have an elitist mindset too, so you would not like it there anyway.

My current marina has no haul out capability, which sort of equalizes all the boats in the marina. I had a boat at one place that could haul out, and he decided I was not hauling it out enough! So eventually I took my business elsewhere. I did not even tell him I was leaving, I just left one day. I found a place that could care less what kind of boat your hauling, some were so rotten, the transoms fell off when lifted. But you know most of them came out and never went back in. the owner of that place, destroyed a lot of wood boats and FG boats using a giant backhoe, right into the dumpster, tore them to pieces. He saved the metal bits for metal recycling. Charged a few hundred to do that. I honestly think he had fun doing that. Too bad the city would not let him just burn them. that places name is
Marina Cove Boat Basin in Hampton VA.
 
Last edited:
My ford lehman 120 hp stopped when docking. Engine totally solid stuck !
Oil, cooling, everything were ok. All the valves are intact.
Any idea what can be the cause ?

Can the engine when stripped pas the sliding door ?

Thanks !

Best to start a new thread on your problem. Could be that the damper plate between engine and gear is jammed causing everything to stop. Separate the gear from the engine to inspect.
 
Whether you keep on the hard (out of the water) or in the water may be a function of your climate. All else being equal I prefer to keep my wood boat in the water, it is hard on the planks to have them dry out. However, I've lived in Holland and was there 1997 when the entire country froze solid. So if you get a hard winter where the canals freeze, I'd probably be more comfortable to have the boat out of the water since solid ice forming around the hull isn't good. Also given the climate you probably want the boat covered when not in use. Our wood boat lives under cover other then when it is in use.
 
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