View Single Post
Old 11-06-2015, 10:30 PM   #5
Nomad Willy
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Most planks are easy to duplicate and replace when needed if you can find suitable wood. Vertical grain is necessary, expensive and scarce. One could use Mahogany to substitute for Douglas fir or redwood to sub for cedar.

But more skills and knowledge would be necessary to replace planks alongside the keel or chines. And of course replacing a part of the stem or keel would likely get even more complicated and finding someone else to do the work is getting really difficult now. Most planks that need replacement are at the water line or on the sheerline.
When you're looking to buy a boat have a preference for boats that have lived in sea water .. not fresh. Salt is a preservative for wood but also consider that salt corrodes fasteners.

Marty you must be still thinking about that monster GB trawler. What do you know about her condition? Have you got a person availible to you that really knows wood boats? Has the boat been surveyed reciently whereas yo have access to the details?

I still think that boat is so big it would be a nightmare for you. It's probably cheap on the market because people that could afford the maintenance would have enough money to buy a much newer boat. If you want a woodie get a 32' GB or something similar. There is one on our float listed for $24'000. It's said her engine is good and otherwise she dosn't look bad. Just an example. There's also a 1937 ChrisCraft w twin Yanmars for $19,000. It dosn't look bad either. People are scared to death of wood boats and they're dirt cheap. So if you bought that old GB you'd never get anything for her when you sell. The guy w the old Chris w the Yanmars will loose a ton of money assuming he put in the Yanmars.

Back to your question. The carvel boats have an advantage in that usually only small pices of the boat will need wood replaced at any given time. So the work comes in relatively small job sizes. Unless a boat is neglected over a long time. There could be an OMG situation if an entire keel needed to me replaced. But except that there is the fastener issue. Even that can be done over several years time probably depending on fastener condition. The carvel wood boat is held together w hundreds or thousands of fasteners. Quality wood boats have Monel screws and bolts. Galvanized can be substituted I think .. but aren't sure. But several hundred Monel screws will be very expensive ..... if you can find monel screws.

I've just been rambling and there could be an error or two but the essence is there. I'd like to see you looking at smaller boats and have a really good wood boat person to evaluate what you find.

Then there's the insurance and other pitfalls of wood boats in this industry that is basically ignorant of wood boats. Some marina's won't even put a wood boat on their travelift.

But if you kept saying as you read this "I can do that I can do that" if you have a fair idea of the mony involved and have said money ..... perhaps a wood boat is for you. But like a plastic boat or any other boat knowing the condition of the boat is paramount.
__________________
Eric

North Western Washington State USA
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote