1935 65' Wooden Boat Hull Replacement options

Seeing it's a family boat he sure seems to want to save, I bet he's weighing all options.

Maybe licking wounds of finding the boat's restoration sounds not as simple as hoped.

Screaming04 said:

I watched as someone spent 400,000 restoring The hull of a 65 foot wood Cruiser. Neglected for years, it had some rotten frames, dozens of planks replaced as well as 15 feet of the bow.

It made sense to the owner as the topsides were good and a similar new boat would cost roughly 2 million. It didn’t make any sense to me, nor anyone else in the boatyard.

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So he spent about $400k vs $2mill so saved $1.5 mill and that makes no sense?

The may be a bit off the wall, but what about using the existing hull as a plug, layup over it to create a mold, the n layup a new FRP hull. Then move the innards over, abandoning the old hull?

Or just layup a new hull over the existing one, and leave the old one in place.

Anyone who loves wooden boats should read this thread on the wooden boat forum. First, and perhaps foremost, the boat owner is a very gifted writer. (I’ve read it 3 different times) It chronicles an attempt to restore a classic Huckins in a remarkable way that captures the thrill of the dream and the sobering reality that both accompany such an ambitious project.

Perihelion - a story of hubris, failure... and redemption?

Archhibb said:

Anyone who loves wooden boats should read this thread on the wooden boat forum. First, and perhaps foremost, the boat owner is a very gifted writer. (I’ve read it 3 different times) It chronicles an attempt to restore a classic Huckins in a remarkable way that captures the thrill of the dream and the sobering reality that both accompany such an ambitious project.

Perihelion - a story of hubris, failure... and redemption?

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OMG - I read that entire Perihelion story.

Having been around, worked on, and owned wood boats for decades of years ago... I have deep, deep empathy. Anyone who purchases an old wood boat with intent to "Bring Her Back To Her Original Glory" should read this story! Be careful what you buy and be careful what you plan to accomplish. Restoring an old wood boat can EAT YOU ALIVE - In More Ways Than One!!

True, we have not heard back from the OP. He admitted in the first post it needed hull restoration. He also said it's floating and it runs. We have no idea of his financial capacity. But if it had been my grandfathers boat, I sure would want to give it a shot. I wish him good luck. Pictures please.

FoxtrotCharlie said:

But if it had been my grandfathers boat, I sure would want to give it a shot.

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Don't think I agree. Sentiment aside, thinking about my GF's boat, The Troublemaker, it was a big old wood piece of junk. Right now it is fully decomposed and raising a new generation of trees and shrubs in someone's backyard

makobuilders said:

Don't think I agree. Sentiment aside, thinking about my GF's boat, The Troublemaker, it was a big old wood piece of junk. Right now it is fully decomposed and raising a new generation of trees and shrubs in someone's backyard

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If it in that shape I would agree. But his sounded in better shape, ie “floating and running”.

FoxtrotCharlie said:

If it in that shape I would agree. But his sounded in better shape, ie “floating and running”.

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But that’s setting a pretty low bar.