Newbie Hull Advice

[Texas Boater]

This may be a worn-out question but I thought I would ask the CC experts.

I recently (3 months ago) purchased a 1958 17’ Sportsman. It has never been restored and was kept in the water for the past 20 years (at least). The previous owner noticed five years ago that the bilge pump seemed to be working a little more often than it should, so he decided to find the small leak. Once it was out of the water, he decided to strip the varnish and replace two soft hull planks (above the chine where they met the transom on both sides in the exact same spot). Well five years later, the boat was still on the trailer, but stripped and the two boards removed and all the electronics and seats removed. The engine was still installed. His wife finally wanted it gone and this is where I entered.

I have inspected the boat’s hull and 99% of the remaining wood seems sound and hopefully salvageable. Since this is to be my long-term pre-retirement project and I want to restore her correctly, but I am in no rush. I realize I need to rework the bottom first, however I still haven’t figured out how I will remove the engine or roll the hull, but I have been told after I do, I will need to remove the outer planks and inner plywood of the bottom and at least replace the plywood with new. I have also been told to soak the plywood and planks in CPES and use 3M 5200 between the plywood and planks. My question is: Is that what the CC Experts do for their hulls?

I have some second thoughts about using CPES (I am not convinced it actually does anything) and have also been told a low-viscosity epoxy would be better to seal out water intrusion and rot! I plan to trailer the boat once complete and not leave it in the water full time. Should I follow this advice or is there a better way to restore a Sportsman’s hull?

I am a seasoned woodworker but a novice to wooden boats. I am reading Don Danenberg’s books on restoration and scouring the web for advice! I guess I have the beginner’s cold feet, but I want to do this restoration the correct way and not mess it up or cut corners and have to repeat the process all over in a few years. The boat has lasted almost 50 years with little help and I have no desire to muck it up! So any and all advice is more than welcome.

The boat and I are located on the Texas Gulf Coast (Galveston Bay/Clear Lake).
PS- I attended the Keels and Wheels show this spring and really got inspired, but inspiration with no talent can be dangerous!

[jackie]

Hi Ivan:

Thanks for your reply. I had a Chris Craft Continental many years ago and bought this Sportsman on a whim last year. Since that time, it seems I have a rod knock and the bottom is worrisome.

I am not liking the idea of removing the engine, rolling it over, taking a buzz saw to the bottom and building a new one which is what has been suggested.

I am looking for an old boatworks "salt" who may know how to work the old fashioned way. I am to talk to a guy in San Jose, CA today. If I find information that may be useful to you, I'll let you know.

Good luck with yours

Jackie (email [email protected] or 831/636-0507)

[Tom Surface]

Jackie,
Have you read Don Danenberg's book How to Restore Your Wooden Runabout? http://WWW.Motorbooks.com You should pick it up and read it before making a decision. It will give you a very good understanding of what should be done. I got a chill when you said a "buz saw" You may not reuse the bottom planks but keep them as patterns to guide you in cutting the new ones. Don expertly describes the techniques involved. Good luck.

[Al Benton]

I'm in the Cruiser family of CC Boating so she stays in the water year-round. She gets pulled once every two years for a quick inspection, sanding, calk touch-up, bottom paint (antifouling, ablative) and back in (if there's no appearant repairs to be done). The bottom is all original wood (re-fastened at least once).

If there's no appearant rot or damage on runabout bottom planks or plywood why not do what we do with cruiser bottoms? Mine leaks a little. I wish it would stay dry but it doesn't bother me enough to spend more than the boat is worth for a full hull replacement. Bilge pumps will just have to do for now.

Al