GB32 Woodie Under Contract: Lots of Questions :)

[thebruce]

Love the passion. You guys are great. Thats why forums like this are such a resource.

I'm still taking all the feedback in right now. Im honestly a bit surprised on how negative the comments are. I came in expecting a 60/40 split. I figured there would be a small GB woody fan club who told me dont listen to the haters. But...the fact im seeing a 90/10 split from knowledgable owners does give me pause and makes me re-calibrate. So thank you for that.

And I also get it. We get the same type of posts on the Porsche forums from the newb who found the diamond in the rough. People see 1) a newb with 1 post, 2) what sounds like a wreck and 3) a woodie and what immediately comes to mind is "this guy is an f'n moron and going to get himself in trouble". I've been there and I know you are all looking out for my best interest.

In my defense, im certainly an idiot but im not an moron. The projects are half the fun. I'm one of those people who enjoys taking things apart, researching them for days and weeks until ive built the confidence and skills to rebuild it better than new. It's part of the pride of ownership. Other guys just want to get in a go. Thats not me.

But im also not some DIY hero who is a glutton for never ending punishment. I love nothing more than finding a good hack to get the best ROI for each job in terms of cost, effort and outcome. Ive started a couple companies and this is fundamental to all value creation.

On the other hand, some guys consider it a badge of honor on how much they spend to maintain their hobby. These guys either lack the intellectual curiosity or patience so gladly pay the idiot tax.

So...my "hope" is that boats are like cars. I could easily bring my car to the dealer and wont leave without paying at least $4k. Or I can sleuth out who the good indy mechanics are and pay $1.5k. Or I can spend a week of research and $150 in parts and do it myself over a weekend - and be proud of that accomplishment vs pissed off I just burned another $4k. If this doesn't hold true for boats, by all means, please let me know. A big part of my equation is riding on this.

Further, I want to challenge some of the earlier points raised. Im not intending to be belligerent or combative, because they were all very useful. So please dont take offense. The point is to test my assumptions and understand where my blind spots are.

1 - one post suggested I buy a GB32 fiberglass boat listed for $56k. That boat has the same rot issues in the cabin and flybridge, correct? Dont all GBs suffer the same thing? So wouldn't I have an extra $44k to make a pristine woodie? Are hull/structural issues that pervasive and expensive on woodies to justify spending $44k more?

2 - another post said I could easily spend $30k on it. I dont disagree over the long haul. Im seeing GB32 woodies go for 20-50k on the west coast. So lets say I spend $30k, made it into a pristine GB32 and only get $30k for it after 5 years. So im out 12k. All boats are depreciating assets. If I bought a brand new Protector I'd lose a hell of a lot more than $12k over 5 years, right?

3 - another post said I was looking at hundreds of hours of work. I agree. But lets break that down:

- Sanding and scraping. Yea its not a fun job. Luckily it doesn't require a rocket science degree so can be hired out at $30/hr. Is a yard at $120/hr somehow 4x better at sanding? Further, the guy charging $30/hr is paying his guys $12/hr, so there's a lot of margin in one of the most unskilled areas of boat maintenance, right?

- Paint and varnish. This is the easier, and rewarding part. Its all the work getting to this point thats sucks, right? For example, I know it costs $3k to hire out to get all the brightwork done. But most of that time is waiting for paint to dry. If you just pay 2-3 guys to scrape and sand over one day its like 24hrs of labor max, or $720. Then for me its only 1-2hrs per coat over the next week or two, right? So...I could a) pay $3k to have somebody do it for me, b) spend a couple grueling weekends as some DIY hero, or c) split the middle and hire out the hard stuff and focus on the fun stuff, at 1/4 the price. Is my math wrong, or am I missing something (im asking not projecting).

- Mechanical. Not afraid. Will take some time to learn diesels but im going take a leap and say its far simpler and more comfortable to work on than a 911 engine. Ive gone through the engine room and the most daunting project looks like cutting the tanks out.

- Interior cushions and canvas. Yes im sure I can easily spend $4k on just the interior. But I can also buy the fabric myself and bring it to a guy who knows a guy that does good work and charges 1/3 the marine shop idiot tax, right? That may take a few weeks of digging, but somebody knows this guy and the effort pays for itself right? Further, a $50k fiberglass GB will still have a dated interior...and Im gonna pay an extra $4k just in sales tax on that boat.

- Rot fix above the water line. Yes, this certainly concerns me. But all fiberglass GBs suffer from the same issue so if im not comfortable with this risk and dont learn how to repair it, im much better off buying a Boston whaler, right? Ive been binging on YouTube videos and it doesn't look like brain surgery. Its scary digging holes in your boat, but so is pulling a transmission off a car the first time. The second time its just 16 bolts.

- Rot and structural issues below the waterline. Yup, this scares me. This is moving into the unknown on costs, time, probabilities, etc. I dont have enough information here. Whats the maintenance schedule, risk factors, likely issues you run into, etc. All I know is there are yards in the delta that focus on wood boats and are more affordable. So this requires more digging and would be the primary go/no go line on the survey.

- Lastly, one of my assumptions is I can stage these out to a project every quarter. Q1 is stripping back the cabin, flybridge and brightwork, Q1-Q2 is the interior, Q2 is the engine room, Q2-Q3 is priority 1 engine work, Q3-Q4 is re-caulking the decks, Q4-Q5 is the topsides, Q5-Q8is the ongoing mechanical and electrical upgrades. And then over 2 years you have a pristine boat you can be proud of.

However, if its more likely im going to have 5 urgent projects all at the same time, yes, this feels like a losing battle I dont want to get into. So in your experience, where does it fall?


Again, please dont take these as an attack on any of your suggestions. They were all very useful. Im just trying to test some assumptions to understand if this is or isn't the right project for me.

Thanks again!


Ps - One other tidbit I just learned on the boat is the guy aparently took it from SF to Oregon and back last year. That doesn't seem like a trip somebody takes if they aren't confident in their boat.

 

[Portage_Bay]

A gold star to whoever knows what "Hog" pertains to in wooden boats.

Peter

A boat is hogged when she's 'pulled up' midships and 'droops' on the ends. The rigging at the chain plates pulls the hull in that area up relative to the rest of the boat. Usually noticed at the sheer line.

 

[Portage_Bay]

think you've got the right mind set for a project this big. But I fear you've vastly underestimated hours and costs. Only time will tell if your estimates are reasonably accurate or not. I also think you've underestimated the value of skilled varnishers and painters. Until you've seen the difference it's hard to explain. Restoring cars you know the difference between a great paint job and a not so good one.

I do have a rule of thumb for estimating work on old boats. I work up a detailed description of the task. Estimate each part of the task. Double my estimate. Add all the task estimates together. Add 25% to that number. And hope I won't double that last number before it's done. No, that's not a joke. It's decades of experience speaking.

I do advise you to put paint and varnish further down the list. Until you tear into rot areas you have no idea how much you're going to be taking apart. The same with mechanical and electrical upgrades. Who knows what has to come apart?

I'd do structural work first. Rot above the deck second. Mecchanical and electric next. I put mechanical and electric this far down the list for you due to your experience. Paint and varnish almost last. Canvas and cushions last.

You say one of your concerns is "However, if its more likely im going to have 5 urgent projects all at the same time, yes, this feels like a losing battle I dont want to get into. So in your experience, where does it fall?". Unfortunately that's the nature of fixing up an old boat. You'll open up an area with a work list in mind only to find the list for that area is endless and easily expands further into other areas.

Regarding the PO taking the boat up and down the coast. Who can say. I've seen all manner of unfit ill prepared boats out there that make the trip primarily on luck.

 

[rgano]

I refer here to Portage's comment about his wreck of a wooden boat in which he writes:

Speaking from personal experience. Most or it DIY. On my old wooden floating wreck:

25% of the hull replanked
50% of the frames sistered
Aft cabin interior gutted to get at the frames Fuel tanks needed to be replaced
Hull refastened, reefed out and caulked
New fore deck beams
New fore deck hatch.
50% of the cabin tops and sides replaced
Windows removed, new trim built, rebedded
New transom
Hull from keel to sheer stripped to bare wood and repainted"

Having read this about an unknown brand or year of vessel, I reflect here on my 1972 wood GB line by line as a comparison:

Never had a hull plank either rotted or sprung
The exotic Yacal hardwood frames were like new in 2015
Boat still has original fuel tanks
Hull never needed refastening based on removal of one hundred fasteners for insoection. 10-20% recaulked over the years.
Foredeck leaks never resulted in compromised wood deck beams
Forward cabin hatch is original
Cabin tops were glassed over at construction. Minor rot under one window.
Transom strong as original

GB woodies were exceptionally well built boats which can be ruined without adequate care. The OP's intended 32 is in the water and operational and indeed has reputedly endured long coastal voyages recently. OP has the attitude and skills which will see this boat refreshed and a charming example of the old school boat building done right.

GO FOR IT!

 

[mvweebles]

First, good luck. Taking the boat up the coast and back is indeed a strong positive sign.

That said, I'll reaffirm my caution. First, a boat in good condition takes a lot of time, energy, and money just to keep it that way. A Porsche sitting in a garage is not nearly as creative and efficient at committing suicide as a boat sitting in water is. Double that for a woodie.

Second, the meter is running when you're in the yard - I suspect San Francisco is probably close to $1.75/foot/day unless you're having the yard so the work. Finding a DIY yard is pretty hard - Berkeley Marine was the only one I could find 2 years ago, and there was a decent waiting list for the few slots where they allowed DIY. So that means $1500-$2000 per month on top of your slip payment of close to $450/mo. Big difference to working on a Porsche in your garage.

I used to restore vintage motorcycles. I worked in a shop in Atlanta that did a ton of restos. The surprise factor was a fraction of a boat. (see: suicidal tendencies noted above).

Finally, many/most Porsches have a following and can be easily auctioned. Not the case with a GB32. Even a basket case Porsche will have positive value. No such guarantee with a boat. You will never find a mechanic who will charge a substantial deposit because he's afraid you might abandon a Porsche in his care. A 1973 Chevy Vega, maybe, but not a Porsche.

Im sure we've all had friends who fell in love with the wrong mate. Everyone else could see what he/she could not.

Just know that if it ends badly or you need some therapy along the way, Trawler Forum will be sympathetic and provide a soft landing for you. Yes, there will be a few whispers of "I told you so," but the vast majority will have stories about how it happened to them too, so don't feel bad...

I hope I'm wrong. But as the saying goes, hope is not a strategy.

Peter

 

[thebruce]

A Porsche sitting in a garage is not nearly as creative and efficient at committing suicide as a boat sitting in water is.

Peter - this needs to be made into a t-shirt. Best quote of the thread

I also found the prior owners Facebook page. It looks like he really did use this boat everyday: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaryGhost/

Back to my car references, I know from experience the garage queens are the ones that bight u in the ass. Does the same hold true for GBs?

 

[Portage_Bay]

I refer here to Portage's comment about his wreck of a wooden boat in which he writes:
....
Having read this about an unknown brand or year of vessel
.....

She was a Shertzer built in 1926. Purchased by me in 1978 and sold 1985. If she's still around she'd be 94 yrs old. But I'm guessing she's become one of the disasters that make marinas and insurers leery of wooden boats. The people I sold her to were trying to finish the work on a shoe string and I doubt they had the gumption to carry through.

GB woodies were exceptionally well built boats which can be ruined without adequate care.

Having worked as a boat builder and been closely associated with one of Seattle's premier wooden boat shops I'll note that there are plenty of GBs that are very rotten. Well cared for or not.


With those comments I think I'll wish the OP well and leave this thread alone. I need to get back to getting my current old boat ready to cruise.

 

[PM]

I think a boat can be "hogged" in two manners. One as described in post 32 and also "droop" in the center, usually caused by improper blocking while on the hard or on a trailer for a smaller boat.

pete

 

[GoneFarrell]

TheB,

What do you see yourself doing with a boat in SF Bay? I didn't see anything about that in your posts.

Nothing but solid no-nonsense advise in the above posts by the experienced TF wood boat guys. They are not exaggerating. They are my heroes. I would'a burned my boat a couple years ago without the knowledge gained from this site.

If you feel like you could spend $30K fixing this boat (plus its cost of acquisition) I recc you put that in the budget now and shop for a $40/45K boat. Save some of your life energy for better things, like the next 911 tranny. This way you will only spend about 10 boat bucks on it first season.

Me: 5 years into the rehab/maintenance of a boat that is only half wood! It will never end until I sell or die! I assume you know the term "boat buck." I am proud of the comments I get now on the teak inside and out, but that's not the reason to be owned by a salt water boat.

It's a different relationship, salt water boat vs. car. There's 8 great motorcycles and a 'vette in my garage. The one boat costs more than all that garage equipment season over season. Not complaining, its my choice and I'm lucky to be able to do that.

That's the price you pay for a floating mistress!

Go look at more boats and think it through with your goals and all the great input on this thread.

 

[bligh]

I think a boat can be "hogged" in two manners. One as described in post 32 and also "droop" in the center, usually caused by improper blocking while on the hard or on a trailer for a smaller boat.

pete

Thats called 'sagged'. Hogged -ends droop. Sagged -midships droops.

 

[bligh]

OP. I think if I took that boat to a yard to be fixed at say KKMI, that boat would easy eat up a hundred grand in over a few months. I'm sure I could spend $200k on it without really trying too hard either. And that is assuming it is structurally sound. And after I spent that money, it would still be a wooden boat that requires a massive amount of expensive/time consuming maintenance, is difficult to insure, hard to find yards to haul it, and would have meager resale value. If you think you are going to bypass this work by using 12 dollar an hour workers, your not thinking clearly. Carpentry takes time. Quality marine carpentry takes a lot of time. A marine carpenter has a set of skills that takes years if not decades to aquire. If you are about ROI, this is not a good investment, especially if you value your time. If you are about boating, this is not a good investment either as you will spend a massive amount of time on/around your boat "not" boating. I guess my advice to you is to answer logically is "why this particular boat?" There are lots of boats out there that will get you on the water in an efficient manner that are neither overly expensive or time consuming?

PS do you know what is involved rebuilding your born warner velvet drive transmission?

 

[rgano]

OP. I think if I took that boat to a yard to be fixed at say KKMI, that boat would easy eat up a hundred grand in over a few months. I'm sure I could spend $200k on it without really trying too hard either. And that is assuming it is structurally sound. And after I spent that money, it would still be a wooden boat that requires a massive amount of expensive/time consuming maintenance, is difficult to insure, hard to find yards to haul it, and would have meager resale value. If you think you are going to bypass this work by using 12 dollar an hour workers, your not thinking clearly. Carpentry takes time. Quality marine carpentry takes a lot of time. A marine carpenter has a set of skills that takes years if not decades to aquire. If you are about ROI, this is not a good investment, especially if you value your time. If you are about boating, this is not a good investment either as you will spend a massive amount of time on/around your boat "not" boating. I guess my advice to you is to answer logically is "why this particular boat?" There are lots of boats out there that will get you on the water in an efficient manner that are neither overly expensive or time consuming?

PS do you know what is involved rebuilding your born warner velvet drive transmission?

This seems a bit overstated. I could take my lift-kept, maintained to within an inch of perfection, perfectly functional in all respects, fiberglass boat to any yard you want to name and turn it over to the "pros" who would proceed to identify all sorts of unnecessary tear-down and rebuild projects and charge me 20 grand in a week. But the OP has stated he is a handy guy not afraid to tackle technical and mundane jobs alike. He is not about to take the boat to a yard and throw his checkbook in the door and walk away. Had he stated so, I would never have recommended he go ahead with a refurb of what appears to be a highly functional vessel.

 

[Northern Spy]

Thats called 'sagged'. Hogged -ends droop. Sagged -midships droops.

Yup. And hogging is because there is less buoyancy on the pointy ends.

I say the OP has a reasonable outlook particularly if he shoots for good enough as opposed to perfection.

My general thoughts are that people on forums are often enthusiasts and a little OCD. People who don't care enough to do things properly aren't "here" or they just browse to seek enough information to do the task at hand.

I would speculate that most of the regulars here have boats that are likely the jewel in the marina.

If you are ok with a "runner", the boat gets a passing survey, and like to tinker (as I do) I think it would be a fun and challenging project for a minimal capital expense. As long as you exhibit restraint toward making it "as new" again.

Good from far, but far from good.

 

[bligh]

This seems a bit overstated. I could take my lift-kept, maintained to within an inch of perfection, perfectly functional in all respects, fiberglass boat to any yard you want to name and turn it over to the "pros" who would proceed to identify all sorts of unnecessary tear-down and rebuild projects and charge me 20 grand in a week. But the OP has stated he is a handy guy not afraid to tackle technical and mundane jobs alike. He is not about to take the boat to a yard and throw his checkbook in the door and walk away. Had he stated so, I would never have recommended he go ahead with a refurb of what appears to be a highly functional vessel.

Well, I don't think it is overstated. Like you said if the yard fixed everything it would amount to a lot of money. I can point to a dozen exterior solid wood pieces on any GB that would take a weekend each to roughly fabricate, never mind finish and varnish or paint. Heck, measuring for and buying a single piece of teak can take you all day and you'll still likely won't get the piece of teak the same day. But the OP is trying to do the major work himself and with 12 dollar an hour labor (in the bay area = unskilled non English speaking undocumented aliens) And the OP is an admitted Porsche guy who don't typically settle for things done half assed.

BTW, was it Wayne who told you he had a guy for 35 bucks an hour?

 

[Willin]

I own a 32 GB woody. I love wooden boats and embrace the notion of being a caretaker and paying it forward. If the boat you describe is in the condition you describe, I can only say that you should never, ever buy it.

 

[MRRiley]

That has an interesting tone, I mean for text on the web.....

35 x 5 x 10 x 12 = 21,000

Not a "woodie" guy, though I have done a couple of cars and appreciate those who choose to make the efforts to keep them up and operational. Rust is the enemy of cars, weather is the enemy of boats. Plan accordingly....and keep us posted!

 

[Portage_Bay]

To the OP.

$12K for a rough boat, big project.

Or

$19K for a boat that is much closer to ready to cruise. Grand Banks - $19,500 (Bainbridge Island)

Of course it's impossible to tell from pic on Craigslist but she looks well cared for and squared away. The biggest concern I see from the posting is 7400 hrs on the main. With your mechanical experience this should not be a concern. Yes, she's up north, but the trip down the coast in the right weather is not a problem.

 

[Art]

Having spent years of often working on many types of wood boats [during late 50's thru mid 70's]. I also worked for a while in a new boat manufacturer that built both wood and fiberglass boats. I understand wood boat build-out, wood boat needs... and most importantly... when a wood boat's conditions should be considered time to perform that boat's burial.

And, having been offered [for just a couple grand $$$ which = "nearly" free] a 42' wood GB in San Rafael a few years ago... upon which I spent hours doing my own inspection - I warn you due to what you depicted in your very first post:

Run!!! Forest - RUN!!!!!!!!!

 

[NUTIN FANCY TOO]

I totally agree(finally) with this poster.
As I stated, my boat has went thru a tornado ��, partial sinking, and who knows what else in her 51 years on the water.
IF you do indeed enjoy tinkering,although a wood boat needs a little more than a tinkering to keep her ship shape, and,it depends on your definition of tinker(mine is doing a little bit of everything) then your probably ok.
As to the point of just exactly you can "live with",there are a few things you need to consider
1. This will never be new again
2. You can't make it new again
3. Are you able to find a "stopping point"?
The last thing ,a stopping point, is the most important. When I was replacing termite eaten planks,ribs,frames,in the 45ft Matthews, the further I went,the further I wanted to go. After I finished the 20 some feet on the stbd side, the transom, and ,as i was starting to tear into the port side, the owner of Turner Marina in Mobile, on the Dog River,(the old man,not Prince)he drove up to me one day and said"Mike,you've got to find a stopping point,something that you can live with". He explained that,although he didn't mind me being there,working on my boat on the hard,back towards the fueling area, and loved the money that i was paying, he explained that if i kept going,I'd end up where i started. It's a never ending thing with a woodie. There is ALWAYS something to fix,or chalk, or sand. But,it's a labor of love.
As for the windows, I am lucky. All of my windows have been replaced with aluminum window frames,and my entire superstructure has been covered with fiberglass. So,that's one worry I don't have.
Anyway, good luck,keep us informed.

 

[Xlantic]

- Rot and structural issues below the waterline. Yup, this scares me. This is moving into the unknown on costs, time, probabilities, etc. I dont have enough information here. Whats the maintenance schedule, risk factors, likely issues you run into, etc. All I know is there are yards in the delta that focus on wood boats and are more affordable. So this requires more digging and would be the primary go/no go line on the survey.

Rot below the waterline is unlikely as, I believe, fungus does not tolerate the salt. I have had to replace a couple of planks above-the-waterline but below they are solid.

You should be able to identify structural issues in a survey with the boat out of the water. Have some fasteners pulled, just in case.

I bought my current boat, old and wooden, because it was in superb condition for its age, not because it was cheap.

If you are, like me, willing to buy a wooden boat, take advantage of the general attitude against old wooden boat and get one that, while still cheap, is in good condition.

 

[PM]

Your comparison of a car to a boat is slightly flawed. Say you have a car with bad brakes, you don't exactly know what is wrong with them but you know they are bad. Upon investigation the mechanic tells you it is not just brake pads but you need new rotors in front and drums in back. Several of the lines are leaking and brittle, the power brake booster is shot and one of your brake lights is burned out. Your car is ten years old and a pretty decent car, you decide to go ahead with a complete front to back brake job. $2,500 dollars later you say ouch and drive away with everything fixed.

Now, you take your boat in because the engine sputters at a certain rpm. The qualified mechanic tells you the injector pump and the injectors need to be rebuilt. He also noticed some crud in the fuel and upon investigating he found rust in a fuel tank, looks like a leak developing. And oh yea, the fuel filters need changing and those little filters are not enough for the engine, suggests a couple of new Raycors. No, you don't need an on board polishing system but it wouldn't hurt to have the fuel polished. All together the bill will run you about $25,000. There are a few things you could do yourself like maybe pull the injector pump and injectors, maybe change the filters but that is about it and that will take you four days and will lower the bill by a grand or two.

See the difference? By the way, I let you off easy on the repair bill on your boat because I didn't include new decks where the old ones leaked water onto your fuel tanks and a few other things which would probably be discovered.

Maybe you are really a pretty qualified mechanic and woodworker and could do most of the boat job yourself. It would take you all summer and you would miss a lot of boating. You would still have to take the pump and injectors into a diesel shop for about a $1,500 rebuild, buy or fabricate a new fuel tank and buy the new Raycors and pay to have the fuel polished.

Boating can be expensive.

pete

 

[Northern Spy]

Your comparison of a car to a boat is slightly flawed. Say you have a car with bad brakes, you don't exactly know what is wrong with them but you know they are bad. Upon investigation the mechanic tells you it is not just brake pads but you need new rotors in front and drums in back. Several of the lines are leaking and brittle, the power brake booster is shot and one of your brake lights is burned out. Your car is ten years old and a pretty decent car, you decide to go ahead with a complete front to back brake job. $2,500 dollars later you say ouch and drive away with everything fixed.

Now, you take your boat in because the engine sputters at a certain rpm. The qualified mechanic tells you the injector pump and the injectors need to be rebuilt. He also noticed some crud in the fuel and upon investigating he found rust in a fuel tank, looks like a leak developing. And oh yea, the fuel filters need changing and those little filters are not enough for the engine, suggests a couple of new Raycors. No, you don't need an on board polishing system but it wouldn't hurt to have the fuel polished. All together the bill will run you about $25,000. There are a few things you could do yourself like maybe pull the injector pump and injectors, maybe change the filters but that is about it and that will take you four days and will lower the bill by a grand or two.

See the difference? By the way, I let you off easy on the repair bill on your boat because I didn't include new decks where the old ones leaked water onto your fuel tanks and a few other things which would probably be discovered.

Maybe you are really a pretty qualified mechanic and woodworker and could do most of the boat job yourself. It would take you all summer and you would miss a lot of boating. You would still have to take the pump and injectors into a diesel shop for about a $1,500 rebuild, buy or fabricate a new fuel tank and buy the new Raycors and pay to have the fuel polished.

Boating can be expensive.

pete

Brake jobs and boat work is more expensive than I would have guessed in Wisconsin.

 

[Art]

Check the bow stem from 1' plus below water line to its very top. Check the transom completely. Check the stringers well - especially near motor mounts and where they meet the transom.

Those three structural items are where rot often lurks and hides a bit below the surface. Do you have any idea what it takes to repair any one of these locations... or two... or all three?? I do; it ain't pretty $$$ wise and/or effort/time wise.

Keep a really sharp ice pick with you... a small hammer... and, a moisture meter. The meter will appraise. The hammer will provide soundings. The pick will prove it!

Best Luck!

 

[bayview]

Old wood boats often have a short term last owner who loves but doesn't understand them and is eventually greatly disappointed.

There are some wood experts who know what they are doing and dedicate themselves to the care and restoration of old wood boats. I admire them greatly but never again.

 

[Mike_M]

Welcome

I think most of us have been in this position. The love of boats sometimes blinds the reality. I just feel that you would be 50k+ trying to get her back to seaworthiness. What about if you were to double your investment elsewhere and tried looking for a boat that needs a lot less for 30k. I think you would be in much better shape and would be cruising much sooner. My 2 cents worth and best of luck.

 

[koliver]

A boat is hogged when she's 'pulled up' midships and 'droops' on the ends. The rigging at the chain plates pulls the hull in that area up relative to the rest of the boat. Usually noticed at the sheer line.

Hogged applies at least equally to boats without chainplates, ie, power boats with enough soft frames and/or planks that it can't maintain its shape and the ends droop, the keel is bent, the sheer line sags......
When you see one, you will wonder how it stays afloat.

 

[Nomad Willy]

For woodie boat followers look up;

BBC
Future Planet
The futuristic cargo ship made of wood.

It’s about young people building an all wood ship in Costa Rica.
100% sail and electric for those inclined.

www.bbc.com/future planet
Then look for future planet again
Then look for the article.

 

[Art]

Hogged applies at least equally to boats without chainplates, ie, power boats with enough soft frames and/or planks that it can't maintain its shape and the ends droop, the keel is bent, the sheer line sags......
When you see one, you will wonder how it stays afloat.

When a big ol' woodie gets hogged it's end of the line for that gal. For a short ride I've was aboard a 57' Chris that had become hogged. Stringers had rot and bottom fasteners were in poor condition. The really sad effect [besides that her death was quite near] was poor handling capabilities at just standard cruise speed. Guess the warp [hogged shape] changing flow of water under the hull was the culprit. She was considerably hogged.

Big ol' woodie I saw dismantled on the hard, due to rot that let her hull hog, was a Pacemaker. That boat had rot everywhere.

 

[PM]

bayview hit it on the head. Often wooden boats pass to owners with little money and sometimes no wood knowledge. They critically damage a wooden boat in two manners, Sloppy repairs ad delayed maintenance. Both spell eventual death or extremely high restoration expense

pete

 

[Nomad Willy]

Pete I agree w bayview too.
When a wood boat is blocked up on the hard keel hogging needs to be considered. One may be able to correct some degree of hogging but it takes knowledge and experience. If I was blocking up a hogged boat I’d block it so more weight was applied to the ends.

Also some boats have straight keels and some have rocker (convexity) and while blocking one should know how much.

I made a dumb mistake assuming my Willard’s keel was straight. I put her on a straight tidal grid and when the tide went out I found that fwd and aft there was a 1” gap between the keel and the grid beams. Scared me half to death. All 8 tons was resting on one spot in the middle. Thought the boat may crack and sink .... or whatever. I carefully hammered in some wedge’s at the ends to take some weight off. When the tide came back in I was nervous but all for naught. The Willard is a strong boat.

But wood boat knowledge is almost gone now. Just mention wood boat on TF and the most common word response is “run”.
Hardly anybody understands them. And most all people are afraid of the unknown ... like the dark. There are some younger men that are adventurous enough to respond to their attraction to the beauty and lore of wood boats ... like Bob Coffer.

However most of what one must know w wood boats is just applying a lot of common sense. Just knowing that wood expands w wet leads to many jumping off points. Common knowledge leads us to ask “what happens when that plank gets wet and expands” ... to the plank above and below. _That leads to screws and caulking ... and so on.

But haha what should one do when encountering a hogged keel boat. Well IMO if it’s considerably hogged .... run. Well if there’s not much rot there are things one can do. But it takes time and patience.