Big wooden boat project [Splashed Sept 2017]

[Grub54891]

Thanks, I do work on mercruisers quite often at work. I just never get a clear answer from the manuals, or other opinions. I figured it would be fine, just needed a push to do it. Thanks again.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Not trying to highjack this thread, but just a quick question. So in my mercruiser,140, 1985 vintage, I can run the 160 thermostat as I only run in fresh water? Lake Superior.

yes

 

[Ned L]

Hopefully it is that time of the year to think about water instead of snow!
..... Been pecking along on a few things. I pulled the port generator off and took it to be checked out at a local place. He said it seems to be fine and it puts out, it might have gotten polarized backwards somehow. He's going to take care of that and adjust the regulators for both generators. It will be nice to have two working generators this summer.

The big project that I didn't get to before tossing her in the water was rebuilding the engine hatches. I have pulled off the hatches and taken them apart; again, carefully saving the original teak planks.
I numbered all the planks on the backside so I know how to re-lay them.

Careful demolition

And what I have left is a stack of teak sticks.

 

[GA_Boater]

Hope you're right about the snow, Ned!

The work never stops, does it? I know you will make something nice with those teak sticks. :smile:

 

[Ned L]

Then it was time to find some more sticks of mahogany for new frames...

Those two triangular pieces are 5' long, almost 2 1/2" thick and the widest is12" wide. .... Pretty good size pieces.

And with a bit of work I ended up with these.

the frames were epoxied together and fastened with #12 x 2 1/2" bronze wood screws. ....... I think they should last at lease as long as the original ones, which were spruce, nailed together with (hopefully at least) galvanized common nails. They lasted 61 years, so I don't thing I'll be touching these again.


(Sorry things are light on pictures, ..... sort of forgot to take them...)

I took one out to the boat for good measure to make sure it looked good.

Toss on a couple of coats of Rustoleum Gray

and we're good to go.

Then it's time to relay the original teak and drill for new #8 x 1" bronze wood screws (about 400 of them between the three hatches).

Again, I had to come up with a bunch of even thickness spacers between the planks for them to lay out correctly (cereal boxes are good shims lol),

Now it is time to cut lots of teak plugs, then do a bit of cotton caulking and apply the black seam compound

 

[Ned L]

Hope you're right about the snow, Ned!

The work never stops, does it? I know you will make something nice with those teak sticks. :smile:

I hope we're done with the snow (though it was snowing here just last week!). After all, she should be going back in the water in about a month.

I'm taking next week off to work on her and pretty much get her ready. It's nice that it is mostly just 'normal' annual maintenance now.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Great work Ned.....

your expertise never ceases to amaze

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[Watermann]

Great work on everything.... but oh man you covered up that beautiful mahogany with Rustoleum paint :faint2:

 

[GA_Boater]

Great work on everything.... but oh man you covered up that beautiful mahogany with Rustoleum paint :faint2:

No. Ned covered it up with beautiful teak.

 

[sphelps]

Awesome work as usual Ned !
ok so your using bronze screws ..
Did I do wrong by using SS screws on the Wagemaker ?
on the bottom of transom ..

 

[Sea18Horse]

Greetings all! Been away from iboats for a number of years. I was somewhat active on the Johnson & Evinrude outboards forum and had a project going on this forum that embarrassingly has stalled. But I must say this thread and this project has been a huge inspiration for me in a new, much more modest wooden boat project I've started. A 1965 26' Owens Flagship. So a big thanks to NedL especially and the rest of the gang for the inspiration, insights and information contained in this thread.

I plan to start a thread on my own project soon.

Cheers...................Todd

 

[kcassells]

Very Nice Boat! Looking forward to your thread.

 

[Ned L]

Awesome work as usual Ned !
ok so your using bronze screws ..
Did I do wrong by using SS screws on the Wagemaker ?
on the bottom of transom ..

On your Wagemaker I really see no problem (as I believe you will be keeping her dry on a trailer most of the time).
S.S. does have the disadvantage of being prone to crevice corrosion. This is a type of corrosion that takes place in anoxic environments, typically in wood below the waterline where the moisture content is consistently very high.
In a small boat I rebuilt 40 years ago I used a few 1/4 x 20 bolts in the bottom, when I removed them about 10 years ago some were corroded more than half way. You could break them in half with your hands. — That boat stayed in salt water during the summer for a couple of years.

For this reason bronze is really the accepted material for below the waterline.

Again, I see no problems in your future.

 

[Ned L]

Greetings all! Been away from iboats for a number of years. I was somewhat active on the Johnson & Evinrude outboards forum and had a project going on this forum that embarrassingly has stalled. But I must say this thread and this project has been a huge inspiration for me in a new, much more modest wooden boat project I've started. A 1965 26' Owens Flagship. So a big thanks to NedL especially and the rest of the gang for the inspiration, insights and information contained in this thread.

I plan to start a thread on my own project soon.

Cheers...................Todd

Your Owens is a real practical little cruiser, nice looking boat!
What engine is in her? The Owens “Flagship”?
I’d love to see more pictures of her and will look fowrard to your thread.
Ned

 

[Sea18Horse]

Your Owens is a real practical little cruiser, nice looking boat!
What engine is in her? The Owens “Flagship”?
I’d love to see more pictures of her and will look forward to your thread.
Ned

Thanks guys, Having fun unraveling the mysteries. yeah it's a Flagship engine. Small block Chevy based. My research indicates for a 26' it could have been the 195 hp 283 or the 225 hp 327. The long block's been replaced so who knows what it is now.

Cheers...................Todd

 

[sphelps]

Thanks for the reply Ned I always appreciate the good advise !

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Great work as usual Ned!

 

[Ned L]

For a quick catch up, ....

fastening the teak down

With lots of shims for spacing, ......It must be nice to work with new teak planks, where you cut them to size and don't have to worry about the 60 years of dimensional changes. lol

Then it was time to cut a few plugs, ......... just about exactly 400 for these three hatches

Then set them in the screw holes

Trim the plugs, give the them just a very light sanding to take off the highest spots (now that everything is fastened solidly again), and get on with the caulking.

And the usual seam compound treatment.

Lots of masking tape and mess.

and the finished result. ...... I know it doesn't look the greatest, but a bit of sunlight and some gentle washing and they will blend right in with the cockpit sole.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Wow, such skills.

 

[89 resorter]

I think that looks great .... can't wait to see pics of it in the boat!