Big wooden boat project [Splashed Sept 2017]

[Willyclay]

As a side note, .... As was common with a lot of local builders, there must have been separate building crews for each side of this boat (one works on the port side and one works on the starboard side) as a number of fitting details and the fastening details are different between the two sides; so I can't just make a part and fit it on one side then duplicate it for the other.

In today's world of most things being built in China, assembly lines and robotics; thanks for sharing this fascinating historical note. Good luck!

 

[Ned L]

WOG. For the paint removal, so far I have been using an 'electric paint remover'. Sort of the heat gun theory, but older. They look sort of like an electric heating element for starting a charcoal BBQ, but with a sheet metal guard over it. You can see it at the bottom of this picture.

Obviously you need to be "careful" when removing old paints.

The paint on the coaming removed so nicely because the paint had been applied on top of the original varnish. Paint on top of varnish typically removes quite easily and you end up with no paint in the grain. -- In some of the pictures at the beginning of this thread, one reason the white paint inside the cockpit area is so ratty is because it was applied on top of varnish. Had the varnish been stripped and the paint applied to wood it would have stayed much better looking (but would have made my work much harder).

 

[Ned L]

In today's world of most things being built in China, assembly lines and robotics; thanks for sharing this fascinating historical note. Good luck!

Oh, .... it doesn't end there either. As I said, two crews were common. At the Hans Pederson yard in Keyport N.J. they told me about one time when the two planking foremen got in an argument and weren't talking to each other one day (and weren't communicating at all!). Hans Pedersen came down from his office and walked around the stem of the boat being built only to find the planking about 6" higher on one side of the boat than on the other. He had a fit and told the guys to take a skillsaw, cut all the planking off and start over again.
It was not unheard of to see a skiff with the planking lines different on one side than the other (you can only see it from head on). More than a few boats were built with different numbers of planks on each side (sometimes doe to the planking stock available at the time).

The guys on the boat building crews would commonly hop from one builder to another over $.05 an hour. A rather transient group. Also, in an area like Keyport you might have close to 10 builders within less than 5 miles of shoreline.

 

[Woodonglass]

WOG. For the paint removal, so far I have been using an 'electric paint remover'. Sort of the heat gun theory, but older. They look sort of like an electric heating element for starting a charcoal BBQ, but with a sheet metal guard over it. You can see it at the bottom of this picture.

Obviously you need to be "careful" when removing old paints.

The paint on the coaming removed so nicely because the paint had been applied on top of the original varnish. Paint on top of varnish typically removes quite easily and you end up with no paint in the grain. -- In some of the pictures at the beginning of this thread, one reason the white paint inside the cockpit area is so ratty is because it was applied on top of varnish. Had the varnish been stripped and the paint applied to wood it would have stayed much better looking (but would have made my work much harder).

I've used that kind of paint heaer in the past with mixed results. But since you have a Varnish base it seals the wood and won't allow the paint to enter the pores of the wood thus the reason for you being able to heat and peel it off and bring it back so well. That's GREAT!!!!

 

[laurentide]

Chemicalwire --- Very nice Long Island skiff your family had. I have seen you post pictures of here on at least one other site. What really got me into this project is my interest in the history of the Jersey sea skiffs and their builders. I have the Jersey shore pretty well covered, and have started collecting some information on the builders out on Long Island. I would love seeing some other shots of your families Jorgensen skiff if you have any.

I think I have some photos on someone's hard drive. I'll post 'em up when I find them.

I found a survivor for sale in Amityville, NY. This one is a 34 with a trunk cabin and epoxied glass over the hull. I remember hearing that the builder hated putting flybridges on his boats due to aesthetics, but customer demand forced his hand. You'll notice that these boats have almost no tumblehome compared to most bay skiffs.

$20K takes her home!

The Long Island Maritime Museum has a lot of info on Jorgensen and other local builders. Our boat was donated to the Museum after languishing on the market. We blew the port engine on the way to drop it off. It was repowered and sold. We're not sure what became of it. I believe that the museum actually has one of his restored small bay skiffs on display.

Verity was the other well known builder on the south shore.

I have a deep affection for these old lapstrake boats, and I'm very happy to see you putting so much into one. Good luck, and I'll be following along. Andy

Here's a Verity getting set in for swelling in Freeport, NY:

Another:

 

[Ned L]

Andy- thank you. That Jorgensen is a nice looking boat. Yep, as you said, the lack of any tumblehome is a bit different looking. There were actually at least a couple of builders on the Jersey shore (Zuback, and Ulrichsen-Wilson) who carried some flare all the way back to the transom. I never cared for that.

I am familiar with Verity, nice looking boats. They were actually built with a rolled garboard keel.
I know the guy who had the painful job of cutting up the second one you show. - I could have had it for the taking, but wasn't in a position to help her.
There is a 34ft Verity in a yard near Freeport right now that needs a new home.

 

[laurentide]

I was just looking at that page, Ned. Sad stuff, but nobody wants to do the work.

That's a huge spline joint!

Andy- thank you. That Jorgensen is a nice looking boat. Yep, as you said, the lack of any tumblehome is a bit different looking. There were actually at least a couple of builders on the Jersey shore (Zuback, and Ulrichsen-Wilson) who carried some flare all the way back to the transom. I never cared for that.

I hear you on that look, but I think it was to keep the cockpit drier on work boats?

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Lots of great info! OK, I'll bite, what's tumblehome? And I thought I was pretty savvy with boat terminology.........

 

[Ned L]

"Tumblehome" is where the sides of the hull start to roll back in toward the middle of the boat in that aft sections. This Coast Yacht Works skiff has a lot of tumblehome. See the way the transom is widest at about the waterline and narrower at the top.

Many people think tumblehome is an attractive part of the lines of a hull, or at least people who remember the attractive lines that could be built into a wooden boat.

Tumblehome is pretty much a lost feature on fiberglass boats because it prevents you from being able to remove the hull from the mold (on a one piece mold). In order to incorporate tumblehome in a 'glass boat you really have to have a two piece mold that bolts together along the keel line.
I suppose some "design features" that people today are used to and think may be stylish are in reality features that simply help to make it easy to pop the hull out of the mold.

 

[Ned L]

Here is another Verity skiff built on Long Island, ......... I understand she is in need of a new owner.

 

[Mikeopsycho]

Thanks for the informative explanation. Makes sense. Now that I know what means, I really like the word. Tumblehome has nothing to do with imbibing in too many rum rations and missing the last bus. :laugh:

Looking forward to following your progress.

 

[nurseman]

I think you are referring to Stumblehome...

 

[laurentide]

Here is another Verity skiff built on Long Island, ......... I understand she is in need of a new owner.

That's pretty. A bit too much cabin for my taste, but could make a nice liveaboard.

Maybe another Verity, this one is original with 10 hours on the Palmer (in 2013 when photos were uploaded to THT):

 

[laurentide]

...still looking for my photos, but here are a few shots of the Jorgensen yard:

One of his clam boats:

Most of these are Garveys and not real relevant, but it's an incredible photo by the Captree bridge on Great South Bay. Sorry to go off the rails in your thread.

I'm sure you've seen the "Life of a Clamdigger" thread on WB. It's really cool: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...72-Long-Island

 

[Ned L]

I don't mind these drifts at all, Maybe they can fill in between my updates now, it's all good stuff.

The 24 ft skiff with the Palmer inboard that you posted above is not a Verity, she was actually built by Charlie Hankins in Lavalette N.J. I have spoken with the owner about her, he has some literature that says "Seaford Raider" and a L.I. Address , which is what lead him to think Verity. There is no doubt, she is a Hankins. My dad had a sistership to her for a number of years (with a 4 cyl Lehman Ford Diesel.). The boat you pictured is out in somewhere like Kentucky. They are unbelievable sea boats that will comfortably go out in weather that has boats twice their size staying at the pier.

Thanks for the great pictures! Yes I have been following " Life of a Clamdigger", great thread.
I love that pictures of all the garveys.

 

[laurentide]

I don't mind these drifts at all, Maybe they can fill in between my updates now, it's all good stuff.

The 24 ft skiff with the Palmer inboard that you posted above is not a Verity, she was actually built by Charlie Hankins in Lavalette N.J. I have spoken with the owner about her, he has some literature that says "Seaford Raider" and a L.I. Address , which is what lead him to think Verity. There is no doubt, she is a Hankins. My dad had a sistership to her for a number of years (with a 4 cyl Lehman Ford Diesel.). The boat you pictured is out in somewhere like Kentucky. They are unbelievable sea boats that will comfortably go out in weather that has boats twice their size staying at the pier.

Thanks for the great pictures! Yes I have been following " Life of a Clamdigger", great thread.
I love that pictures of all the garveys.

OK, it's great to see all this detective work going on to figure out the provenance of these boats long before the era of hull id's.

 

[Ned L]

Sometimes there can be a good bit of 'detective work' needed. A lot of the time it is a matter of knowing the lines and nuances of the various builders. Sort of like looking at vintage cars. If you really know them you know the difference between a '32 Ford and a '34 Dodge from a mile away.

 

[Ned L]

If this stuff interests you, you might like to check out a thread I have on 'THT' about the builders of the Jersey sea skiffs.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/637767-jersey-shore-old-school-sport-fishermen.html#b


If this doesn't work try searching on 'Jersey shore old school sport fishermen'

 

[laurentide]

It worked fine, thanks! I'll be doing some reading there.

 

[Ned L]

Making a bit more progress,... a first fitting of the laminated caps for the side windows.

he to finish up with the dry fitting of the windshield components this weekend.