Finn Dinghy Restoration

[Dino]

Hi, I recently rescued an old 60’s GRP Finn dinghy from being cut up and sent to landfill. It’s going to be my project over the next few weeks. I need to replace the thwart and surround around the top of the centreboard and a beam down through the floor of the cockpit that supports the floorboards. I would ideally use a good quality hardwood like iroko but I can’t get any at the moment. I do have some good quality marine ply that will work and I can round the edges nicely with a router.
Can anyone recommend something to treat the marine ply with? Is it worth epoxy coating it?
I have international Woodskin or some wood preservative that I could use either

 

[Wansworth]

Iwould have thought sealing with epoxy,maybe several coats would be quite adequate,it’s not going to be soaked in water all the time.

 

[langstonelayabout]

As an ex-Finn sailor all I can say is: where are the pictures???

One of my Finns (GBR 507) was a GRP Taylor special having been built on a male mould but with wooden centreboard case, etc. The centreboard case had suffered inside over they years and needed the plate removing and gap sanding to prevent the plate dragging whilst being lowered and raised. A sod of a job. It might have been easier if I could have removed the thwart and 'peeled apart' the top of the casing but then I'm not a boatbuilder.

Enoy your Finn-ing. Its a lovely boat to sail: easy and safe to sail but hard work to get to the front of the fleet. The carbon mast transformed it from a good boat to a great boat.

 

[Dino]

Here’s some photos. Finn Dinghy
I’m told she’s a Pearson but looks like an early one.
I need to replace the rubbing strake as well but I think I’ll use a pvc profile to reduce maintenance. It’s also easier to get at the moment.
the old wooden mast is all I have at the moment. I had found an old Needlespar aluminium mast and boom in the UK but I have no way of getting it back during lockdown. I’m based in Ireland so not much Finn stuff lying around.
I'm going to paint the hull white and the deck grey and the interior white. some of the woodwork and the tiller and rudder were painted black so I may stick with those colours.
I’d love a cheap carbon rig if you hear of one. There’s very little Finn racing here so I’ll mainly just be using it for fun.
Thanks for your interest.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Here’s some photos. Finn Dinghy
I’m told she’s a Pearson but looks like an early one.
I need to replace the rubbing strake as well but I think I’ll use a pvc profile to reduce maintenance. It’s also easier to get at the moment.
the old wooden mast is all I have at the moment. I had found an old Needlespar aluminium mast and boom in the UK but I have no way of getting it back during lockdown. I’m based in Ireland so not much Finn stuff lying around.
I'm going to paint the hull white and the deck grey and the interior white. some of the woodwork and the tiller and rudder were painted black so I may stick with those colours.
I’d love a cheap carbon rig if you hear of one. There’s very little Finn racing here so I’ll mainly just be using it for fun.
Thanks for your interest.

I know nothing about Finn dinghies! But on many dinghies, the rubbing strake is a structural element, As I say, I don't know Finns (beyond admiring them from a distance), but I'd be wary of replacing a rubbing strake with something non-structural like pvc.

 

[jwilson]

... snipped ..... There’s very little Finn racing here so I’ll mainly just be using it for fun.

The one time I sailed a Finn it found it not that fun: seriously hard graft compared to a standard rig Laser. I'm not tall and was at that time though very fit not that heavy, which probably accounts for it - most Finn sailors are pretty tall and solid.

 

[Dino]

I know nothing about Finn dinghies! But on many dinghies, the rubbing strake is a structural element, As I say, I don't know Finns (beyond admiring them from a distance), but I'd be wary of replacing a rubbing strake with something non-structural like pvc.

Possibly in a wooden boat it might be structural but this is a grp boat. The rubbing strake only runs down the sides and is not joined at the bow. There is no rubbing strake across the top of the transom.