looking for some encouragement...!?

Dhara @coopskipper

Dhara @coopskipper

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28 May 2006
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Hi there, I've read a lot of postings here over the last few months that have helped in my wooden boat education, thanks!

Now I find myself faced with some tough questions to ask myself about where I've ended up with my Miller Fifer. I bought her last year on the basis of a survey saying she "needed some replanking", and as I've gone on, with my belief that if a job's worth doing it's worth doing properly, I've uncovered more and more rot (dry rot of all things). It is now obvious that beyond replacing about 15 planks & 3 ribs and some scarfing on other ribs (wood all bought and been helping a friend on his boat so my confidence and number of tools have increased), I discover today that one of the deck shelves is all but gone from dry rot. Not much point in replanking til that's sorted then!

So now she's devalued to the point of not very much at all (alright zero then) I need to work out if I can cope with the scale that the job has become. And wondering what is holding the decking up!

She is very solidly built elsewhere, larch (and some mahogany) on oak, and lots of good detail. All gutted inside, so kind of ready for a major attempt to save her. But not sure if I can hack it.

So I guess I'm looking for any words of wisdom for playing such a long game, including "run away", but please no more "chuck a match in" comments (I get enough of them from metal&plastic-heads in the vicinity). Or maybe someone would like to take her off my hands....

Cheers
 
Where to start ? Hmmm . Now let's see .
Firstly , can you give more details of the boat in question , length , beam etc. , . The more info the better . You will get the comments about throwing a match at it , but try and ignore them . If you took this on in the first place , then there must have been a good reason , so my comments would be along the line of , go for it , ignore the soothsayers for they say nothing to soothe . Best of luck , and more details will help .

I'll see if I can find the video link to Victorious for you to look at if you want more encouragement (or have you seen it ?)
 
I had a similar experience but on a smaller scale,I was really upset but there was no alternative but to make good the rotten bits.I would not encourage you to continue from a distance.You really have to establish the extent of the problem and work out if your prepared to finance it with hard cash and your timeSEt agaainst this is the enourmous pleasure you will have on putting it all to rights!
 
just go for it.

just replaced the last piece of deck on my osborne. although i can't see much difference due to me being the one responsible for her progress, i do get more and more people coming up and chatting, things like "we saw it a while ago and you've done wonders with it"... "it's great to see the work you've done"... these same people were the ones hurridly walking past and giving disaproving glances a while back.

i'm still on the right side financially, but if i had paid someone i'd be out of pocket by now... plus i can say "i did that"... it really makes the difference believe me.

get up close and personal with the repair work, it's amazing how straight forward it gets once all the crap is cut out of the way and when that final screw goes in and you stand back you'll get an awsome sense of achievement.

enough encouragement yet???

good luck, and all the best.

steve.
 
More details:
31' length, roughly 14' beam, larch on oak frames originally, signs of repair work done in mahogany which hasn't kept well while she was on French canals for a long stretch. Deak leaks on starboard side have allowed rot to set in on planking that side. Also was very poorly ventilated in many ways (inner walls without gaps, non-porous carpet glued up, ceiling vents blocked). Other repair work on port side wll done, but plank ends all quite close - reckon ok though because of amount of wood in the frames, which are every 2'.

Have been dousing in cuprinol anti-rot treatment, taking the dry rot very seriously, removing all rotten wood but not touching fragile structural timbers yet in case make more trouble before ready. Also vented and the smell of rot is eliminated. Rot recurring recently has been in inaccessible places I'm only now opening up.

Been out of water a year now (while I've been getting to grips with knowledge and skills and money needed). All the wood below waterline looks fine, inside and out. In fact she's kept it together really well down there. Tarpaulin is starting to tear a bit so going to have to replace that soon I think - the last few weeks of rain and humidity haven't helped things.

I've been of the idea to stage the repairs, originally hoping to get back in the water a bit this year, but that is now out of the question!

That's what i can think of for now...
 
I've got my narrowboat home of 10 years to sell, move into the back of my van, then work out what I want to do about the new boat. Probably just too much on my mind at the moment, so she advised getting on with one thing at a time!

Also where I am is very much metal and plastic boat country, so it gets a bit low on wooden boat solidarity at times...

Been thinking back on why I took on the project to start with (albeit a smaller project at the time) and remembered about how much I prefer working with wood instead of metal, and how much more room there is on board. Living in a tunnel has lost it's appeal. Also holding onto the memory of turning the engine off once the sails were up, out on the north sea. Gotta be worth getting her back on the water.

What's this video link to Victorious?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I need to work out if I can cope with the scale that the job has become

[/ QUOTE ]

How about getting another surveyor to look at her now that you have uncovered a lot more of her? Give you an idea of what else you need to be looking at.

Alternatively do you have a "freindly" boatyard around, someone who can come and have a look on the basis that they would get some of the work and would be happy to guide you on others?

FWIW from what I have seen the biggest "killer" on projects is the time factor - eventually everyone has a limit, espeically when you start having to maintain the (unfinished?) parts you have done. (The Forth Bridge syndrome!)

It may well be worth spending money on proffesional help to get her usuable / liveable (even if not comfortable) sooner rather than later to keep your interest going instead of finding in a couple of years you just walk away.
 
There's a book I read at University, 'How to eat an Elephant?' - answer, bit by bit.

Keep at it, no rush, get each job right.

In terms of which order to do things, not my sphere of knowledge that type of construction, you need the likes of Mirelle/Peterduck etc.

Keep the questions coming on here, that will help you along the way too.
 
Can you narrow down your location a bit , North Yorkshire is a big area and you might find other members live just around the corner . Also , can you put some pictures on here so we know what the problem is .
Glad you enjoyed the Victorious pics , and I'm sure he'll be happy that someone else has viewed with approval .
 
Figuring The order you do it in will help.
Alas without looking at her in some detail, I would not like to advise.

Keep the old tarp and put it on top of a new one.. It's wieght will cut down the amount of movement and chafe on the new one.
Victorious tent was cheap new tarp with vheavy old tarps over the top.. remained leak free (almost) for.... better not tell ya how many years cos what you need atm is "ENCOURAGEMENT"
Steady progress is what you looking for... try not to fix a timescale... just aim for some productive work each day... and a visable difference each week.
That way you suddenly find you gotta book a crane and get it wet!

Occasional sailing breaks on other peoples boats helps boost morale and reminds you what you are working towards
 
Hi jimmyjimmy. You've had some good advise above the rewards are all there in time. I have been at it for some time now my self have a look at :-

G.U.Laws and the yacht 'Mercia III' #927858 - 18/01/2006

I don't know how to post a link to the forum pages but if you scroll though the page Numbers at the bottom of the Classic Boat index page to the 18/01/2006 you will find what I have been up to over the last 10+ years. I did have a brake for 4/5 years though and went all horsey with our daughter.
The one thing that an old wooden boat offers is it is all replaceable given time and labour.
Good luck with your endeavours.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Or maybe someone would like to take her off my hands....

[/ QUOTE ]
You seem to be at a crossroads there.

It may be worth looking at your whole situation. I don't know how you keep body and soul together, but if you are self employed it's always worth doing the sums to see if your restoration is costing more than keeping busy and paying someone to do it for you. Don't underestimate what it costs you in total to do the work yourself. You can end up losing out at both ends.

If it looks like becoming a long job, examine the validity of buying a little grp boat to keep for occasional forays, or find a "sailing buddy" with a boat on the water.
 
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