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Saloon |  |
Aft Cabin | |
Aft Head | |
Owners Cabin | |
Owners Head | |
Engines | |
Fore Deck | |
| Blocking &
Support - The single most important thing
that the owner of a large wooden boat must do is
to make sure that the boat is blocked correctly
whenever the boat is removed from the water. A
large wooden boat that is not blocked correctly
can develop a 'hog', sag or twist and thus damage
the boat. The weight of the hull must be distributed evenly along the length of the keel, not just at one or two points. Use 10” x 10” keel blocks placed in a straight line under the keel every ten feet, two crosswise and one on top lengthwise. This method has proven to reduce sinking of the blocks. Run a string line from the top of the first block to the top of the last block and make sure that all the blocks in between are just touching the string. Strips of wood can be used as shims to assure that all the piles are straight. If the blocks are not at the same height then the boat could develop a permanent hog or sag and changes the shape of the boat. Orientation: Looking down the starboard side. |
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Blocking &
Support - Run a string line along the top
plate of the first jack stand to the top plate of
the last stand and make sure that all the top
plates in between are just touching the
string. If the jack stands are not aligned
then the boat could develop a twist or sag. If
the keel blocks or boat stand bases settle in the
dirt or asphalt unevenly, the boat could develop
a twist or hog. So adjust the stands up or down
every couple of weeks. The jack stands should be positioned under the sawn, main frames of the hull and not in between the frames. It is also very important to provide support for the two corners of the transom. With the jack stands in place and straight, the next step is to align the boat from side to side to eliminate any twisting. Use a clear plastic tube filled with water (a.k.a. a water level) and starting at the aft most jack stands adjust the stands so that the top plates on the corresponding port and starboard stands are level with each other. Last, recheck the string line to insure that the tops of the stands are still straight along the long axis of the boat on each side. Orientation: Looking forward along the port side. |
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Lower Hull - The boat was pulled and the inspecting and
refastening process begun. The old screws were removed. The abandoned screw holes were re-drilled and then plugged with hardwood dowels. The dowels were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and then driven into the screw holes. Later the top of the dowels were cut off and the wood sanded smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. The holes were then counter-bored and new #12 Silicon Bronze screws installed. Orientation: Facing toward
the starboard side. |
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Lower Hull - The port side
chine was continually weeping and leaking, as
were the inside below the water-line seam
battens. A close inspecting of the outer hull
revealed that someone had used a circular saw to
cut a grove along the chine and the below the
water line planks up to the boot-stripe. The cut
was made almost completely through the 7/8”
thick planks. The 1/8” grove from the
circular saw was then filled with caulking cotton
and covered with 3M 5200. This
‘repair’ probably worked for some
period, but actually did more damage than good.
The only thing keeping the seawater out of the
boat was the inside horizontal seam batten. The
first time sea water found its way behind the 3M
5200 is simply saturated the inside cotton all
along the planking and then over time the
saturated cotton and bare inside edges of the
wood became a breading ground for rot. Work began by first positioning jack stands under each of the main frames along the chine. Next, a string line was run along the chine from the transom forward to the turn of the chine. The jack stands were then adjusted to straighter the chine. The boat was further straightened by using a water level to insure that all the jack stands were level from side to side. With the chine and boat straightened the bottom three course of rotting planks were removed. The tops and bottoms as well as the seam battens were completely saturated with seawater. It was interesting to find different sizes and types of fasteners, that is, silicon bronze, stainless steel and brass. They came in slotted, Reed & Prince , Philips and square drive and even stainless threaded nails. There sizes included #8, 10 and 12. With the help of three large fans the chine, frames and upper planks were thoroughly dried for a week. Next, the old bedding compound, dirt, crusted bilge paint, etc. were sanded off. The abandoned screw holes were re-drilled and then plugged with hardwood dowels. The dowels were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and then driven into the screw holes. Later the top of the dowels were cut off and the wood sanded smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. Orientation: Looking aft along the port side. |
| Lower Hull - The
chine, exposed frames and seam battens were
painted with three applications of West System
105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by
volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of
water. The epoxy was painted on with a 2" chip.
This process allowed the epoxy to slowly seep
into and seal the wood. After each application
had dried for 24 hours, it was lightly sanded
with 120-grit sandpaper. The whitted-out epoxy
was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a
cotton towel and paint thinner. In preparation for the finish paint, two coats of Interlux – Pre-Kote White primer was applied using a 3” - 1/8” nap foam roller. After drying, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was then painted with two coats of Interlux Brightside - White. After the first coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before final painting, the wood was vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. Orientation: Looking aft along the port side. |
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Lower Hull - With the
preparation completed 200 linier feet of
7/8” mahogany planking was ordered from
South Jersey Lumberman's Inc., NJ. First, 2”
x 7/8” seam battens were cut, fitted and then
fastened to the hull frames with #12 1 ½”
Silicon Bronze screws. The new battens were first
painted on three sides leaving the outboard side
unpainted. The area where the battens would be fastened
the hull frames was buttered with 3M 5200 before the
battens were secured to the
frames.
Note: The jack stands positioned under the sawn, main frames. Orientation: Looking aft along the port side. |
| Lower Hull - Next, new 5
½” x ⅞” mahogany hull
planks were cut. A large continuous bead of 3M 5200 was run along the exposed 1” horizontal inside edge of the top seam batten. West System 105 / 205 epoxy that was thickened with West System 404 high-density filler was then buttered onto to the outside edge of the upper hull plank. The new hull plank was then tightly fitted to the bottom of the upper plank and fastened in place along the seam batten every 3” with #12 - 1 ½” Silicon Bronze screws. Wherever the new plank covered over an intermediate frame, it was fastened with #12 - 2” Silicon Bronze screws. When the plank covered over a sawn, main frame, it was fastened with #12 - 3” Silicon Bronze screws. The excess West System epoxy that squeezed out along the outer edge of the seam of the new plank was spread out along the seam. After the new planking was fastened and the hull faired the wood was painted with three applications of West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy creates a worm barrier that will help protect the wood. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. The epoxy was applied with a foam roller and then tipped off with a brush to remove any bubbles. This process allowed the epoxy to slowly seep into and seal the wood. After each application had dried for 24 hours, it was lightly sanded with 120-grit sandpaper. The whited-out epoxy was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a cotton towel and paint thinner. Orientation: Looking down the port side. |
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Lower Hull
- In
preparation for the finish paint, two coats of
Interlux – Pre-Kote White primer was
applied using a 6” - 1/8” nap foam
roller. After drying, the paint was smoothed with
220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was then
painted with two coats of Interlux Brightside -
White. After the first coat had dried, the paint
was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before
final painting, the wood was vacuumed and then
wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. Using a cheap laser level the original forward and aft boot-stripe scribe lines were sighted and then with the help of the laser the 3" boot-top was marked every six inches with a pencil. After taping, the boot top was repainted using Interlux Boot top - #835 - Red. The bottom was faired and then painted with Interlux - #2669 Blue Ultra-Kote. Orientation: Facing aft along the port side. |
| Lower Hull
- At the end of
a previous yard period when
Independence
was put back in the water there was
leaking from the seam at the transom and bottom and
after several days the leaking stopped when the wood
swelled-up. The decision was made to identify and
correct the source of the leak at the next yard period.
An initial first inspection reveled that caulking
cotton and 3M 5200 had been stuffed into the seam where
the Bennett trim tabs are fastened to the bottom. The repair process began by first removing the two stainless steel trim tabs. First a high-speed grinder with a 30-grit fiber disk was used to expose the wood along the transom bottom, sides and across the top of the bottom transom board. A close inspection of the bottom of the transom and the boat bottom reveled that there were two small areas where the transom and bottom meet that were punkey. The screws that fastened the transom to the bottom and sides were removed next. It was interesting to see that there was only a fastener every 7" and not the normal 3 1/2" that Chris-Craft used on the hull sides. The abandoned screw holes were re-drilled and then plugged with hardwood dowels. The dowels were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and then driven into the screw holes. Later the top of the dowels were cut off and the wood sanded smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. Additionally, fasteners were added in between the original screws, meaning that there was now a fastener every 3". The seams side and bottom seams were then filled with West System 105 / 205 epoxy that was thickened with West System 404 high-density filler. Last, a band of 8oz. fiberglass was added around the side and bottom of the transom. The tape was faired with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and thickened with System Three - Phenolic Microballoons. The wood was painted with three applications of West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. The epoxy was applied with a foam roller and then tipped off with a brush to remove any bubbles. This process allowed the epoxy to slowly seep into and seal the wood. After each application had dried for 24 hours, it was sanded with 120-grit sandpaper. The whited-out epoxy was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a cotton towel and paint thinner. Orientation: Facing the transom. |
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Lower
Hull - The two
54” trim tabs looked as though there
could easily be forty years of accumulated
bottom paint on them. A high-speed wire wheel
was used to remove the accumulated paint from
the bottom. The trim tabs were re-installed by first running a thick bead of 3M 5200 the hull plate. The tabs were than re-fastened to the hull using #10 - 1" pan-head screws. Orientation: Looking at the bottom side of one trim tab. |
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Lower Hull ~
Transom - In
preparation for the finish paint, two coats of
Interlux – Pre-Kote White primer was
applied using a 3” - 1/8” nap foam
roller. After drying, the paint was smoothed
with 220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was
then painted with two coats of Interlux
Brightside - White. After the first coat had
dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit
sandpaper. Before final painting, the wood was
vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag
and paint thinner. Last, the 3" boot top was repainted using Interlux Boot top - #835 - Red. The bottom was faired and then painted with Interlux - #2669 Blue Ultra-Kote. Orientation: Facing the
transom. |
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Lower Hull - The lower portion of the extended
keel was damaged and the keelson bolts were
loose. A new bottom was made from white oak and
fitted. The wood was painted with three applications of West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. The epoxy was applied with a foam roller and then tipped off with a brush to remove any bubbles. This process allowed the epoxy to slowly seep into and seal the wood. After each application had dried for 24 hours, it was sanded with 120-grit sandpaper. The whitted-out epoxy was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a cotton towel and paint thinner. The extended keel was then glued using West System 105 / 205 epoxy that was thickened with West System 404 high-density filler and bolted with new bronze bolts. Orientation: Facing toward
the port side. |
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Lower Hull - After all of the repairs were
completed the keel was faired out and then
painted with Interlux - #2669 Blue
Ultra-Kote
Orientation: Facing toward the port side. |
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