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Saloon |  |
Aft Cabin | |
Aft Head | |
Owners Cabin | |
Owners Head | |
Engines | |
Fore Deck | |
This area of the web site will document in detail, using pictures
and text, all of the work that was done on Independence. It represents an archive of why things were done and the tools, techniques,
products and methods used to complete the work.
Preserving a wooden boat is a good thing to do. Restoring a woody is
largely a contemplative experience. It is interesting like a mystery story -
what was there, what do you replace, and why. It is broad, it has artistry
and sensitivity, and there are ethical questions in restoration. Each of us
spends an inordinate amount of time just staring at our boat, absorbed and
thinking, trying to figure out just how some aspect of the project should
look...sound...feel...or? These thinking and dream times are hard to
separate. The two are an integral part of the fun but it also can be
very frustrating at times, especially making the final choices and
decisions. I was once told that restoring a large wooden boat and doing it
all without any pictures or specifications of what it originally looked like
was much like a blind man eating an elephant, one bite at a time.
The repair ("Repair" means addressing years of
neglect, water damage and age) and renovation of a large wooden
pleasure boat consumes a great deal of time effort and money.
In addition, there is no single source of information that
details what things to look for; what to do if a problem is
found; how to repair a damaged area and what materials to
use. The purpose of this portion of the web site is to
try, in a small way, to document what problems were found
aboard Independence and how they were repaired.
Within the
wooden boating community, there is no agreement on what is the best tool,
technique, method or product to use in repairing or maintaining a boat. In
order to reduce confusion, answer questions and avoid some misunderstandings
of the repair work aboard the Independence conformed to a set of
“Guiding Principals” that I developed and continually refined during the
multi-year project. The purpose of these Guiding Principals is to
proactively address as many general questions regarding what materials
should and should not be used and how things should and should not be done. Given this fact the products mentioned in
the web site are things that I have found work to my
satisfaction.
The words "done" and "complete" are not words commonly heard
from wooden boat owners when used in reference to restoration.
As the saying goes, "It never really ends. In an old
wooden boat you always find something else to do." You
need to have the attitude that every thing that you do is
bringing you one step closer to having things ship-shape.
Of course in the long run every wooden boat is trying whether
in whole or in part to give itself back to nature. Hopefully,
the information in this portion of the web site will make your
choices and projects easier.
| Up until about 1987 Independence had been kept in fairly sound shape, passing through a series of owners who had a number of different uses for her. During the years that the previous owners owned Independence, for his reasons he was unable and unwilling to care for or maintain her. She was just an "old boat" and as a result she fell into a severe state of decay. In effect she was abandoned in Naples, FL, and that lead to the complete deterioration of the vessel. During that time many parts were removed no doubt by people scavenging. Simply put, she was literally neglected, unappreciated and falling apart. At the end of 1997 Tom Kenny purchased the boat. It was tided-up at the Royal Yacht Service repair facility in Naples FL. At that point the boat had been sitting unattended, and abandoned, for nearly a decade. The varnish and stain on the bright work was bleached off from the strong UV rays, high humidity, and frequent rain showers. The paint on the deckhouse and wheelhouse had turned to chalk and was flaking off. The canvas that had covered the aft deck had long ago been torn away by the weather. The seams in the teak decking were all open. There were many areas of the superstructure that leaked during the frequent Florida rains. Rainwater drained down through the open seams then down to the frame heads created a perfect environment for decay and rot. Many areas of the hull were soft or visibly rotting. Much of the metal molding on the rubrail was pulled away. In short, everything on the boat was either broken, rotting or worn out. At best, the condition was poor. |
 Owner - Tom Kenny |
 January - 1998 |
 January - 1998 |
| After nearly thirty-eight years the boats systems and
infrastructure were in need of an overhaul. A total
-
Overhaul, Rebuilding, Reconditioning, Refinishing, Refitting,
Remodeling, Renovation, Repair,
Restoration and
Revitalization project was planned out
and started. The hull and hardware would be
restored to original condition while the
electrical, electronics and plumbing systems
would be modernized for ease of maintenance,
usability and safety. The scope of the work
would included a detailed inspection and repair
of the outer and inner hull, from the keel to
decking. Every inch of every board inside and out would to
be inspected. Any damaged soft or rotting
boards were to be repaired or
replaced. The old fastenings were
scheduled for removal and new fastenings
installed. The entire superstructure would
be striped, inspected and repaired. The
decking would be take-up and new sub-decking
installed. The overall project objective was not
to create a museum quality piece of finely
finished floating furniture but instead to bring
the boat back to her former grace and beauty that
could be used by family and friends. In effect the boat would
undergo “The Full Monte”. Before the work began everything from all the previous owners that was not fastened to the boat was removed, including a few things that were fastened down. |
 Saloon workshop during repairs |
The Saloon became the repair shop and used to remanufacture much of the bad wooden parts, as well as store tools, supplies and parts. |
| Master Carpenter and Boatwright, John Nute was charged with the responsibility for the reconditioning, renovation and repair work on Independence that was to be completed at the yard in Florida before Independence could be driven to New Jersey. |
 Master Carpenter and Shipwright - John Nute |
 Shipwright, Carpenter & Boat builder - Mike Williams |
Shipwright, welder and carpenter - Mike Williams picked up the responsibility for the major structural repair work on Independence in New Jersey. Mike is equally comfortable working on metal, plastic or wooden boats. |
| Boatwright - Carl is the "go to" guy for all the general repair work on Independence. Carl is comfortable lofting a new Pilot Boat, scarfing new frame heads or replacing planking. His carpentry knowledge and skills make him a very valued resource. |
 Boatwright Carl Schneider |
