Preview: Fiberglassing an Old Wooden Boat – A New Life for CHARLENA

113 Responses So Far to “Fiberglassing an Old Wooden Boat – A New Life for CHARLENA”

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  Ian Bennett says:

  Hi, I was reading Allan Vaitses book on glassing wooden boats and he recommends layering sheets of chopped strand glass with roving. Did you use fiberglass that had those two layers incorporated together or just a roving fiberglass sheet? He also recommends several layers of glass and fastening to wood using staples. Any comments on that approach would be great.

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  Ian Bennett says:

  Hi, trying to figure out which of the Teakdecking systems epoxy was used. Can you say which product it was?

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    Eric Blake says:

    Hi Ian,

    This is the epoxy that I used on Charlena’s hull and deck seams.

    https://teakdecking.com/fe-180a-epoxy/

    Best, Eric

    • 

      Ian Bennett says:

      Thanks, I have a similar aged project boat – the Golden Bear workboat from Cal Maritime in Vallejo California. Built in the 40s she is the last of the wood stick boats on campus and deserves another lease on life. I think the approach you took would fit her well.

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  Angus Rogers says:

  I’m interested in your comments on Teak Decking Systems epoxy for filling in between the topsides carvel planks. did you use the FFE200 or the FFE180 for that? I have a sound carvel hull that shows the putty seams through the paint and want to fill the seams before the next repaint so seam cracks don’t appear later. is one of these products the right product?

  • 

    Eric Blake says:

    Angus
    Great question but this isn’t something I would recommend on a traditionally built wooden boat.
    It would do a lot off unnecessary damage on an otherwise sound plank on frame boat. The difference here is that Charelna was sheathed with biaxial fiberglass cloth. Giving the boat an exoskeleton if you will. A traditional boat as we know swell intentionally because the wood moves. The movement has to go somewhere. Filling the seams with epoxy creates a tight seal. When the wood swells and shrinks as we know it is going to, it will crack somewhere else. It is just not recommended. The traditioinal seam compounds available have been used for so long for good reason. I hope this helps.
    Best, Eric

    • 

      Angus Rogers says:

      Thanks Eric. I thought you had some new flexible epoxy that would be better than traditional putty.

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  William Mittendorf says:

  This is maybe the most interesting and informative video that you have done. Rebuilds of 75 year old boats often preserve so little original material that they are almost replicas. I can think of 6-8 boats near me that could be saved economically with this technique. It’s brilliant.

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  scott hitt says:

  No criticism here! It’s what makes sense! Goodonyas…well done! Great word picture (pickup truck)

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  Jay Knight says:

  Beautiful boat, great plans for her resurrection. So good you have taken on the caretaker responsibilities of this wonderful boat. Do you plan to keep it powered with the 37hp Westerbeke? Looks like the perfect powerhouse for this boat!

  Looking forward to seeing the boat in a full video when completed!

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  Paul Heath says:

  Gidday Eric, I subscribed to your site from Australia a few months ago after coming across Aroha. I have fallen in love with timber boats and aim to set myself up with a workshop.
  I presently drive an ex Brisbane ferry built in 1963 on the Mooloolah river at Mooloolaba Queensland. A privilege to be one of many who have gently taken care of her. You can see photos of her on Mooloolabacanalcruise.com.au
  I have a question, you mentioned the pinholes after laying the bia in cloth.
  Why didn’t you use a fairing compound over the cloth ?
  Thanks so much for the videos you do and the manner in which you disseminate your skills and knowledge
  We live in very different worlds, but I recon that if our paths ever crossed we would be good mates.
  Kind regards from Downunder

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  Mark Kurtis says:

  I’ve wanted to do this (nearly this) for so long and now in retirement I may actually get the chance. The difference between our ideas is that I want to preserve an old classic and, produce a couple of of it. So, I’m planning to use and old woody as a plug to mold a glass reproduction off of. Lots of glass, lots of work but I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with a wild passion to preserve these great designs. Thank you.

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  F. C. "Bunky" Wichmann, Jr. says:

  Thank you Eric. Great video and very helpful.
  I glassed my 45′ Ketch MOBJACK in 1984 with polyester resins with woven roving and mat. It did delaminate below the waterline. I would repair by troweling on 5200 and “spanking” the mat onto it before filling with resin. She lasted 35 more years than she should have because of the glass.

  I am contemplating glassing an old Albury 20′ (long leaf pine on madera) 1978. She will be trailered and I am concerned that the planking may pull away from the epoxy glass as it absorbs water once she is launched – and then shrink back when put back on trailer after each use.

  Do you have a thought or theory on how one might prevent this.

  Many thanks.
  Bunky

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  Paul Silverman says:

  Erik, if you’re still reading these, that was a great description with enough detail to try it oneself. Thank you! Also enjoyed the older video on the stem repair. It would be nice to have an update. Why did you choose to use flexible epoxy instead of 5200? Because it could be sanded more easily and is more permanent? And why not use fiberglass on the deck also? Years ago I owned one of Bill Garden’s first cutters (“Kelpie,” built in 1942). She also was iron fastened with iron-sick planking and frames. I gave her to a young northwest shipwright who, after devoting a good deal of work to her, finally concluded that she could not be saved. This might have been a solution.

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    Eric Blake says:

    Paul,
    The flexible epoxy can still be sanded and bonds well with the epoxy based fiberglass that followed. The flexible epoxy allows for the inevitable movement of the original structure will have. The deck received a similar treatment where is the seams between deck planks feel the flexible Apoxsee in the Planks him selves refasten with stainless steel screws. And then laid a layer of 6 mm plywood over the entire surface and applied dynel to the top of this. It gave the deck a real canvas like finish, which she originally had while preserving the patina of the underside of the laid decking.

    • 

      Mark Kurtis says:

      I do think a video about the interior / your ideas on underside of glassed surfaces and how you treat them, would also be interesting.

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  Jerry Stavola says:

  Eric; great video! I appreciate how you’re keeping her as original as possible. I am doing the same on a small ’55 Chris Craft Kit (21′ Monterey) boat that I grew up with and really try to keep it as she was back then. Alot of repairs are w/ fiberglass and epoxy because it works! I look forward to future progress videos.
  Thanks!
  jerry
  “Twerp”
  Wethersfield, CT

• 

  Crayke Windsor says:

  Eric,
  What a great video. Pragmatic, logical and an honest evaluation of how one wants to use the boat. Excellent points regarding what would happen if trying to restore to original – one would be better off taking her lines and starting over.
  Please post another video as to her progress.

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  Daniel Ducrot says:

  Really curious to see the progress on Charlena, would love another video of her, one of my absolute favorites!

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  Sherwood Cox says:

  Eric,

  How is Charlena now. Have you finished the repairs and gotten her back in the water? Love to see a follow up.

  Sherwood

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  Eric J Nelson says:

  Is there an update to Charlena?

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    It’s in the work, Eric. We filmed a wonderful conversation between Maynard and Eric aboard Charlena at the end of the season. It’ll be a release this winter.

    • 

      Tristan McKee says:

      Was that video ever posted? I too would love to see a follow up! Thanks

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  John Pazereskis says:

  A nice video. I like what you did with the seams. If you lack access to epoxy formulated for vertical and overhead surfaces you can achieve a reasonable job by using staples to tack the glass to the hull before saturating the cloth. I did this successfully to a 28 ft sailboat in the 1960s when modern formulations of resins weren’t available.

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  Alex Gans says:

  Great video. This was the best solution for you and for the boat. Many more good times to be had aboard Charlena.

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  Fernando Esteban says:

  Great video and as always an interesting thought process that Eric goes through.
  Are we going to get any further updates on how the build is progressing? I would love to see how she is coming along.

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  John Thomson says:

  My hats off to Eric. I remember an old Novi boat from 60-70 yrs ago when I was a kid. “Press on Regardless” out of a yacht club near Stamford, Conn. Really pretty boat with what I always thought was a cool name. Don’t know what ever happened to her, as we haven’t lived in that part of the world for 50 yrs.

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  David Pellow says:

  I have learned a ton from the videos at OCH, a priceless resource, thank you to everyone involved! It was especially instructive to follow Eric’s thinking process as he integrated modern materials to save a glory from the past. Amazing, the epitome of productive thought!

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  Colin Boland says:

  Hi Eric,
  I really enjoyed your video. Very informative and I agree with your mentality. Sam from Rockport Marine directed me towards it because I am about to try something similar on a Falmouth working boat that I just bought. The planking is Iroko and the boat has been splined so I don’t think I will need to fill the seams with the TDS red epoxy. The big question I have is;
  The old sheathing went to the top of the iron keel and this is where it started to delaminate. Should I sandblast the keel and try to encapsulate it? I was thinking about adding a couple of layers near the garboard seam to add some strength. I have decided to stop peeling glass at the waterline and leave the topsides for another time. The boat was 2500$ and I am interested in the cheap and dirty but still effective to give this boat some years of life. She was about to be scrapped.
  Any ideas are appreciated!
  Many thanks,

  Colin

• 

  Geoffrey Simon says:

  Eric,
  Another great OCH video! So inspiring to see a dedicated wooden boat builder think outside-the-box to rehabilitate your great old iron-sick boat. In contrast, I’ve been watching Leo Goolden tackle a rebuild of the 1909 Tally Ho (https://sampsonboat.co.uk) for the last two years. His intent was to rebuild, but with all the iron fastenings he wound up re-lofting and (beautifully) reproducing an entirely new frame from the keel up. I am sure that was not his original plan, but without your depth of experience, once he got started taking her apart he was stuck. As you said.

• 

  Alec Milstein says:

  Bravo Eric – very inspiring and well told.
  Thank you…

• 

  Bob Thayer says:

  Hey Eric,
  It’s clear that Maynard knew exactly what he was doing when he passed CHARLENA’s stewardship on to you. Great to see her again and looking better than ever.
  I suspect he knew you would never be the owner of a “barn class” boat. Even if it is as nice a boat barn as yours…
  I look forward to following the rest of the refit. Great work as always.

• 

  James Root says:

  Great video as usual. It’s super to hear your thought processes as to how to restore your beautiful boat. Your thinking typifies what boatbuilding (and much of life) is about. There certainly are some hard and fast rights and wrongs but often times many gray areas that require unique individual solutions.

  I’m in the midst of an Old Town cedar/canvas canoe and are making many of the same decisions. I have not needed to fiberglass, but will recanvas. The boat had a some serious “shape” issues which are now mostly resolved. Will put new canvas on her this week and then fill. Certainly a tiny project compared to your large vessel.

  Thanks for the wisdom, discussion, passion and humor in all you guys do!

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  Sam Robinson says:

  What is the saw dust bag trick Eric mentions at the beginning when she is leaking?

  • 

    edward demarco says:

    As far as i know you pour sawdust in the water all around the boat when she is launched which will be sucked into the open seams and stop leaks

    • 

      Peter Leenhouts says:

      You put the sawdust in a bag and hold it up by some means >under< the boat as near as you can to where you think the leak is. The intake of water through the open seam will suck the sawdust in along with it, the sawdust will expand quickly, and hopefully slow or stop the leak.

  • 

    Mike Anderson says:

    Yes, I would like to know that too. Loved the boat and what you did to it Eric. There’s always a way really.

• 

  Daniel Ducrot says:

  Could we please get a tour of ‘Charlena’ at some stage, she is gorgeous!

• 

  Ed Pape says:

  What a great alternative to a complete disassembly. You said there was enough of the ribs left to refasten the planks and I thought, so why not stop there. Later though, you mentioned how difficult it would be to extract all the iron fastenings out of the ribs and how a disassembly would have likely inclined you to replace almost everything. So, do I correctly understand that the entire framing was questionable and the iron left in would cause the ribs to continue to deteriorate so just refastening wouldn’t solve the problem for long? And that the glassing would make the ribs and frame unnecessary except to hold the interior work together. You’ll essentially have a fiberglass hull glued onto the old hull, an exoskeleton rather than the original endoskeleton of ribs, etc. as you said.
  I have a 14′ catboat reportedly built by Cape Cod Shipbuilding in the 1930’s that is iron fastened and the bottom planks are falling off and the ribs are cracked from the expanding iron. I was assuming a complete disassembly, but your technique provides an alternative. I think I just need to determine if there’s enough rib left to refasten. I gather that step is necessary to provide a form for the fiberglassing and to keep the planks, with the new fiberglass hull epoxied to them, attached to the frame.
  Thanks for the inspiration.

• 

  Rick Clark says:

  Beautiful Ole Girl….Congrats!!!!

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  William Seyler says:

  Let’s see on the one hand you have a boat that will continue on and be useful but darn… you had to use epoxy on it. On the other hand you don’t use epoxy and you have a boat that’s going to rot away and become useless dust. It’s a no-brainer. You did the right thing. l’m sorry that its going to offend some purists. What you have done is beautiful!

  • 

    Mike Anderson says:

    I have absolutely no doubt that had the traditional old builders had epoxies as we do now, they would have adapted them to their craft in a sensible and fact based manner over time. The substance is so multi useable and effective, I would actually like to have seen what they did with it. How ever, we have Eric Blake who is just one of them but in the modern age. And the incomparable Maynard! Wonderful. Wonderful.

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  Charlie Nichols says:

  You do awesome work!!!! Reminded me of watching the “old time fisherman” around the Central Coast of CA stapling layers of chicken wire over old wooden fishing boats, then laying on concrete to try to keep the water out. I think some of those boats are still around after 30 or 40 years. I was rather new to wooden boats at the time and thought it was heresy! But as you mentioned in the beginning, these guys were just keeping a piece of equipment running for a while longer (and these were ancient old boats even then) – I recall a couple Monterey’s having that done. Your work is SOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER! Beautiful boat and a great project! Really enjoy your videos and bummed that Port Townsend has been put off this year! Nice work!

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  David Ryan says:

  Beautiful job by these were built as work boats and this seems a great application of more modern methods in the same tradition

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  David Ryan says:

  When I heard you describe the stiffening and strength from Biaxial cloth. What came to mind was the Cutts method. Using Kevlar roving routed and epoxied into a planked layer as stiffening. You could think of the outer layer as substituting for the second planked skin. Any thoughts on using that idea or a modification of it?

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  Rich Dodson says:

  Eric – you did the right thing…you saved a boat you love, that you can enjoy with your family for the rest of your life (and the kids likely for theirs), and she is going to be just beautiful again! Thanks for all the good information in this video as well. I never knew about “cooking in” epoxy. I always learn something from OCH! Thank you!

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  Ben Garvey says:

  Well done Eric – well executed and described. I appreciated your logic and explanation, and inherently understand the decisions taken in following this path. You dun gud, m’friend.

  I did exactly this on an old, 38′ double ended ketch in ’99. iron fastened mahogany on eucalyptus frames, originally built in Kyrennia, on the island of Cypress in ’64… it was this, or cut it up and burn it.

  In the end It worked beautifully. The results were stunning – the boat was dry as a bone, incredibly stiff, solid and quiet (no squeaking or flexing, even during offshore knockdowns on the way to Bermuda one November). Paint stayed on the hull through the brutal freeze-thaw cycles here in NS and the intense heat of the carribean; print-through was minor and manageable (I used MAS resins exclusively).

  I also did a meticulous interior process of scraping, cleaning and extracting the old concrete ballast from the bilges, and then used about 20 gallons of penetrating S1 epoxy (system 3) on the interior of the hull. That stuff is damn posionous – very noxious to use – but holy crap did it do the business. never ever again did I see or hear any moisture, mold, smell or other indication of decay on the interior of that boat. She was encapsulated properly and permanently, and is sailing still – somewhere in the UK I’m told.

  This approach is valid, purposeful, and damn appropriate. I have to think that given the tools and chemicals we have today, the original builders would chose the same – it’s so damn good.

  bravo – love the vids. keep em comin.
  bg

• 

  David Rawls says:

  What a joy! Getting the twist out reminds me; “Give me a fulcrum and a long enough leaver with a place to stand; I can move the world!” I’ll bet the shed creaked a bit?
  Dave
  California

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  Tim Healey says:

  Really enjoyable & well done video. I did something similar on 15 foot 1930’s Alden daysailer. All I can say is you have MONSTER gumption to tackle this on that size boat. As for the wood/glass debate, your “my life” puts in perspective. I ran into the online haters gunna hate crowd, while doing mine. You do you. Congrats !

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  Ralph Wernett says:

  When you come across a keeper you it becomes part of your life…. Love to see updates.

  Just a question that comes to mine, (with little personal experience ) why did you choose stainless fasteners over bronze? I though stainless shouldn’t be buried in wood.

  Thank you again for sharing…..

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Ralph. Check out Eric’s recent answer to Alan’s similar question below.

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  Harold Wheeler says:

  Eric
  Seems like common sense, Find a boat you love and save it. Have not seen a new boat that would still be around 75 years from now, or worth saving. Have to come see her in person this summer. Thank you to OCH crew for all you do for us.

• 

  Willaim Levin says:

  I don’t understand why this fine, dedicated wooden boat craftsman would feel he should defend his decision to save a great boat by fiberglassing it. Boat building is not a religion, it is a craft and a passion. Epoxy in seams and decks repairs, but not in sheathing? Try to see the big picture. It is boats and boating.

• 

  Michael Vaughan says:

  Eximious!
  I hope that someone can look after me like that when I’m 75 and my fastenings have had it.
  If I get put in a Boatbarn like that I’d be even happier too!
  Great job Eric.

• 

  Richard Holcombe says:

  Great job.
  I have fond childhood memories of an Alden Yawl off shore at night, but not so much of fighting with my siblings over who had to sleep in the bunk with the wet spot. I was the youngest.

  • 

    Harold Conover says:

    Hi,,I think you have a great boat there. I know NOT-ONE-THING, about boats. But I Really like old boats..Maybe someday ,,I will have one, and learn how to sail it. I’m a retired wood worker,{Not On Boats}, Homes..But I think that would be fun to work on a boat, and learn about they. Thinks for the video.

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  mike Brown says:

  great to see sympathetic restoration. another way to do the seams is run a skilsaw along the seam, rout it out to 1/4″ epoxy in a spline and sand smooth then fibreglass. Apractical way to save an old hull

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  William English says:

  Clearly a labor of love. She’ll reward you abundantly and you deserve it.

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  Walter Baron says:

  Hi Eric- great job, great explanation of your purpose and technique. Did a similar job on a Wianno Jr. about 33 years ago, but did cold mold over the hull, light glass and epoxy over that, plus a lot of other restoration. Boat is still going strong 33 years later. Told my customer he had 2 choices – bonfire, or a lot of money. He said he had money, so I did the job. He’s gone now, but the boat is still tight.

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  Scott Macdonald says:

  Love it!!!

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  J.W. MacLeod says:

  What a great job walking us through your process without wasting time! I think your choices are brilliant and will serve you well! Thank you!

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  Philip Myer says:

  Great project Eric, I’m jealous of your wonderful new work shed- sorry ‘shop’.

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  Mike Denton says:

  Ex-1955 36′ Chesapeake Bay dead rise oyster boat owner. Juniper on oak. Loved that old boat but saw the end coming. HEAVILY entertained glassing process but so much fuss was raised by others about “if you glass the outside you’ve got to glass the inside…” (1980’s) I regrettably sold her instead. Still not sure how to make her water tight around the frames on the inside (working boat, open in the back like your lobster boat). Great video! THAT’S why I’m an OCH fan. Thank you!

• 

  ALAN BRIGGS says:

  Wonderful Eric,
  My only question as my third Lyman inboard wooden boat owner myself, is why didn’t you use Si-Bronze fastenings to re-fasten instead of your stainless steel choice. Stainless is subject to crevice pit corrosion in salt water. I know you are putting fiberglass over the wood, but can you absolutely guarantee that the underlying wood won’t get wet?

  • 

    Eric Blake says:

    Alan,
    Stainless steel is much more compatible with iron than bronze. In an attempt to keep similar metals I chose stainless. The stainless is really used to pull the boat back into shape before the glass is applied. All of her strength now relies on the fore and aft strength of the cedar and the bi axial cloth.

• 

  James Vitale says:

  Hey Eric
  Charlena is just beautiful! Have a wonderful time bringing her up. Hey, my wife said I only had 5 years left in me – and that was 35 years ago! No worries, full steam ahead.
  We met briefly at the 2017 Small Reach Regatta. You helped my son, James, and I launch our Skerry – thanks again. Love the site. Best wishes,
  Jimmy

• 

  Trevor Cozens says:

  Hi, I did a similar restoration on a small launch in Blenheim NZ a few years back. She was all loose in the planks and had been out of the water for about three years. We refastened her then cleaned all the seams out with a cutting wheel on a 4inch grinder, then filled the seams with West System resin and micro balloons. Then I sheathed her with 600 gram double bias cloth. She was only three quarter of an inch planking so with the layer of cloth on her she was a lot stronger and able to sit on a trailer with out any problems.

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  alex lemon says:

  This is great! Please show the interior that you talk about in the video.

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  Ken Weinstein says:

  My favorite type of OCH video – real repairs, real boats, real people, excellent advice. Can’t wait to see the next one!

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  Brian McCoy says:

  Eric
  I assume you decided with the new external skeleton that the stem did not need replacing as you mentioned 8 years of so ago. Or did you replace it?

  • 

    Eric Blake says:

    Brian, Once you start pulling an iron fastened boat apart it all goes to the dumpster. All of the original wood was left as is to make the mold for the exterior sheathing which gives her all the strength she needs. The cloth was wrapped around the stem from both sides giving it a double layer her as well as at the transom.

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  william greene says:

  Loved the Video. Being an owner of a 26’ 1971 Brownell that had been glassed when built I can appreciate the work involved

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  Thomas MccClung says:

  Eric , I’m a boat carpenter from Fla my experience with glassing over old wood boat is when possible for the longer life to glass the inside also ,at least to the waterline . What a beautiful boat

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  Thomas Buzzi says:

  Having restored several “old” fiberglass boats this video was pure pleasure to watch and listen to. The lines on this boat are simply a treasure which should be, somehow, conveyed to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The moderator explained beautifully his thoughts and the procedure he used to preserve this beauty. I am a “sailorman” but after this I would consider (now in my 70’s) obtaining a lobster boat to do my toodling around on the water. They are purpose built so know their way around the sea. Form following function and given years of modifications to mature provide the best sort of accomodation for man who must work closely in the elements of nature. I chanced to own and sail for several years a “Flicka” which was also a work boat design rescued from some roadside shrubbery by Bruce Bingham. It handled and “lived” on the sea beautifully. Listening to this video was like sampling fine food accompanied with fine, appropriate wine.

  • 

    Ken Elowe says:

    Eric,
    Nice job on a beautiful boat. No worries at all when all the practical reasons point to a way to keep something special working! I built a slightly modified Asa Thomson skiff (much smaller scale!) back about 40 years ago for my mother. For lots of reasons, it sat out of the water for a many-year period and the bottom wouldn’t make up. It was in tough shape but a special boat to me so I put a thin layer of marine ply on the bottom and transom, and then glassed with epoxy up to the first lapped seam. Put on a new oak keel and skeg and she’s been going strong for the last few years – and may last another 50. Thanks for this practical approach to building, restoring and keeping good boats afloat!

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  James Bennett says:

  Brilliantly executed repair, Eric. Not very many boats of this vintage have been so lucky to have made it into the hands of such a caring owner. I see a number of them sitting out in the “door yard” of older homes and farms here along the coast, I applaud your decision to preserve this particular hull. Much of her effulgent character derives from the style and construction of her deck house, which highlights the graceful lines of her hull. And the thought and effort that went into straightening the twist out of her hull is exceptional. I may have missed it in the video, but did you mention the planking material? And, are you applying any treatment to the internal members of the hull to preserve her from the inside?

  • 

    Eric Blake says:

    She is planked with 1 1/8″ native eastern white cedar. My plan for the inside of the hull is to use a thin penetrating epoxy made by Smiths, sloshed around the bilge, and to make her aft deck water tight with gutters at the lift outs that drain to a bilge pump. Keeping the fresh water out of the bilge is important.

    • 

      Trygve Faste says:

      Hi Eric,

      This seems to be a great choice to resurrect your boat! Excellent work. In reading through the comments, it seems like there is a ton of interest and support for this strategy for repair. I’m curious about the potential controversy you mention, as this method seems like a no brainer to me. Is it simply something that wooden boat “purists” would object to, or are there serious other structural issues to be considered and mitigated to pull off a successful restoration like this? I’m seeing hints here and there about older polyester methods not working properly, your mention of keeping fresh water out and interior epoxy work being important. Seems like there’s a lot of interest in learning how to do this the right way. It’s a fascinating topic which I’m excited to learn more about! Love the tip about painting it black to cure the epoxy all the way. Keep up the awesome work.

    • 

      Pamela Parker says:

      Hi Eric, that fresh water getting in was exactly my concern, particularly with that big bathtub working deck. What a wonderful solution for a beautiful old work boat. I just love her lines, now she will be dry and stable for the foreseeable future. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

    • 

      Robert Hauser says:

      Thanks Eric, wonder about the bilge issues. good solution. Great method for getting the most out of tired wooden boats while keeping the “old” character. It sounds like “restoring” the boat would have meant replacing the boat piece by piece, or as I prefer to call it “building a new wooden boat the hard way”.
      Looking forward to follow up videos.

• 

  William Stanard says:

  Great video! and wonderful engineering. I tried to find West Pro-Set Epoxy, the epoxy you used to “hang” the bi-axial cloth to the hull before the 207/105, and came up dry. Any ideas? Alan Vaitses must be smiling very broadly. He took quite a beating back in the day.

  • 

    Eric Blake says:

    William,
    The same consistency epoxy could be made using 105- 205,6,7 hardner mixed with colodial silica and do the same job. working through some samples to get the consistency right would be the key to success

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  Harris Bucklin says:

  That’s come a long way from Allan Vaitses days of glassing over wooden hulls, that’s what probably gave this technique a bad wrap from earlier days. Congrats on giving new life to this technique .

  • 

    David Tew says:

    Vaitses method, when done correctly to his instructions required a substantial number of layers stapled as well as polyestered. My understanding is that those who skimped on the methods ( fewer staples and thinner layers) ended up with failed results. That wasn’t Vaitses fault.

    • 

      David Ryan says:

      I know of a couple of boats done with Vaitses method with Stunning -and lasting- results

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  Jim Fenster says:

  Beautiful boat, love to see more photos and videos of her. By the way, is that hoodie Eric wearing available to purchase somewhere?

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  Rod Carr says:

  NICE story!!! It made me wish that I had held on to a 1973 Jarvis Newman 32 that I owned a few years ago.

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  Lisa Dingle says:

  What a gorgeous boat. I actually love that you referred to her as a ‘pick-up truck’! So glad you were able to keep Charlena’s history while extending her life (and use!

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  Jan Skakon says:

  Well done Eric – you have thought a lot and from my point of view you have chosen the right thing to do for a single person. If you had been a museum the choice might have been different and the budget as well.
  Thank you for so many very good projekts, ideas and videos – keep on!

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  Dave Comber says:

  Super interesting. Just loved it!

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  Lewis Sherman says:

  Pleasure to watch. Iron fastenings…I build wooden boat models one of which was planked with basswood strips( Billings Models , Sweden). I fastened it with 1/8-1/4in.iron Brad’s. Now,18yrs later and leaving it outside,planking g still intact but the nail rust is very pronounced and as such gives the 18in. model coaster a vote of authenticity. If u wish I would be proud to send a pic.
  You do amazing work. Any additional videos of interior and engine info.? Stay well.

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    Eric Blake says:

    Lewis,
    We will be sure to film a follow up once she is back in Center Harbor

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  Les Levy says:

  Is there a video of Charlene finished and afloat? The first video is a cliffhanger!

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Les. Check out the three “Related Videos” above and to the right.

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  Jonathan Duryea says:

  Eric,
  LOVE the video and project. Growing up “inland ” and not in a boating family my early attraction, like a lot of kids, was the romance of possible adventures and the beautiful aesthetic of wooden sailing craft. Form AND function. Bravo to you for finding a way to keep this wonderful example of a true craftsmans work a functioning work of art. Far better for your family to enjoy the boat and have it in its natural environment, the water, than sinking in a meadow or as you describe the entire fabric and possibly some of those wonderful builder details lost in a rebuild. The hand of the original craftsman is preserved by the next generation master craftsman. Thank you.

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  Tom Van Winkle says:

  Eric, Thanks so much for sharing your process and love for Charlena. She’s a beauty for sure and it is clear to me that your entire effort is motivated by sensibility, knowledge from your own work and experience, and a desire to preserve a lovely looking craft. May you, indeed, be the first in the harbor and the last out for the next 75 years.

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  Thomas Tracy says:

  What a beautiful boat, and a great project to keep her afloat. I hope to have the opportunity to share with the OCH folks our Otzi Muff built cruiser that was epoxy filled similar to Charlena, but not glasses over.

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    William Drake says:

    Thank you for saving her. It will be more work than you can imagine but a labor of love.

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  Shawn Laemmrich says:

  I keep thinking you should add a ‘like’ button to the videos….. Then I realize, if you did I’d click it for every video. Every single one. That is an amazing transformation and restoration. Can’t wait to see it in the water.

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  Rudolph Bar says:

  The essence is obviously the use of epoxy. People that try to fiberglass a wooden boat with polyester resin as the binder will be very disapointed as a polyester laminate, wet – on – wet will build a good hull, but polyester is not a glue. On wood sooner or later it will delaminate. In third world countries wooden fishing boats will be sheathed in fiberglass anf polyester resin, but using thousands of mechanical fasteners holding the fiberglass to the hull.

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  Ross Emmans says:

  No criticism here! To preserve some of these way past their ‘best before date’ aged boats, one has to think outside the box, which is clearly what Eric has done.I’ll bet there’s a lot of boats that could have been preserved with their structural integrity & shape maintained using this procedure, that might have otherwise ended up in the dumpster.
  As an amateur (sail) boat restorer, who will likely never take on a project this large, I learned a lot……some technical, but mostly how to think about restoring boats.
  Well done Eric!

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  Jon Baldock says:

  In reality this is the wisest choice and the only way to do the preservation without having to scrap the boat. There comes a time in life where we must go against our grain in order to save the grain inside the new order being fiberglass. It makes me so happy to see anyone to do a project salvage like this one . I was an old hard-nose wooden boat purist but now being 74 years old I learned that I must get with it. I now do this exact same thing and I am anxious to see her finished. Thanks Jon

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  Georg Hinteregger says:

  Bravo, Eric! Necessity is a mother******! Beautiful boat. What a fine tribute to Maynard’s discerning eye.

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  Gregg Schenker says:

  Eric, Thank you for sharing this wonderful video and narrative. The glass over aged wood is a challenge, seemingly accomplished by you with great success. Congratulations on the restoration and wishing you many years of enjoyment aboard. I look forward to seeing Charlena in person. Gregg

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  patrick marks says:

  I hope there are 13 life jackets onboard and one for the dog!

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  Robert Baird says:

  Love the boat, looks like a great platform for family fun on the water. Also like the carhartt hooded sweatshirt. When will that be available in the shop?

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  Glenn Holland says:

  Eric, Thanks for that detailed description of the process. She is worth it and many more old wood boats deserve this kind of treatment. It’s not always bad to put glass on an old wood boat. Glenn/NC

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    David Tew says:

    Exactly. Thanks so much for the thoughtful and detailed description of your approach, Eric. I didn’t know you got the boat from Maynard, but shouldn’t be surprised at all. And it’s great to see the inside of your new shop. The high windows add a lot of light!

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      Eric Blake says:

      Thanks David

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  Mark Dougherty says:

  Wow. I love all of your videos, but this one touched a few chords. The still picture shows a lot of details all in one place. The tumblehome at the stern is most obvious, but that curve forward under the sheer toward the stem is just beautiful. The detail on the top of the stem is something that you can’t get in a fiberglass boat. All the little details that are too numerous to list combine to form a good wooden boat. Trying to save one is more than a weekend project. I’ve always been afraid that if you fiberglass an old wooden boat that you now have 2 boats, one inside the other, and that is what you got sometimes when they used polyester resin. I remember Bill Clark Sr. covering the old Winner in Lynn, MA with epoxy resin back in the mid 60’s, and that was one of the first successful projects like this. I’ve known Giffy for about 47 years. If he says that it works, you can be sure that it does.
  You have done a fabulous job with it, and I’m sure that you will continue making a lifetime of memories in her. I am curious, after having done all of that work, how does the work and the cost stack up with building a whole new boat? Of course, you wouldn’t have the original with all of the history and the memories.

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    charles parker says:

    Oh Good… I’m glad you mentioned glassing and getting two boats… Basically that’s what happened to us in the early 60’s. We had the “RoRo” an original Seaford Skiff (she’s now at Mystic Seaport in the storage sheds). With no clue as to what we were doing we glassed her… It helped for a few years. Until the parts of the bottom where we had left paint on, the glass started separating. Like I said.We had no idea what we were doing. Where was Eric when we needed him…. Great Job Eric…..Enjoy your boat for years…

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    Eric Blake says:

    Mark,
    I would estimate that I will have about 300 man hours into this refit, and $2500 in materials.
    To build a new Charlena would take around 3,000 hours and materials would be close to $60,000. While I am not knee deep in shavings, the economy of going this route really made sense to me.

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      Mark Dougherty says:

      Thanks Eric. Good numbers, and they make a lot of sense. And, there’s no price that can be placed on the memories in Charlena’s bones. Well worth preserving.