What a score!

My brother worked on a home remodel on Lake Washington this year and found a guy who was upgrading his driftboat. He was having a new custom wood boat built for him because he had gotten all of the use he could out of a 1985 Keith Steele 16' wood drift boat. The boat has a few issues, but after I replace the bottom, chines, and abrasion strip, I will get the boat back into fishing order. I figure about $300 and a week's worth of work will be needed.

The boat had a UHMW sheet for hull protection, and this is what caused the dry rot issues I will be dealing with. Water got in underneath it, and never allowed the boat to dry out. The only dry rot I have found is in the chine and bottom of the boat, none in the sides.

I understand that there have been new epoxies and resins that have come out since this boat was built that will help to avoid this. I will be replacing the fir chines with oak or teak, and for the metal abrasion strip on the outside of the chine I am thinking stainless steel.

Any suggestions on materials, where to get them, etc? Looking for sources of marine grade plywood, epoxies, resins, and fiberglass materials. I think I have the oak and teak figured out.

Thanks in advance,

Andy

P.S. If any of you know Tom, let him know the boat is very much appreciated, when he gets back from his trip on the Babine.

Andy - Check the yards around Olympia, should be able to find some marine ply, any decent lumber yard will carry it. If you don't find any locally, Edensaw Woods in Port Townsend or Seattle, Crosscut Woods in Seattle, Flounder Bay in Anacortes. Don't need to go fancy, fir will suffice but, check the prices on the imports. Might be worth it to step up in the long haul if the prices are comparable. You will probably find just 4 x 8 sheets that need to be scarfed together to make the length and possibly the width. 8 to 1 ratio is standard and can easily be cut with a sharp hand plane or belt sander.

West Marine, Fisheries Supply/Crows Nest, Boater's World, Motor Boat Mart. These stores should carry the Gougeon Brothers West Systems epoxies. Get the 105 resin and 205 hardner, a small pump kit and 403 Microfibers for adhesive fillers. Also get a box of latex gloves, a couple of pint sized poly mixing pots, a mess of tongue depressors, a couple flexible plastic spreaders and a bottle of white vinegar. If you are planning to put the UHMW shoe back on, 4 ounce fiberglass cloth should be sufficent. Fiberlay in Seattle for your glass if you can't find it local. You probably don't need to glass it, but it will keep the plywood from checking and creating problems down the road. 9 oz. or 10 oz. cloth if your going to leave the shoe off and add some 423 Graphite Powder to the final coat for a low-friction coating. You'll need a chaulk tube of brown 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive Sealant to put on the bottom of the ribs and chines before setting the plywood bottom on. Make sure you clean up the excess that squeezes out before it cures. It has a tenatious grip that makes it tough to remove later. Use stainless steel screws. On the chine, instead of a steel strip, how about UHMW strips?

For the rest of the boat, a penetrating epoxy sealer would be helpful in reducing maintenance. Besides providing a excellent base for finishes, EPS creates a barrier in the wood that helps keep moisture from weakening the bond of the varnish or paint. It can be used above and below the waterline. You can encapsulate the whole BD in epoxy resin if you want, but it just adds weight and costs, which I don't feel are necessary in a ribbed boat. EPS is the way to go if you want more protection and less maintenance. If you need more help, just holler. Also, Montana Riverboats has a bulletin board where you can tap into more wooden DB knowledge.

Lets see some pics!

Cool. Here a list of boat building links I accessed through the Ray's River Dories website. Ray's also sells most of the supplies you'll need for fixing up your new toy.
JMS

http://www.boatbuildingring.com/

System Three is the best Epoxy out there for your needs. They are also a local company. You can't buy direct from them any longer, but Fiberlay in Ballard has the complete product line and all the tools, cloth, and safety gear you will need.

On Marine Grade Ply, Dunn Lumber was the only company I could find in Seattle that was willing to order in a single sheet of 1/2 14 feet long for the bottom of my drift boat. They get it from a company in Oregon. You can graft two 8 foot sheets together if you have the right clamps, but I wouldn't try it!

Dogfish, West Marine has the chemicals you need and for marine grade plywood there's a place in Kent on West Valley Rd. that sells that stuff it's just North of Boeing Surplus couple miles on the East side of the rd.

I do a lot of business with a company in the Gorge called Fiberglass Supply (I build surfboards and spend around $10,000/yr with them). They have great technical support and very competitive prices. Give them a call at 509.493.3464. You can also check them out on the web at www.fiberglasssupply.com.

Matthew

Here are a few photos from my Driftboat Project. including before, during..........and hopefully after.

Side view of the boat "before"



Top view of boat "before"


Bottom view of boat "before"


Removal of bottom hull


Average rot

cool !! I cant wait to get mine finished, I guess I need to get to work