Floors are out - not thrilled

[thegammas]

Last week I took apart the interior of my boat to remove the floors. What I found was not great, but not horrid I suppose. Very disappointed as this was sold to me by a broker as a very very solid boat structurally. I also talked to the "expert" who did the "Restoration" work. Got the same "It needs nothing" story. I couldn’t take the boat apart when I was first looking at it. Rookie Mistake. Lesson learned.

First, a stringer from sister to sister is rotted, so that's a replace, should be easy. The starboard sister, at this stringer, has a spot that is rotted. Appears via pick probing to be a 1/4 inch in, then solid. Plan as I type is to repair that for now. Next, in the bow, three ribs will need to be replaced. Rotted.

Also, many of the bolts securing bottom most laps to the garboards and as well laps to ribs hear and there are simply loose. Can these be tightened from the inside simply by turning the bolts tight? Or will that just spin the fastener?

Last, the construction of this boat is very different from what I have seen in the various pictures and diagrams I've seen on this site. I really like the design as it allows water to flow unobstructed bow to stern. Each rib runs under it both sisters and the keel. Pictures to follow (camera problems).

So, if I decide to keep it, this winter I'll be taking on the restoration that I didn’t want to take on. I love this kind of stuff, but have precious little time for it.

[a j r]

Too bad about the nasty surprises.

Not sure of the terms you are you using. The keelson is the member right at the middle of the boat running the length. The keelson is typically made up of three individual boards screwed together to form one piece. The sister keelsons run parallel to the keelson about 18 to 14 inches on either side of it. They are commonly called stringers. The steam bent ribs are perpindicular to the keelson and sister keelsons.

I have never seen at Cortland built lapstrake Thompson in person. Therefore I cannot comment on how it may differ from Peshtigo built boats.

Turning the nuts from the inside MIGHT tighten things up. Or it might just spin. You'll have to experiment.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Andreas

[Phill Blank]

Hate that when someone says "It is in great shape" and then it ends up NOT.

I might suggest when you try tightening the nuts, if there is enough of the bolt sticking out of the nut that you use a small vise-grips to grab the bolt and then tighten the nut with a small open end wrinch. This should help to stop the bolt from spinning. If not then you need to scrap out the heads and really get into the meat of a restoration.

Good Luck!

Phill

[thegammas]

Well, not sure what's next. But if I start in on a restoration, I'll do it up right.