thompsondockside.com

I hope it's ok to mention something from another website here. While looking at different threads on 'The WoodenBoat Forum" I came across a thread about a build of a 72ft wooden Schooner in Vietnam. There are many detailed pictures of this effort from laying of the keep on up. If you appreciate fine craftsmanship and the sheer beauty of wood when worked by master craftsmen, you have to check out this site/thread

Brian

It is easy to forget there are skilled craftsman in every country. That boat is beautiful.

240sxguy wrote:It is easy to forget there are skilled craftsman in every country. That boat is beautiful.

Time was, a boat like this could have been built in Maine at any number of shipyards. These days, I don't know. The Maine Maritime Museum runs a wooden boatbuilding school and there are small yards that take in apprentices. As I travel the Rt 1 corridor from Bath Maine (home of Bath Iron Works my former employer) "downeast" to Bar Harbor (Bah Hahbah) I see small craft being built, maybe even a Friendship sloop here and there, but I don't believe anything of this magnitude has been undertaken since the Schaefer family had a replica of America built back in the late 60's. Too bad folks like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don't have any interest in having replicas of Spanish Galleons or English Ships of Line etc built. And on that subject, if you've never taken the time to go aboard the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) you should put it on your bucket list. It is amazing. More so in that since the orginal cross bracing was found to be missing and added, the ship can sail and does occasionally.

Brian

The structural glued laminated timber diagonal riders that were re-installed in Old Ironsides about a decade ago were manufactured in Peshtigo, WI by the firm for whom I work. Altho I was not personally involved in that particular project, I have been involved in some of our Old Ironsides work. I have escorted from Peshtigo to Charestown two over length loads. One was 106 ft. pieces each 18" x 18" for the bottom portion of the main mast.

The ship has only sailed once in the last 150 years or so, and that was for her 200th birthday in 1997. Every year they tow her out into Boston Harbor and turn her around so that the sun exposure ends up being about the same.

Replicas of 19th century sailing ships seem to be under construction fairly often. We have made plenty of glued laminated timbers for numerous such endeavors.

Andreas

The USS Constitution aka "Old Ironsides" is a national treasure. The latest reconstruction work was done with meticulous care and attention to detail, unlike some of the work that was done in years past. Good to see that mid-west talent was part of it.
Another reason that she gets underway each year, aside from the even weathering is that she is still an officially comissioned US war ship. To maintain that status she has to get "underway" at least once a year.
Joe B

PS , a great book on the "rise, decline and resurrection" of the ship is..."Old Ironsides" by Thomas C. Gillmer... 240 pages lots of info on the history and details of the various reconstruction efforts thru the years.

I was under the impression that they run up a couple of sails and cast off all lines for an hour or so every year as part of the turning process.

Back to the subject matter of this thread. I've read the thread on the building of the 72' Schooner pretty much back to front and front to back. One of the things that jumps out at me that I've seen dicussed a bit on this forum is impregnating wood with resin or resin type products. This is a big issue with me because as my Cruiser's Inc dried out once I got it under cover, there were many areas where the wood stiffened up. What I thought might be rot actually firmed up to the degree where I find myself wondering if I were to impregnate it as mentioned it would serve me well for some years to come. I think many of us newbie folks around here would greatly appreciate some discourse on this subject from one of you "old timers" who have been building and rebuilding wooden boats for years.

Brian

Forget about the elixers and side show huckster products. Rot is rot and the wood has lost its strength and it should be replaced, not have gooooge poured over it.

This tells you what I think about impregnating wood with resins and other goop.

Andreas

LancerBoy wrote:Forget about the elixers and side show huckster products. Rot is rot and the wood has lost its strength and it should be replaced, not have gooooge poured over it.

This tells you what I think about impregnating wood with resins and other goop.

Andreas

Andreas,
You know, this is a case of trying to learn more than I need to in order to accomplish the job at hand. A number of years ago, I bought a small wooden boat and scraped the hull, painted it with Woolsey Marine paint, repaired the seat section of the wooden front seat, sanded and varnished the transom , replaced some frayed cable on the steering and sold the boat at a decent profit. I knew nothing of boats and simply went to the local hardware store and asked what I should use for hull paint and varnish. Now with this nice old Cruiser's Inc, I am trying to overthink the project; reading and researching and asking questions as though I'd been given the task of restoring some ancient vessel. In way of explanation, I want to do as good a job as I am able with the skills and tools I have so that the end result is worth of the effort expended.

Brian