1939 Monk Restoration

Thought I'd share some photos from my project in progress from 2009. I purchased her from a couple young brothers who had used it as a party boat for 8 years. The older fellow was a good mechanic and focused on running gear while letting the exterior wood and canvas go south. At least they kept things covered with many layers of white paint (on top of peeling canvas and blisters). When I took possession, she had a long plastic slide from the aft cabin top down over the stern - evidently for kids to splash in the water - looked really weird, first thing to come off.

She has a 305 Chevy MerCruiser installed in 1985 (about 1300hrs) that runs like a top and doesn't use oil, a head with manual pump and 15gal holding tank, 4-burner propane stove and oven, 40gal H&C pressured water, 12/120v frig, two 12/120v inverters totaling 2200 watts, four house batteries and one start, hull is 1-1/2 cedar over oak ribs on 10" centers, the keel is 10"x24" cast iron that runs from just back of the bow to the skeg - keeping her very stable and making up a good portion of the 32,000lb displacement, there is a 22" bronze prop but I don't know the pitch.

The old girl has no radar, depth sounder, GPS or such but has a couple VHS radios, a compass and the regular assortment of engine gauges. Most of these photos are from the haul-out soon after I brought her home. The last few weeks I've been stripping the old canvas from the cabin top (T&G western red cedar) and prepping it for West Systems penetrating epoxy over fiberglas cloth the same way the deck was done. The deck was finished with gray colored 2-part Gaco deck coating and ground walnut shells.

Sure wish I could afford a boat house 'cause it's no fun dodging the rain to get the exterior finished! Remember: The bigger the boat, the bigger the problems!

[BrianVic]

Very cool project

My father had an old Chris Craft that was similar looking; sedan, roof over stern area. His boat was almost flat bottomed at the stern. Your Monk has a very round and deep hull. Keep up the good work -- I'm sure you are learning a lot.

Brian Vickers

[Bflaherty]

Most impressive, always nice to see people putting the effort into these old woodies. At least with that keel and prop guard you really have to try to damage your running gear

I think in the old days there weren't as many haul out services and boaters would drive them up on the beach at high tide then brace the boat upright as the tide went out. Seen lots of pics of it anyway!

Here's a couple old photos of a yawl I used to own that was built in 1911 - taken in the 1930's (but not by me).

[TheBronze]

Those shots remind me of the pilings at the Port of Poulsbo. tie her up at high tide and then wait!

The monk is gorgeous. Always a big fan of his work. The Rougwater series of trawlers are my favorite.

[Andy E.]

nicely done! One question, did you have to refasten the hull and was there any rot? Andy

[Dave C]

nicely done! One question, did you have to refasten the hull and was there any rot? Andy

Isn't that really two questions?

nicely done! One question, did you have to refasten the hull and was there any rot? Andy

I didn't refasten the hull as it seemed very tight. There was no rot in any of the hull planks or cabin walls and top but found two soft boards in the short deck above the transom (not sure what that area is called) that were easy to replace.

It's amazing to see that much clear, straight-grained cedar. The cabin top and decks are 1X4 tongue and groove (dimensional) - the exterior cabin walls are 2X12s. All of the planks span the full length of their runs (no butt joints).

Very heavy solid boat. You should see me inching into the marina at slack tide. With this much inertia and a single screw, I'm always afraid of crushing the plastic boats around me.

Filling and sanding and filling and sanding and...

take a break.

[Helmar]

Yup. done plenty of that myself.

Now it My turn on My boat :GoodJob:

Well, after weeks of filling and sanding, I put two coats of U-5000 two-part polyurethane on the cabin top (very shiny and smooth) -- two days later it developed fine cracks along all the board seams. Here you have the result of lack of experience with wood. Obviously the planks have expanded and contracted - and the poly was too hard to absorb the movement.

I talked to an experienced painter and was advised to lay down a couple coats of a flexible primer, which I've done. There's enough poly to do two more finishing coats - hope it works. I just can't face the old school method of using canvas as a re-enforcer. An old salt wandered by while I was cursing my luck and suggested I slap a layer of "Rhino hide" on it (whatever the hell THAT is). Truck bed liner? sheesh.

Meanwhile, I prepped the portside cabin walls and did a bang-up job repainting it pale yellow. I used Penetrol with thinner in the paint and a good tipping brush. It came out nice and smooth. Also sanded the ironbark gunnel trim rails and put down a couple layers of spar urethane.

I should be out cruising around, but have to take advantage of the good weather since I don't have a boathouse! Did I mention I've been 'living aboard'?

I was daydreaming of sunny days last Summer and had to share this photo of the ol' battleship cruising Sinclair Inlet.

[Helmar]

Yep, pretty sweet. I bet you have heat too :BigHappy1:

She has an old, brass Force 10 burning propane.

I like to live dangerously! irate:

Oh, Summer days... where have you gone?

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Sheathing Planked decks and hulls

The standard sheathing for cold molded hulls is epoxy saturated Dynel cloth.
Dynel, a polyester, is much softer than fiberglass and therefore more able to flex with the wood as it expands and contracts.

I sheathed the Coosa Composite decks of the Saratogan in Epoxy/Dynel. Two coats epoxy, a third if you want it really smooth. It's very impact and abrasion resistant. I'd recommend it for your deck sheathing...

Available from Fisheries

Tim