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This Saturday's Restoration Workshop will cover a variety of everyday steps and processes involved in the renovation of vintage wood and classic-glass boats. Included will be:
Evaluating a Project Boat -- Some of the particular things to look for when deciding whether to buy an old project boat...or even drag it out of the blackberries for free. (Remember, there's no such thing as a "free" boat--either you pay now, or you pay later, but the nice thing about a lot of unrestored classic-glass hulls is that they can be water-tested and maybe used for a season in "rat-rod" condition, allowing you to decide how much you really like the boat's size, basic design and handling characteristics before investing a lot of money in full restoration.) Marty will talk about the relative merits of some particular boats, including Skagits, Bell Boys, Sabrecrafts, Glasspars, Dorsetts and others.
Safety Equipment -- We won't spend much time on this, but it's worth taking a quick look at some safety gear to use when working with chemicals, epoxy products, sanding dust, etc. We'll offer a quick tour of gear used at the boatshop.
Pattern-Making 101 -- No matter what kind of major restoration you're doing, one of the basic challenges will be making patterns for a variety of parts and pieces, ranging from new transoms to splashwell and cabin bulkheads, floors, stringers, planks, frames, seat structures...and many other elements that go into all boats. (This is an important thing to learn, since many of the project boats we drag home have been gutted or reconfigured to the point where a lot of original panels and pieces cannot be neatly removed and used directly as patterns. You often have to start from scratch, and this is where your pattern-making skills will be tested.) Will Kersten will guide you through a few different approaches to the subject.
Tiny Bubbles: Floatation for Your Boat -- For some reason, the basic question of whether to make your boat unsinkable has stirred controversy...at least in earlier days on the FiberGlassics forum, where some folks got their panties in a knot over the merits or evils of floatation foam. While there are some concerns over the idea of pouring foam into the bowels of your boat, there are ways in which you can have it all--life-saving unsinkability, and foam that never soaks up bilge water. Marty will talk about the messy process of foaming the dark recesses of your boat, and members of the group will pour two-part foam into a project boat.
Restoring Deck Hardware & Trim -- Metalwork on your boat is likely to come in the form of chromed pot metal, stainless, chromed brass or bronze, or aluminum...all of which can deteriorate badly after 50-plus years of use. Joe Johanesen (a.k.a. Helmar) will demonstrate the restoration of deck hardware, aluminum window moldings and trim pieces, including sanding, buffing, polishing, clear-coating and/or chroming. He'll also talk about the sometimes-tricky decision of when to restore a piece of corroded old hardware, when to give up and shop eBay for a replacement, or when to simply buy that new Perko cleat that looks classic...even though it isn't a perfect match for your old Skagit cleat.
We'll also try to respond to other general questions folks might bring up about refinishing, windshield or cabin-glass replacement, or other subjects that might come up.
The workshop is open to members of NWCBC and folks who intend to become members. (Membership for the remainder of 2009 is only $20 at this time of the year; you can join now for that rate, or become a new member for the rest of 2009 and all of 2010 for $50...meaning that you're a member for the rest of this year for only $15, since the annual dues are $35.)
We'll try to gather at Island Boatshop by 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, and following a brief shop tour get started with the business of the day by 11 a.m. The workshop will wind down by about 4 p.m.
You can bring a sack lunch, or participate in our group order of pizza from Ferino's in Port Hadlock--always a favorite with NWCBC members. Plan on dropping about $10 in the hat to cover pizza, liquid refreshments and some of the supplies we'll burn through during the workshop. (Members who are not participating in the pizza order will be asked to contribute $5 each, just to cover some of the non-food expenses.)
The weather forecast calls for "sun with clouds" on Saturday--no rain, apparently--so we might offer a boat ride for those who wish to hang around after the workshop. (We have the 27-foot Luhrs hardtop in the water, just downhill from the shop, ready to go and always eager to take folks for a tour of Mystery Bay.)
This will be an extremely informal workshop: no tests, no tight agenda, and no requirement that you get dirty unless you want to. But if you'd like to participate in some of the steps and processes, please wear appropriate down-n-dirty clothing. We will provide protective gloves, but if you want to bring face masks or other gear, you're on your own. (We only have enough respirators for the staff...sorry.)
Island Boatshop is at 1441 Griffiths Point Road, Nordland, WA 98358, which is on Marrowstone Island, not far from Port Hadlock--45 minutes from the ferry dock at Kingston, or one hour from Bainbridge Island, Bremerton or Port Angeles. If you choose to get here via the ferry from Keystone (Whidbey Island) to Port Townsend, please remember that there's only one small boat on that run, and that you need reservations--see the Washington State Ferries website for details. The best route for those living in the Seattle area or to the north is to take the Edmonds-Kingston ferry's 8:40 a.m. sailing, which will get you to the shop just after 10 a.m., or the Seattle-Bainbridge 8:45 a.m. boat, which will allow you to reach Marrowstone Island by roughly 10:30 a.m.
If you choose to drive around, crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the driving time from the Narrows Bridge is approximately 1:45, or an even 2 hours from the point where you leave I-5 and head west on Highway 16 toward the Narrows Bridge, Gig Harbor and Bremerton, then north through Silverdale and Poulsbo, across the Hood Canal Bridge and onward to the shop.
In any case, use Mapquest or Google Maps to find us and you should be in good shape. (One hint: When you get to Port Hadlock, you'll cross a bridge over Port Townsend Canal and be on Indian Island. Just follow the main drag, Flagler Road, until you cross a low causeway and hit Marrowstone Island. Follow Flagler Road as it bends to the north. If you pass a volunteer fire station that'll be on your left, you've just missed the turnoff to Griffiths Point Road by 300 feet. If you get to the Nordland General Store, along the shoreline of Mystery Bay, you've overshot Griffiths Point Road by half a mile. When you get on Griffiths Point Road, just keep going until you see 1441 on your left...and a bunch of old boats and vehicles. If parking is full on the property you can backtrack about 200 feet on Griffiths Point Road and pull off along the edge of the road, where there's an obvious margin.
So...who's planning to come this Saturday?
Hope to see you there...
- Marty
Evaluating a Project Boat -- Some of the particular things to look for when deciding whether to buy an old project boat...or even drag it out of the blackberries for free. (Remember, there's no such thing as a "free" boat--either you pay now, or you pay later, but the nice thing about a lot of unrestored classic-glass hulls is that they can be water-tested and maybe used for a season in "rat-rod" condition, allowing you to decide how much you really like the boat's size, basic design and handling characteristics before investing a lot of money in full restoration.) Marty will talk about the relative merits of some particular boats, including Skagits, Bell Boys, Sabrecrafts, Glasspars, Dorsetts and others.
Safety Equipment -- We won't spend much time on this, but it's worth taking a quick look at some safety gear to use when working with chemicals, epoxy products, sanding dust, etc. We'll offer a quick tour of gear used at the boatshop.
Pattern-Making 101 -- No matter what kind of major restoration you're doing, one of the basic challenges will be making patterns for a variety of parts and pieces, ranging from new transoms to splashwell and cabin bulkheads, floors, stringers, planks, frames, seat structures...and many other elements that go into all boats. (This is an important thing to learn, since many of the project boats we drag home have been gutted or reconfigured to the point where a lot of original panels and pieces cannot be neatly removed and used directly as patterns. You often have to start from scratch, and this is where your pattern-making skills will be tested.) Will Kersten will guide you through a few different approaches to the subject.
Tiny Bubbles: Floatation for Your Boat -- For some reason, the basic question of whether to make your boat unsinkable has stirred controversy...at least in earlier days on the FiberGlassics forum, where some folks got their panties in a knot over the merits or evils of floatation foam. While there are some concerns over the idea of pouring foam into the bowels of your boat, there are ways in which you can have it all--life-saving unsinkability, and foam that never soaks up bilge water. Marty will talk about the messy process of foaming the dark recesses of your boat, and members of the group will pour two-part foam into a project boat.
Restoring Deck Hardware & Trim -- Metalwork on your boat is likely to come in the form of chromed pot metal, stainless, chromed brass or bronze, or aluminum...all of which can deteriorate badly after 50-plus years of use. Joe Johanesen (a.k.a. Helmar) will demonstrate the restoration of deck hardware, aluminum window moldings and trim pieces, including sanding, buffing, polishing, clear-coating and/or chroming. He'll also talk about the sometimes-tricky decision of when to restore a piece of corroded old hardware, when to give up and shop eBay for a replacement, or when to simply buy that new Perko cleat that looks classic...even though it isn't a perfect match for your old Skagit cleat.
We'll also try to respond to other general questions folks might bring up about refinishing, windshield or cabin-glass replacement, or other subjects that might come up.
The workshop is open to members of NWCBC and folks who intend to become members. (Membership for the remainder of 2009 is only $20 at this time of the year; you can join now for that rate, or become a new member for the rest of 2009 and all of 2010 for $50...meaning that you're a member for the rest of this year for only $15, since the annual dues are $35.)
We'll try to gather at Island Boatshop by 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, and following a brief shop tour get started with the business of the day by 11 a.m. The workshop will wind down by about 4 p.m.
You can bring a sack lunch, or participate in our group order of pizza from Ferino's in Port Hadlock--always a favorite with NWCBC members. Plan on dropping about $10 in the hat to cover pizza, liquid refreshments and some of the supplies we'll burn through during the workshop. (Members who are not participating in the pizza order will be asked to contribute $5 each, just to cover some of the non-food expenses.)
The weather forecast calls for "sun with clouds" on Saturday--no rain, apparently--so we might offer a boat ride for those who wish to hang around after the workshop. (We have the 27-foot Luhrs hardtop in the water, just downhill from the shop, ready to go and always eager to take folks for a tour of Mystery Bay.)
This will be an extremely informal workshop: no tests, no tight agenda, and no requirement that you get dirty unless you want to. But if you'd like to participate in some of the steps and processes, please wear appropriate down-n-dirty clothing. We will provide protective gloves, but if you want to bring face masks or other gear, you're on your own. (We only have enough respirators for the staff...sorry.)
Island Boatshop is at 1441 Griffiths Point Road, Nordland, WA 98358, which is on Marrowstone Island, not far from Port Hadlock--45 minutes from the ferry dock at Kingston, or one hour from Bainbridge Island, Bremerton or Port Angeles. If you choose to get here via the ferry from Keystone (Whidbey Island) to Port Townsend, please remember that there's only one small boat on that run, and that you need reservations--see the Washington State Ferries website for details. The best route for those living in the Seattle area or to the north is to take the Edmonds-Kingston ferry's 8:40 a.m. sailing, which will get you to the shop just after 10 a.m., or the Seattle-Bainbridge 8:45 a.m. boat, which will allow you to reach Marrowstone Island by roughly 10:30 a.m.
If you choose to drive around, crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the driving time from the Narrows Bridge is approximately 1:45, or an even 2 hours from the point where you leave I-5 and head west on Highway 16 toward the Narrows Bridge, Gig Harbor and Bremerton, then north through Silverdale and Poulsbo, across the Hood Canal Bridge and onward to the shop.
In any case, use Mapquest or Google Maps to find us and you should be in good shape. (One hint: When you get to Port Hadlock, you'll cross a bridge over Port Townsend Canal and be on Indian Island. Just follow the main drag, Flagler Road, until you cross a low causeway and hit Marrowstone Island. Follow Flagler Road as it bends to the north. If you pass a volunteer fire station that'll be on your left, you've just missed the turnoff to Griffiths Point Road by 300 feet. If you get to the Nordland General Store, along the shoreline of Mystery Bay, you've overshot Griffiths Point Road by half a mile. When you get on Griffiths Point Road, just keep going until you see 1441 on your left...and a bunch of old boats and vehicles. If parking is full on the property you can backtrack about 200 feet on Griffiths Point Road and pull off along the edge of the road, where there's an obvious margin.
So...who's planning to come this Saturday?
Hope to see you there...
- Marty
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