Let’s see how eggstensive the project will be…Transon planking removed, garboards pulled and the owner decides to save this old girl once the extent of the damage and work is assessed. This boat belongs to Ronny Mathias out of Alexandria, Va and Allen has 18 months of part time work into her.
Allen Foote started off by spending summers at his Grandparents lake cottage in Indiana. His first boat was a 1951 34’ Chris Craft cabin cruiser that he purchased in 1979. He has lived aboard on and off since 1980. In 1981 he worked on liners in the Gulf of Mexico and then started working tugboats after getting fish poison. In 1989 he got his Operator of Uninspected Towing Vessels license. While working tugboats he acquired an extensive nautical library….for reading off watch. He has been living on and working on boats all his adult life. He has helped rebuild and done extensive rebuilding on large cabin cruisers. In his words, "I understand wood boats…they make sense to me. When rebuilding the process is a copy of the original building methods and I respect the quality of engineering that went into these boats. I guess that’s why I don’t make any major changes or try to ‘re-engineer’ with epoxies or plywood. Currently, this is what I do for a living…feel free to ask me any rebuilding questions."
E-mail Allen at scaldawg@aol.com
Rotted Planks coming off…entire bottom refastened. Each plank removed and new fastenings put in.
New planks, temporary sisters to hold her shape until the new ribs are in. Rotted frames are replaced with steam bent white oak. Electrolysis damages frame ends are scarfed and sistered.
Transom rebuild, reframing, replanking with Purple Heart
Starboard side being refastened with silicon bronze screws and wood plugs. Oak rubrail and spray rail replacement. Repaint topsides including removing 8 coats of paint-primer & contour topside seams.
Repaired frame ends, repair or replacement of 38 of 46 frames on the starboard side. Garboard plank being worked in tight to the keel. It is bedded in cotton and polysulphide caulking and the new fastenings match the old holes.
Allen’s personal 1968 43’ Flush Deck. Improperly refastened in 1984. Plank removal on port side, others have been refastened, a total of 4,700 screws!! Refastening and replacement of oak timbers for rudder blocks and strut blocks.
27 feet of laminated spray rail goes on.