Devlin Scaup

L

len hawkins

Member
I have a chance to pick up a Devlin Scaup that needs to be completed (free! Zero dollars, get it out of my garage!) All I have seen are pictures, and it doesn?t appear that it was the most professional attempt. But they are just pictures. I am not sure if it has been exposed to any weather, it is currently under a car port. I would hope that it can be cleaned up and detailed.
Before I drive 8 hours round trip what are some thing to look for besides the obvious - delaminated wood, bubbled up fiberglass (the hull is glassed on the bottom), bad filet?s, water damage, etc. what questions should I ask, pictures to request?
 
Good morning, Len~


Sounds like you are going in with open eyes. My biggest concern would be any sign of rot or delamination. As I am sure you know, these stitch-n-glue vessels are designed to have every piece of wood fully encapsulated in epoxy to prevent moisture intrusion.


Has the deck been installed? I would be more comfortable with an open hull - so that I could address any shortcomings in the construction thus far.


Is the hull true? Has it racked because of insufficient construction or storage? If so, can it be corrected (again easier if not deck yet)?



Also - as you have probably gleaned from some posts here - it would be nice to be able to easily install inspection ports (e.g., Beckson Deck Plates) on the accessible bulkheads that enclose the flotation chambers. Although I have not built or restored any Devlin boats, I would be tempted to not fill these chambers with expandable foam - but removable pieces of foam etc instead.


In any event - sounds like a fun trip!


SJS

 
Few things, I'd ask about wood used and epoxy to gauge the quality of materials. A lot of these incomplete builds that we have seen bumping around over the years are with ply that is not up to spec for stitch and glue.

Anyone should be able to inspect the boat without extensive knowledge, if it looks bad, it is bad. One thing you see is lousy/sloppy fiberglass work and while in itself it isn't inherently a deal breaker, sloppy work with lumps, runs and pleats, etc.. just makes it all that much harder to get it done and to keep the epoxy encapsulation complete when done. Look and make sure the glass on fillets and covering is all clear, not white or full of bubbles that indicated starved cloth or lumpy/runny that indicated the glass was floating in the epoxy.

I can understand that you don't want to post where the boat is, but there may be an experienced builder near by that can look at it for you.
 
The deck is on- but it doesn?t appear to be a super clean job. I am gonna go trough the tutorial Eric Patterson posted to refresh. It appears from the pictures that they stopped right after the deck. I am already assuming if I take it on I am going to remove the deck, sand and smooth the filets, touch up any filets, and apply additional epoxy. Assuming I can get everything straightened out I?ll pick it up right there.
 
The guy that put it up only knew it was a Devlin- I told him it was a scaup (which he later confirmed) he told me the owner had $2200 in material, which I would guess is in the ballpark for marine ply. My biggest concern is that the boat spent some time n the elements and the wood wasn?t sealed well enough to do damage.
I think I can detour and inspect next week, if it is reasonable I?ll get her home and worse case scenario I?m out some time and a dump fee. Well worth the risk.
 
I took a two hour detour and looked at the Scaup last night. The deck was installed, poorly. It looks like they got to the stage where they needed to filet in the deck and stopped there. It appears that the boat was stored outside deck down, so the sheer clamps are shot. But the hull is ok. I think I will need to Remove the deck, and start at the steps where the sheerclamps and strong backs where installed. The interior of the hull looks like it was wet, but it is solid, just stained a little. I think a little sanding and it will be ready for some fresh epoxy and some detailing on the filets.
 
Len~


As noted earlier - there lots to be said for having no deck in the way.



Best of luck with your new sheer clamps.


SJS

 
Good morning, Len~


After a good night's sleep, I had one more thought.


I would put her on a cradle - even just a pair of sawhorses with chocks fitted to her bottom shape.



I would level the cradle/horses left-and-right .


Then I would measure carefully to check for any distortion caused by long-term storage. A long level (or at least a good level on a long enough, perfectly straight board) laid across the gunwales every 2 feet or so down her length will show any inconsistencies. You will have time to correct them as you install new sheer clamps.


BTW: The traditional "tolerance" on wooden boats has long been 1/8 inch - for key measurements like beam.



Hope this helps,


JS

 

After a good night's sleep, I had one more thought.
I would put her on a cradle - even just a pair of sawhorses with chocks fitted to her bottom shape.
I would level the cradle/horses left-and-right .
Then I would measure carefully to check for any distortion caused by long-term storage. A long level (or at least a good level on a long enough, perfectly straight board) laid across the gunwales every 2 feet or so down her length will show any inconsistencies. You will have time to correct them as you install new sheer clamps.
BTW: The traditional "tolerance" on wooden boats has long been 1/8 inch - for key measurements like beam.
Hope this helps,
JS

Steve,
There is something to be said about a guy who reads about another man's project then goes to sleep thinking about it, and offers knowledgeable advice. You truly have an obsession, LOL. A good one might I add.
 
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