Great South Bay Scooter Rehab - SEA TRIALS AT LAST !

I wish I had the years straight but I'd say it was around 2000 I was driving aimlessly around a well-to-do neighborhood on Long Islands South Shore and my eye caught the tell tale contour of a duck boat; three of them. I knocked on the door to discuss them and a very forward and pleasant woman answered the door while on the house phone (one with a LONG spiral cord) and never stopped talking while waving me into the house with one of those like circular waving gestures "come on in!" I awkwardly entered the home and stood still waiting, not knowing why she'd invite a stranger into the house like that. She finished her conversation and hung up and then addressed me, thinking that I must be one of her son's friends being about the same age. I explained that I was not, but that I was interested in the duck boats. She didn't seem to care at all that I was now in her kitchen and pleasantly wrote down her husbands number and name and I thanked her and left.

I arranged to meet and ended up with two of the three boats, one of them was a flat bottom, square stern, pointed bow "two man" that we repaired and brought that boat to use on West Island, a small Island in the GSB just North of Kismet, Fire Island; the other is the one that is with Steve. I did some light repairs and immediately put the boat into service. We hunted the boat regularly, it became my preferred vessel. I'd pole it a 1/2 mile at times and rig out for brant and bufflehead, or trailer it to other areas for Bills.

There was a pencil dock near my house where I kept it. One day there was a classic Long Island Fall storm that drove rolling surf down the canal, filled it with water and it sunk in 3' of water. The wind drove it under the floating dock, the tide went out and the dock crushed it. I was able to get it out on the next high tide, I flipped it to dry and that's where it sat until the Boat Whisperer was able to bring it to Pencil Brook Rehabilitation Center.

More to Follow......
 
Aaaaaahhhh.....


This makes more sense. I thought she had simply been trapped beneath a dock with a rising storm tide. The weight of a dock crushing it better explains the distortion.


Back to the shop.....


SJS
 
Good morning, All~


Progress continues - on all of the most challenging jobs in this resurrection.


After a thorough cleaning of the interior, I sealed the main "bay" of the floor/hull with epoxy - then painted with an epoxy bilge paint. The old Cedar planking and Oak frames would otherwise soak up lots of bilge water during future hunts.



View attachment B 26 B - Floor sealed and painted.JPG



This temporary aft bulkhead allows me to check measurements AND test whether I can install the finished bulkhead in a single piece. I bored the 2 finger holes so I could remove it easily later in the process.



View attachment B 26 -Aft bulkhead - trial.JPG





This temporary stretcher establishes the widest point of the cockpit at 27 inches - inside measurement. The 2 little struts ensure the same height off the bottom.



View attachment B 27 - Cockpit sttretcher.JPG



The cockpit and side decks will be supported by 2 pairs of quarter knees. They will also support shelves on each side of the cockpit - for the usual shells, gloves, lights, thermoses.... I am using 1/4-inch underlayment plywood as pattern stock.



View attachment B 30 - Quarter knee pattern A.JPG



The knees are more or less symmetrical port and starboard - so a single pattern is the basis for both sides. Nevertheless, each finished knee will require some fine tuning.


View attachment B 31 - 3 patterns.JPG



As long as I was mixing up a batch of epoxy - to glue the laminated knees and aft bulkhead - I sealed the bottom of the future floorboard. This is actually the second coat.


View attachment B 32 - Floorboard stock sealed.JPG



I will not paint the underside - but did wash off the epoxy's "amine blush" with plain water.


View attachment B 33 - Wiping amine blush.JPG



The quarter knees and aft bulkhead were glued up with straight epoxy.



View attachment B 34 - Aft bulkhead and quarter knees.JPG



Instead of conventional clamps, I used several deck screws on each to provide clamping pressure during the cure. Each piece was sawn oversize - and I aligned only the bottom edges during clamping.



View attachment B 35 - clamping with temp deck screws.JPG



The patterns provide the cut lines.


View attachment B 36 - Final cut lines.JPG



Continued in next post.....(reached the max image limit)



SJS



 
The bulkheads and knees continue....


After removing the deck screws, the band saw cut to the pencil lines.


View attachment B 37 - Final cuts.JPG



After sanding the lower edge - mostly with my belt sander - I rounded over the exposed edges on the router table.


View attachment B 38 - rounding edges.JPG



Here is the finished aft bulkhead - dry-fitted. I discovered during this process that the hull is less symmetrical than I had thought/hoped. The port "keelson" (not original to the vessel) is at least a half-inch closer to the centerline than is the starboard keelson. That discovery required a bit of Plan B.....


View attachment B 39 Aft bulkhead fitted.JPG



I began finishing the quarter knees by truing up each vertical inside edge on the radial arm saw.



View attachment B 40 Truing inside edge on knee.JPG



The patterns were used next.


View attachment B 41 - Marking quarter knee for final cuts.JPG



Here are all 4 - with lots of fine tuning in their future. The 4-inch holes with allow for storage of long stuff - a flag or pick-up stick maybe - above the shelves.


View attachment B 42 - Quater knees.JPG



Before fitting each quarter knee, I needed to check symmetry one last time. The hole bored through the stretcher - and a taut sytring - showed me that the port coaming was off by about 3/16".


View attachment B 43 - Centerline - off a bit.JPG



So, I tacked a piece of plywood to the deck to force it back toward the centerline. The cockpit will be fully established when I install the quarter knees and then fasten the purlins to the bulkheads and knees.


View attachment B 44 - correcting symmetry.JPG



Another view. Note that the purlins are both temporary at this point AND upside down. I am using them for design purposes now. When installed, each purlin will be flipped rightside up and swapped from port to starboard and vicey-versey....and cut to final length.



View attachment B 45 - Purlins final locations - upside down.JPG



The next step is carefully shaping the 8 lodging knees that will help to fasten the purlins in place.


SJS





 
The lodging knees.


Maybe the term "lodging knees" is a bit pretentious (Pretentious ? Moi ???) on a such small craft. Perhaps simply "glue blocks" is more apt. I will defer to Jim Cricket.


Nevertheless, these are very important structural components and require very careful measurement and crafting. The face that lands on the bulkhead is square - but the face that lands on the purlin requires The Dreaded Compound Bevel....


I used 1-inch Mahogany so it will hold a screw securely. Note the grain running at about a 45 on each bearing surface.



View attachment B 46 - Lodging knees for purlins on bulkheads.JPG



I used polyurethane (Gorilla) glue and bugle-head s/s screws to fasten from the back of each bulkhead.


View attachment B 47 - Bugle head ss screws.JPG



Here is the aft bulkhead with both lodging knees attached. The whole structure next gets sealed with epoxy.


View attachment B 48 - Lodging knees on aft bulkhead.JPG



All the best,


SJS











 
Steve

There is an old saying, "House carpenters build to the nearest quarter inch. Finish carpenters build to the nearest sixteenth inch. Cabinetmakers build to the nearest thirty-second inch. And boatbuilders build to the nearest boat." I think you are demonstrating this to be so. The string through the hole is a new one for me. Love it.

Eric
 
Last edited:
As always, it is such a delight to read your posts. Especially on the boat projects. Seems to be coming along quite well as always. I can?t imagine there actually being a problem for you with these boats. If it had been ran over with a steam roller I think you could still rebuild it. Thank you for starring with us!
 
Eric Patterson said:
Steve

There is an old saying, "House carpenters build to the nearest quarter inch. Finish carpenters build to the nearest sixteenth inch. Cabinetmakers build to the nearest thirty-second inch. And boatbuilders build to the nearest boat." I think you are demonstrating this to be so. The string through the hole is a new one for me. Love it.

Eric
Click to expand...


ain't that the truth.
 
I think you have to be born with this level of detail -- I would lose my marbles trying to do this good of a job, which makes it all the more appreciable when you do it so well.

you're amazing, the boat is coming along great.
 
Good morning, Paul et al~


Attention to Detail....Gift or Curse????


I blame my Dad! And, my unusual schedule helps. Yesterday's work day commenced at 1:30 AM. This morning, I had the shop doors open. I heard what I believe were a 'coon and a gobbler arguing nearby in the pitch dark, right after the moon had set.



Before fastening the lodging knees (last episode) I squared up all 4 quarter knees and marked their positions.



View attachment B 49 Squaring the quarter knees.JPG


Later, with the lodging knees fastened to the quarter knees, everything got sealed with epoxy.


View attachment B 50 - Epoxy seal quater knees and aft bulkhead.JPG



After overnight curing and a light sanding, the aft bulkhead got bedded in 3M 5200 and clamped in place (you think???).


View attachment B 54 Aft bulkhead clamped.JPG



The 5200 will do most of the work of holding the upper edge of the bulkhead in place. Note the all-important squeeze out.


View attachment B 55 Squeeze out.JPG



I ran a batten (1/4-inch plywood) beneath the clamps to minimize compressing the soft White Cedar deck boards and also to provide a "landing" for temporary panhead screws. The panheads will hold the joint over the next several days after the clamps get removed (48 hours). The 5200 needs about a week for a full cure.


View attachment B 56 Panheads and batten.JPG



Before installing the quarter knees, I needed to glue on some plywood along the deck edges. The plywood pieces will serve as butt blocks - really surfaces to which I can glue some 1/4-inch plywood as I bring the deck up to its new smaller cockpit opening. I needed to avoid the areas around the knees.


View attachment B 57 Decking backers clamped and glued.JPG



The forward end up the plywood decks will curve up - to avoid a hard spot. This garbage can lid has just the right radius.


View attachment B 51 Forward curve for decking.JPG



I held back on gluing the forward backers until both the forward bulkhead and the quarter knees were permanently in place.



View attachment B 58 Forward curve - awaiting backer.JPG



The quarter knees need to be both plumb and square. The clamped 2x4 on edge helps me get plumb.


View attachment B 59 Plumbing knees.JPG



Clamping to the shelf helps me get square.


View attachment B 60 - Fitting to shelves.JPG



Continued....


SJS



 
Last edited:
Quarter Knees continued.....


First - just a note about supplies. Most of my lumber comes from my local, family-owned lumber yard, Wiley Brothers. My fibreglass and epoxy and related supplies come from U S Composites. My main source for marine supplies - hardware, paints, etc is Jamestown Distributors. I have been dealing with them for close to 40 years now.



View attachment B 52 Total Boat - JD.JPG



I have begun to try their "store brand" TotalBoat product line:


View attachment B 53 Total Boat supplies.JPG



I used the Topside Primer on the quarter knees. The shelves will be varnished - except for their front faces. They have been stained here.



View attachment B 67 Knees primed and shelf stained.JPG



The shelves get wrapped AFTER tongue depressor spacers are taped on their sides - to ensure that I can slide the shelves in and out after the knees are fastened permanently.


View attachment B 68 Shelf shimmed and covered.JPG



Here are the knees being installed.


View attachment B 69 Quarter knees installed.JPG



The shelves can now come out - and the knees get more primer.


View attachment B 71 Quater knees painted.JPG



The whole cockpit now has paint.


View attachment B 70 Cockpit painted, floorboard cleat installed.JPG



I could now glue on the forward backers.


View attachment B 66 Forward backer glued.jpg



And, I could remove the heavy clamps aft. The masking tape protects the epoxied bulkhead - so I can wrap new 'glass down over it when the entire cockpit is ready.



View attachment B 73 Aft bulkhead primed and taped.JPG



More about those shelves in the next episode....


SJS




View attachment B 66 Forward backer glued.jpg
 
Last episode for today....


You may have noticed that the lip of the shelves is bored out to hold a half-dozen shotgun shells. I have posted on similar shell holders previously - separate units to be mounted inside the coamings on TDBs and other "sit-up" vessels.





View attachment 9 Shell Rack - post.jpg



Here the holders are integrated with the shelf (I think I first did this in the 1980s....).


Design criteria include: ease of shell removal when needed and drain holes (scuppers).


With respect to the first consideration, I bore 7/8-inch diameter holes with a Forstner bit on the drill press - for 12 gauge shells. At first, I drill down just about a quarter inch. This gives me a center for a smaller drill. So, I change bits and drill all the way through with a 3/8-inch drill bit. This creates the scupper.



View attachment B 61 Shell holders 1.JPG



Once the scuppers are drilled, I go back to the 7/8 Forstner and bottom out each hole - at about 1.5 inches. This leaves the brass up above the rack where you can grab it.



View attachment B 62 - Shell holder depth.JPG



The holes are on 1.25 inch centers to avoid crowding. I group the holes 3 and 3 to separate duck loads from goose loads.


View attachment B 63 Shell holder scuppers.JPG



The shelves are sealed all sides with Spar Varnish. They will get 3 more coats.



View attachment B 74 Shelves sealed Sspar varnish.JPG



This cleat on the forward bulkhead contains/protects the forward ends of the floorboards. It is probably unnecessary (but it's also a tiny bit of work). I have decided to go with a 3-piece floorboard system. The two lateral boards will be permanently fastened in place but the central board will be easily removable - with just wooden turn-buttons.


View attachment B 72 Floorboard cleat.JPG



I clamped on a temporary coaming to test the all-important angle for the back rest - really for just one's head and neck when hunkered down in traditional Scooter style.


View attachment FB 01 Temp coaming.JPG


An angle of about 35 degrees seems to work for me. I want my eyes to rest naturally at sea level when relaxed and in waiting and watching, watching and waiting position.



View attachment FB 03 Testing angle.JPG



A beveled cleat is fastened to the central floorboard so that the neck rest can readily be set in its desired position. The ends of the backboard, too, are beveled.



View attachment FB 02 Cleat bevels.JPG



The board will later get some foam padding wrapped in canvas.


Next: Cockpit purlins and decking.


All the best,


SJS





 
So a little more of the story: and by the way, as I continue to marvel at your skill and attention to detail, I want to remind the other members that this is Steve's version of "sort of a quick-and-dirty repair/rehab - NOT a museum quality restoration"
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]
[/font]
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]
[/font]
Boats have a way of bringing people together, even if it be a "one-man scooter." The owners of the boat when I got it were a pair of men named Stanton and Kennedy. Fifteen years after I got the boats, my neighbors immediately next door sold their home to a guy named Scott. In passing as neighbors I meet and befriend Scott's brother in law Rob. Rob introduces me to his good friend Jed........later find out that Mr. Kennedy is Jed's father. Fast forward 10 more years and I meet a lovely young lady in my 6th grade English class. Turns out that I know her mother, who's mom's boyfriend? Jed........ Come this summer, a gaggle of girls walk into the Gilgo Beach Inn....."excuse me, I think you know my dad" says one of them. Ok, what's his name.......Jed. Now you have to realize this all started with a knock on that door and I knew NONE of these people, and this is not in the same town either....close. So the point of this project is of course to get this super cool boat back in operational condition. But I'm going to get a new trailer for it and wheel it right up to Mr. Kennedy's house and offer its use to Him, Jed and Rob to use anytime they'd like.
So if anyone wants to filter that circuitous, coincidental, ironic story into a new name for this vessel, please do.

Great work Steve, can't wait to get the boys out this winter; thanks as always.
 
Steve

Why 5200 to bond the bulkhead in and not thickened epoxy? What was your method of cleanup for the 5200 before/after it cured?

Eric
 
Eric~


I opted for the 5200 because of its greater flexibility when cured. It expect that the Cedar deck planks will want to move as moisture content changes. Were the decking plywood either thickened epoxy or 5200 would be an effective choice, I believe. The decking here is also screwed to the quarter knees and bulkheads.



I wiped the excess off with paper towels on the inside of where the cockpit coaming will be. I will sand the thin line of cured 5200 when I round over all of the cockpit edges - with a router and sandpaper - prior to 'glassing. The generous areas of exposed wood either side of the 5200 lines will give plenty of purchase for the epoxy.


Make sense?


SJS

 
Steve

That makes sense. I thought maybe you were doing the excess 5200 removal post cure which would take some effort but I know you did most of the cleanup before it cured. I love the mechanical properties of 5200 but don't really care for trying to clean it up so I usually go with epoxy because I find it easier to deal with pre and post cure. Looks like you've gotten good at working with it.

Eric
 
Good morning, Eric~


Yes both products - so useful in the boat shop - need lots of attention before they cure. With both, I often mask nearby areas and always try to get the final shape or profile before they begin to set up. And, I break out the nitrile gloves for my hands. A roll of paper towels is always nearby when 5200 is out and about - a real Tar Baby!



Of course, tools need the same attention. Wiping with acetone whilst everything is still tacky seems to do the trick.


Got the cockpit purlins in yesterday - well-bedded in 5200 - and thoroughly wiped down before I left the shop.


All the best,


SJS

 
I used the total boat lust matte varnish on the small bright finish parts of my boat restoration with good success. Worked well for a novice, and appreciated that I could get in multiple coats in one day without sanding between every time.
 
Good morning, Richard~


Glad to help! And, as you will see, you inspired me to put a dash of brightwork on this old Scooter (but I'll keep to reading to find out where.....)


Measuring the purlins took a bit of work. One of those jobs much easier with a helper. Instead, I relied of a system of clamps and temporary blocking to hold the purlins in place to accurately measure the lengths and bevels.



View attachment C 01 Measuring purlins.JPG



At each lodging knee I clamped a small length of blocking to support the purlin.


View attachment C 03B Temp supports on lodging knees.JPG



Here you can see it head on.


View attachment C 03 Temp supports on lodging knees.JPG



Instead of the stretcher amidship, I now screwed blocks to the decks so I could pull the purlin in slowly and carefully with a bar clamp. These were especially helpful when actually fastening later in the process.


View attachment C 02 Clamping blocks for control A.JPG



The bevel angles were measured at each end.


View attachment C 04 Bevels on purlin ends.JPG



A generous bed 3M 5200 was slathered on each knee; a single screw went through the purlin into each .



View attachment C 05 Lodging knees bedded and fastened.JPG



Success! Now this old vessel looks once again like a traditional Scooter - with the "right" cockpit shape.


View attachment C 07 Cockpit shape restored.JPG



I fitted this plywood template to help me with design of the final coamings. The new coamings will probably extend anout 1.5 inches above the decks.



View attachment C 10 Coaming pattern.JPG



Now to close up the side decks. Quarter-inch AC plywood was fitted. I will be fastening them with their A sides down - so sealed them with epoxy on the bench the day before.


View attachment D 01 Plywood filler pieces sealed.JPG



Continued.....


SJS







 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top