New member with a new boat....need info

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Dave Liddell

Active member
Hey guys. I'm a newer duckhunter and have FINALLY bought myself a sneakbox! I have come into possession of this 13'6" cedar strip and glass boat and need some help. The previous owner had owned it for about 15 years and could only tell me that a "big fellah from the Mullica area built and hunted this boat". Having zero boat experience, I dove in with both feet. The boat had been stored on its side without a hatch and developed some delaminating to the glass and some minor wood rot here and there. The deck was plywood and totally soft to the touch so I removed most of it. I did sand down the hull and stopped at the fiberglass which still looks pretty good. So here we go i guess:

* Does anyone know the builder of this boat or the style hull "plane"? (am i using the right term?)
* Recommendations on the small wood rot areas? (heard of sawdust and epoxy mixes but have no clue)
* Refurb the deck with plywood or go with cedar planks?

Basically I am looking for any opinions and critique to better my reconditioning process. Thanks in advance! Dave.
 
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Welcome aboard!
Whoa, you got your work cut out for you!
Is this your first wooden boat project?
There are lots of wooden boat guys on the site from NJ, maybe one can give you a hand.
 
Wow, you have a project and a half. A fellow named David Clark might be able to suggest cedar over plywood. He has shown a few pics of a boat he is building out of NJ white cedar, it is in a thread called 15' Garvey.

I noticed that there looks like a bit of "rot" or deterioration has occurred that might need to be stabilized. I use a product called Smith's CPES. Look it up on the web and you decide - I have had some good luck with it restoring damaged wood to a very usable condition.

Matt
 
Glad you made it over here, Dave. Alot of knowledge among the membership here. They helped me with my rebuild a few years back.
 
Not from jersey so I cant tell you who the builder is. As already stated Dave Clark will be a good source on that.
It looks like a wider stern on your boat and the Strakes or Chines that were added are for lift to help the hull get its butt up as the motor is pushing it under due to the rocker in the hull.
I am going to guess it will plane with some power.
BUT you give up a little to get some. The chine will "trip" in a sea and works against you when you want the pumpkin seed concept of the original BBSB to give the seakeeping for rough water handling. Not a deal breaker, just a compromise.

Very cool boat. Thanks for the pictures.

I would deck it with cedar if you can find some, but ply would work and either will get glassed over. The frames may not have enough wood to fasten the strip planking however.

It looks like the builder used less than the original number of frames and still got a nice shape to the hull.
 
I am not the guy to ask because my skills are minimal, but it l looks to me like most of your problem is the decking and shear. I would think you can fix that up with a bit of work. looks like a fun project.
 
Question for all. What type of screws are guys using to reinforce ribs on sneakboxes in salt marsh/bay areas? Brass? Galvanized? Stainless?
 
I used bronze ones (not brass) for all of my stuff. Brass twists off too easily. There are a couple types of stainless. If you use that, be sure to get the right ones. Some of them will rust.
 
Dave, I have about 900 SS square drive screws in the BBSB that I am refurbishing so far. Note that I am refurbishing this boat, not restoring it. If I was restoring, I would be using sloted/flathead bronze screws. From my understanding SS or Bronze in salt. Best selection and fast delivery has been McMaster-Carr, they ship from NJ to VA generally next day delivery at no extra charge.

Dave
 
Dave,

Congrats on getting on the site and congrats on getting a piece of history to refurbish...I am no expert by any means but please spend the time and the highest hard earned cash you can on items needed to refurbish this beauty...She will definently bring you back home safely...You have stumbled into the best sites on the net in regards to ethical ducking hunting (well we may slip some, we r humans), lifetime friendships, and some of the most humorist bullshit any man can use for thought throughout the year...

Welcome and as stated before there are lot of people on the sight with years of professional experience in helping you complete the project...The best part is they are not afraid to share and willing to help...

Regards,

Kristan
 
UPDATE. Well....the end has come for this boat. As I started reinforcing areas of the boat with stainless screws, I found BIG problems pretty much all over the boat. The screws either spun and never grabbed wood or pushed right on through. So the boat is unsalvagable. I will be in the market for a boat in January if anyone has any leads. Will be looking for a 12 foot or larger Barnegat Bay sneakbox. Preferrably cedar but might consider fiberglass. Must have a title for boat. Thanks again for all the advise and help guys! Dave.
 
Dave, I am sure it is salvagable, just depends on how much work you want to do. You can cut new stations or steam bend white oak that will hold the screws. Painting on epoxy will penetrate the wood and minimize the screw heads pulling through. A couple layers of 6oz cloth on the hull will hold a lot of sins together! If you decide not to do the work, I am sure someone on the DBHP will gladly take it off your hands. (I swear I am not looking for another project!!!). Perhaps your pictures don't show how bad it really is, but I would not give up on it if it were mine.

Dave
 
Well, my sneakbox went for a little road trip today. David Clark of Canvasbacks.org swung by and picked up my boat while delivering one of his custom Garveys. All I can say is the sneakbox should be nothing short of a Blue Ribbon when it is restored to its original glory!! Thanks David.
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