Steve Sanford
Well-known member
I just returned this Scooter to its owner on Long Island last Thursday. As usual, the fully-detailed story is on my site at:
http://stevenjaysanford.com/2014/08/05/skidmore-scooter-a-plywood-whaleback/
Here is how I first saw her earlier this year - in the back of Sayville bayman Red Oster's yard:
This boat - a whaleback Scooter - was built by family-friend Brud Skidmore in the late 50s or early 60s. Here is Brud in his shop at East Islip Lumber - building a larger inboard vessel.
I trailed her the 250 miles north to Pencil Brook Boatworks - now she's ready for both BEFORE portraits and more careful examination. This profile shows her fairly-deep ice runners.
The "whaleback" style was designed to hide best in the open bay. High-crowned decks and a low gunwale do the trick.
Scooters are widest a bit forward of amidships - so they can maneuver when in broken ice. Note that what looks like blotches of mildew on the paint was actually put there by Brud - misting Flat Black Rustoleum from a spray can at arm's length.
The cockpit is nice and snug - with a properly-chocked backrest.
There are a few breaks in the 'glass skin but no rot for the most part.
These pipe oarlock stanchions have let in some rainwater over the years, though - the sponginess surrounding each hole will require some creative repairs.
The stanchions are well-supported below decks.
The "lip" around the cockpit cover has rotted away. I will make a new hatch from scratch.
I was surprised to find no sign of a stern fairlead - for the stern anchor needed to keep any open bay boat from yawing on her bow anchor. I tacked on a temporary one so I could hoist her.
Here she is steady on the horses and out of the weather.
The first task will be to peel off the 'glass near any spots that might harbor rot.
I completed all of the tasks on schedule. There were numerous straightforward repairs - to the bow, breaks in the 'glass, paint, and the like. I cut some rot out of the starboard coaming and installed a Cypress dutchman. Most of my attention was on both oarlock stanchions - where rainwater had entered the boat and caused some serious - but not fatal - rot.
I excised the rotted coaming with a straight bit in my router:
Then I clamped the Cypress in thickened epoxy:
I faired everything off with my orbital sander - first with 50-grit then 80-grit:
The extensive rot around the stanchions - in the decking, the blocking and the hull - required careful planning and measuring to retain the proper location and orientation of the pipes. This photo does not reveal all of the punkiness I found in the hull (lower) blocking and the hull sheathing (1/4" marine ply):
I first drew centerlines well beyond the rot so I would not lose the location of the hole through the deck:
Lots of the stanchion work was done with the boat flipped onto my tall (48") horses - and a comfortable chair and flood lamp:
Then I removed the blocking - the deck blocking on the starboard side and the hull blocking on the port side:
I put a heat lamp on the wet - but sound - wood overnight:
I fashioned new blocking from treated decking (Southern Yellow Pine):
The new blocking pushed a slurry of thickened epoxy - fairing compound with 1/2-inch 'glass fibers added for structural integrity - against a stiff piece of cardboard coated with poly:
I made a jig to guide the drill at the proper angle:
A socket was bored in the new hull blocking to receive the pipe:
I wrapped the pipes in cellophane tape so the epoxy would not stick during the final fairing coat:
Before final installation - in which they were bedded at the deck and at the hull in 3M 5200 - each pipe was filled 3/4 of its length with a dowel set in epoxy - to prevent water from getting into the hull in the future:
Rubber feet make nice stanchion caps - easily removed when rowing commences:
Three coats of Pettit Flat White went on the entire exterior - then I built a new hatch for the cockpit. I scribed the existing crown of the deck then drew a 47-inch radius for the upper crown:
Frames are Cypress and the sheathing is 1/4-inch lauan plywood - which I would not use again. I think the uneven ply thicknesses resist bending evenly - giving the finished hatch a hint of the "starved cow" effect....The frames were first glued with Titebond II - and then nailed with 7/8" #14 bronze boat nails:
The name plates - from diylettering.com - required some "problem-solving" to apply along the curved gunwale/chine:
I cleaned up the existing floorboards and backrest - rounding corners and fairing curves:
Here is the finished hatch - sheathed with 4-ounce 'glass and epoxy:
Here is the Brud Skidmore anxious to return to saltwater.....
She is ready for the Broadbill....and here they come!
Bird One -down!
Bird Two - down!
Bird Three - Triple the hard way!
Now for some colder weather - and a bit of ice!
All the best,
SJS
http://stevenjaysanford.com/2014/08/05/skidmore-scooter-a-plywood-whaleback/
Here is how I first saw her earlier this year - in the back of Sayville bayman Red Oster's yard:
This boat - a whaleback Scooter - was built by family-friend Brud Skidmore in the late 50s or early 60s. Here is Brud in his shop at East Islip Lumber - building a larger inboard vessel.
I trailed her the 250 miles north to Pencil Brook Boatworks - now she's ready for both BEFORE portraits and more careful examination. This profile shows her fairly-deep ice runners.
The "whaleback" style was designed to hide best in the open bay. High-crowned decks and a low gunwale do the trick.
Scooters are widest a bit forward of amidships - so they can maneuver when in broken ice. Note that what looks like blotches of mildew on the paint was actually put there by Brud - misting Flat Black Rustoleum from a spray can at arm's length.
The cockpit is nice and snug - with a properly-chocked backrest.
There are a few breaks in the 'glass skin but no rot for the most part.
These pipe oarlock stanchions have let in some rainwater over the years, though - the sponginess surrounding each hole will require some creative repairs.
The stanchions are well-supported below decks.
The "lip" around the cockpit cover has rotted away. I will make a new hatch from scratch.
I was surprised to find no sign of a stern fairlead - for the stern anchor needed to keep any open bay boat from yawing on her bow anchor. I tacked on a temporary one so I could hoist her.
Here she is steady on the horses and out of the weather.
The first task will be to peel off the 'glass near any spots that might harbor rot.
I completed all of the tasks on schedule. There were numerous straightforward repairs - to the bow, breaks in the 'glass, paint, and the like. I cut some rot out of the starboard coaming and installed a Cypress dutchman. Most of my attention was on both oarlock stanchions - where rainwater had entered the boat and caused some serious - but not fatal - rot.
I excised the rotted coaming with a straight bit in my router:
Then I clamped the Cypress in thickened epoxy:
I faired everything off with my orbital sander - first with 50-grit then 80-grit:
The extensive rot around the stanchions - in the decking, the blocking and the hull - required careful planning and measuring to retain the proper location and orientation of the pipes. This photo does not reveal all of the punkiness I found in the hull (lower) blocking and the hull sheathing (1/4" marine ply):
I first drew centerlines well beyond the rot so I would not lose the location of the hole through the deck:
Lots of the stanchion work was done with the boat flipped onto my tall (48") horses - and a comfortable chair and flood lamp:
Then I removed the blocking - the deck blocking on the starboard side and the hull blocking on the port side:
I put a heat lamp on the wet - but sound - wood overnight:
I fashioned new blocking from treated decking (Southern Yellow Pine):
The new blocking pushed a slurry of thickened epoxy - fairing compound with 1/2-inch 'glass fibers added for structural integrity - against a stiff piece of cardboard coated with poly:
I made a jig to guide the drill at the proper angle:
A socket was bored in the new hull blocking to receive the pipe:
I wrapped the pipes in cellophane tape so the epoxy would not stick during the final fairing coat:
Before final installation - in which they were bedded at the deck and at the hull in 3M 5200 - each pipe was filled 3/4 of its length with a dowel set in epoxy - to prevent water from getting into the hull in the future:
Rubber feet make nice stanchion caps - easily removed when rowing commences:
Three coats of Pettit Flat White went on the entire exterior - then I built a new hatch for the cockpit. I scribed the existing crown of the deck then drew a 47-inch radius for the upper crown:
Frames are Cypress and the sheathing is 1/4-inch lauan plywood - which I would not use again. I think the uneven ply thicknesses resist bending evenly - giving the finished hatch a hint of the "starved cow" effect....The frames were first glued with Titebond II - and then nailed with 7/8" #14 bronze boat nails:
The name plates - from diylettering.com - required some "problem-solving" to apply along the curved gunwale/chine:
I cleaned up the existing floorboards and backrest - rounding corners and fairing curves:
Here is the finished hatch - sheathed with 4-ounce 'glass and epoxy:
Here is the Brud Skidmore anxious to return to saltwater.....
She is ready for the Broadbill....and here they come!
Bird One -down!
Bird Two - down!
Bird Three - Triple the hard way!
Now for some colder weather - and a bit of ice!
All the best,
SJS
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