Save a Classic
Bringing new life to a worn-out hull
- ERIC BLAKE —July 8–21
Tuition: $1200 two-week class, $750 either first week or second week
Note: Students can choose to take the full two-week session or either the first or second week, each of which lasts six days.
We’re very excited to give students the opportunity to work alongside professional boatbuilder Eric Blake as he takes on the restoration of the Boothbay Harbor One-Design BITTERSWEET. These lovely 21′ keel daysailers were once the prominent racing class of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, and there’s still a fleet of them that periodically compete there. BITTERSWEET, like some of her sisters, has succumbed to old age and the stresses of a deep fin keel on the light-but-traditional cedar-on-oak hull.
The week will begin by surveying the boat and talking through where the original structure has failed and why. The deep fin keel will be removed and the boat turned upside down to make the veneers easier to fit and apply. After the hull is stripped of paint and faired, work will begin on spiling two layers of veneer. Many different techniques and scenarios will be covered in this process.
With the new hull skin applied, the end of the first week’s course will be spent fairing the surface and prepping the hull for paint. Different fillers and epoxy coatings will be discussed, as well as sanding machines and shop-made sanding boards that will make quick work of an oftentimes dreaded task. There are many ways to go about this, and Eric will talk you through the tricks of getting a hull that is sweet, fair, and ready for a paintbrush.
The second week will be a full one that begins by gluing up a new piece of deadwood and getting it shaped to fit the ballast keel as well as the underside of the hull. The old keel and bolts will be inspected and bolt holes drilled through our cold-molded overlay in preparation for remounting the new deadwood. Attention will then turn to the deck. Trim pieces such as coamings and rubrails will be addressed and repaired as required. Different repair techniques will be touched on, with a focus on retaining as much of the original boat as possible. Deck hardware will be removed, inspected, and rebedded. Raising the boat back up on its keel is a process that no one will ever forget. Different hoisting techniques will be covered as well as simple ways to move large heavy objects such as a 900-lb piece of lead. Lastly, attention will turn to the painting and varnishing. The whole spectrum, from completely stripping a surface back to the bare wood, to simple touch-ups, will be covered.
With any luck, and an enthusiastic crew, the end of the second week will see this newly restored daysailer return to the water ready to face another half-century of service. For those of you who are thinking about saving what appears to be a worn-out classic of your own, or for those who simply want to be involved with an exciting restoration of an iconic one-design in a group setting, this course promises to give you the skills needed to accomplish that.
