Wooden Boat Restoration Repair - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

You need to decide the level of repair that suits you and your boat. Theoretically, no
boat is beyond restoration; realistically, you need to evaluate thoroughly the
soundness of the structure and the time and expense needed for repair. If you have
limited experience with rebuilding, we advise hiring a surveyor before getting heavily
involved.
1.1.2 Determine your commitment
Introduction 3
Consider these factors when determining your commitment to repair or restore:
Time and resources
Many people have become romantically involved with restoration projects and have
failed to make their dreams a reality. Others have started projects which required far
greater financial and time commitments that they were able to allocate and have been
forced to abandon the project. You need to carefully assess the money and the time that
you have available and can afford to commit. Consider, for example, whether you can
restore specific areas of your craft each year, spreading the work and expense over
time. Do you have adequate space and equipment for the project?
Historical value
If you have a very old boat that you are considering restoring, investigate its
background to see if it has historical or collector’s value. If you have an Adirondack
guideboat, an old wood and canvas canoe, a Herreshoff, a Rushton or some other
historically significant boat, wholesale repairs with epoxy may not be appropriate. You
owe it to yourself and the boat to do some research into the boat’s value.
Condition of the boat
Obviously, the worse the condition of the boat, the more work needed to repair it.
While in theory no boat is beyond restoration, you should probably think about
looking for another boat if less than 60 percent of the boat is salvageable.
Size of the craft
Reconstruction difficulty increases with boat size. This is because larger craft
experience higher loads. Boat timbers are proportional to boat size and epoxy is
usually just on a surface or perimeter. This means epoxy strengths and effects can be
overwhelmed by proportionately larger wood mass effects. Dimensional changes can
be the result of moisture passage or temperature cycling as well as stresses from boat
use. Also larger craft may have more areas that are difficult or impossible to access.
Construction method
You need to understand the construction method originally used to build the boat and
the level of difficulty involved with repair of different construction methods. The
following provides a general guide to the logistical and practical ease of reconstructing
craft built using different construction methods, with the easiest listed first:
Plywood (soft and hard chine)
Strip plank
Laminated (hot and cold molded)
Lapstrake
Carvel (single)
Carvel (double)
If you have little experience with boat repair, reading the rest of this manual can give
you some sense of the work involved in particular projects. You will also need to make
a thorough evaluation of the boat’s structure as described in Section 2 or hire a
surveyor. Try to talk to others who have undertaken similar projects. Understanding
your own level of commitment to the project and developing a realistic plan for repair
and restoration are necessary for your project to succeed.
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