Friday, May 31, 2013
Raising the boat
Sorry for the bad lighting. It was getting late and I knew I had to get the boat off the trailer and tarped before some bad weather moved in. The boat was mostly dry and I want to keep it that way from here on out.
Here you can see that I used recovery tow straps attached to a chain hoist on each gantry. It was quite easy to lift the boat off the trailer. Even at 10' tall, the gantry was nearly not tall enough. The fin keel didn't clear the very back end of the trailer. I ended up having to slide the trailer sideways before pulling it out. It made me think about how am I going to get the boat on/off the trailer at launch sites. As it currently sits I would need to have a boat hoist at the docks to load and unload the boat. I want to have the ability to launch the boat anywhere I travel. I am now talking to some welding shops about altering the back of the trailer so the boat will easily launch off the trailer without getting hung up on the keel.
There are a few more pics I will post showing how I got it on the ground.
Here you can see that I used recovery tow straps attached to a chain hoist on each gantry. It was quite easy to lift the boat off the trailer. Even at 10' tall, the gantry was nearly not tall enough. The fin keel didn't clear the very back end of the trailer. I ended up having to slide the trailer sideways before pulling it out. It made me think about how am I going to get the boat on/off the trailer at launch sites. As it currently sits I would need to have a boat hoist at the docks to load and unload the boat. I want to have the ability to launch the boat anywhere I travel. I am now talking to some welding shops about altering the back of the trailer so the boat will easily launch off the trailer without getting hung up on the keel.
There are a few more pics I will post showing how I got it on the ground.
Gantries
I knew the first thing I had to do was get the boat off the trailer and flip it upside down. My thought was to start from the bottom up in the restoration. I wanted to get the fiberglass off as fast as possible to see how bad is the wood underneath.
It took several weeks to wrap my head around how to build a movable crane of some kind that could handle the weight, but yet be able to move it around. I came up with a gantry crane.
The gantry is built with ten foot long 4x4s. The beam across the top are two 2x8s that are glued together with an industrial polyurethane glue (not the crap you get at Lowes or Home Depot.) All of the braces are 2x4 at least 4' long. I used 3/8" through bolts on everything. I wanted to build this so if I really wanted to I could pick up the boat with just one gantry and not worry about anything. All of the wood is treated, so hopefully it will last for decades. It is my hope ever Fall to slip the boat upside down for the winter to keep the snow and ice out of the cockpit and protect the deck from UV.
I raised the heavy gantries by attaching a chain hoist to the basketball hoop metal brackets. My wife used the chain hoist while I guided the gantries once they reached their tipping point on the way up. It was quite easy with the two of us. Those chain hoists have a huge mechanical advantage.
Lumber, hardware, and chain hoist about $450.
total investment so far $600.
It took several weeks to wrap my head around how to build a movable crane of some kind that could handle the weight, but yet be able to move it around. I came up with a gantry crane.
The gantry is built with ten foot long 4x4s. The beam across the top are two 2x8s that are glued together with an industrial polyurethane glue (not the crap you get at Lowes or Home Depot.) All of the braces are 2x4 at least 4' long. I used 3/8" through bolts on everything. I wanted to build this so if I really wanted to I could pick up the boat with just one gantry and not worry about anything. All of the wood is treated, so hopefully it will last for decades. It is my hope ever Fall to slip the boat upside down for the winter to keep the snow and ice out of the cockpit and protect the deck from UV.
I raised the heavy gantries by attaching a chain hoist to the basketball hoop metal brackets. My wife used the chain hoist while I guided the gantries once they reached their tipping point on the way up. It was quite easy with the two of us. Those chain hoists have a huge mechanical advantage.
Lumber, hardware, and chain hoist about $450.
total investment so far $600.
Overwhelmed Spring 2013
The snow melted and the weather started to warm up. I walked past the boat countless times trying to grasp the size of the project wondering where I would begin. I hadn't a clue. I didn't know the first thing about fiberglass and understand watching a few videos on You Tube does not make one an expert.
I started making phone calls to local people who might know something about repairing boats. Most of them didn't even bother to return my phone calls. Some of them did refer me to others. In the end I only had two experts take a look at the boat.
The first guy took a lot of time to explain things and describe everything that would need to happen in order to restore the boat. In the end, he told me he wasn't interested due to the amount of work required. The value of the boat would be less than the amount of time and resources required for restoration.
The second guy flat out told me he wasn't interested after taking less than 3 seconds of looking at the boat. I was discouraged! LOL
The International 110 has quite a few followers. It's a cool boat with a cool history. I had to decide whether I was going to give the boat away or do the restoration myself. If you are reading this blog, I think you know my decision. =)
I started making phone calls to local people who might know something about repairing boats. Most of them didn't even bother to return my phone calls. Some of them did refer me to others. In the end I only had two experts take a look at the boat.
The first guy took a lot of time to explain things and describe everything that would need to happen in order to restore the boat. In the end, he told me he wasn't interested due to the amount of work required. The value of the boat would be less than the amount of time and resources required for restoration.
The second guy flat out told me he wasn't interested after taking less than 3 seconds of looking at the boat. I was discouraged! LOL
The International 110 has quite a few followers. It's a cool boat with a cool history. I had to decide whether I was going to give the boat away or do the restoration myself. If you are reading this blog, I think you know my decision. =)
Beginning of 2013
When I got the boat home it was cleaned of trash and the thousands of leaves that collected inside (most from my maple tree). The wood was closely inspected and showed little deterioration. My initial assessment is that the boat isn't that bad off aside from the fiberglass falling off. I hoped to get the keel off the boat so I could easily flip it upside down for the winter. This didn't happen. I still can't figure out how the keel is bolted on to the bottom of the boat.
I began my research on the International 110 Sailboat. It was designed by a famous boat builder, C. Raymond Hunt, as a one-design single hull racing boat. When people ask me what it looks like I like to tell them it's a giant kayak with a 300 pound steel fin keel under it. The main and jib have about 150 sq ft and the spinnaker is an additional 100 sq ft. That's a lot of sail for a 900 pound boat. I can't wait to get it in the water later this summer.
Even though the boat looked like it was in bad shape, I felt this was a project worth doing.
I began my research on the International 110 Sailboat. It was designed by a famous boat builder, C. Raymond Hunt, as a one-design single hull racing boat. When people ask me what it looks like I like to tell them it's a giant kayak with a 300 pound steel fin keel under it. The main and jib have about 150 sq ft and the spinnaker is an additional 100 sq ft. That's a lot of sail for a 900 pound boat. I can't wait to get it in the water later this summer.
Even though the boat looked like it was in bad shape, I felt this was a project worth doing.
Delamination of fiberglass
Here is some of the worst damage. The fiberglass is delaminating in large sheets from the bottom of the boat. The exposed plywood is in good shape.
First few pictures
This is the boat I got for free. She's missing a rudder, sails, top deck is falling in, and the fiberglass is delaminating in several places. Initial inspection shows the wood to be in good shape. There's still hope.
Introduction to the restoration of my International 110 Sailboat
It is my intention to update this blog as often as I am able. Don't expect the blog to be spelled correctly or grammatically correct. Some updates will come after I'm tired from working. :)
In the Fall of 2012 I was given a free International 110 Sailboat, however I had to pay for the trailer. Owning a sailboat has been a dream for a long time. I didn't know where to start. Everything happens for a reason.
I am a novice sailor. I've been out a few times on a friends boat. He showed me a few basic things to help me gain confidence. It was more like, "hey! grab that line and pull it." I think I know enough now to get myself into a lot of trouble if I try to sail on my own. When this boat is finished, I'll be sure to take along an experienced sailor on the first few voyages.
I have a nice wood shop with some great tools. With over fifteen years of woodworking experience I feel I should have little problem to repair and replace any wood that might be in bad shape.
I have no experience with fiberglass. I've been reading and watching YouTube videos trying to learn as much as I can about it. I also have a few people trying to give me advice. I'm sure I'll catch on pretty quick once I start working at it. One thing good I have going for me is that I've used 2 part epoxies in the past.
I plan to also keep a running tally of my expenses in the blog both for myself and for others to see how I progress through the process.
I may not be doing this the cheapest or easiest way possible. I am doing it the best way I know.
If you have any links or information about the International 110 or about fiberglass boat restoration, please feel free to contact me.
Current costs involved with boat restoration:
Trailer $150
In the Fall of 2012 I was given a free International 110 Sailboat, however I had to pay for the trailer. Owning a sailboat has been a dream for a long time. I didn't know where to start. Everything happens for a reason.
I am a novice sailor. I've been out a few times on a friends boat. He showed me a few basic things to help me gain confidence. It was more like, "hey! grab that line and pull it." I think I know enough now to get myself into a lot of trouble if I try to sail on my own. When this boat is finished, I'll be sure to take along an experienced sailor on the first few voyages.
I have a nice wood shop with some great tools. With over fifteen years of woodworking experience I feel I should have little problem to repair and replace any wood that might be in bad shape.
I have no experience with fiberglass. I've been reading and watching YouTube videos trying to learn as much as I can about it. I also have a few people trying to give me advice. I'm sure I'll catch on pretty quick once I start working at it. One thing good I have going for me is that I've used 2 part epoxies in the past.
I plan to also keep a running tally of my expenses in the blog both for myself and for others to see how I progress through the process.
I may not be doing this the cheapest or easiest way possible. I am doing it the best way I know.
If you have any links or information about the International 110 or about fiberglass boat restoration, please feel free to contact me.
Current costs involved with boat restoration:
Trailer $150
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