Classic wooden speedboat build , sink, search for, recovery and rebuild.

Mick Tator

I’ve just caught up with this thread. Hard to believe Fergal that you brought the engine back to that condition. (I was hooked when I saw what you’d done to the head/rocker gear.  Looking at the cylinder linings, rings, etc., I thought “That’s going to need a sleeve/rebore, but maybe it’s done for!”. It was a great achievement to bring it back to that level. Has there been any drop in compression?

fergal.b

All good running between 150-160 psi 🙂

fergal.b

Getting there, top all done with a rough sanding 80 grit.

I thought I might get away with removing the fiberglass but there was too many dull spots that were hard to get out without hitting the cloth turning it white, coming off easily enough with a heat gun and scraper.

Like pealing an orange there is a certain satisfaction getting the skin off in one go 😊

I built a frame to lift the boat and flip it over.

New Home

@fergal.b , you mightn't have noticed, but there are some FB links at the bottom of your post.

Also, when I read "I built a frame to lift the boat and flip it over.", the first thing I thought was, "Of course he did!". I think I'm running out of adjectives to comment on your work...

fergal.b

😄 cheers sorted now 👍 and just a picture showing the moisture coming out of the planking once the epoxy is removed.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120649255#Comment_120649255

That's exactly, word for word, what I thought as well!! 🤣

fergal.b

The big flip 😁 I made a wheel to fit the bow and using a pulley wheel at both ends I was able to rotate her.

Sanding done top and sides.

New Home

"I made a wheel to fit the bow"

Why, of course you did.

Bogwoppit

A trophy stack of sanding discs

fergal.b

Well that could explain why she went down so fast. 😮

I cut it back to halfway on the nearest frames.

Using the cutout as a template I fitted some 12mm marine ply.

And coated it in fibreglass cloth.

Back to sanding now 🙄

quietsailor

I logged in for the first time in a long time to post some current pictures of the Naomh Eanna and somehow saw this thread was active as I searched for the Naomh Eanna thread. What brilliant news for ye Fergal, congratulations; I think this proves karma exists as you definitely deserve good karma.

Hotblack Desiato

Does that hole in the bottom mean the boat hit something? What could that be?

fergal.b

So here is how I think it all went down 😉 I'm sure most of you have been in a butt clenching moment when hitting a big wave in your V bottom boats that cut into the wave as it comes back down well imagine doing that in a flat bottom boat 😬 adding to that most of you will have your engine on the transom where I have nearly a ton of engine coming down to a compete stop putting so much force on the motor stringer that it broke some frames this in turn forced down a joint in the plywood and this like putting your hand out a car window and turning it sideways was ripped off by the moving water, at the time I thought it was just the wave that swamped the boat but now I feel that I was just sitting so low that the wave just came over me.

fergal.b

First sealer coats on, a few war wounds showing through but that's OK. Big thanks to WEST SYSTEM Epoxy and Wallerwickham.ie for supplying the epoxy kit and fiberglass cloth.

fergal.b

A little story done on her by epoxycraft 😊

https://epoxycraft.com/news/8-years-beneath-the-waves/?fbclid=IwAR3VhlkP73_ea079SHVZouFcB9FB3ZJlA-SSQztmwHDOmXT9BODeXGtXddI

fergal.b

Finally a bit of dry weather

I got the fiberglass cloth on and 3 coats of epoxy on top of that then 3 coats of Epifanes PP I will leave the varnish till it's flipped back up. Just a few more coats to do on her bottom and the water line.

eljono

This thread is genuinely one of the best things I've ever happened across on the internet. Fair play Fergal, your enthusiasm, persistence and spirit are inspiring.

biketard

Hey Fergal, apologies if you've covered this already, but are you putting something in place to ensure that the same damage would be less likely to occur if you happened to hit the same conditions in the future? (I realise there's a bit of guessing as to what actually caused the damage.)

fergal.b

I will be reinforcing the frames and maybe adding a few more might even put a tractor tube in the bow 😉 there is not much you can do with the weight of a V8 slapping down on a wave its a huge amount of force, I have also gained alot more respect for lough Ree over the past 8 years and have a much better idea of how quickly things can change. Live and learn "every day is an Old's Cool day"

New Home

Hi Fergal, any news? I'm sure you've better stuff to do in real life than keeping us updated (seriously), but it doesn't stop me from being curious.

fergal.b

Thanks and sorry for the slow updates, it turns out that after suffering years of abuse my wrists and fingers have given up on me and awarded me with rheumatoid arthritis, I was getting injections into the joints and that eased things for a bit but it flared back up again, I have just started injecting myself each week so hopefully this will help.

Im still doing a few bits and finding reminders.

The steering cable was a real pig to get out.

My workshop is getting a little cramped.

I had a very hard time getting the roll & pleated fabric for the seats I could find it alright but getting it posted to Ireland was a nightmare , just got it this week, removing the old staples was a very painful job for me but got there in the end. I will keep on going as long as I can but it will be at a very slow pace but then again I have no time limit.

New Home

Sorry to hear that, Fergal, you needed this like a hole in the head... I know it's a very painful condition.

Fair play on the work you've been able to do despite it.

Also, the word you're looking for isn't "cramped", it's either "cosy" or "bijou".

fergal.b

Still potting away slowly but surely, the back of the seat was the only part of the boat that didn't come back its still floating around the Ree. The fabric was hard enough to find I had to get it from the USA in the end paying more for the postage than the fabric 🙄 also made a new panel for the starter switch.

New Home

That. Is. SO. COOL!!!

Daibheid

Nice work on the seats, bad luck on the RA - I can empathize. I can empathize further as I've also been redoing my seats because they all rotted after a full reupholster job only five years ago. I made new backs and gave them to the professional marine upholsterer. Risking a telling off but knowing the long term consequences I asked him to confirm he was using Stainless Steel staples as it's an open sea-going boat. He assured me he was.

But he only used galvanized. They duly rotted and allowed water in to rot the seat backs. So I've been picking even more staples out than you! Bugs the snot out of me that a so-called professional either doesn't know the difference between SS and Galvanized or just doesn't care. This is a roundabout way of saying I hope you used SS!

I'm sure there's a lot of very willing help on here just for asking if you need a hand a for a few hours with some of these jobs that have become more difficult, but you really seem to have all the hard work behind you now so I hope Spring will mean the deep rumble will be reverberating across open water again!

fergal.b

Yep I used stainless steel ones😉

funkey_monkey

@fergal.b - have you a blog or a write up on this anywhere other than here that I could share?

fergal.b

This is the only place with the full story from start to finish besides my Facebook page, these are the diehard 🧑‍🎄😉 followers that have been through it all with me and kept me going through all the up's and downs, you won't find that kind of support anywhere else, they are all part of the story just as much as I or the boat am so if you want to share the story this is it here.

If you Google search " Old's Cool crackerbox " it should bring up everywhere its been posted about , there are quite a few 😁 photobucket messed up alot of my photos over the years 🙄

fergal.b

A little presents for my girl to help steer her in the right direction 😁 have a great Christmas scallywags.

Kintarō Hattori

I had been following this thread but had forgotten all about it. Delighted to see that you found it and are working away on her.