First restoration, 1950?s Old Town Rowboat

[spason]

Hi all, I have been reading everything I can on here, and I have the Stelmok/Thurlow book, I am just left with a few questions before I start doing anything drastic. I also, being a fiberglass guy, have really been fighting the urge to just glass the bottom of this boat, but all of your advice and vehemence against this has swayed me. So....

Sorry, not really adept at adding photos and formatting on here, so I will ask in no particular order:

Are these gaps too big between the planks? I haven't added ANY sort of treatment that will probably soak them up a bit, but these seem big to me. I know the canvas and filler etc will be the actual part that makes the boat float, but I don't want to spend a lot of time on something that is destined to fail. Also, not ready at this point to replank the whole boat if that's what it needs.

Is this a normal transom configuration? Most of the information is about canoes, and not too much is written about these boats that I can find. I can't tell if this is an ill-informed attempt at repair or how it actually should be.

Can't find any serial numbers or anything, but I'm not sure I'm looking in the right places...but I have been pretty thoroughly through this boat, checking it out.

And, final question for now: How would your proceed?

Thanks so much, this is an incredible resource and has definitely changed the fate of this fine yacht.

-Jason






View attachment 30841

 

[Dave Osborn]

Not much you can do about planking gaps. Most of us would leave them. Filling them with something would be futile and ugly. The best way to eliminate them is to re-plank. I say (and do) leave them as is.
Looks like your transom has many screws with nuts on them. That's not typical. Never seen that on any OT row boats...got two in the shop now.....
Also looks like total replacement of the transom is in order, as is replacement of the inwales. Or at least new wood scarfed in the inwales near the transom.
My plan would be...
Strip the old varnish
Make wood repairs
Sand all
Stain new wood to match old
Varnish all...4 coats min.
Canvas, fill, paint.

 

[spason]

So, what is the proper way to replace the transom? Would it be easy for you to snap a couple shots of the ones in your shop? Also, it's a ways off, but when it comes time for canvas, I'm not clear on how to do the transom. A canoe seems straightforward enough, but I can't figure how to do a boat. Does the transom stay uncanvassed?

Also, I fear even saying the words on this forum, since this is not a restoration, I just want to use this boat to go fishing, might it be all right to use a little epoxy on the ends of a rib if it is just split a little bit? Aside from it's ugliness, would there be any potential problems down the road? It seems like quite a process to scarf in a new piece for just a small crack on the top of the rib.

Thanks!