Old Town Rowboat

[twtaxi]

I've been referred here by Susan Audette, who recommends this site highly. It looks very good on first brush.

My challenge is to restore a 1942 vintage Old Town rowboat, 12' long, strip planked in white pine? or spruce? (don't have a copy of her build card yet). Anybody have suggetions for where to start? Except for the first few inches of her garboards and where the plank ends fasten to the transom, she seems tight. Her paint (probably has lead in it) is a mess, so I suspect she will have to go down to wood. How do I go about that? She's fastened with iron nails toenailed(?) into the upper edge (convex) of each plank at each rib, driving the lower plank edge (concave) snug up against the plank below it. Anybody familiar with this planking method?

Like most old boats, she has her stories if anyone is interested, and I would enjoy corresponding with anyone else who has one of these craft. She is very sweet, and completely capable in the water.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

rowboat

Hi, does it look like this? Kinda? this is a twelve foot Thompson I am working on. I have more photos if interested.

 

[Kemper]

Old Town Rowboat in need of repair

Hello,
New to this forum. Was searching for info on repairing an old town rowboat and viola! there are others out there that have one. Many of the boat places I have checked look at me like I'm nuts. Nice to know there is a group of us in the world. Mine is in fairly good shape over all but has weak spots where that transom meets the canvas. Are there solutions to this? Rot gets into the canvas and into the wood. The transom boards are also seperating. Do I patch the whole thing up and sand/varnish or am I really in it?
Love this boat dearly and my grandmother, mother, sister and myself have all found magic aboard.
I am happy to relate my experience with wood maintenance, and canvas repair to anyone interested.
Kemper