Rebuilding the second time around begins

[nedL]

As a reminder for some, I've had this old Jersey Speed Skiff since 1977 when she was given to me as a total basket case (an empty hull with maple trees sprouting in the bilge). Restored her & used her for a number of years. Life turned a corner & I had to put her in storage for 15+ years, brought her home this spring & am starting on a 2nd rebuild.
I don't imagine it is too often that any of us have the ability to go back & look at our work 25 years later (especially after a 15 year absence) When I pulled Bits'N'Pieces home this spring I was really not looking forward to the work ahead. Now I'm not saying it is at all fun but I am really kind of pleasantly supprised on the job I did putting her back together 25 years ago. I have actually been able to just carefully disassemble things by unscrewing them. There has not been a single plug I've had to pull out of a varnished surface yet. So far I have removed all the floorboards, the ceiling, forward bulkhead, & stern seat. Over the long weekend I hope to pull her engine & start on the removal of her two 14' stringers. Then I can get to the meat of the required work - a bunch of new ribs & some new planking. Then I can start putting the old girl back together again.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid20/p89ee2e3263a85d23da55870abc6db9a3/fdc05ec1.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid20/pc5d4772638bcdd90a11512bdee6c4f58/fdc05ef5.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid24/p27ae258a40ef018323d6b8ba63973aa5/fd96a82d.jpg http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid24/p6bb3fc020ec97cc5e423a77bc4049348/fd96a853.jpg
Some "after the first rebuild" & current pics.
Lots of pics. here.
web page (http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291893733)

[Pelican]

Love the name!! Got a friend that has restored probably two dozen wooden boats. His theory is, "It is like sleeping with snagle toothed ugly smelly women - you only do it if you love 'em" :D
Please post some pix's along to keep us updated.
Pel

[nedL]

Thanks Pelican. The name has some relative meaning for her. Jersey Speed Skiffs are an actual APBA raceboat class & toward the end of the true racing wooden skiffs (1960's)they were almost considered disposable boats on the racing scene. A new hull would last only a year or two before it literally fell apart, sometimes on the race course, where it might 'porpose'up in the air & come down only to land in 'bits and pieces'.
Also I rebuilt my skiff out of bits and pieces of other stuff. Sister ribs were cut out of oak from a number of places including our wood pile for the fireplace, the breasthook & knees are English Oak from a tree in our front yard that was hit & killed by lightning, the foredeck & toerail were the salvaged foredeck planking & toerail off a (beyond restoration)Garwood speedboat, the afterdeck is from salvaged hull planking off that same Garwood speedboat, the frodeck coaming was a piece of mahogany driftwood I found floating in the river, the floorboards & all the interior mahogany are from a 23' Luhrs inboard skiff that I bought for the engine (I disassembled the entire boar screw by screw & rivet by rivet), the seat back was cut right out of the middle of the Luhrs transom, I used the bronze screws over again on my speed skiff. I used to go scrounging all the local boatyards for hardware - the fuel tank was the water tank off a 30'skiff that had a fire.
So I kind of thought the name "Bits'N'Pieces" was appropriate.

[Cecil Nickerson]

A wonderful story Ned, how could you not love this boat and treat her with the care and reverance she deserves. I'm glad to be able to be a member of this forum some days.

Best…
Cecil