Greetings and ask for advice

[orriginal]

Hello, name is Ray and I’m new to the forum and the world of wooden boats. I live in Eugene OR where I am an experienced raft guide and angler on the local rivers.
I have an opportunity to haul away a drift boat that is experiencing some rot issues. There is no up front cost and it would be my first drift boat and my first boat that doesn’t need to be inflated. Lol.

I have a friend who is a skilled woodworker and is willing to help. 3F7BB658-6E9A-4D05-AA08-DC54E9EEABDD.jpg940C73A2-E063-42FF-B7C5-168D5BBED1F1.jpgI did a quick search on the forum and as you know the results can be a bit overwhelming for a beginner. I guess one of my asks is if this is a worthwhile endeavor or if im just asking for frustration and disappointment. My other ask is if there is a “go to” thread that addresses the repair that needs to happen on this boat. It’s a beauty other than this section and it almost hurts me to see it parked uncovered and unused. Help if you can and be nice if I’ve broken any rules, spoken or unspoken on this forum. Thank you. DD67E7F9-3755-48D1-AA3C-AB31D525FF60.jpg

[Gordon Bartlett]

Search the forum for threads on "scarfing".
Basically you will cut out ALL the rotted wood, plus a little extra to be sure you got it all.
Then you scarf in new wood, replacing like with like.
Done properly, scarfing produces a result that is virtually equal to the original structure.
It works well on both plywood and dimensional lumber.
Once you put your mind to it, your repair should be pretty straightforward.
Thickened epoxy seems to be widely regarded as the adhesive of choice for scarfing nowadays.
Best advice is to approach the repair wholeheartedly, no half measures. Do it right and do it once.

[Garret]

Not only have you not broken any rules - your thread is precisely what the forum is for - though some might say it's for the Bilge where we can argue politics...

Welcome & I hope you get more good advice - as what Mr. Bartlett said pretty well covers the basic concept.

[David G]

I'd only reinforce the notion that you need to cut out beyond where you think the rot is. Typically, rot infects a good way into what looks, feels, and sounds like solid wood. Esp. true of plywood.

And - being in the NW - if you haven't heard of our little boating group, I'll invite you to come to one of our events and show off your work when it's done. Or to get advice at the start.

http://www.coots.org/

[Hugh MacD]

Great looking little boat and well worth the effort. The beauty of wood is that it's replaceable. As said, look up scarphing (lots here on the forum) and keep in mind that it's easier to replace big pieces than little ones. And please ​share your efforts with us...we're a photo hungry bunch

[stromborg]

That is a fine looking project.

"Uncovered and used" for how long? The collected rain and snowmelt is your enemy here, is there a clear internal waterline showing how high the boat has been filling up? Anything at or below the line is under suspicion though not convicted. You'll want to poke it all over with a good awl to see where any punky spots might be hiding under the paint. Check the frames too.

Once you have an idea of where any bad areas are, make templates of the existing shape before cutting them out so you have a reference to shape the replacements. I'd lean towards replacing bigger sections as opposed to trying to patch little rot pockets, as David G said the spores can travel pretty far.

[TerryLL]

If the boat is otherwise sound, it is definitely worth the effort to repair that rotted area. With luck, the frames are still in good shape and only sections of the side and bottom panels, and a length of the chine log will need replacing.

Scarfing new plywood sections will be a bit tricky, but you can get by with butt joints that are backed up on the inside with blocking strips that cover the seam.

[RCole]

Thank you so much. This is the OP. I had a hard time with my username and password so created a new one (which probably IS breaking some forum rules). Admin, feel free to merge my two accounts or delete one if need be.
I appreciate the input. I love forums like these for this reason. I look forward to sharing my progress and future questions and roadblocks with you all.

[Woxbox]

Good luck with the project and the boat. There's nothing really hard to repair there.

[heimlaga]

It look like wood. If an item is made from wood and more than three quarters of it is sound it can usually be repaired. Go for it!

However go over the boat with an awl first to find out if there is more rot elsewhere.

[johngsandusky]

Most of us taught ourselves to build and repair boats, you can too. Be patient, do the best you can with what's available, enjoy the boat. Keep us posted.

[BC Bill]

Check out the Wooden Boat People forum
For wooden drift boats
they have, or used to have, a get together up the Mackenzie, in April
Bill