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More Pictures Plywood Greavette - According to the client, this boat was built sometime in the early '60's by Greavette. Greavette did make such a boat, but this one had been modified over the years. This 14 ft. boat was planked with plywood, on steam bent oak frames.

It was hard to visualize this boat in its original condition as it had been a "cottage workhorse" for many years. The covering boards, most of the frames, and a large part of the bottom needed complete replacement. The boat was sinking. The decks were in rough shape. The windshield was missing as well.

There were no illusions here. When the client asked me to inspect the boat and give an opinion, his first response was, " Please don't tell me to burn it"! This was the conventional wisdom he'd been given so far. As he explained, the boat had been in his wife's possession since she was 16 years old. I could tell there were a lot of memories and sentimental value to this sorry looking boat. It wasn't for me to judge its value. My heart softened and I relented. In the end, this project proved a good learning experience.

These kinds of projects can be dreadful at times. It is difficult to decide the "order of work". Since there was so much damage, the hull had taken a few odd hooks from being blocked up improperly. Most of the frames had to be replaced, and the boat needed new planking to the waterline. This proved to my advantage. By removing some of the planking, I could force the keel straight and tighten up some of the slackness in the bilges. By judiciously replacing a certain portion of framing along with planking I managed to bring some order back into the bottom.

The client wasn't interested in "originality", so this offered at least some compensation in creativity! I didn't have to use original hardware, and I could "fancy" her up a bit. I built new mahogany decks with inlay and found a new windshield. I prefer to build new boats, however, projects like this provide a great opportunity to discover what works over time. It is a ways to learn how to improve my work by learning from the mistakes made by my predecessors! When a client isn't concerned about having an original "museum piece", it allows me to use superior materials and methods that are available today. I like to leave a boat like this, "better than new". Sometimes I succeed.

This boat was the proverbial "silk purse from the sow's ear". I was quite proud of the final results. I was so pleased with the result, that I decided to build a special steering wheel to finish up the project. I appreciate those customers who value their boats for the pleasure they give as opposed to what the boat might value on the market. When asked, I can do museum quality restoration, but when called on, I prefer to see a boat on the water, in sound, better than new condition!