Chris Craft Wood Boats

whats that stuff on my boat?

Okay, so i have a 1965 chris-craft constellation that is 30 ft. long, 12 feet tall, and 11.5 ft. wide, and its not in the best shape and all around the boat there is this white plastic stuff that is beginning to peel off. its stapled onto the the wood underneath where you cant see. i want to replace it but i dont know what it is, all i know is its a from of sealant..also does anyone know about how much it would cost to fiberglass over the wooden hull on this puppy? 12 Pts Best answer!!!

Mate we need photo's.

Canvas was used extensively as a surface - it is glued, stapled and painted. It is still a good, cheap and very effective way of finishing a boat's top-sides. It requires a little skill, but not too much, and gives a surface that can last decades with just regular painting. The red-lead paint is no longer an option as a rot proofer, but there are modern alternative treatments for the timber beneath.

In the first place you have to do a full examination of the timber structure and repair any soft or damaged sections. Get a copy of the Gougeon Brothers on ship construction, and their wooden boat repair manual(s) and that will describe the process.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/restoring-the-gaff-rigged-sloop-reeb/

You must use good protective equipment at all times - nitrile gloves, safety glasses or goggles, coveralls, breathing protection etc. at all stages - you don't know what is in the rubbish you sand off, and all synthetic finishes are toxic, some very much. Any vessel (anything painted really) that is before 1975 will have lead paint used extensively - don't think it's harmless - and don't forget your EPA obligations regarding capture and disposal of hazardous substances.

You will spend a lot of money for little return if you try and use cheap polyester resins and attempt a 'cheap' repair or glass-over job. Done right a classic Chris-Craft restoration will produce a very valuable jewel - but you are looking at a big investment to get it right, don't have any illusions about that, it's gonna cost. The timber alone will frighten you with costs for genuine old growth Honduras Mahogany suitable for that class of repair approaching $20,000 a cubic metre in some cases. (If you can get it cheaper buy it - it will be $100,000 m3 in a decade or two at current appreciation. Unless you want to plant some in Honduras and wait a couple of centuries.)

If you can't do it then offer it to enthusiasts such as Wooden Boat magazine readers etc.

Antique and Classic wood boats on Lake Hopatcong, NJ