PNW - Skookum 53 Re-Fit

[billr]

Hi Brad,
Kind of wondered how the re-power was going.
Last summer I removed a large piece of hardwood from the deck, that was through bolted to the deck with the bolts being sealed with apparantly 3M5200. I was eventually, finally, able to remove the bolts by plastic flow and creep degradation to the 3M5200. I removed the wood around the bolt heads to the extent that I could get the jaws of a gear puller under the head. Then, using a mix of pieces of steel bar stock for a fixture, I'd crank up the jaws and let it sit for awhile. Then, I'd add more bars stock shims and crank up the jaws some more. On average, it took me 2 days to remove each bolt. But they did come out and I didn't damage the deck doing it.
Bill

[Jock]

There is a foundry in Port Townsend who has the mouldings for the Skookum chainplates. Let me know if you are still looking and I will introduce you to a contact person there.

[billr]

Hi Jock,
Thanks for the information on the fish hold. Do you happen to remember what the spacing was on the stringers? I assume that the 3 on either side were spaced out from the edge of the bilge. Also, was wondering whether their were one or two layers of foam on the hull between the stringers. When removed a section of "flooded" foam from the engine room bulkhead in my fish hold their were 2 layers, for a total thickness of about 5" (125 mm).
On the stingers, were the fiberglass over marine plywood? Also, for the L shape, was the short leg of the L against the hull?
When I first read your post, I read it again, several times, and then read it to my wife. I have been trying to figure out how to modify the two fish-hold bins that are closet to the engine room. I want to add a generator there, plus my spares and drill press. That area is somewhat structural already since it has an aluminum beam to support the deck where the mizzen mast is stepped. I can now visualize some significant structural additions with fiberglass, marine plywood, and structural aluminum to create a suitable structure to mount the generator etc. As an engineer I do enjoy over-building things, given a chance to do it. On the other hand, I remember some comments by Ted Mattson (Skookumchuck) about a steel troller that sank off Sitka in heavy weather. It got knocked over and stayed there. The best guess from those who knew the boat was that the bin boards broke, and the boat had a full load of fish that would have shifted to the down side.
Bill

[billr]

Hi Jock,
You had mentioned a lathe / milling machine in your last post. You had ought to look at grizzly.com. They are quite a source for metal working tools. Personally, I have had negative experiences with just about everything that comes out of China, but the local machine shop in Anacortes, Washington has a lot of praise for the Grizzly mills. After shipment from China, they get re-worked in Bellingham (one of their locations is there), and the results are apparantly pretty good.

[Jock]

Hi Bill. After I sent the post I also thought about how it will read and I think that I can explain the stringers slightly better. The insulation foam we had is the same as what you described. Two layers laminated together to get a thickness of around 5". I think that the process went as follows: Glue a section of foam to the hull so that you have a straight line running fore&aft. Then laminate the stringer into place in a Z shape. One leg against the hull and then up and over the insulation. There was no plywood in the stringer. Once I get back to Crescent in the next couple of days I will measure where these stringers were and get these back to you.

I fished commercial for about 15 years and in all that time our fleet lost at least 20 boats. More than half of those can be attributed to cargo shifts in the fish hold or the crews not moving fish out of the blast racks and into the cages. Stability is the only thing that keeps us upright. Do a search in Google for "Motor Yacht Fox, Bangkok". Sad when the numbers don't add up.

I will most probably add at least 2 ton of disposable concrete ballast once we put Crescent back in the water.
I also tend to over-engineer things but at the end of the day you have to be happy with what you built when you are being thrown around the bottom of Cape Horn or any other ugly sea. When in doubt, "Ring Frame" it.
Regards
Jock

[billr]

Jock,
The reason we haven't heard from John C. is because he passed away. I'm trying to get more details. I did a search of the internet for Seahorse, and it showed up for sale on Yachtworld. I also found that he had taken some pictures in Trinidad for an article shortly before he died. Since he was spending winters in Trinidad, he likely died about a year ago. By the way, his full name was John Camm. I went back and re-read some of the emails he had sent us. I felt a real sense of loss. As I find out more I will post it here.

[Geoduck]

Howdy Billr!
No doubt I fished around that boat, as I put in a dozen years in S.E. AK myself - 1987 -2000 on f/v Naomi, 43' troller built by Wilber Humbert in Coos Bay in 1946. I put in 30 years fishing, diving & sailing the Carib, Med & Mexico. After Alaska,
I went cowboying for 10 years but I'm back on the water again!
We searched the entire west coast for a suitable 2nd hand fiberglass rig but found nothing that suited me. I swore I wouldn't buy another wood boat but I found one I couldnt pass up. And for the money I paid for it, If I pile it up on a beach some where, so what?
I was hoping that the Sitka Skoocum 53 would get cheaper but it didn't. Too bad! It's just what I want, a full on sailing, freezer boat that I could tuna fish. Too much $$$ for me and I came to my senses and realized I don't need a JOB anymore so we'll have fun with what we've got and leave the payments behind - I'm too old and screwed up to fish hard anymore anyway!
I sold the horses and cows and bought the Eastwind - 70 year old teak ketch and we love the old girl. She should keep us happy for as long as I'm gonna live.
We are in West Sound, Orcas for the time being.
I plan on taking the kids & dogs up the inside to AK and down the outside on the way back- hang out on Vancouver Island for awhile this summer and if things work out, blow on down the coast & hang out in Cortez for awhile next winter.
Get your work done and come along!
Welcome to the outfit-
Great web site!
Adios Amigo!
Geoduck

[captain58sailin]

Hi Jock,
Just got back in from Nigeria, I would love to get the contact info. from you for those chain plates. Right now I am in the process of repowering, I want to lose the 471 and come back with an Isuzu, so my gen set and main are the same. If you know anyone looking for a good condition 471 let me know.
Once I get a handle on things a little better, I'll be back trolling S.E. AK plus the albacore fishery for a couple of years, but we are looking for a nice place in central America for our twilight years.

[billr]

Geoduck,
All teak. Wow. I worked in the Marshall Islands in the late 70's, and a group of us from there did some diving in Korror, Palau. I have vivid memories of an all teak fishing boat that at the boat yard there. It was maybe 70 feet, and everything appeared to be teak; no paint. It wasn't a new boat, but I just couldn't get over looking at all that teak.
Maybe we will cross paths in the PNW in the future.
Bill

[billr]

Brad, Jock,
Does the Rose or Crescent have a chain plate(s) on the bow? Skookum John has a centered bow roller for a ForFjord 12, which ties into the anchor trough, which is only bolted to the deck. That trough has some lightweight stainless steel welded across it to pick up the forestay. It is less than inspirational. I'm thinking about putting a chain plate on both sides of the bow.
Bill

[Jock]

Originally Posted by billr

Brad, Jock,
Does the Rose or Crescent have a chain plate(s) on the bow? Skookum John has a centered bow roller for a ForFjord 12, which ties into the anchor trough, which is only bolted to the deck. That trough has some lightweight stainless steel welded across it to pick up the forestay. It is less than inspirational. I'm thinking about putting a chain plate on both sides of the bow.
Bill

Hi Billr, we are just about done with a hectic period at sea. Looking forward to a bit of time alongside. I have incorporated a chainplate in the anchor roller setup. I will send you a photo of that in the next couple of days. It was sad to hear about John C.
Jock.

[billr]

Jock,
I just got the latest issue of Power & Motorboat magazine. It got a 6 page article on the 40m; said it was going to Thailand. Impressive.
Bill

[captain58sailin]

billr, I have a heavy bow roller set up, I have to go down to the boat in the next couple of days and I'll take some photos to pass on to you, my chain plates are all amidship and aft.

[Skookum J]

Newfound metals made the bronze Chain plates for the Skookum Boats..they have a foundry by the Jefferson County Airport..

[billr]

Hi all,
My wife and I are back in the PNW working on the Skookum John. Its still got a lot of work to get it back in the water (after 5 summers of work), but the "real job" seems to interrupt us quite a bit. The cooling system on the Gardner, plus some more work on the steering re-build is on the menu this year. Also, working on the corroded Barient winches. Dis-assembly is very sloooow. Am using a heat gun, impact screw driver (with some adapters I made), lots of PAL oil, and lots of patience. Of course, I do use the rubber hammer and calibrated use of a 3 lb hammer as necessary to complement my use of patience. But, demolishing the cap head of a machine screw does nothing for your forward progress.
BillR