Skimmar 12' restoration in progress

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

I've started restoration on a "SKIMMAR", a 12' sloop made in Ct., probably in the 1970's.

I'm unable to access the centerboard pin since no bolt or nut is visible in the cockpit. It's a double hulled boat.
Possible options:
1. Try to locate the location of the pin from below, then cut access ports, one on either side, to replace the bolt. If the hull is double at the trunk, I'd need to install 2 ports on either side to make the trunk water tight.
2. Cut off the top of the trunk to "take a look" and later replace it with a wooden cap. This will give me a look at the board and may allow me to bang the board loose but won't provide direct access to the pin.
3. Cut the whole centerboard trunk off at the bottom of the trunk...fix the problem... then figure out how to re-attach the trunk. I'm not thrilled with this thought.
What do you think?

I also have questions about the sailing characteristics of the boat and the bench seat measurements (Should I follow the hull contour on the side of the seat closest to the center line, or run the seat in a straight line from the rear support to the forward support?). If I follow the contour there will be only an 8" bench, which may be too narrow to be comfortable.

I've sailed many small boats and restored a few, but have never seen a "SKIMMAR" until I found this one. I'll be glad to call you if you'll provide a phone # in your reply.
Thanks,
Andre

 

[melliott0352]

Pictures? Spent most of my life in Ct and never heard of this boat. Not that that means anything. Lots I havent heard of!

 

[Ted]

The centerboard pin has to be accessible somewhere. If it weren't how would it have been installed when it was built. Keep looking. There has to be a way to remove the centerboard without taking the trunk apart.

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

I received the following direct reply from a former Skimmar owner which has cleared up the mystery:

."I had the same issue with the centerboard. I had to cut out or drill 2-3"
holes on either side of the centerboard console to get to the bolt.

It was one single piece of rust! I had to drill it out to remove it and the
centerboard. I replaced the bolt with a stainless steel and sealed the
holes with waterproof caulk and used a piece of the cut-out from the
procedure described below.

I had to also drill 4" access holes to access the chainplate area where the
shrouds attach. The wood was soft and rotten so I installed a stainless
steel plate below the gunwale to attach the chainplate. Marine stores sell
the 4" access plates to close off these holes, but allow access in the
future."

Thanks, Andre

 

[LloydB]

Thanks for your report. I'm looking forward to following your progress on this thread. Lloyd

 

[rgranger]

I like the scupper that surrounds the cockpit. Nice look.

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

There's a builder's plate on the inside of the transom which states the builder was
Aero Nautical Inc.Greenwich Ct. I'll take photos as I proceed with the restoration. I have the seats built but rather than follow the contour of the hull I made the inside edge a straight line from the rear support flotation tanks to the forward supports. This may cramp our feet a bit but will give us more room for our bottoms. If this modification doesn't work out during sea trials I'll cut the seats back.
Andre (Tony)

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Speaking of price.....Marine Tex is a "KILLER".
Repairs to the SKIMMAR are proceeding well due to the great weather we've had lately. I repaired the deck, prepared the inside of the hull for paint and straightened the rub rail so I can re-attach it later. I'll take more photos as we move forward. I have the seats ready to finish and install but I'll wait until the interior is painted. I found a set of mahagany floorboards in the garage which will fit nicely with some slight modification. This boat will be a honey when it's done, hopefully by Memorial Day.
Regards,
Andre (Tony)

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

I stopped at Long Island's newest Marine Consignment Shop today.
( www.CastAwaysLI.com ) The store is near Long Island's Islip MacArthur Airport.
The store opened recently and is very well organized. Bill, the owner, is knowledgable about all things marine. New (used) merchandise arrives daily. I was able to find items I needed for my Skimmar restoration. Bill told me he'll soon receive all items from a local marina which is due to close down. He already has a good inventory and is working to add the new iinventory to his web listings.
Andre (Tony)

 

[JesseS]

Tony, I just found a Skimmar 12 for sale in the Boston area. Doing some online research and found your thread. The boat I'm looking at has been stored in a garage since 1973 and used only 8 times. Haven't seen it in person yet, but owner says its in good shape. What issues should I look for when I go see it in person? What types of repairs might I need to do?

Thanks,
Jesse

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

"issues" with 12' Skimmar

Jesse,
You're lucky to find one that is only slightly used. The one I'm restoriNg had some hard use, ****The mast was bent, but I was able to straighten it with a car jack and fence pipe.
The centerboard is slightly bent. I'll tackle that problem in about two weeks when I turn the boat over to refinish the hull.
****The trailer "eye" on the stem was missing so I had to cut a hole in the bulkhead and tear out some foam flotation in order to get to that area to make the repair and install a new "eye".
**** The rub rail was hit on both sides causing damage to both sides of the rub rail and deck. I removed a section of rub rail on each side to make deck repairs and have somewhat straightened the aluminum extrusion. I plan to replace the plastic insert with a synthetic three strand rope that looks like hemp.
**** The vee-shaped mount for the rudder was rotted so I removed it and made a new piece to install on the transom.
**** A problem with the boat is there is no way to get at the any of the deck fittings without cutting a hole in the hull. That is true for the centerboard bolt as well. It is not accessible from inside the boat. If the caulking at the centerboard bolt is shot there's no way to address the problem without cutting access holes on each side of the hull. If there's a leak there water will saturate the foam between the hulls. I won't know if the hull will take on water untill I try a test sail.
**** The junction of the hull and centerboard trunk was repaired prviously but apparently the repair has failed so I cleaned out the old repair and reinforced that area with fiberglass "mat" and "roving". As a precaution, I also ran a 4" strip of mat a the junction of the trunk and bottom on both sides of the trunk.
Jesse... I was missing the rudder when I found the boat. Can you please take some measurements and let me know the size of the rudder and especially let me know the depth of the rudder below the hull.
Thanks,
Andre (Tony)

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Skimmar Restoration photos

Photo # 53 shows floor boards from an old boat prior to re-fitting them to Skimmar's bilge. I don't know if the original boat had floorboards but this one will have them.

Remaining photos show the interior with re-fitted and sanded floorboards in place. They're mahogany and will finish nicely. Seats and centerboard cap are "poplar" from Home Depot.

The deck has been repaired on both sides amidships. The boat must have been mishandled by squeezing it too tight on a lifting bridle, or it was hit on both sides.:cussing: This not only damaged the deck but bent the rub rail and disconnected the deck from the topsides on both sides. After repairing the decks I was able to pull the topsides back to the deck lip so the sheer line now looks O.K. The rub rail took some "body work" to bang it back into shape before it was re-installed. I had to cut out 4' of rail on each side, perform the repairs, then reinstall the rails. I'll use synthetic rope (manila colored) to replace the vinyl rub strip insert that was totally dried out .

Tomorrow I'll apply a clear coat of epoxy to the deck to fill the weave. I'll then be ready to turn the boat over to prepare the topsides and bottom for paint. The entire hull will be white with a 3" feature stripe in dark brown at the rub rail. The interior and deck will be a buff or sand color (instructions from my boat decorating dept.)

I'm trying to locate bronze fittings for the deck to replace the crummy aluminum & chrome fittings that were on the boat. I'll need two bullet blocks and shackles for the sheets, and two twist shackles for the traveler. If I can locate either deck mount or hull mount chain plates I'll install them , but I may need to install access ports to do that job. Fortunately, my buddy Joe, who has been providing great technical advice during the restoration process, had given me a stem fitting and a bow chock which I'll install when I rig the boat.

The mast may have been run over by a car, and was badly bent.:cry:
I was able to straighten it by tying it to two fence top rails and using a car jack to bend it back to straight.

I should be able to paint next week and rig it the following week, so by mid to late April the boat will be ready to sail.

I still have to check out the centerboard pin. I don't know if I'm facing a potential leaking problem there since I can't access the pin without breeching the centerboard trunk on both sides at the level of the pin. I'll no doubt install 4" access ports, one on each side, so I can replace and re-set the pin in caulk. This will provide access later in case of a
problem. It was a poor design decision not to allow access to the pin inside the boat (double hulled). There's foam flotation between the hulls.




Regards,
Andre

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

I applied epoxy to the deck today and cut two 4" access holes in the trunk to check on the centerboard pin. Both ends of the pin are encapsulated in a tar- like substance which appears to be in good shape.I'll apply 5200 for "insurance".
There is a leak between the two hulls at the forward end of the trunk. I noticed it when I found water on my garage floor after I washed the boat outside then moved it into the garage with water in the bilge. The water leaked into the space between the hulls then leaked out at the forward end of the trunk. I fiberglass reinforced the bilge area where the leak originated and will fiberglass reinforce the area between the hulls and on the exterior of the hull now that I have access. I'll post photos on a later update.
Andre (Tony)

 

[Ray Bowles]

Tony, Be careful using that 5200 as it is a forever product. You will have to break the material on either side of the 5200 before the 5200 will seperate. You might already know this but if not you now have a choice.
The boat looks like a lot of fun and it should be a lot drier to sail than a Omega I sail with the grandkids.
Good luck, Ray

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Ray, Thanks.... Instead of the 5200 I used a rubberized product (you've no doubt seen it advertized on TV) which is sold to waterproof gutters and repair leaks on roofs. I'm also using it to make the interior of the trunk leak-proof at the interior junction of the trunk and hull, where I've isolated a leak. The two 4" access ports made this repair possible and give me access to the centerboard pin for the future .
As for sailing characteristics.... Although the total height of the hull is 28" the beam is only 56" which makes me think it will be tricky to sail it and stay dry.
Regards,
Tony

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Skimmar 12' - Restoration Progress this week

This week I applied 5 coats of Ace Hardware's Spar Varnish to the floorboards and seats. Another coat or two should complete the project.
The bottom is ready for painting----- I'll do more "faring", then apply "Interlux Pre-Kote" inside and out, followed up by an application of Rustoleum products ----- "White" for the hull,"Sand" for the interior and deck and a "Leather Brown" 2" or 3"stripe just below the rub rail. Instead of replacing the vinyl in the rub strip I'll put in synthetic manilla colored rope to give the project a bit of an antique look. (I'm still looking for bronze twist shackles and bullet blocks for the sheets and traveler.)
Note:
---- Photo of repair to cockpit floor at the forward end of the trunk. The 4" asccess ports were cut in the trunk for later access to the centerboard pin, I took this opportunity to do some "leak fixing" between the two hulls at this point.
---- Two photos of hull before preparation for painting
---- Photo of the hull - almost ready for undercoating--- includes a photo of the floorboards with 5 coats of varnish applied

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Re: Skimmar 12' - Restoration Progress this week

As of today I've completed application of 6 coats of finish to the woodwork; seats & centerboard cap poplar, floorboards mahogany. the final coat was prepared by wet sanding the woodwork with 500 grit. Ace hardware's spar gloss varnish was cut about 10% with thinner and a bit of penetrol. The outcome is beautiful. My wife wants me to finish her furniture with this method (not gonna do it).
I applied two coats of Interlux Pre-Kote to the hull, sanding between coats with 100 and 150 grit paper. I'll apply two coats of rustoleum gloss white in the net few days, sanding in between undercoat and each top coat.
I should b e able to turn it over and attack the painting of the interior by mid-week next week.

 

[sinnettc]

Those look great but I'm glad it's you and not me.

 

[oliversdad]

I'm enjoying watching you restore that Skimmar.The woodwork looks beautiful and I can't wait to see the finished hull!
I first learned to sail in a Skimmar 10 my grandfather bought back in the early 70s.I can also remember where they were built in Greenwich,not far from the train station there and right next to I95.Imagine building boats in downtown Greenwich today?Can remember those beautiful white hulls out front and wanting one of my own.
Good luck with the rest of the project.It's looking good.

 

[Tony D. Woodpussy]

Skimmar's hull is painted - Final Coat Today!

Here it is - Hull Painted- final coat today!

Three views of the Skimmar (12' sloop) hull with two coats of Rustoleum Gloss White (first coat sanded with 320 grit wet paper) over two coats of Interlux Pre-Kote, (each sanded with 100 and 150 grit dry paper).

It took about 1/2 Qt. per coat to cover. The final coat was cut about 10% with thinner and I added an ounce of penetrol to make it flow out well. I used the "roll and tip" method with vertical "tipping" so there wouldn't be any runs.

We're making real progress. This puppy will be sailing by Memorial day for sure.

Regards,

Tony