Dinghy repair

[Barry Lenoble]

Hello,I recently acquired an old worn out fiberglass 'Sumner boat' dinghy. The fiberglass hull seems to be OK, but the wood gunwale is worn out. I have no experience working on stuff like this. I would like to repair the dink for use in rowing to my mooring. I was thinking of using 1" wide by 1/4" thick wood strips to replace the gunwale. One strip mounted inside the fiberglass edge and another on the ouside, screwed together. Will that work? Will I need to put another wood strip on top? Is there a better way to repair this boat, or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new one?I figure I will also learn some fiberglass, epoxy, sanding, and painting skills that will come in handy later.Thanks,Barry

 

[Chris Burti]

Good beginners project.

The learning curve isn't steep and mistakes aren't expensive. Use teak or juniper if you don't want to constantly futz with varnish. Through-bolt the strips (s.s. 3/16" bolt every 6-8"), a caprail/gunnel takes a lot of punishment on a dinghy. Use 1/2 inch thick on the outer band so that you can countersink and plug the bolt heads. Seriously consider doing the same on the inner. If not, you must dress each one in order to keep them from snagging flesh, clothing, etc. ... cap nuts are expensive and will constantly bark your shins. You will want a cap on top, 1/4" will be fine. I'd probably glue it on, but that will make repairs more difficult. Gorilla glue is an excellent choice for a beginner.

 

[John Dawson]

Agree with Chris

Have a Puffin sailing dinghy trimmed in teak. Originally was trimmed in white oak, but oddly enough white oak isn't as resistant to rainwater as it is saltwater. Suggest teak or mahogany. One strip on outside with plugs, the other strip inside with rowlocks mounted on them.

 

[David]

Sumner

Barry, I have one of those dingys. Don't know if it is the same model as yours.Mine has a laminated gunwale with a thicker laminated inwale. Excellent boat for a hard dingy. I like the fact that is was designed as an emergency lifeboat. When filled with water it floats quite high because of the fiberglass tanks molded in the full length port and starboard sides. My brochure states one should sit in the bottom to help maintain stability during lifesaving conditions. Hope I never have to use this feature.

 

[Barry Lenoble]

Thanks! A little Sumner info

Hi Guys,Thanks for the advice. I will start this weekend.Regarding Sumner boats, I did a quick internet search, but all I learned is that the factory was located fairly close to me, on the south shore of Long Island (Amityville). The place is gone. Interesting about the floatation, I will have to look more closely at the boat.Barry

 

[Sailormannj]

Was wondering about the name

I was wondering if it was the same Sumner Craft until I read the last thread. Yes they were made somewhere on the South Shore of LI. In the early 60's my father was looking at a 23 footer, and he took me to the factory to see how they were built. I remember the owner (Sumner) taking a sledge hammer to one on the line to show how strong it was (this was the early days of fibreglass). No damage, it just bounced off. They did not use a gel coat, but some other finish at that time.They were built very stong and were good boats. You have a good one there, enjoy it.