TOPIC: Help!

Hello, I’m reaching out with an emergency. We had a short windstorm here in Central Oregon yesterday that sent a large tree onto the RV barn where I store my ‘57 Crosby Capri. The impact sent the 2x6’s that hold up the roof crashing onto my boat (and my ‘59 Edsel Ranger). One of the boards went straight through my deck. So my question to you experts is this: Is there any repairing such damage these days and if so, where would you turn? Bend, Oregon, isn’t exactly a hotspot for vintage wooden boats. This boat has been in my family since I was born and I want it to look like it did after I restored it a few years back. Any info or advice would be much appreciated.

OUCH!!
That's gotta smart.
It's repairable. I think Nautilus here is the best of the best and could give you some tips or advice. You could send him an email, he advertises here.... www.nautilusrestorations.com/
A good man, I think
Just kidding. He knows his stuff.

Thanks for the recommendation, Cal. It reminds me of the Bettie Page I restored several years ago. Yes, I could certainly fix it good as new but I'm a long way from Oregon. The tough part would be matching the wood so it didn't look like it had been repaired. At the very least, the bad planks would need to be replaced and the entire front deck sanded bare so that the stain could be applied all at once. However, matching the wood grain would be tough, if not impossible. The only sure way would be to replace the entire front deck. Either option would be expensive. Hopefully, it was insured. Here's Bettie........

Hi , my proffession is wood restoration in churches and historical and government buildings. I would say that yes that is very repairable.

believe it or not I would save the wood chunks and splinters that came off those holes. it's very possible to simply reassemble the pieces and glue/fill/repaint the grain back in , then simply refinish the hood of the boat.

It's not impossible and someone local who could probably do it will be a furniture restoration company/guy. Possibly amish if you have any locally. But most importantly save the bits. If I were local I'd like to take a crack at it

There is a boat builder named Ray Heater in Bend. (look up Ray's River Dories) raysriverdories.com/history/ Ray is a legend in the wooden boat building community. Last I heard he is retired, but I'm sure he would be willing to give you advice, if not fix it himself. I tried looking up his address, but I didn't get any hits on Ray Heater, but there are 10 or 11 people named Heater in Bend. If you ask around someone must know him. Or if you contact Rays River Dories they may have the info.

so sorry to see that. man that was a work of art before the accident if there is anyone to help or fix it they will be here the best collection of guys anywhere. good luck i want to see the progress too.
billy

Thanks for the support, fellas. I will definitely search for Ray Heater and try to get his advice. In the meantime, I did contact West Coast Classic Boat Restoration in Vancouver, Washington, (only a 3-hour drive from Bend) and provided some pictures to try to get some sort of estimate. Jim, the owner, was quick to answer my question which is good sign as far as customer service. Without having the boat in front of him, he’s thinking $4,500-$5,500 if he replaces the deck entirely. A cheaper option would be to cut out the damaged section and basically patch it and blend it into the deck. He’s said the repair would be virtually invisible from the top, but visible from underneath (which I’d be fine with). This repair would be between $1,800-$2300, but he’s not even sure this is an option until he gets his hands on it. His shop looks pretty legit. They have a FB page if you care to check it out.

Thanks again. I’ll keep you posted.

Brian

Good to see you wanting to fix it. Just as an aside, if it was in a storage shed/garage would your homeowners insurance cover it? Some do and some don't. I can ask my son-in-law, he's the dreaded "adjuster" which translates into screwing the policy holder with details. PS he hates his job

Hey Brian, sorry to see that. If that's Jim West at West Coast he's a great guy, Century club member, and has restored woody boats for many years, does great work.

Bob

Nautilus, that boat is unbelievably beautiful. Man, I wish I lived closer.
The boat was covered by my home owners, but they’re only giving me $1,500 under “damaged watercraft.” Totally my fault for not having it individually insured. My wife was been nagging for the last couple years, but you never think something like this will ever happen. I think I can funnel some of the money I’ll receive for rebuilding the barn by doing some of the work myself. And yes, Jim West is the owner of West Coast Classic Boat Restorations. I think I’ll be putting my faith in him to fix the damage.

Have a great day gents.

Glad you found someone to do the work. I'm sure they will make it look like it did before the accident.