"Privateer" 15 ft. 1964 Homebuilt RunaboutI've had my eye on wooden runabouts for a while now and maybe it has something to do with my genes. My family roots in Canada date back to 1711 in Trinity Bay, Nfld after arriving from Poole, England. Lot's of boats built by fishermen in my family. There's just something about a wooden boat.
In the summer of 2003 I had my eyes open but happened to come across this boat through a friend of mine. It had been tied to the rafters of a boathouse for 20 years or more, but seemed to be in fine condition. He bought it and brought it home and it sat in his garage for a couple of months. I showed an interest in it...and knowing that he really didn't have the time to work on it, to bring it back from the brink, his wife said., "Do ya know what this boat looks like honey?...a Doug project!" My wife bought me the boat for a Christmas present and we moved it over to our garage.
We don't know a whole lot other than it was purchased by a man from somewhere near Georgian Bay. He brought it home to Font Hill one day, though his wife was not amused, for about $400 back in 1964. It has been at their cottage ever since...until last fall. We have a cottage near Carnarvan on one of three connecting lakes there, so I'm pretty excited to get it ready for use on the lake. I've been pretty keen to get started but the cold weather in January has kept me from the garage.
I also stopped by to see Dwight Boyd, at his shop - Clarion Boats - in Campbellford and he mentioned the Trent Severn Antique & Classic Boat Association would be a great place to start when looking for information on restoration. I'm looking forward to meeting members and discussing the next step in this adventure.
So now comes the fun part...stripping the boat.
I took some photos before I get going....a historical benchmark. I'll keep updated photos posted along the way.
Left is a photo of the underside of the bow. As far as I can tell it is true to its Transport Canada Tag on the dash..."homebuilt." 
At right is a side profile of the hull which is painted marine red below the water line. There is a shot of the transmon and one of the condition of the seats below.I will redo these this summer.
Also below is a shot of the upper deck. I've cleaned off some of the dust and grime that had collected over the years.
The navigation light is only a plastic, D-cell battery operated unit so I've purchased a vintage chrome plated, 12 volt battery operated light.
Restoration has begun!.....
A view from the stern at right showing the internal framing underneath the (removed) flooring and ceiling panels. The seats have also been removed and will be taken in for reupolstery. The bow, side covers and transom have been sanded with 80 grit using a random orbital sander and once I clean up the bottom hull I'll be back doing the fine sanding on these areas again. Left is an overhead view of the bow where the very shallow putty filled, screws were all removed and the holes countersunk to allow for bungs to be inserted. The next step will be purchasing someahogany and cutting proper bungs.
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Above, a side view showing the planking where the varnish has been removed but not all the sanding is complete. The side spray rail has been removed to expose more varnish that will need to be scrapped off. Also above, a rear view of the transom which has been sanded. The putty and screws will be removed and the holes will be courntersunk to allow for bungs to be inserted.
An overhead shot (right) as the second last section of the hull is waiting to be scrapped off. The cheapest CT paint stripper removes the old paint quite easily. Once the bottom paint was stripped off I started to remove the transom (left) which had split along the joint. In the end they all came apart and were cleaned and joined again with adhesives while held in place with pipe clamps.
The boat has been flipped over and I've stripped the marine paint to expose the planking. The boat will be trailered to the cottage and other lakes so I want the hull protected yet flexible as well as having the seams recaulked& sealed to keep out water. I've also learned from Dwight's (Clarion Boats) article in the Classic Boat Magazine that a West System style bottom is not appropriate for a carvel hull below the waterline. My idea of using this application cannot be accompolished without removing all the planks and reinstalling mahogany sheets and since my planks seem to be in great shape I'll stick with the original wood and caulk the seams ." (July 27th, 2005)
From Doug - April 20/05
After searching for a relatively short time I managed to obtain a motor in what seems to have been.....fate. During a discussion with an acquaintence regarding my boat and my search for a motor I learned he knew where I could get two 35 hp Mercury SS outboards with the tanks and controls. My mouth dropped when I learned they were probably from the same year as my boat. "They're in my father's basement...where I last put them for storage," he said "And I'm pretty sure they are still there". They were......now my boat will now be powered by a 1963 Mercury 35 hp SS outboard with an electric start (Coincidentally the boat is rated for a 35 hp motor). With the motor I also have the original Controls, Gas tank, original Operation & Maintenance Guide booklet and the original owners identification card from May 18, 1963. The only owner was an employee of OMC in Peterborough and he gingerly cared for the annual maintenance of the motor....."he could probably take them apart and re-assemble them blindfolded". The best part of the transaction is I obtained two of everything (motor, tank and controls).
More work throughout the fall of 2005 as follows:
The planking and battens have been removed as well as the framing members. The frames have been cleaned and sanded and then temporarily reinstalled to support the keel. The keel will be removed later.
A view of the center support for the keel and the flooring. The center section has been fabricated from pine and bolted to the two oak framing sections attached to either side of the boat. They are in good repair and do not require replacement.
The planking was removed from the bottom to allow for the tar and dirt and grim to be removed prior to the final sanding.
May 2006... new photos & words from Doug:
Here is a photo of one of the three gas tanks I had obtained with the outboard motor. I've had sanded off most of the paint to the metal with my random orbital, using some old sanding disks. At this point I was leaving the old decal until I was sure I could obtain new ones. I'll be using two identical tanks like the one you see here.
Here is a slightly blurry, photo of the gas tank gauge viewing eye. As you can see the old eye still in the housing is very pitted and worn but the other is clear. I removed the gauge eye from the two tanks I'll be using. I then sanded off the tops of the eye that had become very pitted and weather worn, then I used rubbing compound with a car buffer and then finished with car polish and a buffer until the eye was clear as the day it was manufactured.
Here are the two tanks and the float mechanisms totally sanded down. I was able to obtain two new Kiekhaefer Mercury decals which match the old decals perfectly. The old decals were the water release type, like the ones you used on models when you were a kid, and the new versions have adhesive with a backing that needs to be removed. I also obtained the etching primer for the tanks (CT automotive section) and then I purchased the matching Merc red paint for the tanks. I'll prime, paint and attach the decals as soon as the weather warms up.
Here I am, yes I'm actually doing all this myself, coating the battons in Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES). Every piece of wood will be coated twice with CPES and every wood to wood contact will have 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive applied before the varnish is added. The staining above the water line will take place prior to the application of CPES and Varnish.
Now that the gas tanks are nearing completion what about that ouboard motor?.....
I've taken my 35 hp Merc to Noel Paris for the once over. He'll do compression testing, change the impeller and any seals as required and basically get it ready to run. Once I get the motor back I'll be removing all the chrome for polishing then I'll give the entire motor a degreasing. I'll disassemble as much of the housing as possible then lightly sand to feather the paint where it has been scratched over the years. I'll then apply some masking in particular areas, spray on the etching primer and repaint the motor with the Mercury Phantom Black Paint. I don't think it will be a job that Orange County Choppers would settle for, but since I'm using the boat for pleasure rather than awards, I'm sure it will look better than it has in years. The decals on the housing of the motor are also being recreated by a local graphic shop, and those will be applied once the painting is complete.
More updates - October 2006:
Both gas tanks have been repainted since the spring and sit waiting until I install the decals. Decals and paint were obtained from Peter McDowell at the Antique Outboard Motor Club Maple Leaf Chapter.
Once the battens and bottom planks were all seated in 3M 5200 adhesive and reattached the only thing remaining was to caulk the seams that were present and filled with older cotton prior to disassembly. The new cotton was then sealed with Sikaflex 291 Lot which will adhere to each edge of the plank while the cotton provides the filler and also keeps the 291 from adhering to the batten below.
The screw holes were all sealed with Famo Wood filler and sanded smooth. The Sikaflex sands like pencil eraser and therefore is difficult to get perfectly smooth. But remember this is wood plank boat, not a smooth fibreglass hull, so I don't want it to look perfect and the slightly raised rubber will provide the planked look. After the final sanding I applied four separate coats of Interlux 2000E which acts a barrier coat to prevent water from penetrating the wood as well as acting as a primer coat for the bottom paint.
The bottom is finally finished and the two coats of Interlux 999 hard anti-fouling paint were painted on. Would have preferred Pettit hard racing bronze paint which is not an anti-fouling bottom paint but it's only available in the USA due to the chemical content. The final coat sat to dry over a week before the boat was flipped over in the cradle. Once the water line is established, next spring, the final 2000E and bronze paint will be applied to the two bottom planks at the waterline to complete the bottom painting.....followed by the nice white stripe.
The engine was checked over by Noel Paris and the compression, which normally would be 120 lbs was 118 lbs and 115 lbs on the two cylinders. Good to go! Here I've partially stripped the lower unit of the engine down to the aluminum using "Mar-Hyde" an aerosol stripper from Car Quest. The upper portion will only need fine sanding to feather the scratches that are noticeable here and there.
The entire engine was stripped of as many components as possible and each was primered separately with "etching primer" available at CT. The various pieces were hung on the clothes line like laundry while several coats of primer and Mercury Phantom Black paint were applied. The motor itself was finished off on its stand in August and now awaits reassembly.
To date over 335 hours have been spent on this small restoration project.
Spring 2007 Update:
Well it's been a long winter and I've been itching to get back into the garage and get going but the cold weather has kept me out this April and I got started in May. It seems like I've missed out on Nov - April but other priorities win out during the winter months. I'm aiming for the July 7th Gravenhurst Boat Show but I won't go to any extraordinary lengths to make it happen.....though I'd love to be in this show...Year of the Outboard!
I've taken a few more shots as I've reattached the side planks. As you can see in this photo of the bow, I still have to install the bolts that secure the keel (where the two holes are).
Well the pieces all lay in the boat like a jigsaw puzzle after removing them last Fall while others hung in the support frames. This Spring they were coated with Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES). On Mother's Day weekend the first two planks went back onto the sides at the chine and for the most part they were reinstalled lining up with the original screw holes.
Then finally the last two upper planks were installed as each batten and plank seated in 5200 and tightened down. With six battens there were approximately 600 of the 3/4"slot brass screws reinserted on the inside of each.....by hand....so as not to tighten them so hard they would pop out through the planks.
Though it's tough to remember if the gap between the plank and the batten even existed prior to removal it's sometimes easier to be cautious and use the clamps to squeeze the two together and remove such gaps.
Prior to shutting down for the day I set the deck framing in place trying to imagine what it was like before I created this giant jigsaw puzzle. I've coated these in CPES also, as well as all the small pieces that connect the frames to the battens. Shortly I'll attach them as well as the deck battens. I've got to get some bungs cut out to install into the hundreds of screw holes....in time...in time. Speaking of time I entered the log data from last Fall and this May into my Excel spreadsheet.......430 hours.....and counting!
" What else is on the plate? Well I've given my hardware pieces to my brother in Cambridge and he's dropped them off at Cambridge Custom Chrome for me. I'm picking up the decals for the Mercury motor cowling and Dan and Pam Truax are creating a set of new seat upholstery (pastel green) for me. I've been looking for the right trailer but haven't found it yet. I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Fall 2007... work continues:
Once the interior was cleaned a coat of CPES was applied and left to cure for 24 hours then I applied a coat of Pettit paint to add some protection from moisture over the battens and bottom planks as well as the frames. A friend from Sarnia picked it up at Abbott's at a great price I couldn't resist. The bow portion was not coated until I was able to install two new brass bolts that attach the fore foot to the keel. The original two brass bolts had snapped in the middle. I had a heck of a time trying to obtain the 1/4 threaded bolts at the length I wanted, so in the end, my friend from Sarnia brought up the 1/4" rod and I cut and threaded the ends myself. The photo at right depicts the painting almost complete but I did finish below the deck a few days later.
This left photo shows you all the counter sunk screw holes that have been touched up with CPES. I figure if I'm treating every location I might as well add it inside each counter sunk screw hole. Time consuming yes...but in the end well worth the effort. The Pettit paint completely covers the bottom except for the tops of the framing...no particular reason I just liked the effect.
I finally installed the bungs! I cut them from two pieces of mahogany crate wood John Hendren provided. They were the right thickness and the right colour...so I thought. I cut the bungs with the open cutter purchased from CT and began to cut them in rows on a drill press. As they shot all over the floor I had to quickly gather them up. Once I had a zip lock back full of a few hundred bungs I put them into the freezer. This causes them to contract so they fit in the screw hole with little effort adding a dab of glue to hold them tight and the bang of a rubber mallet. They expand once they warm up providing a nice tight fit. John loaned me his single edge saw to cut them off, preventing damage to the top of the wood and then I sanded them flush. The strange part is the colour, once sanded lightened so they don't look quite as dark as when first installed. It's ok they will darken up when the stain is applied.
Well, here is a close up of the bungs prior to cutting and sanding. I haven't counted them all yet but I'll be sure to let you know in future photos. The one thing to do now is finish installing the interior piece of the transom, the top corners of the topsides and decide what to do with the deck seams. They have opened up larger in some spots and I may have to open all of them up the same width and apply seam putty.
Still have the dash to finish and the two doors on the back side of the seats. I have to purchase the marmorite flooring and install that over the current plywood. I'll finish the final sanding at 120 grit and then stain the entire boat. I'll also put down one last layer of CPES prior to the varnish coats which I hope to do this winter at John Hendren's.
I purchased a Cradle Ride trailer (they are the manufacturer so I saved $) and believe that I've spent so much time, blood, sweat and tears on this boat I could not bare to see it fly off some old trailer on the way to the next launch....I bought new! I used it to transport and have the boat displayed at the "Guys in their Garages Tour". I finally was able to display the fruits of my labour and now everyone knew I really was working on a boat....not the phantom boat. I also received my chrome back from Cambridge Custom Chrome and it was immaculate....so much so that John Hendren, John's Little Boat Shop, has already used them for a client of his own.
So, another summer has come and gone and finishing up in the first week of September I'm now at 558 hours.
Proudly on display at the Guys in Their Garages Tour
May 2008.....Well it's the start of May and the boat sat through the winter at John Hendren's shop while John worked on other priority projects - Jim Watt's boat. So the snow was finally melted enough to move the boat inside and begin the metamorphisis. Some of the deck seams had stayed tight when reattached while some locations had opened due to sanding some of the filler away. The seams were taped and epoxy was thickened and forced into the seam to create a solid path for the router bit. 
Here my son, Alexander (10), came along to John's to assist that day and I put him to work on the tape removal. Once the tape was removed he sanded off any excess epoxy near the seam.
Here John Hendren uses his hand router to create a neat, crisp, clean, square groove along each plank seam. John had a supple piece of Mahogany, which we tacked in place with finishing nails, to act as a guide for the router along the outside curve. For the straight seam lines we used an aluminum straight-edge clamped in place at the dash and outside edge of the rub rail. This method worked perfect to create clean lines.
Once the deck was complete I focused on attaching a new interior transom plate. The old one was not marine grade and had fallen apart once removed. I'm putting in chrome eye hooks to use for trailering or towing tubes but I needed to apply interior bracing to fill the hollow behind the plate. The bolts of the eye hook will extend to the interior and the washers and nuts will pull against the interior plate and forced ugainst the additional support block spacer.
Now that the deck seams where cut the dash could be reinstalled. One change was made.....the top edge of the dash plate was a sweeping curve from one side to the next so it was decided it would have a better look and effect if it was trimmed down flush with the deck. Then a piece of oak trim, cut from the splash rails, would be added to cover any seam/gap between the deck planks and the dash.
Once the transom plate was installed the topside corner plates were attached and so it was complete. Then the moment had come to STAIN the entire boat including seat frames, ceiling panels, splash rails, etc. 
The stain and the wood produced an incredible colour and compared to the original version....is stunning. The entire boat was given one coat of "Early American" Gel Stain.
Now the stain had dried overnight is was time to apply the first, thinned, coat of varnish. Again, just to prove it was me John captured me in action. I used a small sponge roller to apply the coats then gently ran the brush over the area to smooth out and fair the varnish.
Now the boat has the first coat of varnish...it begins to gleam again. The deck seams are left open until the 6th coat of varnish.
Now that she's really glowing with the 6th coat the Siklflex caulking can be inserted into the seams. Any excess varnish was scrapped from the seams and then both sides of the seam were taped to keep the Sikaflex off the planks and only in the seam. Once the entire deck was complete a large "Sharpe" marker pen was used as a tool to slightly pull the end of the pen through enough to "indent" the seam caulking. Once that was complete the tape was removed so the finished product could dry.
Once the caulking was dry I returned the next day ready to begin another coat of varnish. The caulked seams provide crisp lines for the deck and give the boat a new look it had never had since being assembled in 1964.
After the seams were complete the boat was removed from John's garage and ready for transport home. Prior to applying the next coat of Varnish I registered the boat licence number with Transport Canada. The next step was to apply a name and the serial number in vinyl lettering.
The boat's name was decided....Stan Rodger's, an eastcoast folk singer, wrote and sang a song called "Barrett's Privatteers" so it seemed only fitting that this boat I've spent so much time, sweat and money on should become my "Privateer".
(In the American Revolution (1775-1783) aggressive American raiding of Nova Scotian communities provoked previously neutral Nova Scotians into privateering against the Americans. Nova Scotia had a long history of privateering before and after this time. Privateering was a handy mix of wartime patriotism and the chance to make your fortune. Real privateer recruiting, such as the newspaper advertisement run by the privateer Revenge in 1779, used phrases appealing to men "desiring honour and fortune". Other than the obligatory warning shot the vast majority of privateer captures were completely bloodless. Privateering was legal, and in its time generally respected, and often admired. Privateers operated only in wartime and only against enemy shipping. They were, in many ways, in the same business as the navy which likewise paid its sailors and officers from the proceeds of captured ships (See: for more details by Dan Conlin).
As of May 30th I'm now at 612.5 hours.
Once the varnishing was complete I was into June and had to get the waterline mark onto the boat. It hadn't been there so I installed the motor for temporary weight and drove to Trent River bridge where I floated the boat long enough to mark the planking at the waterline. I returned home and began the process of using a chalkline to connect the dots so to speak. Once marked, the line was taped and bronze antifouling paint applied then once it dried I retaped to apply the white waterline mark.
The painting complete, I began installing the new marmolieum flooring. The flooring was a new addition as the original flooring was only sections of plywood stained to match the upper decking. Lacking any colour contrast I wanted to add a flooring similar to what I had seen in other boats like the Shepherds. So I purchased a pastel mottled green section of flooring to match the seat upholstery and cut out the shape using the plywood flooring as a template then reinstalled the plywood on top of the framing. Using adhesive I attached the flooring to the plywood. I drilled holes through the frames and ran the new wiring harness I had Rich Hughes make up for me. Once that was done the new mahogany ceiling panels were able to be installed. Now I could begin to install the seats, chrome hardware, windshield, steering wheel, motor and steering linkage.
I used the original Mercury motor control which was disassembled and painted in the backyard prior to installation. Once installed I ran the electrical cable and motor control cables to the stern of the boat mounted to the ceiling panel with the original brackets. Once in place I could begin the installation of the rear seat and then with the steering wheel installed I could align the steering cables to the proper tension. Once the cables were finished I went underneath the deck to install the wiring harness to connect the various lights and accessory plug (for a cell phone) to the panel. One other item I did add was a bilge pump with an automatic float switch just in case I get more water than I bargain for....rain or otherwise.
With the seating installed, motor controls secured and the new bow and stern light hooked up Friday night, August 16th, I was just barely ready for the Hastings Waterfront Festival on the Saturday morning....vowing this would be MY day on the water! 
Early Saturday morning I opened the garage and moved the boat and trailer out and hooked it up to the truck. There were some minor adjustments to the controls and the installation of the new fender cleats but that would wait till I got to Hastings. In the sunlight the miniscule imperfections I had sought out over the months disappeared so that all that was left with just the big picture.....a completed project!
In the Hastings parking lot with the bumper cleats installed and some minor adjustments made to the motor controls, I decided...it was now or never....and began the journey.....to the launch ramp! John Gullick saw me and motioned as I headed to the ramp while Wayne Theriault stood vigil as I approached. I backed Privateer slowly into the Trent-Severn and for the first time in 24 years it floated again near the dock as it was meant to. Wayne and John assisted to set the motor control cables to work correctly for me while on the maiden voyage. Bruce Casey and daughter, Kate, looked on in support. I fired up the engine - of course then realizing I hadn't added the oil to the gas yet - and quickly shut it down to prevent....an emotional breakdown! Oil in, engine on......"ok, you're ready to go" came the words. "I can go?" I replied..."Go for it!". I slipped away from the dock in reverse......
I was told you could hear my yells of enjoyment from the dock and once I got that out of my system Bianca, Alexander and Emberley found me near the far dock and called me in. Once on board we went for our first ride....our first family ride. We returned to the dock and unloaded and for the first time I had my very own dock with my very own boat as a member of the Trent-Severn Antique and Classic Boat Association.
Since obtaining this boat in December of 2003 I have completed approximately 723.05 hours of labour (18+ wks of work)and invested over $6,650.00 in boat parts, finishes, trailer, motor, upholstery and some blood, sweat and tears! But the grin on my face that day was PRICELESS.
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I leave you with some final photos.....
The next place I just had to take my boat....Little Boshkung Lake, Canarvan, ON. I spent the Labour Day weekend at our cottage running around Twelve Mile, Little and Big Boshkung Lakes relaxing on the water as I cruised by the other boats and cottages.
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Since moving to Norwood in 1995 the Norwood Thanksgiving Fall Fair has been almost a yearly ritual to attend and even the kids have been in the parade held on early Saturday morning.....but this year it was my turn to promote the Trent-Severn Antique and Classic Boat Association and show off my completed project. What's a float without Princesses?.....Emberley (white) and her friend Avery (pink) had command of the rear throne. Bianca and Alex held down the front seats and help toss candy to the crowd.
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15.5 ft. 1957 Shepherd JuniorAugust 2007.....I found another nameless boat I wasn't looking for! Well, I met a neighbour at our cottage on Little Boshkung Lake and found we had an aquaintance from Sarnia as they are both pilots for Air Canada. We got chatting and I turned the topic to wooden boats and of course began to tell him the story about mine ("Privateer"). Well he told me he had also purchased a cedar strip recently from a man who lived near the Stanhope Airport east of Carnarvan. He also told me the gentleman had other wooden boats, not just the cedar strip...one even had two cockpits. Well, my head was spinning madly and I decided I'd better just have a quick look to see what he had. I obtained directions and drove to his house the first thing in the morning.
I found the house and the gentleman...Keith Burns. As it turns out the boat I was looking for was already gone to someone in Cobourg. So, we chatted about boats and I told him my connection to the TSACBA and he told me about his connections with Dwight Boyd from years back. I was about ready to leave and Keith advised me....well, he does have one boat I might be interested in. We proceeded to the back yard which happened to have a river runnning through it....with a dock on the river...and a boat at the dock. It was a 1957 Shepherd Junior.
He had had it for quite some time but was getting to where he couldn't give it the attention it needed so it was time to part ways.....I guess I must have seemed like a good person to pass it on to. We discussed price and what he would like to get and I had to see if I could clear with my bank Manager, Bianca. A few weeks passed and I finally called Keith and we settled the deal for the Shepherd, 40hp Johnson and the trailer. A few weeks later Bianca and I drove up to pick it up...on the weekend in November just days before it snowed!
This boat is useable though it is in need of some TLC, but that is not going to happen quickly. The seats had been done by the ruax's so they are in fine condition. I've spent many hours on my first boat so I'm looking for a hiatus to relax, use the boat(s) and play golf again. So, stay tuned and drop back every once in a while to have a look....but don't expect movement for about two years.......