EPS27 - The Fenwick Williams Catboat Restoration, 2023 Progress - EPS027

[@nicksantucci8301]

I just picked up an America out here in Beaufort North Carolina, and I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome series

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Congrats on the America Catboat acquisition, and in Beaufort! A place dear to my heart! I envy you that you get to sail around there in your catboat. It's on my bucket list to bring mine down there to do that. I'll try and remember to give you a shout and see if we can meetup. Would love to see your boat. Glad you are along for the ride! PS- Here is another film I made where you might recognize some things.... vimeo.com/740990866?share=copy

[@nickgreenwood2854]

What a beautiful little boat, fantastic lines. This project it reminiscent of the beginning of the Tally Ho project. He, too, was going to reuse the original structure but ended up basically replacing everything because, like your boat, it was nail sick, and the wood was dead. He too used Pete at Port Townsend foundry Very best of luck for the future.

[@alias2263]

Thank you love this really looking forward to the next episode Cheers💚

[@pauljnolan1000]

I had been thinking about buying a wood Lightning (fully restored!), a sister to my first Lightning owned fifty years ago. Like with women, a half century is long enough to forget some of the details of the relationship, but you'll start to clearly remember before that reunion dinner is even brought to the table. Your video brings back many of the joys of wooden boat ownership and now I'm thinking only of another glass boat. Thank you. P.S. Army, Airborne All The Way!

[@chuckhoover5269]

Thanks for your video!! I recently purchased an unfinished catboat that the students at the Morehead City/Carteret County Community College never finished (years ago) and I plan to finish it up. Your videos, with mentioning products and processes, are very helpful. Thanks!!

[@TheSalvationNavy]

I love those guys! I did a short promo film for Timo White and the Watercraft center over in Beaufort a few years ago. Spent a lot of time in Morehead and Beaufort and my mind and heart are always there. Would love to see your progress. You live in that area?

[@chuckhoover5269]

I live in Winston Salem but go to New Bern and Beaufort often. I in some way gladly share what I’m up against with “Mollie” (she came with the name.) I’ve restored small boats in the past and I’m hoping I’m not over my head with this one. I’ll be assessing and planning during the next couple months and start in the spring. She wrapped up right now. ⚓️🇺🇸

[@Catboataddict]

@@chuckhoover5269is Mollie a new build or is it a restored boat? There was a CC Hanley catboat named Mollie.

[@SavingMaverick55]

Very cool little boat. Glad she got a second chance at life. Your right. Mine is in very similar condition, but it does look like your planks are in far better shape.

[@davidbaumer1724]

Thank you for the up date! This work is so important. The Fenwick Williams Catboat is a worthy cause. Keep at it. I want every one to know this is real tedious work, and there is much to be learned from it. So keep at it, and report what worked and lasted in that boat and what did not. I think you will find that in a lot of cases that the construction method was good but did not last because iron nails were used as opposed to some more Nobel metal, or fastener type.

[@trinitytoo]

Welcome back yourself! I'm looking forward to following your progress.

[@javierherrera6389]

Será increíble ver ese gato en el agua nuevamente.Deseando ver cómo progresa.Bendiciones.

[@jackrabbit5047]

Chapeau, monsieur. That is quite a project.

[@scomo532]

Sistering ribs, a time honored maintenance and restoration technique. I once revived a beetlecat. I had a friend who saved a Crosby 26’ catboat from a bonfiah. It was called Four Aces. He did a great job and when I asked him when he finished the restoration he answered “It’s not done yet”. Wooden boats need constant care. He never used any epoxy infusion, just wood.

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Yea, like a lot of things with a soul and character, they are never really done, are they? Always a work in progress (like all of us :) ). And that actually is kind of the beauty of it all. I love working on boats (although there is a time when enough is enough and its time to actually get it the water and be able to use it for a while.) But they really do require an intimacy of hands-on connection to be what they are that even my beloved classic-plastic does.

[@scomo532]

@@TheSalvationNavy Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

[@ashley-tm1uk]

hats off to those who take on such daunting tasks in order to preserve such beautiful things from our past… i’ve completed some very challenging restorations on fine old houses and boats, but none of this level …i’ve had the urge to take on a wooden yacht refit, and your video has inspired me to seriously consider a more manageable project. i’ll be following… thanks for sharing!

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Thank you. I didn’t go into much detail on a previous video where I mentioned my restoration interests and past. My parents were doing restoration work in the 70’s before it was cool. And the bug bit me when I got older. A friend of mine and I helped save and restore Frank Lloyd Wright’s only prairie style house here in Ohio. It’s a house museum now and it’s a jewel. I love trying to save things others discarded or don’t think it’s worth restoring. Save the unsalable. Keep at it! It’s always worth it!

[@ashley-tm1uk]

frank lloyd wright house!…what a great opportunity !…but interestingly, i bought and renovated an historic house of one of louisiana’s famous architects, Leon Weiss…i purchased the 1920 georgian / federal style house from the estate , and was only the second owner of this house in new orleans. He designed many of the state buildings during the art deco era..i e. louisiana state capitol, old governors mansion, charity hospital, and many others during huey long’s reign as governor … also completed a very major refit on a 1984 vagabond 42…she was gorgeous until Katrina got a hold of her… but i’m hankering for another project… the organic nature of a wooden yacht is very appealing to me..i’ve never sailed one, but have to believe they must provide an experience that plastic boats do not… keep em rolling!

[@TheSalvationNavy]

I agree completely. Where are you located now? I work with Wooden Boats For a veterans too and they are based I SFO. And I know several people in New England who are working to save some wooden catboats. There’s nothing like a wooden boat. If you want to see the FLW house, look up the Wesctott House. Your efforts on the Weiss building sound great!

[@11thhourcustom]

Bless you, you have you work cut out for you. I thought I had a lot going on. Great to see you back. It's really hard filming, working and editing yourself.

[@ttnyny]

I can see why you call it the Salvation Navy: You are doing God's work!

[@TheSalvationNavy]

In my own way, I'm trying. The name was more out of an attempt at whimsy, but I do think it is important to preserve our history and to do good work with our hands and minds to create rather than destroy and share what we can. I'm a work in progress too, just like these old boats :)

[@DavidWing]

Fantastic to see you back. Looking forward to some good vids (your are really good) as you can edit things!

[@BlackheartCharlie]

Beautiful work! Liked and subscribed. Your careful approach to documenting everything is a gift to future generations.

[@MrCaptryan]

I'm glad to see that you were able to contact Don Gorvett. Keep up the work on the Catboat. I am learning a lot and will be applying this information to my Fenwick Williams Catboat. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

[@MrCaptryan]

The Woodboat Series - Frame, Stem & Keel Repair discusses the ins and outs of this. They call them frames, but I'm sure they support calling them ribs.

[@TheSalvationNavy]

@@MrCaptryan Yes, I need to look over that series more. I can't get enough of it and need to bing watch them on my next long-haul air travel trip.

[@TheSalvationNavy]

What Fenwick Williams boat do you have? Might been to talk to you in more detail. Is it an 18'er?

[@MrCaptryan]

@@TheSalvationNavy I can send you the book. Let me know.

[@MrCaptryan]

25ft Fenwick Williams

[@andrewtiefry5990]

The atomic 4s are good engines as long as the crank is still good. I learned they like to break the crank as they don't have many main bearings. But good engines if done right

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Yea, there's a really following among these engines and I think I want to use it again if it's economically restorable. Im not sure if it's seized up or not yet. I need to get it out to see. Im a little reluctant to use gasoline in a boat like this but looking at all the options. Do you have an atomic 4? You ever work on them?

[@andrewtiefry5990]

@TheSalvationNavy yes I use to work in a marina when I was younger. They always ran good not a high rpm motor but reliable. There still going in some sail boats. There not to expensive to rebuild and if everything is done correctly there's nothing to worry about using gasoline

[@davidpark9727]

Take a steel screw and put it around salt water long enough the threads go first!!

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Yea, I was wondering the same thing. But the small hole in the top (while it has some pointed corners to it) is really small and it's just not big enough for any kind of screw driver. Even too small to be a square-hole driver. A minor mystery but still one that bigs me I don't know what it is.

[@cageordie]

Coastguard is hard work, certainly not an easy option. An ex girlfriend had gone that route because her brothers said she'd never make it through their boot camp. She was based at Coastguard Island in Alameda. They told her she didn't have to do the opposed boarding because it was too hard, but she did it anyway. This boat looks like a complete rebuild. I though frames had some sort of cross bracing, but ribs were standalone. Not particularly arguing, just that's what I thought the difference was.

[@Pocketfarmer1]

My $0.02 , ribs are small frames are big.

[@chuckhoover5269]

Oh yeah, Go Army, Beat Navy!! 🏈 😂

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Boo, hiss

[@dencerspay]

Thanks for the shout-out Matt. I noticed something you marked had a spelling error. Sorry to nit pick when you've done so much... Coaming! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaming

[@TheSalvationNavy]

Nuts! Well, my dyslexia strikes again. Won’t be the last time. And thanks again for all your help!

[@JonBrooks105]

One of the words I've had to add to the spell-check dictionary on every computer I've owned!