Wooden Sailboat Restoration

Strip the boat

The first step in restoring a wooden sailboat is to strip it back. This involves removing all fittings, trimming, hardware and lights. At this point, it's a good idea to take photos from different angles of all parts in their original locations as it may be some time before you re-assemble your boat and you can often forget exactly how everything fitted together. You should also group all parts together and place them into labeled containers so as to avoid mixing up the various screws, nuts, and bolts.

Remove engine and running gear

If your sailboat has an outboard or inboard motor, now is a good time to remove it. Any leftover fuel from the tank can be saved as it is quite good for cleaning the grease and oil of engine parts.

Clean boat for assessment

Now comes the most labor intensive part in boat restoration: the clean up. Using a metal spatula, work your way from the front to the back of the boat, both inside and out, scrapping off any built up dirt, flaked paint, and lose debris. When cleaning the inside of the boat, follow yourself around with a vacuum cleaner removing all the scrapings as you go. When you have finished cleaning, you can start the assessment. This assessment is to locate any dry rot or broken frames and determine what (if any) timber will need to be replaced.

Replace damaged timer and spot fill holes

With your boat stripped and cleaned, you will have been able to identify any timber that needs repairing. The easiest way to replace timber on the hull is to flip the boat upside down. This is not a problem if you only have a small sailboat as a few strong men should be able to do it. But if you have a larger boat, you may need to construct a rig using canvas straps and a block and tackle or pulley system. If you are serious and have the money, rigs can be purchased especially for the task of overturning a boat.

Damaged planks of timber can be removed and replaced by identifying where the frames run through the hull and removing the damaged section of timber. You can also replace a plank running the entire length of the hull if you like but if the damage is limited to a small area, it is generally easier just to replace the damaged section. Using a marine grade timber filler, any small holes in the boat can be filled, once set sand back until smooth. If after sanding you notice the filler has sunk, repeat this step until you are left with a smooth filled hole.

Paint/re-coat the hull

You can sand back the timber on the boat either by hand or using an electric belt sander. Start off with a rough grade of paper and finish with a fine grade. Next you should apply a coat of wood preservative, this preservative should only be applied to dry timber - so ensure you have let your boat air thoroughly. The primer comes next, primers contain millions of small metal flakes helping to prevent water from seeping through to the timber; they also provide a base for your top coat to stick to.

The easiest top coat to apply to your boat is a single pack polyurethane. They are glossy and durable as well as being a lot cheaper than two pack paint. The best way to paint a boat for an amateur is to use a paint roller. You can paint a large boat in a small amount of time and will get a smooth consistent finish. Paint guns can be used but they require a sheltered area with adequate ventilation. Paint guns can also be hired but a roller will give an almost as equally good finish.