The Valgerda by William Atkin that recently found it's way into Doryman's boatyard is getting a make-over.
This boat was built in 1966 for the Weyerhaeuser family by Keeler Boat Building in Portland, Oregon and through a series of owners, subsequently spent three decades on the Puget Sound.
As anyone who has restored a boat of this vintage knows, the years spent in harsh salt water climates take a toll. In fact, it is a testament to the builder when a wood boat approaches it's fiftieth year.
Here we find Doryman uncovering years of layers and layers of paint to assess the Valgerda's condition. He must be a sick man, to find this type of work rewarding!
The long term goal is to re-rig this boat as Atkin specified, but the immediate goal is to have her in the water for the upcoming Toledo Wooden Boat Show this August. Toledo, Oregon is home port for Doryman and it's not unusual to see four boats from the fleet in attendance. For those who live locally, please look him up. He'll be the one with the glassy-eyed, exhausted visage and a patina of bottom paint dust in his collar.
9 comments:
Micheal, please keep the updates coming on this rather special boat.
What a beauty! Maybe I can tie up next to you. I'm taking next week off so I can put some more time in on Ravn to have her ready for Toledo.
Brandon
The next four weeks should see a dramatic improvement. I feel it in the air.
Can't let Brandon show me up too bad, though he's set the bar high.
The Toledo show is not just for show quality boats. People love to see a work in progress too, and there are as many opinions about options as you will ever need.
This boat and Ravn side by side would demonstrate graphically the revolution in small boat building that has happened in the last forty years.
I hope you give us more details soon. I have so many questions, like: is the inboard gone for good? Are you going to change the keel? Sail size--original or a little bigger? Will she be set up to row? That was the weirdest thing about Reinsdyr is that it looks like it's never been rowed a stroke, yet the hull design is one of the great rowboats of the world!
Best of luck. I feel like I need to come help... at least for a few hours. Can you tell I'm excited to have another Valgerda in the county!?!
Well, Brandon - as you know, you have the sail for this boat. I've ordered a new one from Lynne Fabricant in tanbark and 110 sq. ft.
The inboard is still with John. I guess it was frozen and he dismantled it. The deadwood is showing age (checks and splits) and was damaged when the cutlass bearing was removed, so for now, the shaft log has been plugged with a dowel and epoxy. Any future motor installation will require boring it out again. I feel the old keel and deadwood need to be replaced if there is to be a new motor installed and the old keel bolts replaced. For this reason, I am leaving the new keel attached since it is bolted through the old keel to the keelson and holding the whole thing together. This will make it difficult to launch from a ramp, so there is much to consider.
My goal for the Toledo show is to have the hull painted and oar locks installed. I'll likely launch the boat from the sling at Sawyer's Landing (about four miles from Newport) and row the nine miles to Toledo with the incoming tide on the Thursday before the show.
Want to come along?
I think you're smart to get a larger sail. I'm just hoping that the weight of my boat doesn't go much over 600. I've been careful with the weight, but you know how things go.... If I hadn't scored a used sail (sorry), I would have kept the lug rig, but added 6 inches to the foot and leach.
I'll think about the Thursday before Toledo. Would I be crew or wingman?
I was thinking you would bring your boat and we would have a flotilla. It looks like low tide is about 3 PM and floods until 9. It's only a four foot lift, but every bit helps - nine miles is quite a trip - maybe even bring someone to trade off on the oars.
I'd like to do this on Thursday because I have other boats to launch on Friday. There will be dredging going on the week prior to the show, but is suppose to be over by Thursday. Getting there early will insure a slip. I'll make arrangements with the Port of Toledo.
DoryMan - I have found a metal insignia "Keeler Craft" - would you have any interest in purchasing it?
Yes Jeff - I would like to have the plate.
Please contact me: mbogoger(at)gmail.com
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