: Hi gang,

: I need some advice on whether to accept an offer of dubious generosity...

: Friends of mine have a neglected 14' Enterprise sailboat mouldering in their
: back yard. The build style is plywood nailed to inner ribs, presumably all
: coated with epoxy? No glass, anyway. They have offered it to me for free,
: hoping I can get her afloat again. It was built in the 1960s, improperly
: refinished a few years ago, and left to the elements. Sails and rigging
: seem good. The topsides varnish is all flaked off - no problem, easy
: sanding! But the hull is worse: flaking paint, spot delamination of the
: plywood, and apparently some substantial leakage from somewhere near the
: keel. So...

: - Can anyone offer an educated opinion on how big a project this sounds like?
: I'm not scared of sanding and painting, but the delamination and leakage
: may be endless...

: - Can anyone recommend books or web sites to help me?

: Thanks! I know this is unrelated to kayak building, but it's the kayak
: building that landed me in this situation... I sure hate to see a nice old
: boat go to waste.

: Chris
: Victoria, BC

I've heard of this class (one design class sailboat) but had to go look it up. Looks to be very popular in England, have heard of them elsewhere too. Certainly worthwhile fixing it up. For some odd reason they all seem to have blue sails, have no idea why.

The leak is very likely the centerboard pivot bolt, odds you'll find some rot there too. It's also a very easy fix.

There is extremely likely no epoxy in the boat, conventional plywood construction doesn't use epoxy, just marine glues.

In non-structural areas Git-Rot will harden up the rotted wood, in structural areas it will have to be replaced.

This is certainly a worthwhile project, specially for the price. If I can be of any help, just ask, have done lots of these.

Bill H.