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I was not sure if it were brass or bronze, after 55 years even cleaned up, it was hard to tell. I will see if I can find some local brass beading to match.
Yes, I refitted the cap, that picture was taken when the varnish was still drying on many parts and I had just reinstalled the freshly done floorboards.
I also have the bow sealed off with a hatch in the bulkhead at Frame 2 and I am currently building epoxy coated foam floatation forms to fit between the stringers to be held in place with a varnished strip of 4mm okoume plywood. I also intend on adding some to under the deck to keep her more afloat when on her side. All told I should have roughly 330 to 350 pounds of flotation plus the sealed bow and stern compartments.
Unfortunately, and I hate to admit it, the first few times I sailed Spark I had no flotation at all. The two bags she came with would not hold air they were so far rotted.
I did more or less the same, but I covered the entirety of the new deck with epoxy in the morning and by afternoon, applied epoxy to the supports and mated the two. The epoxy on the underside of the deck was still fresh enough that it chemically bonded to newly mixed epoxy and glued itself down to the supports without worry. If you let it harden more than 24 hours or so, you lose the ability to chemically bond coatings.
My series 1 boat has the floor boards ending at the forward edge of the aft deck, they do not extend all the way to the stern.
If Oliver can excuse some unofficial modifications to my boat in the shape of a rear bulkhead and two sealed bouyancy tanks (that now have screw in openings for access) You can see where I also added a plank to either side to extend the floor further to the sides of the boat. I have removed my buoyancy bags and am currently working on making some sealed foam blocks to fit between the ribs that will be held in place with plywood to replace them. I camp cruise aboard my boat, the bags took up too much space for storage and sleeping.
My boat was also missing the bow and stern bags, so nothing lost.
My own GP. #5942 and built in 1964 was a rather uninspired shade of green. Not light green, not dark green.. just green
Currently I have her painted a rather fetching shade of dark Red. “See red” on Kirby’s Pallet
I do not recognize that plate, but I am also not on that side of the Atlantic. As it seems your boat is wood, the hull number should be carved into the hog, the thick wood “beam” that runs from bow to stern, just abaft or behind the centreboard case. If you can tell us this number, we can be of more help.
I was once advised to use Ash as a rubbing rail. It’s a hardwood, it’s cheap, and it can be left oil rubbed. Yes, it rots, but that is what the oil is for,
As for value, boats are a terrible investment. If you think of any boat as such, I am not going to take stock tips from you. Basically, do what makes you happy, life is too short to think in dollars and cents.
Do not look at me, my restoration of Spark probably cost me twice what I paid for her, and that was $2000 USD for a boat built in 1964. I am not known for my sound financial decisions, I own a land rover, two fiats, and four boats.
I meant to show this off. At the most recent Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival held here in the States at St. Michaels, Maryland. A festival that has been running for 35 years and is the event to go to for small craft on the East coast.. I got this in the Restoration Class.
what can I say, Oliver? you have good taste in vehicles.
And just to prove that Spark lives.
First time I had her out, well, second really. The first attempt saw me ripping the screws out of the rudder head due to high winds, a bad fetch, and my neglect in putting the rudder down. Thru-bolts are on order. This attempt was on a local lake, the winds were fickle, ranging from zero to 15 knots and clocking a good 45 degrees as they did so. I did not deploy the genny, but sailed along under main alone and still managed to get her to plane a few times.
I also found my vexing leaks
I have them, Oliver, Just finished sanding them down smooth and putting the first coat of varnish on them. I was waiting for the paint to dry (the got a third coat today after I had to sand off a run I missed) and tomorrow she gets her rails.
and here we go, she still needs a rub down with some fine paper and a second coat, but after a summer of sanding, filling, sanding, more filling, and even more sanding.. Spark now sports a single colour on her hull. Kirby’s “See Red” which is more a burgundy than the bright red appears to be here.
