SEA TRIALS - and subsequent refinements - VanSant Sneakbox

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~


About 2 years back, I helped partner Jamie Woods buy a sweet VanSant Sneakbox at the Tuckerton Show. He bought it from Bill Simonson - who passed away just last month. Bill had restored the vessel, but I helped Jamie "tune it up" for gunning it from a trailer. In fact, I helped him find a nice small trailer and a 6-horse Evinrude. Life being full of unexpected diversions, we did not float it - or test the engine on it - until this past week.




Here she is at home - where she has been stored 'neath a custom storage tarp-and-frame.


View attachment sm A - VanSant at Spring Street.JPG



Here's the proud owner.


View attachment sm B - VanSant - proud owner pre-launch.JPG



All set for the launch ramp.


View attachment sm C - VanSant - ready-to-launch.JPG



Afloat and away.....the Evinrude started easily and starting spitting out her cooling water once the thermostat opened. Elder Statesman Cod re-built the water pump - just because.....



View attachment sm D - VanSant - Seaward.JPG



Seaward (on a freshwater lake).....


View attachment sm E - VanSant - outward bound cropped.JPG



Plan B. I brought CANVASBACK just in case I needed to play impromptu Sea-Tow



View attachment sm G - Canvasback on Element - August 2019.JPG




O, Lord, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small....


View attachment sm H - VanSant - The Sea is so vast, Lord 2.JPG



Safe return to the dock.



View attachment sm I - VanSant - homeward.JPG



Once the Old Man had checked her out, the Kid was allowed to enjoy the sweet motion of the VanSant....



View attachment sm J - VanSant - Fowler at the helm.jpg



Once again safe at the dock.


View attachment sm K - VanSant - alomgside dock 1.JPG



Stay tuned.....


SJS





 
Last edited:
VanSant Sea Trials continued....


I rowed her a bit - and discovered that the starboard oarlock stanchion was coming loose from the deck.


View attachment sm P - VanSant - loose oarlock stanchion.JPG



It had been fastened with screws from below. I will likely replace all 4 "base cleats" on both stanchions. I will try to use s/s carriage bolts if I can.


View attachment sm Q - VanSant - stanchion cleat.JPG





The process of hauling her identified two additional problems. The winch was largely frozen - 'though WD 40 helped - and the polypropylene "cable" had begun to fray. The winch was also loose on its stand. So, I originally planned to replace the cable and the snap hook - but just picked up a whole new winch - with a strap instead of a cable and new s/s bolts to fasten her more securely.



View attachment sm O - VanSant - winch cable hook.JPG



More significantly, the portside "bilge runner" fouled on the trailer bunk and prevented us hauling her all the way home.


View attachment sm R - VanSant - bilge runner - portside.JPG



There are 2 short "bilge runners" - shod with brass - in addition to the central skeg and the 2 ice runners (also shod in brass). The Owner and I concurred that we'll remove the 2 bilge runners entirely - or risk struggling with them on each haul. (Of course, the removed bilge runners will be labeled and saved for posterity - to stay with the vessel for future owners.)


Updates to follow.


All the best,


SJS
















View attachment sm Q - VanSant - stanchion cleat.JPG
 
Good morning, Zane~


Sorry - pretty sure I misspoke! I believe it's Parker's Dead Grass. I will verify when I'm back home later today.


Stay tuned!


SJS

 
Beautiful boat and very wise to work out the ? kinks? before gunning season arrives. What type of camouflage do you plan to use? Ie grass or other natural materials? Will it be gunned in the marshes or upstate lakes?
 
Jode~


It will be gunned on both Great South Bay (LI) and upstate waters. It will be thatched with Salt Hay, but....


For the sake of tradition, we did not install thatch rails. Instead, we will tie Hay bundles to plastic fencing custom-fitted to the decks - and we will thatch the spray shield.


See you soon at Tuckerton!



All the best,


SJS

 
Kind of curious whether you also painted the dodger (the color sure matches well). If so, did you have to thin the paint first or do some other type of prep?

I have special motivation for asking, as I'm considering going with that color on my boat, but the current dodger color is tan.

Thanks for any info, and may I also add that is a wonderful looking craft.
 
Steve~


Yes, same color and no thinning. I paint the spray shield on the boat - on a flat surface - with either a brush or roller.


If the shield has seen lots of use, I'd probably use a scrub brush and hot soapy water to clean it - then paint it after a day or two of drying in the sun.


All the best,


SJS

 
Good morning, Mc~


I'm guessing that when Hazelton Seaman designed the first Barnegat back in '36 (1836 !), he was a tad smaller than you - and certainly lighter than I. (Of course, even today, you tower over most other gunners.)


The VanSant is the "classic" 12' x 4' (actually 12'2" LOA with a 4'2" beam) Sneakbox. And, although I am glad that my RED~LEG at 13'5" x 5' is lots more vessel, I was very impressed with the solid, stable and safe feel of the VanSant.


All the best,


SJS

 
Steve Sanford said:
Jode~


It will be gunned on both Great South Bay (LI) and upstate waters. It will be thatched with Salt Hay, but....


For the sake of tradition, we did not install thatch rails. Instead, we will tie Hay bundles to plastic fencing custom-fitted to the decks - and we will thatch the spray shield.


See you soon at Tuckerton!



All the best,


SJS


Yes looking forward to seeing you at the show!
 
All~


Some progress to report....


After searching fruitlessly for some BLACK (to retard UV degradation) polypropylene line in 1/2-inch - and not wanting to own a 600-foot spool - I instead bought a nice new 1200 lb winch and installed it. To do so, I had to move the bow chock bracket (upward) and the jackstand (aft). Now the winch will snub the hull down nicely onto the chock. S/s fasteners and anti-seize were used throughout. (Vessel is pulled aft in this photo so I can remove the bilge runners.)


The bungee strap holds the jackstand handle to the spare when the jackstand is locked up - to minimize rattle on the road.



View attachment sm VS 03 Winch et cetera.JPG



The bilge runners came off (a little too) easily.


View attachment sm VS 11 Bilge runners removed.JPG



The Philippine Mahogany runners were a bit soft - but the half-oval brass runners were fine.


View attachment sm VS 12A Bilge runner details.JPG



Fastener holes have been filled with thickened epoxy. After a bit of sanding, this patch will get 2 coats of paint.


View attachment sm VS 12 Bilge runner holes filled.jpg



I have removed only one "base cleat" (?) for the port oarlock stanchion. I am replacing all 4, though. Notice the split and the big fastener hole in the "good" base. I will not put a fastener outboard of the "axle hole".



View attachment sm VS 01 - Oarlock stanchion removed.JPG



I filled the fastener holes. They were held in place with screws from above - through the deck and into Cedar frames.



Here are the new base cleats - and the pattern. The "axle holes" are 7/8" - bored with a Forstner bit on the drill press.


View attachment sm VS 02 Oarlock stanchion cleats with old and pattern.JPG



Everything fits! The challenge will be to fasten these more durably through the deck. I think I will need long 1/4-20 carriage bolts to pass through cleats, decking and frames. Once I decide on my fastener "strategy", I will bore the holes and countersinks on the drill press.



View attachment sm VS 10 Stanchion cleats.JPG



Stay tuned,


SJS







 
All~


Just one bit of progress: The base cleats are now fully bored and sealed with Spar Varnish. I may re-install them later today. Two s/s carriage bolts with fasten each cleat - through both the deck planking and the frame.


View attachment sm VS - Stanchion bases.JPG



And, I painted a nice old canvas life cushion - to serve as the helmsman's seat when at the tiller. (That drip is not paint - just this morning's dew dropping off the metal roof.)



View attachment sm VS 13 Cushion.JPG



All the best,


SJS

 
A bit more....


I removed the remaining 3 base cleats from the oarlock stanchions so I could dry fit the new ones - which will be through-bolted with 2 s/s carriage bolts each. I have since removed them so I could seal and pre-paint each piece before I fasten everything permanently.


View attachment sm VS 16 Dry fit - base cleats A.JPG



I also spliced up another s/s snap hook to serve as the "keeper" or safety line from the trailer to the bow.


View attachment sm VS 14 Safety Line.JPG



A generous splice around the trailer tongue allows this line to be removed off-season.


View attachment sm VS 15 Safety Line installed.JPG



All the best,


SJS

 
All~


I finally got around to installing the new bases for the oarlock stanchions. I had purposefully left them for a few days so the paint could harden up before contending with masking tape and 3M 5200.


I had also scuffed the s/s carriage bolt heads on the wire wheel and then primed them with Rustoleum's self-etching primer. They, too, had plenty of time to "cure"....


I had previously bored the holes for the new bolts and masked the areas beneath the new bases - so the 3M 5200 would have a good clean surface for adhesion.


Generous masking is required whenever working with 5200 - especially when you want plenty of squeeze-out from the joint.


View attachment sm OLS 01 Masking.JPG



Because the traditional folding stanchions on Barnegats are essentially hinges, all 3 pieces must be installed at the same time - with plenty of 5200 'neath the bases but "none" where it could glue the folding part or its White Oak hinge pins.


View attachment sm OLS 02 Bedded in 5200.JPG



With gloved fingers - and plenty of paper towels - I filleted the base-to-deck joint and then removed as much masking tape as I dare.


View attachment sm OLS 03 Tape removed for cure.JPG



I kept tape where there is a risk of adhesion before full cure. I will move each stanchion whenever I walk by over the next few days and remove the tape once tackiness ceases.



3M 5200 cures more quickly in the presence of moisture. I will let tonight's dew provide the necessary water.


Next step will be fitting green plastic fencing (Terex) to the decks - to be thatched up for gunning.


All the best,


SJS













 
Dave~


Nope - 3M 5200 "Tan" - first time I've used it. Looks like flesh-colored Band-Aids. Next time, I'll go back to "Mahogany" 5200. (Actually, I mostly use White because it's a few dollars cheaper. per tube.)


Lots of work between now and Tuckerton.....


SJS

 
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