Just picked this gem up for free. Most of the glass is peeled off. Needs a little wood and some glass. Any idea on who built it?

I'm of no help to ID the maker, but I will say that looks like the start of a really fine restoration project.

Eric

No idea but cool looking hull!
Are the fasteners bronze nails??

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Carl
Mobile, AL
DHBP Member since 1998

"Life is too short to drink bad beer."
Disclaimer: This post and/or report is not a substantiation of or reflection on the true accuracy of the present surveying methods. It is only a report on or comment concerning local observation and/or results. Your results and observation may vary based on your location, local water conditions, food supply, weather conditions and migratory patterns "

Ribs split and sawn or steamed? The lines are similar to a perrine, but the plywood tells me it's later. I'm guessing and early Simonson.

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I never know which is worse: the sorrow when you hit the bird, or the shame when you miss.
http://www.hillmandecoys.com
Mullica Hill NJ

Bronze nails yes. Regular screws added inside. They look later.

The ribs are split and then sistered with a 12" or so at the split

I'm gonna confirm my suspicion it's a Bill Simonson probably from the 50s or 60s. He often used a cedar hull with a plywood deck. He made both 4 foot and 5 foot versions. Both displacement and sailing. Bill was a really good man and he passed just a year or two ago. He consistently won at the Tuckerton show year in and year out.

The narrow strips are something he did often especially earlier boats.

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I never know which is worse: the sorrow when you hit the bird, or the shame when you miss.
http://www.hillmandecoys.com
Mullica Hill NJ

Nice looking sneakbox. Did you get the sailing rig to go with it?

Rick

No. I have the rudder and dagger board. No sailing rig. I did think about leaving it set up to sail to teach my daughter but I am more concerned with hunting it this year with her on nice day in the river.

I would encourage you not to remove the daggerboard trunk and mast step. There are far fewer sailing hulls made and the effort to remove it will be some work. While the daggerboard trunk does take up some space, it is mostly under deck, and does not significantly reduce the cockpit space. On my Sam Hunt, I enlarged the cockpit to the stern one beam station. While I would not want to hunt 2 out of my Hunt box, removing the trunk would not make it any more reasonable for 2. I suppose the cockpit could be then lengthened but it quickly becomes an open hull, and might as well use something else?

Dave Diefenderfer
Manassas, VA

"Once you set out to build a boat, throw away your square. And if you work on her after she's launched, throw away your level." author unknown

Bills son was nice enough to offer any templates and patterns I need to put it back as it was. I don't plan on removing the trunk or any of the mast supports. I am going to redeck the boat, replace 3 planks, and fix any mous chewed gussets and shelving. Glass it all back up. I will be putting a dodger on it and a center mount motor board. Other then that it will not be hacked up. It's a nice big box with great lines from a builder with some cool history I don't want to jack it all up but I have to be able to use it.

Sounds like you have a good plan.
I look forward to seeing progress and hunting pics!

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Carl
Mobile, AL
DHBP Member since 1998

"Life is too short to drink bad beer."
Disclaimer: This post and/or report is not a substantiation of or reflection on the true accuracy of the present surveying methods. It is only a report on or comment concerning local observation and/or results. Your results and observation may vary based on your location, local water conditions, food supply, weather conditions and migratory patterns "

So, when you run the hull on a motor, you will have a fountain up the daggerboard trunk. You will need to seal it off. What I did was make a plug that fills the trunk. I laminated AZEK trim as it is soft and I hope will crush under ice, and not damage the trunk. I built a large flange on the top of the plug and then made a neoprene gasket (old waders) and using 6 or 8 screws sealed it at the deck. It does not leak, and can be removed to sail. I did my build back in 2009 so you can search and see build pictures.

Dave Diefenderfer
Manassas, VA

"Once you set out to build a boat, throw away your square. And if you work on her after she's launched, throw away your level." author unknown

Thanks for the update. Like Dave said you see so few sailing hunting sneak boxes surviving not the larger recreational sailing sneak boxes.

Rick

I would have updated sooner I had a busy weekend. I was informed the boat is a Bill Simonson. I have spoken with his daughter in-law and son. They have offered pictures and templates for anything the boat needs as well as coming to see a few in the shop. I will check you build out. I was planning on fitting the new board around the trunk like it was it's one of the 3 bad boards, making a plug, and glassing over it. That would still leave the trunk intact and the plug could be cut out at a later date and glass feathered up. But if your way worked well for for I would definitely consider it. Unless I find a mast this thing won't sail for me but maybe someone in the future could sail it if I can do it some justice.

When I got my Sam Hunt. The sailing rig was lost or rotted but the sail was god. I made all the rigging myself. Worked down a cedar for a mast and used lumber to make sprit and boom. Rudder and dagger were built from scratch too.

Dave Diefenderfer
Manassas, VA

"Once you set out to build a boat, throw away your square. And if you work on her after she's launched, throw away your level." author unknown

Dave,

I agree, I built my mast using laminated 2x4's then working to round. Rudder and centerboard were built from oak boards I drifted together. I will probably replace with plywood later but wanted to try my hand at it.

William can get photos of the parts or better drawings it can go from there.

I have built a sprit sail from a SailRite kit. A cutdown sail would probably work as well.

Rick

So I got to remove the starboard side front deck ply. Some brass screws and a bunch of mismatched galvanized nails. The board I think it's a harpen board is shot and the trunk ply is all rotten as well as the top mast support. As of right now I plan on the harpin boards, 3 planks, misc shelf's and gussets, decks and the transom with centered motor board. Topped all off with 1 layer of 6oz glass and 5oz kevlar on the hull. Dynel on the deck with west 5-1 epoxy. Now I am up in the air on keeping all the sailing set up in the boat. I think I would still keep the frame work because most is in good shape but loose the ply and replace the mast support without cutting either holes. I would like to hunt out of this boat this year. Any input would be appreciated

I got the front deck off and removed the rotten wood. Made some new harpins and started mocking up the king plank I believe and the nose boards. Some more planning and I'll install them with some epoxy and 4200. Then onto the trunk repairs.

Looking good, don't use brass screws on a boat, they will not hold use Silicon bronze. You could also go the stainless route.


Great South Bay
West Sayville, N Y

Update... Cedar plank trunk rebuilt, transoms fitted and bottom planking getting fitted

Looking good.

Rick

William

Looks like the hard part is behind you and your in the decking stage. Looking really good.

Eric

Can you tell me the reason for using fiberglass, kevlar and also dynel? Do those different materials have different properties/uses??

Fiberglass - General purpose, clear, does everything pretty well, inexpensive.
Dynel - Soaks up a lot of epoxy making it tough and abrasion resistant but a little heavier, white or cloudy in color, inexpensive.
Kevlar - Very strong, abrasion resistant, lightweight. Black in color. Difficult to sand or fair. Expensive.

Eric