Hi Everett,

While the Initial self-survey of a wooden hull (plank on frame
construction) is IMHO easier, unless your capable AND willing to do
restorations yourself, fiberglass is the way to go. Otherwise, in most
cases, you WILL pay alot more to have a wooden boat repaired or
restored.

If yo can do this type of work, or obtain a wooden boat that does not need
this type of work, then maintenance will depend on how you wish to keep
the vessel. Here are two examples:

I had a 16' Lapstrake Catboat that I gave away, because I did not have the
time, and tools to keep her in the shape I felt she deserved. Every year
I took evey paint crack in the hull (from outside storing and mooring),
feathered it out primed the spots painted the spots and went over it again
with Kelly Green paint. Every year I sanded and urethaned the mast, boom
and gaff. Since I did not have the room at home, or the money to keep in
in a storage yard near water and power (meaning doing everything by hand,
and cleaning with a 55 gallon drum of water), and often had crummy spring
seasons (Cleveland, OH), I often didn't launched until late June.

However when I did launch, the hull looked beautiful, often drawing other
boaters uncomfotrably close to see what was most likely one of less than
10 catboats on Lake Erie. Even though she was completely stripped,
varnished, and repainted; her previous owner had no problems identifying
her from the Lorain Lighthouse he was restoring, as I sailed her every
season from her launching in Cleveland, 60 miles, to her Dock in
Sandusky. Sorry... Getting a little too nostalgic.

In comparison, my father owned a 1936 Wheeler 40'. He firmly believes the
maintenance on this vessel was no more difficult or time consuming than
his 30' Fiberglass Jersey. Then again, he just painted the hull every
year with minimal prep, and pained (Or stripped, I don't remember which.)
every bit of varnish off the exterior.

Not to mention he had a hard working wife and kid, to help hime, instead
of a crusty old fart telling him "how easy it was" after the fact :^)

Good Luck! Trawlers are indeed beautiful and practical boats, more so if
their built in that natural composite medium :^)

Bob Dimond


In article , "Everett"
wrote:

Having had a couple of fiberglass sailboats in the past, but having been off
the water (sniff) for over a decade, I find myself toying with the idea of a
wood trawler. I like the idea of wood as a traditional material, as well
as knowing there will never be any of the "boat pox" problems now common
with tupperware boats.
HOWEVER:

The idea of maintenance scares me

Is there a good source of information about what it takes to keep a trawler
in the 32'-36' range afloat and healthy? Can one really find good,
experienced surveyors in So Cal who know wooden boats? What should a fellow
know to avoid stupid (and very expensive) mistakes??

Thanks,
Everett