1963 Correct Craft Atom Skier

Decent looking Atom Skier Deluxe. Jr Woody on this site has restored a similar boat. There's a thread on it somewhere.

Link to Jamestown

Thanks for responding. I have never worked on a wood boat before. My woodworking skills are moderate. I know it all needs to be sanded etc. and I was wondering what type of stain and /or polyurethane to use. I do have a neighbor who is a good mechanic.

The boat has been in a barn for years and seems to be in good condition.

Don,
The bright work may not need to go down to bare wood requiring stain. See if you can get some close up pictures posted and I may be able to tell if a total strip is needed. Are there any bare spots in the varnish? Regarding the finish, NO poly! Stick with a spar type varnish and look at the more expensive ones with UV protection. Jamestown is a good source. If you start taking hardware off, understand that the screws are R&P/Frearson and NOT Phillips. If you use a Phillips bit or screwdriver, you will bugger up the heads. First, get it running and in the water to see if it takes on any water.

Thanks for your reply. Everything appears to be in good shape.. I noticed you said varnish. I was planning on using polyurethane. Do I need to do some research on that?

I am not even sure if I am using this form properly. I hope my posts are correct.

Don,
The deck is ply too. The fake seams are just routed and painted white.

8122pbrainard wrote: Don, First, get it running and in the water to see if it takes on any water.

What do the hull seams look like at the chines, keel and stem? Any screws popping? Get some pictures.

Will check.

Some photos of the finish and under the floor. One photo of parts I found on the floor of the boat. Not sure what they are.

That looks like a great boat to restore. I've never seen a transmission like that. One of those parts is the shaft log. Was the PO going to replace the bottom?

Riley wrote: I've never seen a transmission like that.

Bruce,
It's a Paragon.

I have not seen Brian around in a while(Fins). When I bought the skier from him he had a 1959 skier with fins that had an unusual engine setup in it. Can't remember what it was. Should he have it restored I think I was quite unique. Seems it steered by turning the prop?

Thank you for your observations. It appears to me that the previous owner was going to restore the boat. That spot you noticed is the worst. Also, It looks like he painted the bottom of the boat. I am not sure about messing with that., although I would prefer the natural wood.

I took the engine cover out of the boat and sanded off the stain. I plan to fill a couple of screw holes and then stain and varnish. Any suggestions about what brand of stain? Also, is there a preferred way to get the white stripe paint out of the grooves?

The previous owner had taken out some of the braces near the stern and left them piled in the boat. I am trying to piece them together in their proper places. Kind of like a puzzle. I am also trying to figure out the brass parts in one of the photos. I believe they are all part of the drive shaft.   I will do a mock up and photograph and post it later.

I am not familiar with the wood bleach process you mentioned and will do some research.
Thanks for your help.

Don,
You mentioned you need to fill some screw holes. On CC's ply hulls, they used a wood filler and NOT real wood bungs that are typically used on solid wood hulls. I use Famowood solvent based filler and there's a "trick" to using it. If you just smear it into the screw hole, you will get filler into the surrounding area. After sanding the filler flush, the filler will still be it the open pores in that surrounding area and that filler will never take the filler/stain the same as the other wood so, you will see a "blotch" of a different color at the filled screw hole. I use a mask made from a thin piece of sheet metal (shim stock) that has a hole in it the same size of the screw hole. You place the mask over the screw hole and then apply the Famowood into the hole. The mask prevents the Famowood from spreading into the surrounding wood.

Thanks for the info and the neat "trick" using a metal mask.