As curators for this one boat private museum Stephanie and I have enjoyed the Nautilus immensely, but for the past few years other priorities have limited our time on the water and at the dock. The topsides are scuffed, varnish starting to lift, and systems need fixing. Finally..... we sadly realize that the best thing for her is the right new owner. One possibility comes forth - she's a person that knows and loves wooden boats. She finds a great surveyor, and he finds several soft planks - one rotted from years of fresh water from a referigerator removed years ago, a punky butt block (the plank ends too, maybe?), soft wood in the stem and horn timber, and delaminated bulkheads. Plus an extensive list of -relatively- minor recommended items.
The buyer asked a shipwright to give her a worst case estimate for repairs, and it was discouraging. We went for a sail soon after that, and while she was pleased with Nautilus' sailing qualities, no offer was made. As I thought about things, I remembered how satisfying it was seventeen years ago, right after I bought her, doing a major repair and refit. And how sad it would be to sell her in the shape she is in.
Looking at the options, it made most sense (and importantly, a chance to tune up my woodworking skills working on something I love) to go ahead with the repairs and some improvements I've always wanted to do. Fortunately, there is a covered, unpaved, bay in a pole barn on Guemes Island available that is just the right size, with a woodshop attached.
What's happening with the stem? The surveyor sounded soft wood right at the top. Any rot could go straight down the end grain the whole length. This could be a big one. I asked Heron Scott, a shipwright that I know and trust to look at it:
