Classy Greavette Gets a New Keel of Appalachian White Oak - by Richard Arnold

I love wooden boats, all types of wooden boats, be it a humble rowing skiff or an elegant Alden schooner. The design of wooden boats merges practicality with aesthetics just as in architecture they say “form follows function”. But the true nature of a wooden boat is more than the straightforward translation of offsets into lofted drawings, then simply executed in wood. Boats that are made of wood by hand embody the skill, creativity and spirit of their makers. When all is said and done, a good boat builder will adjust any detail he or she deems necessary until the result is “sweet to the eye.”

The design of some boats so completely epitomizes the era when they were designed and built that they become iconic examples of their time. Perhaps no other boat so epitomizes the futuristic optimism of the mid-century 1950’s that the 1954 Greavette Streamliner that arrived at Rejuvenation Woodworks for restoration.

This project came to us last spring and the owner's intent is to restore it to “as original” as possible and be sturdy and practical for endurance and confidence on the water. They plan on touring the boat, and it might even make its way back into Canadian waters. So it's important that we do it right.

This is such a classy boat from a renowned boat builder in Canada. It’s a real privilege to work on a boat that was so well built. If you're not familiar with the Streamliner, it is a very unique hull design using a combination of frame and bent rib construction. It’s kind of like a crossover between a frame and plank design and steam-bent rib canoe construction.

Not only was the construction technique unusual, the quality of the workmanship was extraordinary. When beginning my work I found support structures buried deep in the hull that were fitted with such precision that they could be fine furniture. Yet these pieces would likely never be seen by anyone other than the boat builders themselves. Today, it is rare to find pride in workmanship that can match the craftsmanship of the hand-made floating works of art that we now so lovingly treasure.

Years of accumulated oil and salt water, their effects on old brass fittings, and a slathering of 5200 smeared everywhere it leaked were the obvious obstacles in this restoration. After removing bottom planks and the plywood inner layer, we discovered that these effects had taken their toll on the original solid oak keel and all of the lower frames.

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