Starting restoration of a 1950's vintage lightning - a few questions

[MuddyFeet]

I'm considering the purchase and restoration of a Lightning class sloop. Perhaps folks would be so kind as to advise me on a couple points. Background first:

The boat: A 1950's vintage Lightning with a Spruce mast, oak stem, red cedar planking, mahogany trim, ply deck with canvas. The boat has not been abused but not really maintained. It was last sailed 20 years ago and sat on a trailer in a dry garage since then. It was caulked with Boatlife and some cotton, painted with Interlux, and varnished with Epifanes before lay up. It is fairly complete (hardware, etc) and the spars are in good shape. Obviously it's completely dried out and some of the caulking is loose or falling out.

My experience: Plenty of book knowledge but not that much real knowledge in wooden boats. I restored a copper-riveted, ply lapstrake 16' Cruiser's runabout and used her for about 7 years. That involved laying in a new stem and repairing transom dry rot. I then restored a cold-molded Highlander one-design and sailed her for two years. That involved a centerboard trunk rebuild and a new ballasted centerboard.

My concerns and questions:

1) I will need to dry sail the boat. She will be in the water for maybe 4-10 hours, then back out. I can leave the mast up; it will go in and out of the water via a hoist. How do the old Lightning hulls do with dry-sailing? Will she leak like a sieve because the seams never have time to swell tight? I can't help but think many of them were used as I describe.

2) The boat is dry now (obviously, after 20 years in a garage). While she's dry, should I go over the seams and replace what's open and needing obvious work? Or should I first float her, see where she leaks and chceck if anything new opens up, then pull her out and start to work on the seams? I'm thinking of first doing repairs while she's nice and dry.

3) While the spars are in good shape (no cracks, no rot, no splinters or rough wood), the wire rigging doesn't look trustworthy. I'll examine it more closely when I get it home, but how difficult is it to put in new stainless steal rigging? Is it a job the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish adequately with a reasonble investmet in some hand tools? There are too many of these boats with cracked spars -- I want to be careful here. I'll be heartbroken if my rigging re-work leads to a broken mast.

4) There is Gold Leaf lettering on the varnished transom. I would like to remove it. It can just be sanded off, right? Or is gold-leaf typically inlaid? (A caveat before you respond: Yes, I understand the tragic fate the sea gods have in store for me when I rename a boat.)

5) I would like to faithfully perserve the character and vintage of the boat. I'll refurbish the original hardware (cleats, spreaders, etc.) and rig with 3-strand. However, There are two changes I am considering. The blocks are the rather cheap-looking Racelite blocks with the plastic sheaves and stamped stainless parts. The jib cam cleats are the "pressed-wood" (?) material common on boats of this vintage. I would like to replace both with bronze parts. Any thoughts comments on how that affects the character of the boat?

Thank you kindely for any advice. I'll keep folks posted as the work goes along, and I'm sure I'll ask for more advice.

[weheritage]

My first sail was on a LIGHTNING - 1963 Hull #6566 Dramamine. She was always dry sailed and nary a problem. Up all winter and in and out from May to October (Indiana)

[MuddyFeet]

Thanks, Weheritage, that's encouraging. Similar climate -- I'm in North Central IL.

For others replying, I have one more piece of info on question #5: I think the cleats are brand-name "Tufnol" (see http://www.woodenboat.org/store/folder_alternate.asp?f =216). (http://www.woodenboat.org/store/folder_alternate.asp?f=216).) I had them on my Highlander, too. I just don't like how they look...I much prefer bronze cam-cleats.

[ 09-28-2005, 02:14 PM: Message edited by: MuddyFeet ]

[Alan D. Hyde]

That gold leaf lettering is made of rubbed-on gold foil.

It has a certain amount of intrinsic value, and can be removed with an injector razor blade in a scraper--- the kind you use to remove auto windshield decals.

Weheritage is right about the trailer-sailing. It shouldn't be any problem.

This website will help with your other questions---

http://www.lightningclass.org/

Suppliers of Lightning equipment are here---

http://www.lightningclass.org/MFG/

***

Alan

[ 09-28-2005, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Alan D. Hyde ]

[Dan McCosh]

Re the dry-sailing. I think the early Lightenings had either splined or tongue-and-groove bottom planking, with the idea that it was relatively tight without needing to swell much. Nicropress makes re-rigging relatively easy, which shouldn't be much of a problem.

[Gary E]

You have a new one.. the Cincinnati area Sea Scouts have #352 and last I heard it was still sailing.

When I was involved it was the late 50's early 60's and the boat was always kept in a barn for the winter, yes it leaked when put in the lake for awhile but not serious, as if a bunch of 15 to 19 yr olds would know. With proper stuff in the seams I see no reason you cant do whatever you want, many did in the old days, today it should be better with newer "seam stuff"

The links to the class should help you.

Have fun, they are fun boats..

[Thorne]

RE: #2.

Not much experience with caulking seams, but several threads here strongly recommend doing this on the boat when wet, or hosing it down and using antifreeze (away from animals) to keep the wood moist. Otherwise you can overpack the dry seams, then compress or break the wood when it swells in the water.

[MuddyFeet]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Alan, I checked out the class site. While Lightnings are a very well-run class I was surprised how little info they publish on restoring these boats. I guess they all come to woodenboat.com! The hold a few regattas targeted at the wooden hull owners -- I'll have to check for one in our area next summer.

[ 09-28-2005, 11:29 PM: Message edited by: MuddyFeet ]

[chucksw]

I grew up with a 1970s fiberglass Lightning. It's a great family boat and also racing boat. Stepping and rigging the older heavy wood mast is a big pain. Most of the class focus is on racing and the competitive boats are newer fiberglass models. Quite a bit of development over the years and even new boats beat the older glass boats due to enhancements in the hulls, rigs and sails. But the wood boats can still compete in the local club races. It is a one design with respect to the hull dimensions, total weight, and sail dimensions. But to compete at the top level now, it seems you need a new almost $20,000 boat and sails, and of course the money to go to the regattas. I miss the old days.

Chuck

[michigangeorge]

IMHO those TUFNOL fittings are very much in keeping with the character of a racing boat of that vintage - they were much lighter, worked better and were high tech for the period. Save the bronze for one of Mr Herreshoff's boats and donate the RACELITE bits to someone with a plastic daysailer. And please use the nico-press fittings for farm implements- a Lightning should have swaged terminals which are readily available and reasonably priced.

[michigangeorge]

IMHO those TUFNOL fittings are very much in keeping with the character of a racing boat of that vintage - they were much lighter, worked better and were high tech for the period. Save the bronze for one of Mr Herreshoff's boats and donate the RACELITE bits to someone with a plastic daysailer. And please use the nico-press fittings for farm implements- a Lightning should have swaged terminals which are readily available and reasonably priced.

[chucksw]

I agree with that about the Nicopress, get new stainless rigging with swaged terminals from West marine or some other rigging shop and new SS fittings. You may not have to change the fittings on the mast and boom, maybe stainless or bronze would be OK.

I'd go get new Harken roller blocks, jam cleats, tracks, and braided lines for all the running rigging. Because from a comfort and ease of handling it's superior to the old blocks and lines, but you wont get originality points. You said the mast is OK and will be dry sailed and launched with a hoist. Make sure the sling which should be newer nylon rope or webbing and lifting eyes are solid!

[Vincent Serio III]

Sounds similar to my Hampton One Design project--a 1947 18'daysailer, carvel planked with cedar. After removing the glass from the bottom, and reefing out the seams, there are gaps that are as wide as 1/8". Wouldn't trust seam compound to seal this up, so I'm following the West System method described in their book "Restoring Wooden Boats." I'm routing out the seams, and epoxying in splines. There have been many posts on this forum about the wisdom (or lack of) of using epoxy to close up a seam. I think with a dry sailed boat, there will be little risk of the planks swelling and being restricted by hard epoxy, therefore splitting or cracking frames. A coating of epoxy after the splining work, followed by finishing should give a little added protection.

That's what I've decided to do--for you, it may be an option. Your seams may not be as wide as mine, so the caulking option may work too.

My other Hampton (built 1962)has tufnol and tuflite cleats--seemed to be the cats' meow in the 1960's--I agree they do look cheap--I saw some in the german catalog Toplicht. Here is what they look like today:

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~cgchildr/serio/boatyard/100_0206.jpg

They are kind of cool, with that 60's look. I think the Lightning would look nice with bronze, too. Hamptons used to have bronze fittings, but the racers chucked 'em in favor of lighter fittings.

My Hampton Resoration page is below:
Restoration (http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4287155413&mode=guest)

[Vincent Serio III]

[ 09-30-2005, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: Vincent Serio III ]

[MuddyFeet]

Folks, thanks for all the comments.

Chucksw -- I don't plan on racing this one. :) That said, if one built a wooden Lightning per Woodenboat's plans with the cold-molded bottom and ply, then used modern spars, sails, and deck jewelry, the boat should be competitive. That would be fun to try, but that's not this project.

Michigangeorge -- Good point about the tufnol hardware being of that vintage, good looking or not. So I have to decide: bronze like the very early hulls, keep the tufnol, or just put on Harken blocks and enjoy the better control.

And yes...after your comments I went and priced swaged terminals at APS and that's definitely the way to go. When I get into it I'll figure out whether to replace the bronze fittings.

I want to be careful with my decisions in both the rigging and blocks. Having the confidence her beautiful spruce mast is going to stay up the that I'll be able to handle her easily in a gust, is the most important to me.

I've got all winter to think on it -- lots of work to be done between now and rigging the boat.

I'm going to stay away from epoxy fillers, etc. Once you cross the line there's no going back. I've done that on my two previous wood boat restorations and not regretted it -- it was the right decision for the type and vintage of boat. But this girl is older, with a lineage that befits a faithful restoration, and she's in good enough shape that staying with cotton and Interlux Brown seam compound ought to work. We'll see!