CANADA’S COMMERCIAL MARINE MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 WESTERNMARINER.COM 31
PHOTOS COURTESY COMMODORE’S BOATSCommodore’s Boats
Bo Spiller’s crew at Commodore’s Boats on Shelter Island took
on a number of wood projects during the past year. The veter-
an 92-ft schooner maPleleaf (1904, Vancouver Shipyard) – orig-
inally a well-found yacht, turned halibut fishing boat, and now
working in ecotourism – was in for periodic maintenance and re-
pair. For this renewal, some of the port side frames were sistered
with UMHW material, and the horn timber base was rebuilt and
sheathed in steel. Some planking was replaced, and all planks
were refastened with galvanized lag screws, followed by caulking
(photos above and at right).
Other wood projects included a comprehensive rebuild of
slowloris, a 30-ft Paul Gartside-designed plywood houseboat.
Inspection revealed the need for new hull sheathing, keel, interi-
or and guards. The drivetrain, tanks, electrical and plumbing systems also required extensive work.
The 52-ft DeltalifeBoat (ex stevestonlifeBoat, ex artistslife, ex snocraB, ex swanee, 1944, U.S. Navy) a former admiral’s
launch, had half a dozen planks replaced, purpleheart ice sheathing installed along the forward half of the water line, then
new coatings applied. The 62-ft viking
king (ex niluht, ex shePoDy, 1921, Charles
and Fred Thulin, Lund) – a retired tug
owned by Harken Towing since 1973 and
fully restored by Commodore’s Boats in
2002 – was also in for haulout and main-
tenance, which in 2019 included replace-
ment of a few deteriorated planks and
caulking, with removal and replacement
of some gumwood sheathing as needed
to get at the planks (photo left). –D.C.