Tasks ahead of us

When I realized the Skiff was Grandpa's, I thought it would be an easy restoration. I have restored a lot of boats and even worked on 3 Verity Skiff restorations. For those of us who have done restorations, we all know there are a minimum of three setbacks not planned. This is the first time dealing with someone(s) taking a Verity Skiff and making it something sellable in the fiberglass world. They removed the true workmanship for plastic and changed her deck lines and windshield for a customer's whim. It saddens me that after Grandpa's death, people took his last boat and separated her from her lineage. Her hull, engine, and decks are mainly intact.

Below is the start of the changes that I am trying to bring back. Some changes were for things like engine blowers etc,,

The red box shows the wood butchery over an oversized windshield. The blue box shows where the side wall of the cabin was extended.

The image on the left is where the original windshield was cut to enlarge it, framing it with flimsy 3/8" plywood.

We may give her the standard Fall top for a Verity skiff. See below, from a "to scale" line drawing I have of a 1948 Verity Skiff. Sorry, I gave my word I would not publish them in their entirety, over 40 years ago.

Someone added an engine blower to the boat. During the install, they put a 2" hole on her first plank down, midship.

Who ever committed that crime covered up the sin with a cheap aluminum cover. Yes, It wakes me up at night. Sam Verity also said "Verity Skiffs won't let you down". I think a 2 inch hole in a bad location would void that saying.

I knew from the start it was grandpa's skiff by the lines and workmanship in her hull. I know there were changes made which was no big task. It saddens me that the boat was left unclaimed at the marina after grandpa's death. My journey has become fixing the vandalism done to her to make her look like a fiberglass boat. It seems that someone thought putting kitchen Formica laminate on white oak was a great upgrade to make an easy sale.

I look forward to the day when I finally get her in the water and feel a true Verity Skiff under me again. She will be back to an original, wood boat with upkeep.

The entire cabin sides are covered with sheets of plastic. Some of the wood on the cabin has been replaced with knotty plywood to give sleeker lines to her sides.