Unique Hull Restoration on 1953, 42 foot Matthews
Noah Wiener owner of New Hampshire Interiors wanted to start a business taking people for cruises on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. He chose a beautiful 1953 42 foot Matthews motor yacht as his cruise vessel. He named her “Smile of the Great Spirit” the meaning of the word Winnipesaukee given to the lake by the native people who enjoyed it for 10,000 years. But Noah needed to restore her before she was ready to carry her cruising passengers.
The restoration took place in Meredith, NH, beginning on March 9th, 2009 and lasting just 11 weeks. The hull restoration effort was headed up by boat builder Mark Bayne, owner of Sea Island Boat Builders, LLC, Charleston, SC. The hull project began by replacing ribs and planks gluing the new parts with MAS epoxy. Next the seam material between the planks (cotton, caulking and putty) was removed and replaced with epoxied splines a unique approach developed by Mark that adds tremendous strength to the structure while eliminating the ongoing seam maintenance. The hull was then faired and covered with fiberglass and epoxy sealing it from water, providing structural strength and rugged durability for years to come. Mark and MAS President, JB Currell, documented this unique restoration process in an interesting and detailed two part video that you can watch here:
