With a comprehensive rebuild nearing completion, a beloved Rhodes sloop will be sailing Long Island Sound this summer.A noteworthy transformation underway is the restoration of New York Athletic Club Yacht Club Past Commodore Henry “Hank” Abbott’s classic 38-foot Rhodes sloop Quee Queg. Designed by Philip Rhodes and built in 1938, Quee Queg has been at the NYACYC since 1966 and is still owned by Gwenn and Lauretta Abbott. Last October, Quee Queg made the journey from the NYACYC’s summer home on Travers Island in Pelham, NY to de Rouville’s Boat Shop, located on the Toms River in Bayville, NJ, for her restoration. The goal was to keep as much of the original boat as possible while ensuring her structural integrity for years of future use.
Once the boat arrived at de Rouville’s Boat Shop, the crew documented – through photographs, notes and measurements – the entire layout of the interior, deck, rigging and systems. After the boat was derigged, hauled and blocked in the woodworking shop, the interior was disassembled, labeled and sent to the paint shop to prep for reinstallation after the hull structural work is completed. The mast and boom were put into the spar shop for needed repairs and finish work in preparation for spring rerigging.
It was determined that all of the hull’s frames would need to be replaced with steam bent white oak, as well as most of the planking. The process involves cutting out every third frame, making up new framing stock, putting the frames in a steam box and injecting high temperature steam for about 1 ½ hours. When the wood is removed from the steam box, it is pliable enough to bend into the hull and conform to the shape needed. It is then clamped in place and left to cool and set before it is fastened with screws. This process was repeated until all 90 frames were replaced. During the framing process it was determined that the stem, transom, and horn timber would also need to be replaced.
Over her lifetime, Quee Queg’s planking incurred the scars associated with hard racing. Eighty-five percent of the planking needed to be replaced. The new planking is done in Philippine mahogany, as was the original, and fastened with silicone bronze screws. The underside of the deck is getting a whole new structure using laminated deck beams. The project will then be finished up with reinstalling the interior woodwork, engine, systems and rigging, renewing the paint and varnish work, and finally launching and testing.
The projected time for this project is about ten months, with Quee Queg returning to her berth at the NYACYC in mid-June. This classic beauty expects to be back on the racing circuit and out for friendly daysails, and welcomes members and guests and wooden boat aficionados to sail with her. The contact telephone number is 973-228-4283. For more photos of this major undertaking, visit deRouvillesBoatShop.com/ QueeQueg. Click on Vol. 1 or Vol. 2 for pictures of the restoration.
