Project: Zeeto

Zeeto, a gaff-rigged schooner, was rescued by her owner Doug Hanson and brought to us for restoration. Over several years, we’ve trued the hull shape, replaced her frames, replaced degraded planking and cold-molded a 5/8″ thick veneer over the original strip planking repainted and launched her. she’s now sailing in good health and last year joined the tall ships visiting Duluth for the Tall Ships Festival.

This year she got a new teak deck and fresh paint on her cabintops. She will again join the Tall Ships in Duluth for the festival July 29-August 1.

Zeeto, foreground, sails away from Duluth along with the brig Niagara.

Here Zeeto's bowsprit moves over her reflection in the waters near Grand Marais.

: Zeeto was rebuilt inside this solar-gain boatshed over the course of the winter.

: Here you can see Zeeto in the boatshed before the plastic went on.

: After removing the planking, broken frames are visible on the starboard side.

: Repairs begin on the starboard side.

: Strip planking is complete on the port side.

: Bruce glues in the new frames after they were dry-fitted.

: A double layer of marine plywood is cold-molded to the hull.

: Randy fits a plank with a spiling board.

: New rails were carved for the stern.

: Steve works on the cold molding of the bottom.

: The new cold-molded bottom seen from the stern. Rudder is to the left.

: Seen from the stern, the cold-molded bottom over the strip planking.

: The topsides were given fore-and-aft planking made of mahogany marine ply.

: Zeeto is released from her boatshed in the spring, ready for launch.

: Zeeto moves to the lift well for launch.

: This spring Zeeto returned to Riverside to get new teak decks–they had been fiberglass.

: The teak strips were resawn from timber and dryfitted with spacers.

: Alex is glueing down the teak strips–the blue on the hold-downs is tape, to keep them from sticking to the teak strips. The glue used is 3M 5200.