03 - Project Corsair: FLBM Launch Restoration -
August 20 - 22, 2026
Another 3-days work effort led by Bill Strobel '76, continuted to learn more about the structure and intricacies of the Corsair. FLBM team built new wooden foot stretchers out of mahogany before this session. Work effort concentrated on the bow splash guard and other structural improvements.
Work Date: August 20 - 22, 2026
Work Project 03
Deconstruction Work
Thursday August 20, 2026: Bill arrived and spent a few hours in the morning assessing the status of everything. He noticed that the Spreader Bar at the #4 seat was bent (Photos 18 - 21). Looks like someone used it as a handle to lift the boat. Later in the day Cal came by put it in a vice and “muscled” back straight. I then tweaked one end using 3 foot 2”X4” and it is now straight.
While inspecting the boat Bill found that someone has relocated the rudder pulleys lower than they were originally mounted. You can see in the photo (Photos 11 & 12) the three holes above the current pulley location, that is where the pulley was originally located. That will be fixed at a later date.
Friday 8/21/26: Bill continued working on the boat identifying damage. Cal came by in the afternoon and we talked about the seat braces (Photos 13 to 17) and how to do some glue ups of some damaged pieces on the boat. We figured out how many pieces of resawn Spruce we were going to need and Cal said he would do that Saturday morning and bring the pieces by in the afternoon.
Bill found that one of the stern attaching bolts is missing its anchor screws. The bolt that is sticking out is the one with the missing screws (Photos 24 - 25). Cal mentioned that they had trouble removing this bolt when the boat arrived. This will be fixed at a later date when we get the proper screws
Bill then decided to work on the stern section, it was a mess (Photo 26.1). He cleaned all of the old tape residue off so we could better see the damage (Photos 26 - 27).
While cleaning the stern section Bill ran into this marking on the veneer (Photos 37 - 38).
Saturday, 8/22/26: The last pictures (Photos 31 - 36) are of the stern bracing. We never got to see that as it was covered by the stern covering. Now we see what was hiding up underneath the white cover.
New Design & Parts
Saturday, August 22, 2026: Bill went to work mocking up the Splash Boards at the bow. On Friday Cal and Bill reattached the bow section to the boat so it would be easier to work on. Here is what the mock-up looks like (Photos 1 -5).
If you compare the prow angle from 1973 Eastern Sprints boat (Photo 39) to the angle we have now they are different. What I did was mock up some additional angles for comparison (Photos 7 - 10). It looks like the original angle was 60°, our angle is 35°. After looking at it, Cal and Bill both like the 35° angle, we think it makes the boat look racier.
Rebuilding
Thursday Morning 8/20/26: While I was gone from July 22 to August 20, the museum volunteers with Ed Wrightman made new Foot Step Boards (stretcher platforms) for the Corsair out of mahogany just like the originals. What a great job and credit to the FLBM.
In addition, there was a hole in the stern hull, Bill decided that it needed fixing. Bill decided to use some clamps to “relax” the wood so when I glue it October it will be easier to get in place.
FLBM Teamwork
The restoration of the Corsair is a collaborative journey, deeply supported by the expert craftsmanship and archival resources of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum (FLBM). This partnership brings together alumni oarsmen and professional boat builders to meticulously deconstruct and evaluate every inch of the historic wooden hull. FLBM is the perfect partner given the storage, equipment, resources and restoration skills brought by many at the museum
Thursday Morning 8/20/26: While I was gone from July 22 to August 20, the museum volunteers with Ed Wrightman made new Foot Step Boards (stretcher platforms) for the Corsair out of mahogany just like the originals. What a great job and credit to the FLBM.
In July, the local paper had done an article on the restoration. It made the front page of the Sports section. One of the museum members brought in a copy of the article and left it in the boat. Bill placed the article in the #8 seat location, and lots of museum visitors, pick the paper up and read the story.
