Sorg 15 Runabout WILLOW

22 Oct 2014: Skipper bought a Race Committee boat, a 1959 15' Sorg Runabout. Her name is WILLOW, and she will head down from Michigan in a few days on her Tee Nee trailer. Anybody heard of Sorg Rough Water Boats from Detroit, MI?

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24 Oct 2014: Eagerly awaiting a boat and trailer....

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Keith passes the flag on the Sorg to Kent.

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Cool bailer.

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25 Oct 2014: Skipper likes it!

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Willow meets Cyane and St Jacques.

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Tucked in to the shack.

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03 Nov 2014: Hung the Evinrude Lark 35hp. It needs several parts and running condition is unknown. Current plan is to put on a new motor and slowly restore the old one. Check out the post 1958 Evinrude Lark 35hp for progress.

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11 Nov 2014: TeeNee trailer has some great design features. We will probably add a crossbar at the end for transom rollers, tie downs and a better location for tail lights.

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14 Dec 2014: The bilge in the Sorg has some thin slats, we are not sure if that is supposed to be the floor or not. Also it is hard to get in the boat without stepping on the curve of the hull or catching a foot on the stringer, so we are going to put in a level cockpit sole in the midsection of the boat. That will be our boarding area. Here we are laying out some planks to get a few ideas.

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The rear seat has a folding back, but the middle seat back is missing. Taking some measurements to build another seat out of 3/4 inch marine grade plywood.

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15 Dec 2014:

Ripping stringers, slats and battens from cypress for a cockpit sole. We need a flat boarding area so people can get on and off the boat safely, and we can slide it out of the way for more leg room once folks are on board and seated.

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Marking a notch for slat to fit around the seat support.

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Cut notch for seat support using handsaw.

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Transferred notch markings to opposite end of slats.

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Cut notch for seat support using handsaw.

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Countersunk brass screws through slats into battens.

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Center section finished. It rides on a rail so it can be slid back out of the way once passengers are seated.

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Individually fit slats for the sides.

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Finished. We'll see how we like it and change as needed. We left it a lighter color so passengers can see it better, contrasted against the darker oak bilge.

22 Dec 2014:
Willow is getting a new Suzuki 4 stroke 25 hp installed at Lou's Marine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Gary is the Owner and has taken this fun challenge on himself, having recently worked on a 1954 Lyman Runabout. Willow will be getting remote steering, remote start, new lights, a bilge pump and external fuel filter. I got to drop in and pick the spots for the steering wheel and throttle.

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Kind of like dropping in during the middle of a surgery.

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23 Dec 2014:
Swung by Lou's again to decide on tachometer installation location. Gary was excited for us to get a good look at the boat so he rolled her out to better light at the edge of the shop. She is getting special treatment, spending all day and night inside.

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29 Dec 2014:
1959 Sorg 15 Runabout "Willow" bow light wired.

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Suzuki 4 stroke ATS 25 hp with tilt and trim.

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Suzuki electric start and remote control, remote steering.

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05 Jan 2015:
Picked up Willow today, Gary went over the Suzuki checklist and systems with me. Gary is the Owner of Lou's Marine in Gulf Breeze, Florida, worked there with his Dad since the 80s. They are the oldest Suzuki dealer in Florida and 4th oldest in the U.S. He expects a ride when it warms up!

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Gary's tip for the flush attachment, add a wire to keep the muffs from slipping off the back.

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We found good spots for the battery, bilge pump and external fuel filter. The gas tank will eventually find its best spot, if it were just a bit shorter it would fit i=under te seat nicely.

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Gary did a great job installing the throttle and steering, it took a little whittling on the steering shaft so that the steering wheel trim cap fit. He also installed a fuse box under dash and wired up the bilge pump and lights.

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Stopped at Walmart for fire extinguisher, winch strap, transom tie downs, hitch lock, floaty key ring things, registration letter/number kit, motor flush attachment....entertained several wooden boat enthusiasts in the parking lot....

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'Twas several nights after Christmas, and all through the town, the Skipper was asking, "When are we taking the lights down?"

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Willow back at the Casa.

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06 Jan 2015:
Bought a piece of 3/4 inch fir marine plywood at Gatlin Lumber, used the Ford Edge to bring it home. We will use this to cut a new seat back for the middle seat.

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08 Feb 2015:
Willow went for sea trials, she ran great. 12 mph at 2700 rpm, 25 mph at 5000 rpm. She had a few small leaks, but they slowed after a few minutes and less than a cup came into the boat. She rides great with her lapstrake construction and carried 3 adults with no problems.

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12 Feb 2015:
Visited the old Sorg factory in Detroit at 4301 Grand River Ave. Willow was built here circa 1958-9.

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Also found the house that Harry C. Sorg lived in around 1953.

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15 Feb 2015:
Took Willow out for her second cruise, she ran great and carried 4 people. 2 passengers sat in the back seat and we could have a normal conversation even with the motor running at half speed. Anticipated fuel burn is 1 gph.

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04 Mar 2015:
Willow after a run into the river inlet. And she got her name on the stern.

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Added bow chocks.

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Mar 2015:
Gary came by with a customer interested in a Suzuki 25. They took Willow out for sea trials and she ran great, Gary was very pleased. Willow had fun.

21 Mar 2015:
Started work on making a back for the middle seat, which was missing. It is a little taller and wider than the aft seat back, but I traced the aft seat back to get a starting point.

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The middle seat is a bit taller and wider than the aft seat, so I added an inch all around.

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I cut out a piece of scrap okume plywood to get an idea of the curve and height of the seat.

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Used the okume scrap to trace the ends and the rest was traced with the cardboard. The small folding tables worked great as mobile work tables.

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Cut out the middle seat.

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Test fit of the new middle seat. Look good, but design challenges lurk.

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Oops, I didn't consider the concave curve of the hull, so I'll trim the sides a bit. That explains why the seat back supports on either side of the hull curve out a bit at the top.

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25 Mar 2015:
Used the template to see how much of the side needed to be trimmed, then trimmed the seat back.

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Also began work on the stem leak. The bow stem curves down and lays on top of the keel. The leak is coming in around the 3rd to 4th rib up from the end of the stem.

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We think the leak is by that gap on the keel/ bow stem joint by the red paint. Water comes in to the boat at a slow trickle, then we think it drains out once we put it back on the trailer, runs down the keel and pools where that discolored area is. There is also a small rust stain on the trailer there.

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Willow propped up so I can get to the keel.

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The keel comes up and meets the bow stem, and there is a scarf joint there. We suspect that is where the leak is.

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Scraping out the failed sealant between the plank and the keel.

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The old sealant kind of flaked out.

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Used West System to seal the bare plywood.

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Sealed the bare wood with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

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26 Mar 2015:
Faired the plank with Pettit EZ-Fair then added 3M 5200 Adhesive Sealant to the keel/stem joint. First time using the 5200 and I couldn't get it to smooth out. It will be fun to sand :?

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Old paint needed to be cleaned off the bow eye. We used a razor blade.

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27 Mar 2015:
Finishing the 1959 Sorg Runabout 15 seat with Sikkens Cetol Marine.

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Used Pettit Easypoxy to touch up the stem repair.

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Not a perfect match but the fish won't mind. (05 Apr 2015 Note: Found out the color should be Rustoleum Topside Oyster White)>

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29 Mar 2015:
Drilling pilot holes for narrow hinge screws.

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Seat back finished, folds nice and flat. and matches pretty well.

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01 Apr 2015:
Willow got measured for a new galvanized trailer at Eddie English Company, Inc. We are going to sell the Tee Nee trailer IOT save it from certain destruction by the local marine elements.

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Summer: We tried to update the TeeNee trailer but it needed lights, guides, more bunks, tie downs etc plus it was maxed out with weight. So Eddie English in Milton made a new trailer, galvanized with stringer and transom support in the right spots. They custom built the drop frame and Willow rides on 13 inch radials now.

Willow also got a nice carriage house to rest in and a covered boat lift....

https://youtu.be/D1yrSABPd9Y

04 Apr 17:

Frederick A. and Margaret Hunter Axelson operated a shipyard just outside of Pensacola on East Bay in the late 1800s, they picked a spot across from the Miller Sawmill to have close access to the yellow pine, longleaf and live oak of the area. The shipyard built lumber schooners and lighters to move goods from the local mills to world markets. We took a trip in Willow to see the cove where their homestead used to be. It would be interesting to explore the area for artifacts from the shipyard and look for ballast stones. The home had cypress trees and scuppernong grapes, tended by Margaret.

27 Jul 17:

A custom cover from Uncharted Marine Canvas has kept Willow clean and dry.

The reason we got Willow was so she should be a chase boat and race committee boat for the Skipper's Sunfish cruises. I followed the Skipper and 2013 Vanguard Sunfish Ciel out one day and we saw clouds building. I turned tail and ran back to the beach at 10 knots and the Skipper was not far behind, she came flying in on a run.

03 Apr 18:

Pulled WILLOW out to rinse off her hull and wipe down the interior. Also rinsed off the cover. Then took her out for a spin and got her back on the lift.

12 Jul 18:

First time we've done genealogy research by boat, Skipper's Aunt and Uncle had a camp house on the water nearby 60 years ago. Pretty sure we found it. WILLOW was the support boat, she wanted to fast on the ride home in 98F heat index.



28 OCT 18:

Nice morning, light wind, warm temp, thought we'd take WILLOW out for a bit. Dropped the lift, hmmm, we had to give her a shove to get clear of the cradle, tide was down pretty low. The cradle bunks need10 inches and WILLOW draws 8 inches, not much water in the bay. We motored out for a few minutes and decided we should check the tide charts on our smartphone. Ooops, tide was still going out and would be down almost another foot over the next few hours. So we made a U turn and returned to the beach. Skipper stepped out and she used the bow line to walk WILLOW back out the the lift, pretty as you please. She did put her coffee cup down though. We gave WILLOW a tug and got her back on the bunks, raised the lift, headed off to launch the Penobscot.

01 Sep 19:

Hurricane Season in full swing, Dorian is crushing the Bahamas, and we are hauling the fleet to move North. First out was CYANE, followed by WILLOW. I positioned the trailer on the ramp next door while Skipper lowered the boats off the lifts, then I walked them over to the ramp. WILLOW snuck under the dock, the tide was low enough :)

02 Sep 19:

Sucked out the bilge and flushed Willow's Suzuki 25 in prep for her move North.

04 Sep 19:

Getting an insurance binder on WILLOW and they wanted some current photos, here are some of the detail shots. We like these photos because they show the equipment that we carry vs some glamor shots we see where it looks like a boat show.

11 Nov 19:

We had 7 1/2 inches of rain on 30 Oct and I was wondering how WILLOW's did in keeping the bilge dry. We took the cover off and found about a cup of water in the bilge, sucked it out with our Porter Cable cordless shop vac. We were happy to find that the boat was pretty dry and there was not any indication of mold or mildew as a result of the deluge. We don't plan to store WILLOW out in the direct path of rain and sun for much longer, she'll either go back on the lift or into the Carriage House for a bit.

04 Dec 19:

We needed to borrow WILLOW's trailer so we launched her and took a little cruise with some coffee. 50F with light winds, saw a few pelicans.

Put her on the lift. Now that the Summer Sauna and Hurricane Seasons are over we can get a little lapstrake time.

Took the trailer for a ride to check out a nearby Sunfish, WAVE had a few words of encouragement to say before we left.

Marine Traffic Control board updated.

10 Feb 20:

Time for WILLOW to get a bath but first, this is our 1000th blog post. We started the blog 7 years ago, with the hopes of sharing information on small boats, getting them back out into their natural habitat. Along the way we have restored about 30 boats, plus maintained our Armada. We might have added a few boats to our collection, namely ZIP, CHIP, ZSA ZSA, WILLOW, WINNIE, SCOUT, SMEDLEY, SACAGAWEA, CLARK and ST. JACQUES. It has been fun and we enjoy seeing boats go off with new Skippers. We have learned a lot along the way from kindred spirits and look forward to future adventures and collaborations.

Back to business, we had the cover off of WILLOW for several weeks, she went back on the lift after the end of hurricane season and we hoped to run her about. Weather and timing have not cooperated and this time of year the pine pollen is horrendous, so WILLOW was getting hammered with pollen, humid mornings and random rain storms. The pollen turns into mold if we don't remove it, so on the 10th she got a bath. We left her on the lift, grabbed a bucket, some Dawn dishwashing liquid and the garden hose and went to work. She got a freshwater soaping top to bottom, we ran the bilge pump to keep her pumped out. Once she was washed off I used our cordless wet vac to remove the last bits of water. WILLOW has a lot of frames in her bilge, with gaps where the frames pass over the lapstrake planking. And around her passenger compartment she has even more intermediate frames. All of those little gaps collect water and debris, so we spend a bit of time vacuuming out all of those laps and gaps. Then we let the residual moisture air dry.

We picked the 4 stroke Suzuki 25 because it had tilt/trim, we need that in our shallow water and it works great to run a different speeds, and with different loads of 2-4 passengers. The 4 stroke 25s put out the same amount of thrust as the original 2 stroke 35, plus it burns cleaner, uses straight marine gas and is quieter.

The stock 6 gallon gas tank was too big for the boat, so we switched over to two 3 gallon tanks that fit neatly under the aft seat. When not in use or drying the bilge we set them on the stringers, that allows plenty of airflow. When we remember we head out on the tank with the lowest quantity, if we run that dry we should have enough in the other tank to get home. And for weight and balance we put the battery portside aft, that helps balance the driver weight a bit. The bilge pump also has an automatic float switch.

WILLOW's steering was upgraded from cable and drum to push/pull at the suggestion of our Suzuki dealer, much safer. He also wired all of the electrical and put in a USB port.

Ready for Florida Spring.

Once she got dried out we put her cover back, the yellow cloud of pine pollen will be around til mid Spring.

19 Mar 20:

We picked a jet ski lift to handle our runabout WILLOW. 1500 pound capacity, plenty for her 600 pound hull. The bunks sit under the boat's stringers.



Log of WILLOW.

06 Jul 20:

We bought our Suzuki outboards from Lou's Marine in Gulf Breeze, so far a 2 1/2 hp, a 4, a 6 and a 25. I scheduled our Sorg Runabout WILLOW for some Preventative Maintenance, bought her a new lead acid battery and asked Gary what he sees causing unscheduled maintenance. He says the top 3 reasons are bad fuel, bad fuel and bad fuel. He recommends using marine grade gas with no ehtanol, adding a fuel stabilizer like StaBil 360 and installing a water separating fuel filter.

WILLOW will get an oil change and a new water pump impeller, and we are also going to put an On/Off switch for the battery on the battery case. Speaking of batteries, I asked Gary if the AGM batteries were better and he said no, that Suzuki requires lead acid and using an AGM will actually void warranty coverage for some items. There are issues with the AGM batteries providing proper voltage to the Suzuki computers. I also asked Gary about chargers, we are getting a "Smart charger" for the battery that provides short and long term charging and he said that will work great.

06 Jul 20:

We use a 1500 pound cradle lift to store WILLOW out of the water. It swivels also but we didn't need that, we preferred extra pilings instead. The main piling is tied to two other pilings with stainless all thread. 3/4 hp motor.



06 Jul 20:

Sorg Runabout WILLOW 06 Boat Cover Features



12 Jul 20:

Air Temp 82F, Dewpoint 74F, Winds NE at 4 knots. Light swell.

We put a new lead acid battery in WILLOW and got some fresh gas with Merine StaBil added, time to take her out for a Functional Check Float (FCF). Lowered her cradle lift and headed towards the river looking for dolphin, they were either sleeping or were good at hide and seek. The motor ran great, water was flat once we left the bay and got into the river channel, so WILLOW stretched her legs and sped up to about 20 mph. We took a long sweeping turn past a townhouse we used to own and headed back to the pier. Florida outings are not lasting too long this time of year, heat index was already approaching 100F when we got everything put away.

The wooden lapstrake hull is holding up well, she needs a repaint some time in the next year as we are starting to see a few paint pops over fasteners that need attention. This paint was RustOleum Topside Oyster White, it's been our favorite Oyster White and it has been on the boat since 2014, with a lot of time in the Florida sun. I'm not sure if a more expensive paint would have held up longer, and I am not sure how many coats, primer, etc went on with this finish. So when it comes time to repaint we'll evaluate what colors are there and decide if we are going to use Topside again. We'd need a color just as beautiful to switch.

Bow lines. We like em. When we launch and retrieve I drive the tow vehicle and Skipper handles the lines. We have a nice long bow line, she grabs it before WILLOW goes in the water and then she can stand clear of the vehicle and trailer. At our ramp next door she has enough bow line to walk over to the dock and tug WILLOW behind her while I park the trailer, bow line is probably 18 feet long or so. We have also found a long bow line handy for different docks, plenty of room to get to cleats and some left over to act as a spring line. We also have 4 other dock lines on board, 2 aft and 2 amidships. We normally don't need them but don't like not having them.

We are also confused by the number of boats that we see launch next door that don't have lines, or boat hooks, people do some strange acrobatics to try and keep control of their boats next to the ramp and dock, many times dangerous stunts. We saw a young woman trying to fend a boat off the pier recently, no lines, no boat hooks, all she had was her arms and legs. She actually fell in and hit the boat with her head on the way down, luckily a glancing blow. ANd talk about acrobatics, you should see the lengths people go to to keep from getting their feet wet, climbing in and out of truck beds, over bumpers, across wet trailer tongues, up and over bows.....people, just bring a towel and some ramp shoes!

The Suzuki 25 still runs great. We are on the list to get some Preventitive Maintenance done in a few weeks, oil change, impeller replacement and we are going to maybe get an On/Off switch put on the battery box.

She's looking pretty good for age 61.

26 Jul 20:

Before we got to battery chargers we filled a couple of screw holes with THIXO Wood. Once it dries we will replace the screws that went missing a few weeks back.

Put a ProMariner ProSport HD6 battery tender on WILLOW's lead acid battery.

 21 Aug 20:

We took WILLOW in to see Gary for an oil change, new water pump impeller, anodes, lubrication and a new water separator. We also had a battery switch installed to ensure there are not any systems drawing power when she is shut down with the exception of the bilge pump, which has an automatic float switch. 

The techs at Gary's Suzuki Shop did an awesome job fabricating a custom bracket for the switch, they wanted the switch to be unobtrusive and they did not want to add any new holes to their favorite boat :)

The smart charger kind of adds redundancy to the switch, or vice versa, but our goals were to eliminate any current draws AND always have a topped off battery. 

Logan got very creative, he replaced the wood screws in the seat back hinge with stainless machine screws and lock nuts to secure the battery switch bracket underneath the seat.

Gary's crew took good care of WILLOW, she always has a special spot indoors for her overnight stays, it seems they may have kept her a few more days than needed, hmmm, I think they just like having her around. 

If you have a fine boat that needs a Suzuki motor, give Gary a call at his family business, Lou's Marine in Gulf Breeze Florida. 40+ years in business, oldest Suzuki Dealership in Florida and second oldest in the US.

 03 Feb 20:

Tide Tamer Swinger 1500 Pound Cradle Lift adapted for our Sorg Runabout 15. The lift is designed to swivel 180 degrees but we didn't need that, we installed pilings for a cover instead.

 21 Jan 21:

WILLOW returned to the repaired pier and her cradle lift, which surprisingly weathered the hurricane without damage. We had to charge the battery for about 30 minutes before launching because I had not plugged in the battery tender while WILLOW was on the trailer for 4 months. I had left the new battery switch on, there is one tiny USB port with a light that draws power. Anyway, she cranked right up and and we motored over to the lift, one more bit of normalcy restored.

More surprised that the nav light electrical connections still work in this corrosive environment.

30 minutes of charging took the battery back up to 50 percent, plenty to crank the motor, it should be topped off 100 percent in 4-6 hours. I was happy to see that the Bad Battery light didn't come on to indicate a battery that wouldn't take a charge.

Our boating seasons are flipped here, it's too hot in the Summer for small boating, heat index routinely tops 110F, sauna temps. This week we expect some light rain and daytime highs in the high 60s to low 70s. We are going to use WILLOW to go search for a few items that disappeared in the storm.

21 Mar 21:

Poor WILLOW had months of dust and pine pollen on her, so we motored up to the beach and she got a fresh water rinse topsides and a salt water rinse on the planks. Then she went on a recon mission to see if we could find any of our debris from Hurricane Sally, to include a bench, a table and pier parts. Nothing spotted.

We did spy a nice sunset.

 Jun 2021:

Our little Sorg Runabout WILLOW and Grumman 17 SCOUT hitched a ride on top of and behind the Subaru Outback XT SUPER GUMBY.

SUPER GUMBY pulled great, the turbo gave her a boost up to highway speeds with no problems. The canoe was held secure with Shepak Quick Loops on the bow and stern, ratchet straps amidships, see our article in the July 2021 issue of Small Boats Magazine.

WILLOW road great on her custom trailer from Eddie English. The key to towing a light runabout safely is to secure the boat and motor to the trailer. We supported and secured the outdrive with a "transom saver" bar so that is didn't bounce and stress the transom.

The transom was secured to the trailer with straps.

The transom eyebolts go through a double thickness of the transom

Armada reforming in the Mid Atlantic.

 04 Dec 21:

It was a small victory to get the little runabout WILLOW's battery charge hooked up, after she sat for 6 months. Maybe she gets to go out soon on a nice day. BTW this ProMariner HD6 Smart Charger has worked great, we like how we can check the status of the charge.

 05 Sep 22:

We pulled out our 1959 Sorg 15 Runabout to get her ready for the late Summer and Fall Seasons. Flushed the motor and rinsed off some dirt.

The battery box sat directly on the oak ribs, not good for air circulation and there were some stress points. We made a teak stand to better spread the load and open up space for more airflow, important to keep the bilge dry.

We have used the cordless wet/dry vac quite a bit, easier to tote around and no risk of electrocution. While the bilge looked pretty clean, we sucked out quite a bit of debris, sand and leaves, which can clog spaces under the ribs and promote rot. After we removed the big stuff we go back and vacuum around each rib and plank junction to get the last drops of water. A dry bilge in a wooden boat is a happy bilge.

Runabout Ramblings video: https://youtu.be/xJClImFoBCM

05 Oct 23:

WILLOW has not been in the water since 2021, right before she made the 900 mile haul from Florida to Virginia. We spent some time a few weeks back making sure she had fresh fuel, started, peed water, ran, etc... and was mostly free of spiders. We also had to get her Virginia registration and trailer plate.

The smart battery tender has done a good job keeping her battery topped off, and in order to do that we paid to have electrical run to the HEUER GARAGE, where WILLOW naps. We also tested the bilge pump and auto float switch.

We're not sure if this size Sorg had floorboards, we chose to not make any but added a sliding boarding floor amidships, shown retracted under the aft seat in this photo, so we'd have a flat spot to step on when coming aboard. WILLOW's middle and aft seatbacks also fold down.

We have to angle the boat just slightly to get her fit in the 12x20 HEUER GARAGE, with the pink tape on the floor being the guide points to park her. Today I was able to pull the trailer forward a foot, get the tongue centered over the midpoint of the shed floor and pull the rig straight out with our Ford Edge SUPER SANDY. 

Plans are being drawn up to put in a bay window on the back wall, with enough space to host the outboard motor, that way WILLOW can roll straight back into the garage. We have widows left over from Sunfish Shack v2.0. We'll also be able to get some cross ventilation during the Summer.

Jones Creek launch, with a pause to see if she floats. She did, a few small leaks but no more than we experienced down in Florida. Our Learning Lesson today was that a boat hook in the boat does no good if it can't be reached, the boat hook needs to stay with the boat hooker. The fixed pier was a bit high for us, so Skipper commanded a slide to starboard and we climbed aboard from the floating pier. And now we know when we get King Tide, the water is up to the fixed pier and we could board from this side. 

Since WILLOW didn't sink we went out for Sea Trials, a 30 minute recon of the creek. The Rescue, VA bridge is in the photo, a mile and half down creek from the ramp. Vertical clearance on Active Captain shows 17 feet, and there is a fun restaurant at the bridge.

Back up to the creek to the ramp, a fun mess about. We'll check it out again in a few weeks as the leaves turn, should be beautiful out there. 

Marine Traffic Control Board updated.

...to be continued...