Erik Davis, owner of Sloop Creek Boatworks in Mathews, is restoring a 1993 Skiffany, a power boat built by the late Tiffany Cockrell of Burgess, in Northumberland County. Davis spoke with the Gazette-Journal about the project and shared some tips for people who choose to work on their own boats.

Davis said the Skiffany “was almost not worth doing anything with” when he first saw it. It hadn’t been properly stored or maintained, and moisture had built up inside, he said. With no way to vent, the moisture stayed in the boat, and eventually the whole interior below the deck rotted.

Davis was asked for a quote on restoring the vessel, and the owner ended up selling it to someone else instead. But the new owner contacted Davis and gave him the go-ahead to do the job.

After removing the large console and steering wheel, which were “in fine shape,” Davis demolished the rotten decking and its support system. He then installed new stringers and other framing to support the flooring, a...