This Sande Ace has had quite a journey.  It was built in Washington, of course, but somehow found itself in the Midwest.  Roy Dunn got word of it and brought it back to Washington.  Roy eventually sold it to Barney McPhillips who had talked to Bob Parks about rebuilding it.  Whew!

This Ace is unusual in other ways.  It is the only early Sande 12-footer like the original Ace that, to our knowledge, still exists.  It was probably built in 1956.  It is also the only Ace we know of with an open cockpit, a Sande innovation.  Bob jumped at the chance to rebuild his fourth.

Roy brought the basket case to the 2009 Rendezvous.

Ned looks it over with one of Bob's earlier rebuilds in the background.

The Sandes stamped hull numbers under the port side quarterknee but it was missing in this early Ace.

Bob started the rebuild in April, 2013.  His ambitious goal was to finish it including a proper motor before the Sande Ace Rendezvous in the following July.  Bob's tools for poking and gouging to find bad wood are shown on the seat.

The deck and sides might look OK
but they did not pass Bob's poke and gouge test.

Here's some of the rotten wood that had to go!

It's down to the frame. The bottom was good.

The springtime daffodils emphasize a relatively short time before the July Rendezvous.

Epoxy and bolts help to beef up the frame.

Bob has become quite adept at flipping Sande Aces by himself.

The Ace gets new sides and deck.

The Dynel fabric goes on next and awaits the epoxy process.

Upright with the epoxied Dynel finished.

Bob added two new transom knees.
The original Ace plans had three but the Sandes cut those back to one.

Checking the fit on the new front seat frames.

The front seats had backs but the rear bench did not.

It has been painted and the industrial coating, Zolatone, has been splattered over the interior paint.

The two wedges that the Sandes used to minimize porpoising went on over the Dynel.

All done except for the motor and steering.
Notice the original style bow handle.

The Sandes used this brass plate on their early cedar plank boats but this is the first one that we have seen on an Ace.  Even Allan Sande was surprised to find it on an Sande Ace.  They could have been just using them up.

The original chromed pot metal emblems are rare but Bob had nice decals made.

Barney with his new Sande Ace.  Click here to see it at the 2013 Rendezvous with its 1963 Merc 500.