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I've just bought an old wood construction Enterprise which has no built in
flotation. Any suggestions as to where I might find custom designed
buoyancy tanks or designs I could use to refit this boat? I have been
advised expanding foam is a way to go but I would still need to enclose it
somehow I am told. Any suggestions?
Thanks very much,
Gary

Gary:
As you know trapped air is what buoyancy is all about so probably the best way to accomplish this would be to build air tight boxes under the seats. Remember water weighs about 63lbs per cubic foot so you will need the appropriate cubic footage to offset the boats weight. If the boat displaces one cubic foot of water you need one cubic of trapped air for the boat to stay afloat at the gunnels. Sorry for the physics lesson but many people don't understand the principals of floatation and displacement. Hope this helps-------------gary

question: I AM RESTORING A 32 FOOT LUHRS THAT HAS MAJOR TERMITE AND ROT THROUGHOUT.I AM USING PRESSURE TREATED THREE BY TENS,ENCAPSULATED IN GLASS,FOR THE STRINGERS,AND I AM GLASSING THEM TO THE HULL.AFTER LOOKING AT YOUR ANSWER TO SOMEONES QUESTION,I AM WONDERING IF I ERRED IN NOT LEAVING THE TOP SURFACE OPEN.I USED MATTING AND POLYESTER RESIN,AND WILL USE THE SAME TO GLASS THEM TO THE HULL.SHOULR I LEAVE THEM AS THEY ARE,OR GRIND THE TOP OFF.THANKS FOR YOUR ADVISE.

KEN

Normally one would want to have the stringer fully encapsulated.
However with pressure treated lumber I have no experience in how well the
resin sticks to the chemically treated wood. If you tap around lightly with
a hammer and get consistent solid sounds you're probably OK, but if you get
hollow sounds the glass is not sticking to the wood and since the strength
comes from the wood and glass bonding together, you may should do it over
with well dried untreated timbers. Sorry if this turns out to be bad news,
hope not----g

question: I have a 1961 42' Norseman. I'm a residential carpenterand I have a million questions for you folks, starting with epoxy resin compared to pollyester resin, what is the differance?

It's all in the chemistry but from a practical sense epoxy is better,
stronger bonds and harder, but is a bit more sensitive to environmental
conditions when applied. It is considerably more expensive than polyester
resin which is the reason that most fiberglass boats are laid up with
polyester. Epoxy resin can be used over polyester but not visa versa. Nice
boat you have and feel free to ask questions as needed.-------gary

I am currently working on my first plywood runabout and have read about different methods of sealing the wood.

1. A mixture of linseed oil and turpentine applied in many coats and allowed to soak into the wood.

3. Epoxy resin which I am really trying to avoid as me and fiberglassing/resins are not good friends.

I know that there had to be a pretty good method prior to epoxy resin coming out and was wondering which was the best to use.

Also, do you seal the frames/battens/chines prior to the applying the plywood? The boat will be used in fresh water only on rivers and lakes in the south and will be painted bottom and sides with brightside decking(hopefully).

The first boat I built was a plywood runabout kit boat and I've been
messing around with boats ever since, so be careful, you can be bit hard by the
boat bug. Unlike solid timber which needs a penetrating finish that allows
the wood to breathe and can happily be finished and protected with a variety of
oil finishes and sealers, plywood, however, whose surface is a thin veneer
allowing limited penetration needs a good tough surface finish such as paint
or epoxy sealers with special attention to the edges where water penetration
will cause delaminating. Normally with plywood construction, the outside
butted seams are sealed with fiberglass tape and the overall surface treated
with penetrating epoxy , then painted. The interior can simply be painted
with a good oil or alkyd based paint including all framing and support
timbers. Fresh water on bare wood trapped in the right condition ie. no air
circulation to dry up the moisture, will cause rot, so a good sealed painted
surface can save you a big headache later on. Good luck and ask more as
needed and send me a pic of the finished product---gary

If you use the light mesh glass tape, you can usually just feather the
edges in but sometimes you need a little filler, like bondo auto body
filler, to get the feather just right. You also can glass the whole outside
for a sealed surface but to me that is overkill and the less glass the
better for if fresh water gets in-between the glass and wood
you get that good rot environment. For best results put a coat of resin
on the surface to be glassed and let it dry. Then put the next coat on laying
the glass into the wet resin, let dry . Sand lightly and add successive
layers of resin until the surface is smooth.
Fair off , use a penetrating resin on the unglassed plywood and paint---go to
www.rotdoctor.com for info on products--------go

question: Hello..I am trying to convert an old Chris Craft lancer from an OMC drive to a Mercruiser Alpha. I know I need to plug the hole and re cut the cut out for the mercruiser shape..but what would you suggest as far as filling the hole in the transom..I want to make sure I do it right and it is strong enough..the other questions I have are. locating the new cut out for the mercruiser drive. what is the best way to locate the cut out location and make sure everything is going to line up..any and all help with this project would be greatly appreciated..thank you!

I assume this is s fiberglass Chris Craft, but if it should be wood you would need to replace inner and outer planks where there is a void between the new cut out and the old one. With fiberglass transoms there is a plywood filler in between the outer and inner layer of glass. From the inside you would cut out a rectangle 1/3 again the size of the old cutout making sure not to cut through the outer fiberglass only through the inner glass and the plywood. Fit in a new piece of plywood with no cut out and seat the plywood against the outer hull glass with a couple layers of resin soaked matte glass . Then, after filling the joint gaps with epoxy filler, fiberglass, using biaxial glass, the inside of the plywood well overlapping, 6-8 inches, into the existing inner glass. Then cut out the new hole and fill in the outer hull glass where necessary. It's a lot of work but it is the only way to maintain the integrity of the transom. Good luck---gary---ask more as needed

biaxial glass is a layer of diagonal roving glass sewn onto a layer of matte glass, available at fiberglass supply stores

question: Hi, your response would be respected and apprectaited thanks! I own a seafearer viking 5.5m power boat with a inboard sterndrive. The problem i have is transom rot, the back of the transom at the top is flat accross and goes down with one piece to the bottom v. All the transom from the bottom at the bungs to both sides, around the motors transom shield and up to and around the tow hooks in the transom is all hard and sounds solid when you hit it. BUT last week i pulled an aluminum slip strip with a curled corner edge off the back top corned egde of the transom to reveal a crack along the edge,in some spots up here for like 1-2 inches down from the crack when you push on the transom it moves in a few millimeters. I can see that the back fiberglass sheet has room in bettew itself and the wood. I used an air grinder and opened up the crack a little at the worst spot and the wood is dark brown and real soft and likes to brake into little pieces - i only dammaged like 1/4 of a 5 cent piece of the wood but it seems rotten! i looked inside the tansom its all hard and fine but at the top on the side where the crack and softness is worst on the outside there is a hairline crack the the wood right at the top for about a foot but its not very important at all its not load bearing or anything. My question i suppose is i'm lost, can i prevent and repair this without destroying the outside fiberglass on the transom, say like a stop rot treatment and seal it with epoxy filler or epoxy resin then filler as i believe the rest of the transom is solid it drives fine. or should i maybe cut off the top 1/2 foot out side fiberglass and repair the top side of the wood ????

Don't mess with the outside fiberglass, all repairs from inside. Fresh water got in through the crack and since the transom is a fiberglass sandwich with plywood in the middle, a perfect environment for wood rot results. From what you said about the results of your sounding the transom,only the upper part appears soft. So I would cut through the inner fiberglass across the whole transom about 1ft down from the deck. Hopefully you will not find further extended rot, but if you do the same procedure is followed. After removing all the rotted wood, cut a new piece. Bed the new piece into a wet dual layer of biradial fiberglass cloth holding it firmly against the existing outside transom glass. Biradial is a layer of matte glass sewn to a layer of matte roving glass. Once that sets up, do the same on the inside making sure to lap the new glass well over onto the existing hull, like 6-10 inches worth. Normally fiberglass hulls are laid up using polyester resin , epoxy is too expensive, but check with the manufacturer and use whatever they used. When overlapping onto the existing hull, first use some Jabsco epoxy stripper to roughen up the gel coat surface so you get a good bond with the new resin.

I hope this proves to be the limit of your problem, but more often than not, unless caught very early, the rot extends further than first thought. Also if the glass has lost its bond to the wood and there are air spaces, condensation can develop in these voids and begin the rot process. So if there are any doubts about the rest of the transom you are better off to drop the outdrive, pull the engine and do the whole shebang, plus you could check the engine stringers as well---good luck and ask more as needed-------gary

question: Hi Gary - Great site you have going here, glad I stumbled (thanks to good 'ol' google) across it! I have answered most of my questions, but there is one left....

I have just obtained a Hartley 16" (google it, there are thousands of the things!) - it is a plywood home-built (like most) - apparently 2 owners ago it had a great home - the last owner took really good care of her until he tried to change the boat trailer - alone - in his back yard...

What I now have is a leaky boat - and it looks as if one of the peives of plywood has a 12" crack, penetrating right through - he has tried to glass it to no avail...

I am going to remove the glass Junk and get back to wood, and Thought I had three options....

- Somehow epoxy just the crack (with some penetrating stuff), add a few more layers of epoxy (ply - no movement needed - in the middle of a peice) - and paint it up (don't like the colour anyway!)

You have already conned me out of option 3 - Any other options or any suggestions? I have good access in and out (the floor easily removes, there is also no flotation installed right now)....

This is my first boat (my Dad was a commercial fisherman and also grew up on an island, always with boats, but hasn't the knowledge on woodwork - he is a steam engine engineer!) - and I am an IT guy who likes to 'play' - I'll give anything a go.....

Interesting boat. You got me wrong, I choose # 3. Glassing it over with considerable overlap is the way to go, both sides, inside and out if you have inside access. Sounds like the previous attempt wasn't done properly for there is no reason not to get a good seal between the plywood and glass.In a marine environment, glass over ply is fine, glass over solid wood is not.--I would fill the crack with epoxy filler (Bondo) before you glass over it.Have fun----gary

question: Gary, I have a 77 Correctcraft centerconsole. Wile replacing the engine, found the mounting holes in the stringers somewhat discolored (Dark Brown). The stringers are encapsulated in fiberglass. While checking the mounting holes for condition I drilled several test holes, wood at bottom part of stringer is dark brown, top part golden. some water also came out of lower test holes. It would appear that the bottom 1/4 of the stringer has some degree of damage. the damage also appears to run the lenght of the engine cabin to the stern. About 9ft I have heard of a product "Rid Rot" but do not know whether this would be ok to use to restrenten the bottom part of stringers or are new stringers the only way to go?

Yup, been there done that--actually did a deposition in a law suit against Bayliner for that very problem i.e.. encapsulating green lumber in fiberglass leading to rot. I am afraid there is no easy fix----git rot is strictly for cosmetic repairs---so you have to bite the bullet and remove the stringers. When installing the new ones, fiberglass them heavily, i.e. biaxial glass, to the hull but don't totally encapsulate the wood. Also get good dry wood--preferably fir ---oak does not glass well. While you're at it, check the transom as well, often these were sandwiched with a wood core. Tap on it and hope for a sharp sound not a dull thud.-----gary

OK, the original wood does appear to be a light colored wood, not sure what
kind though. When you say don't totally encapsulate the wood, can you
elaborate?

Yes, just come about half way up the stringer with the glass. Fill the sharp angle of the wood to the hull with a thick slurry of glass fiber and resin forming a cove and then lay the biaxial glass over that so there is not a sharp crease in the glass and just carry the cloth up the side of the stringer , not over the top. You want fresh air to get to the top portion of the wood where the engine bolts go in-----see attached

Biaxial glass is a layerof matt glass attached to a layer of heavy roving glass making the lay up simpler. In glass lay up for strength one alternates matt layers with roving layers------ask more if needed---g

question: I own a 31 ft. 1967 Owens Express Cruiser, "The Captain Ron", with double-hull mahogany planks and I am interested in fiberglassing the hull. It's too expensive for me to keep it at the marina and I would much rather get a trailer and keep it in the backyard and avoid the swelling and contracting of the wood hull. The wood is in good condition because the previous owner was an experienced boat mechanic, but I'm sure that wood doesn't last forever.

How should I go about fiberglassing this boat? Should I remove the outer layer of planking and then fiberglass, or would that weaken the structure? Is it best to just fiberglass over everything?

The former owner, Ron, was very knowledgable, but this is all new to me and I more accurately reflect the movie version of Captain Ron. I rebuild cars and trucks, and used to work with computerized fuel injection systems...I have two Corvette Tuned Port Injection units to install on the Chevys in the boat at some point in the relatively near future. I have a lot of experience with passenger cars, commercial trucks, and even heavy equipment, a large array of tools and assets, including labor, and a desire to learn about boats.

Get a fiberglass boat. Glassing over a wood boat sets up conditions for massive rot and doesn't work because you are combining two antagonistic materials. The wood needs to move with stress and expand and contract, the fiberglass is rigid and inflexible. The only way it works is if the fiberglass is so thick you are actually creating another hull which makes the wood hull incidental but also adds so much weight that the boat is encumbered. Either learn to live with a wood boat or get a fiberglass one that better meets your needs--------gary

question: i have a 1963 o'day javelin with a dry-rotted transom. can it be repaired at a reasonable cost? thanks - tom

Shouldn't cost too much but very cheap if you do it yourself. Pretty simple--cut out the inside layer of fiberglass covering the whole wood transom, remove all the wood trying not to damage the outside layer of glass. Put in a new piece of marine plywood attaching it to the outside glass with resin saturated fiberglass matte. Then reglass the inside broadly overlapping all edges. Go to it----gary

question: Gary-I am restoring a 68 26' plywood CC. New marine ply hull and bottom. In an effort to protect the bottom are there other products than epoxy and glass to protect and seal the bottom? I'm in Texas in fresh water. Hot & humid.

With plywood bottoms the greatest vulnerability are the joints where the glue edges are exposed so I have usually just used fiberglass tape on the joints and used penetrating epoxy on the rest.----------g

question: Hi, it is really great to find your site. My husband built a wooden skiff and we are having a really hard time with the epoxy drying. It is the 2 part epoxy; some areas dried very hard and others are still tacky after winter storage. My husband has developed a bad allergy to the stuff, so now I have to try to finish. What I would like to know is if I can put a new mixture over the tacky stuff? I will test the mixture to make sure it will dry - perhaps it wasn't mixed correctly or sufficiently. Thanks for any advice. If he builds another boat, is there any substitute for sealing the joints besides epoxy? Leslie

Kudos to your husband for building a boat and to you as well for pitching in. There are many ways to build a boat where in epoxy or fiberglass need not be used. There are traditional boat building methods to seal joints as well as some high tech polysulfide caulking materials that work well. To your specific problem, putting a new coat over the old, mixed a little hot ( a little more hardener than called for), should do the job but make sure you test your supply first, it maybe bad. Also the temperature should be at least 60 and the humidity low. Good luck and feel free to ask more---by the way--vinegar takes epoxy off your hands--------gary

Thank you Gary; I am working on it now, but somehow it still doesn't seem to be setting correctly even though it is fast hardening epoxy. Hardened in the cup though, and was smoking! I guess I'll keep trying. I really appreciate your help; my husband is ready to make it into a planter, but it took so much work and in NJ it's a big hassle getting home built boats registered, so I am not ready to give up without even floating it once. Regards - Leslie

All right, smoking epoxy, way to go. It should go off, keep it warm. Where are you in NJ? Send me a photo of the boat----g

question: I am trying to aquire a 23', 1959 Chris Craft day cruiser from my father. It has been sitting in a barn in Ohio for the last 6-7 years. He is reluctant to let me have it because I live in Pensacola Fl with warm, salt water. The hull is plywood, and is in good shape, but I would like to fiberglass it to prevent any rot or deterioration. Is this necessary? Is this a practical plan for an amatuer? If so, are there any books that are worth while to assist me in my progress? How much does it usually run to have something like that done by a professional? Thanks alot.

Nice boat. The warm salt water is far less of a problem than the warm freshwater and the high humidity climate you live in. Salt water kills rot and thus the only reason you might want to fiberglass the bottom is if the boat was going to sit in the water for a long period of time for the glass makes a more uninhabitable surface for the many salt water creatures who like the taste of wood. Fiber glassing is a messy business but takes minimal skill to do it properly, best done with the boat inverted so gravity is your friend not your enemy. Your environment is particularly hostile to wood boats because there is no cold weather to deter the growth of the fungus that causes wood rot and the warm moist environment sets up perfect conditions for the fungus to thrive. The biggest deterrent against rot, besides salt water, is fresh air circulation which evaporates the moisture in the wood. If you take the boat, when not in use, you must store it in a shady covered area, protected from the rain and with plenty of air circulation i.e.. no tight fitting boat cover. If you take on the stewardship of this boat you are taking on the responsibility of maintaining a classic irreplaceable vessel and I give you fair warning, there is a special place in hell for those who fail at this. I am sure your father would concurr.-------gary

question: Thank you for your promt response to my last quetions! I recently spoke to my father, and I am relaying some new questions. First, if I were to keep the boat in the water for about 8 to 10 months out of the year, but then pulled it and gave it a new coat of anti-fowling paint,would that be enough to prevent the marine critters from attacking the plywood hull and possibly take away the need to fiberglass the hull? Second, the boat has only had a marine spar varnish on the upper wood. Are any of the new polyurethanes better at lasting for longer than one year?

In that water , I would say max 6 months between paint jobs and during the use of the boat if any bottom paint is rubbed off, fix it immediately . Because of the strong UV in that climate Varnish doesn't last long and the new polys aren't any better. What many boaters do who bring their boats from the north to the south is to paint over their varnish to protect the wood than when they return north sand off the paint down to the varnish and revarnish.-------g

question: Hi Gary, My name is Chris Merriam and I am working on restoring a 1955 Paul Luke 34' Yawl. The previous owner had fiberglassed the hull and I have been pulling it off. I am about to the water line working from keel up, and in my zeal some of the Mohogany has pulled off with the epoxy. In a few spots up to 1/4". 1st question; Is there a filler I can use on those spots or should I be thinking of replacing planks? The other issue being all the seams and most of the fasteners are filled with fiberglass. 2nd question; I built a bow frame green house over the boat and I am worried about humidity levels as we go into Spring and Summer. What are some safe Levels?? Thanks in advance, Chris

Well, you sure got your hands full. You can fill those split outs with a thickened (use fine sawdust) epoxy mix. You'll have to get all the stuff out of the seams so you can recaulk, but don't worry about the epoxy over the fastenings. Hopefully the seams still have cotton in them but if not you will need to do that as well. You need to retain the bevel > in the seams so take some care in cleaning them out. Sometimes you can use a router with a batten guide or a small skill saw. You can't control the weather but you can control air circulation throughout the boat. As long as you have good air circulation you don't have to worry about rot. Good luck, you have my respect and sympathy. She'll be a beauty when your done---gary

Gary I am builging a grand banks dory and I am using spruce for the bottom and side planking, my question is can I fiberglass over the spruce planking. Thank you

Nope, you can't glass over planking because the glass has no flexibility to move with the expansion and contraction of the wood and over time will crack and separate. Plywood or other laminates can be glassed for they do not expand and contract with moisture. Nice project, send a pic--g

question: Thanks for the information on the fiberglass over the spruce planking on the grand banks dory, what would be the best way to seal the seams with cotton or with a caulking I think is called 5200,I have all the frames built now and I am having the planking sawed at the mill,I am also wondering if I could fiberglass the frames where there is not too much movement in them and treating the planking with pentox.I will send pictures as I go along and thanks again for the question you answered for me.ART

You have taken on quite a project, a labor of love. When building a wood boat it is best to stick with traditional methods. Modern materials such as fiberglass, epoxies and polysulfides like 5200, have some uses on wood boats, but they are few and are quite specific. These materials tend to stifle the woods ability to breath and can trap moisture and accelerate the growth of rot fungus. There is no good use for fiberglass unless it is over plywood ie. not on the ribs. 3M 5200 in the seams is a disaster. It acts like a glue and is impossible to remove when repairs are necessary and prevents the planks from swelling correctly. The seams should be slightly beveled outward > and caulked with cotton string and covered over with a traditional seam compound ( Interlux makes it}. Traditionally wooden boats are built to be fixed as needed and so that parts can be replaced easily over time. I will continue to assist with answering your questions but if you live in a boating area, it would be helpful for you to find an old timer with wood boat building experience to advise you and show you some of the tricks when you get stuck.---------gary

question: Dear Gary, I am getting conflicting information on the suitability of pressure treated wood (e.g., 2x4s etc.) for replacing structural parts of my boat. Have you heard any problems with using such material and covering it in fiberglass fabric and resins? Thanks for any help you can provide. Tom

Yes, don't do it. In covering wood with fiberglass the bond of the resin with the wood fiber is critical for if there is a bad bond and condensation can develop than rot soon follows. The chemicals used to preserve the wood interfere with this bond. Just make sure if you are glassing over wood other than plywood , that it has a low moisture content ie. thoroughly dried so rot spores can not form. Plywood is by nature low in moisture so glassing to it is no problem as long as the edges are well sealed.-------work hint--vinegar gets resin off your skin-------gary

Gary, are you aware of any articles on the matter? And ways to minimize future problems. Reason I ask is we are undtaking work on a boat that had work already started in pressure treated and cannot easily recover. Also, I've seen reference in epoxy supplier material to use penetrating epoxies if pressure treated used. Hope there is a way around it. Thanks for the time and guidance. Tom

Hi There,
I have available to me, a 69 Chris Craft Cavalier 28'. The hull (
Plywood ) is in need of real repair.
I have heard of fiberglassing over the wood inside and out.
A few people have suggested that the boat is used as a form only for the
fiberglas and does not have to be sound.
Could you please advise.
Thank you
Bob Pero

Bob;
With fiberglass over wood boats of that era , the wood gave the structural strength and the glass was merely an add-on for a finish. To fix the Chris craft properly and maintain some value, you must replace the seriously damaged wood. To fiberglass the damaged areas inside as well as outside would do little good unless you used so many layers of glass that you would in effect turn it into a fiberglass boat, too expensive and impractical. You probably have a small antique boat association in your area and I am sure you would get plenty of good advice and maybe even some expert help. Good luck-----------gary

question: OK, I hear over and over again about fresh water seeping between the fiberglass and the plywood and causing rot in boats constructed of glass over ply. I am considering building a boat with this type of construction(am I nuts or what!) SO, what can I do to construct my boat so I won't be plagued with this problem down the road ?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Norm

Norm:
Don't feel bad, done correctly and keeping a close eye on it over time, glass over ply can work just fine. Usually there is little problem with the hull itself, but it is the deck and cabin house that are most subject to glass separation, water penetration, and subsequent rot. I would tend to glass the hull and use lagging compound with screen cloth to cover the decks and cabin house roof. Lagging is like Elmer's glue, it sticks well and expands and contracts with the wood and is water proof after painting. It is water soluble until painted which makes for easy cleanup, but one would not use it on the hull itself because it may peel with constant submersion. Since it is used for heating pipe insulation, lagging can be bought at any heating or plumbers supply outlet. When glassing the hull have no sharp corners, soften all corners for good glass adhesion. I did the hull on a small runabout I built and saw the boat 10 years later and all was well with the glass and wood. Good Luck--------gary

Thanks, Gary

I have seen many of the older wood boats around the SF Bay with aerbol
covered decks, so I know that this doesn't look bad, rather
"traditional" actually. What about glassing the interior of the hull as
well. I was thinking about building "clinker" style with ply strakes
(3/4") and then layering the strakes with moderately thick mat and a
final light glass cloth so I could preserve the "clinker" appearance of
the hull. I am concerned that if the glass is not structural in and of
itself, a typical misjudgment with a dock would result in cracking and
leaking and... and... well, we all know what comes next. My thought on
glassing the interior was to use 3/4 ply frames sawn to take the laps,
and doubled with 2x4 sanwiched (and cross fastned)in between(fitted and
shaped to match the strakes as well) to take the planking screws. Then I
was intending to glass the whole frame assembly, but perhaps this is
overkill?? I am presuming that the deck/hull joint should be made in the
traditional wooden boat construction manner and that one runs some kind
of a cap trim around the edge where the arebol meets the bulwarks and
cabin sides? I also rember seeing a common practice in the bay area of
mixing or sprinkling sand on the final top coat over the aerbol to make
a non-skid deck. When masked off it looks good, and seems to work pretty
well.
Thanks for your interest and quick reply.

Norm:
In my opinion glassing a lapstrake hull is asking for problems. With all the edges you are dealing with you can't help to get some air bubbles which later turn to leaky areas. For the same reason glassing the interior of any type hull is a bad idea. Put the money you would spend on glass and resin into a good grade of marine ply. Also sand in paint for non skid is OK but wears down easy and is hard on the knees, better yet is sprinkling Epson salts into the paint, let dry, wash off with fresh water, paint again. You get a soft non abrasive nonskid surface. I worked on boats in the bay area for the last 20 years, just recently moved to Maine. I lived on a 36ft wood ketch down at Pier 39. If you need hands on advice see Larry Hitchcock. His shop is down the street from the Bay View Boat club in China basin. Finest boat craftsman I've seen.--------------gary

Hi Gary,
Obviously I am coming from ignorance here. So it is acceptable practice
(read boat will last 20+ years) to build lapstrake ply boats with marine
ply and just do a good job of sealing the exposed edges, coat it with
good marine epoxy paint and that's it? This is good news if I have it
right!
I am thinking along the lines of a double ended 23-27 foot deep keel
design (you know the style; Colin Archer, Atkins, etc. etc.) I am not in
the bay area anylonger my self, now up near Portland Or. but planning to
do most of my sailing around the San Juans. I would love to build
something like Wm.Garden's "Seal" but that's probably too much of a
project for me. If you have any suggestions for good designs that would
fit this type of building technique I'd be gratefull to hear your
thoughts.
Best Regards,
Norm

Norm:
Actually in the 70's many Chris crafts were built using lapstrake ply and they were just painted and did fine. You just need to seal the edges with epoxy. But if you are interested in a double ended type design, a lapstrake building method is probably not the best or at least far from the easiest. Because of the sharp curves involved the lapped planks are very difficult to fit. The best method, especially for a novice, is strip planking. I suggest you go to the wooden boat site and check their books for sale around design and construction methods. www.woodenboat.com, also check out www.boatbuilding.com.. Also check at the wooden boat school in Port Townsend, they may offer some courses that would be helpful.-----------g

question: I have recently acquired a 21.5 ft wood fishing boat. It is possibly 100 years old and Cuban in origin. It has a live well approximately 3' sq. ahead of the small cabin with 3/4" holes in the bottom. the boat is fairly sound. some planks need replacement. The deck and toerail are very weather worn. It was floating 2 years ago and sat on the river bottom for a while before being refloated . The planks seem to be cypress, or pine, the deck as well. all the joints are calked some are open. some of the planks are loose. The transom is definitely mahogany. The original power was probably make or break inboard ( gone now ). the shaft and hand made prop are in good shape. All the woodwork I can do with little trouble. What about filling all the joints with glass putty and putting a layer of cloth and resin over everything ? If I trailer it and use it in tampa bay how would restoring it to original condition with the calked seems work out being out of the water periodically? Wouldn't the planks shrink and reopen the joints? I know very little about plank type boats. last year I built the "Sweet Pea" by Howard Payson. Stitch and glue plywood and glass. Any help or comments would be appreciated.

thanks much, Joe Chappell Tampa Fl

Joe:
Sounds like an interesting boat, worth saving. The problem with glassing a carvel planked boat is that with this type of construction the planks are meant to flex which of course the glass does not which will lead to glass separation. To do it as well as can be done you would have to let the boat thoroughly dry out, turn the boat over, reef out all the seams and glue in wood splines and then sand the whole boat down to bare wood. You might be better off keeping it traditional with the caulked seams and leave it in the water as much as possible. With your climate, the planks will surely dry out and shrink if she is left high and dry for very long, but they will swell quickly when returned to the water. A good electric bilge pump would help. I think I would try this first and if it didn't work out, go for the glassing. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions.----------gary

My friend purchased a 1968 36' Chris Craft. It's been in the water for over 30 years. It is plank on frame construction with lapstrake sides and plywood bottom. I haven't seen any dry rot - but the wood inside and out has over 20% moisture content. I would like him to dry the hull and get the moisture content down to 12% and then coat the wood inside & out with epoxy and maybe even put some fiberglass cloth on the bottom. Is there any problem doing this? And if it is OK - What would be the best way to dry the Hull.
Thanks
Phil

Phil:
Listen to the old sayings, leave it well enough alone and if it ain't broke don't fix it. Seriously, if the boat is sound the way it is you will gain nothing by glassing it inside and out, in fact you could harm it. Encapsulating wood in fiberglass sets up a perfect environment for rot should any moisture including condensation reach the wood. Drying out an older wooden boat that has been happily swollen from being in the water 30 years would cause severe problems. I know your intentions are good and you thought the glassing would preserve the boat, not true. The only way it works is if you put so many layers of glass on the outside of the hull that you have produced a glass hull with the wood boat as the mold. I see this on old wooden lobster boats here in Maine. I have worked on a lot of Chris Crafts of that vintage and have found them to be well built and in need of little hull repair. Have fun with your classic boat.-------------------gary--ps.solid wood takes a long time to reduce moisture content but plywood, do to its laminating limiting moisture intrusion, dries rather quickly.

My friend has a 1946 Mathews, about 40 foot in length.
It has a double planked hull. It will be a
live-aboard only ( the engines will be removed ). It
has been out of the water for almost a year as repairs
have been made to the hull. The boat is now ready for
bottom painting, but we are wondering about
fiberglassing the bottom with West System. We have
received very mixed advice around here about how to do
that, or if we even should. We are wondering about
the Pros and Cons of doing this. What should we know
about this before continuing??
Thank you in advance for your advice.
TERRY ,Long Beach, California

Terry;
Those are nice boats, I've worked on some. Normally, if the boat were to be used, I would say don't fiberglass, mainly because the glass has no flex and separates from the wood which does move as a boat is used and once separated fresh water gets in and rot develops. But since you are just using it as a live-aboard, and the boat will not return to being a working vessel, a heavy layer of glass would stop any leak potentials and solve any toredo worm problems. It would be an expensive process and from that stand point I don't know if it would be worth it, on the other hand, it would probably hold its value better that way as a live-aboard. So, if you got the bucks go for it, if not, no big deal just have a couple good bilge pumps.----------------------------have fun, living aboard is great----------gary

I should have asked you the first time...; What is
the story on calking? If we do fiberglass the boat,
can we use Bondo for calking, or can we just shine the
whole thing on, as the West System will fill the gaps?
Do you have any thoughts on this?? Also, if we do
the "normal" thing by painting, what is required in
the way of calking? We have received a lot of
conflicting advice on this point also. (It seems like
there are as many ideas on how to do something as
there are boats in the water.)
Thank You,
TERRY

Terry;
When they fiberglass the bottom of planked boats the normal procedure is to reef out the old caulking and glue in wood splines, but since your boat will not be under stress you could probably get away with reefing out the old caulking, put in splines where the seems are over 3/8 wide and fill all seams with thickened west goo. Traditionally the seams of those boats are caulked with cotton with seam compound over the cotton. As far as dealing with fixing the bottom the way it is, since it has been out for a year and the seams have probably opened up, recaulking with cotton would be difficult. If it were my boat and I was on a limited budget, here is what I would do. I would get a couple of gallons of roof patch tar, stuff it into all the bottom seams, paint the bottom and put it in the water with a good bilge pump. Let it sit for a week swelling up and then check for leaks. If there are some bad ones, pull the boat and fix those areas, if there are no major leaks but a few little ones, throw sawdust in the water in the vicinity of the leak and swirl the water with a paddle forcing the sawdust to sink. Some of it will be sucked into the leak and clog it. This will work for quite a while with a boat that is just sitting, plus if the leak starts again just repeat the process. Next time you haul the boat to repaint the bottom, trim off the tar that has squeezed out of the swollen seams, fix the minor leaks and you're all set.
You are right, you will get much conflicting advice and everyone is an expert but trust the ones who make their living working on boats, their reputations depend on it. Also there are many solutions to the same problem depending mainly on your pocket book. Generally with a wood boat it is better to stick with traditional methods.------------gary

I appreciate that you take your time to help small guys like me.....a guy who loves sailing but can never afford a "big" boat.
I have an American Y-Flyer...a wooden boat, 18'.
I got it 2 years ago in really bad shape. I put it together just to see if it would float...not wanting to invest too much in case it would not. Well, I had a wonderfful season on her and now I am ready to really work on her.
My big problem is the edges where the plywood comes together. Years ago it was obviouls fiberglassed on the edges. It was coming off, so when I got her ready to float, I used "bondo" (a car repair filler). It worked and remained watertight. My problem is that as the wood gives and moves in regular use.....the bondo does not give and it cracks, splits and breaks.
I am looking for a marine expoxy for wooden boats that does not cost too much, but which will seal these edges and I can then pain over them.
I appreicate your help.

Thanks.Tim ,Bristol, TN

Tim:
Nice boat, I saw her on your website. If you were dealing with solid wood rather than plywood, there would be several possible solutions, but with plywood there is little swelling so you can't caulk it in the traditional way, that is why plywood seams are usually fiberglassed. As much as I dislike the stuff, it does the job. The only other option is to use some polysulfide flexible caulking like 3M-5200. Next wood boat you get and rebuild should be plank on frame so you really can have some fun.-----------gary

Hey, I live in the Florida Keys and have a thirty year old Willie Roberts flats boat. The original bottom delaminated and tore away in the water leaving me with bare wood (more or less). I assume it was polyester, thin cloth and paint. Lots of paint. Every so called expert tells me to: grind, epoxy, cloth and paint as the only viable option to preserving this classic. The only problem is the money. The average estimate for this 18' ft boat is $3500! There is no rot to speak off because of the good marine plywood they used back in the day so there must be a economical alternative. If I use epoxy, do I even have to glass it? (the rest of the boat is glass free) Should I use polyester instead because it's wood? Should I cloth it or chop it? Epoxy isn't cheap and I figure 5 gallons tops for an 18 foot skiff. Why do all these bozos tell me I need $2000 in materials to do the job? Christ, I just want the bottom done and back in the water! Any suggestions would be appreciated, even if I have to do it all myself. Mike

Mike:
There's a lot of wannabe experts out there. The reality is, and the good news is, there is no reason to cover good plywood with fiberglass cloth. It is usually done just to put a smooth surface on the wood and provide a little chaffing protection and as you experienced can be ripped off. I would use fiberglass 6 in tape with polyester resin along any underwater seams just to make them watertight and just paint the rest. Make sure the glass is over bare wood. There is also no real benefit in coating the ply with epoxy resin, the paint will seal it just fine. If you feel better about glassing the bottom, just use glass cloth and polyester resin, use tape on the seams as well. To avoid air bubbles under the glass, fair everything off with bondo, a 2 part epoxy paste used in car repair. For your edification, chopped glass or matt is only used as a filler. Hope this helps and saves you money. If you have further questions feel free to ask. Good luck----------gary

Hello My name is Ty and I own a 20' fiberglass sailboat that is over 25 years old and the marine grade plywood in the cabin that is fiberglassed to the bottom of the hull and is standing upright to support the two births on either side of the boat and a bulk head in front the boat that lay under water from time to time because of rain water that leaks in sometimes has rotted out . I am interested in replacing it with King Starboard lumber that wont rot but I dont know how bond it to the hull. There is an adhiesive for Starboard but do you think it will be strong as the fiberglass that bonded the orginal plywood . Thank you

TY;
I don't know what king starboard lumber is, but the only way to fix your problem is to attach whatever lumber you use to the hull with fiberglass. Plywood is usually the lumber of choice and on older fiberglass boats polyester resin is used. These pieces of lumber help to support the hull so it is important that there is a strong bond to the hull. It might be helpful if you got some "how to" advice from a local boatyard or boat repair shop. Good luck----------gary

Gary-

I have sent this email to a couple of others, but I figure the more irons
you have in the fire, the better, so here it goes.
Hope you can help. I have been given a 63 Dixie 18 ft runabout style boat.
The boat seems to be in sound condition but the previous owner at one point
mounted something to the floor (towards the stern about 2 feet forward of
the transom) and then later removed it without sealing the holes. Now,
after sitting uncovered for about the last five years, the outline of what I
will call the cross members of the flooring system (I assume they are wood)
seem to have possibly rotted where the holes were drilled and has left me
with weak fiberglass flooring. I am certain about this part because I
stepped through a section of the fiberglass last night.

This is a fixer upper and will never return the money I could potentially
put into it, so budget is a priority. That, and I am married to a red head
so fear is a factor as well. I feel certain that I will have to cut out and
replace the infected area, but if what I am assuming about the "cross beam
or cross member" being rotted, should I replace the entire beam and
fiberglass section around it? How far do I go in replacing the floor and
how is the cross member attached to the sides if it is made of wood and the
sides are made of fiberglass? I have worked with wood and construction
projects a lot, but fiberglass (laying on the sheets) only once and that was
15 years ago. It seems to be simple enough if I get rid of the air pockets,
build up the surface with layering until it is level with the rest of the
floor and then sand. Have I missed anything.

The other thought I had was to put down about 1/2 inch marine plywood to the
entire floor and fasten it with screws. Do it in sections for easy removal,
caulk around it as best I can to seal out water and then cover the entire
are in indoor outdoor carpet. The wood would support the passengers, and
the screws would reinforce the structure of the boat and the floor. Good
idea or bad idea?

The last item I will pester you with is the transom. It appears to be in
great shape but with the age of the boat and the floor condition, it makes
you wonder. (Also, my first boat was an 18 ft Dixie that the previous owner
way over powered with a 140 HP and it had the transom replaced once and was
getting ready for the second replacement when someone ran into the boat
while it was tied to the dock and totaled it.) So I have some previous
experience with Dixie and their transoms. Therefore, is there a way to make
a "pre-emptive strike" and reinforce the transom ahead of time? Possibly
with wood, metal and / or fiberglass from the inside? It has an 85HP
Kiekhoefer - Mercury and I would hate to lose it. Mostly because it runs
and because it was free. I'm sure the process would be labor intensive and
messy, but is replacing the transom that hard to do and is there a way to
check the condition to the transom for it's structural strength, the wood
inside for rot, etc. to see if this is something I need to even be worrying
about? I am familiar with the "experts" that can come out and use a
"humidity sniffer" to check the humidity level and / or water content of the
transom and then charge you a couple of grand for their 15 minutes, but
that's not quite what I have in mind.

Any ideas or thoughts you might have for an inexpensive repair on either or
both of these topics is certainly appreciated. I don't mind doing a little
work to make sure the job is done right. I just hate to spend a fortune on
a boat that will never be worth more than a grand or so. I have drills,
power saws, buffers, (no power sander, hmmm...mental note on reason to go to
Lowes) but I do have a disc sander that I can attach to my cordless drill.
I am fairly handy with tools but don't have anything big that would be used
for the "marine" business like fly wheel puller, air compressor or chain
fall. My only hope is that you don't read this and have the same answer
that I have in the back of my head. SOSOFCIC. (See below for definition.)
Thanks a bunch for your help and especially for making yourself available
for this type of questioning.
My most sincere gratitude,

Jay Tronco
Charlotte, NC

SIOSIOFCIC- pronounced see-o-see-of-sic; defined in Jay's unabridged
dictionary of nautical terms as an acronym for the abbreviation of the
common nautical phrase of "Sink It Or Set It On Fire, (and) Call (the)
Insurance Company. Usually use in coordination with or following first most
common nautical term, AMTANBABOS.

AMTANBABOS, pronounced Am-Tan-Bah-Bos; acronym and abbreviation for most
popular of nautical phrases "Aw Man, This Ain't Nothin' But A Bunch Of
Shit!"

I'll take credit for the first one but the second saying I learned from a
friend I met at USC that was from Florence, SC. I just made up the acronym.

Thanks again for all your help and have a great weekend.

Jay:
Get rid of the boat and keep the Red head.
You can check the soundness of the transom by tapping on it everywhere with a hammer and listening to the sound it makes. If the sound is sharp and resonate, it's good, if you get a dull thud there is probably rot and you will have to replace the wood, messy but doable. On glass boat floors the supporting wood timbers are usually incased in fiberglass but if fresh water gets to the wood and there is no air circulation, they will rot quickly. Often the wood is not just a floor support but supports the bottom of the boat as well, so it an important structural member. To fix the problem you have to tear up what is there, locate the bad wood, replace it with kiln dried wood glassed to the hull, which is done by using a combination of Matt glass and woven glass with polyester resin. No fine carpentry here, just down and dirty, stinky and messy. Lots of labor, not much $. I will be glad to walk you through the various procedures once you know the extent of what needs to be done. The other option is to give it to the red head to be used as a planter and you get a real wood boat which is easy to fix-------hope this helps--------g

Just how do I go about avoiding all the headaches and mess, blood sweat and tears? I mean if I give the red head the boat, not the wood question. If you thing the transom and flooring is a lot of messy work, just wait ?til you give a redhead a ?free? planter. Talk about headaches and labor intensive?no, over here, no wait, over there. Now fill it up with this 8 tons of dirt, now plant all these bushes in it?you know, I think I like it better where we first had it.-----Jay

question: I have 17ft ceder-strip runabout. When my father bought it, 30 some years ago, he had it fiber-glassed at the water line,a bis mistake. Over the years, water has gotten between the wood and the glass and the glass sheet has developed cracks. Do I, a)repair fiber glass on crack lines b)remove all the fiber-glass and redo entire bottom c) remove glass and maybe use epoxy. I am inclined to remove the glass and leave it off, the the boat will swell naturally. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Cheers
Tim Labrie

Tim;
Usually when they built strip planked boats the strips were glued and edged nailed and not made to swell for that would break the glue joint, so they were glassed over to make them watertight. Yours was no doubt glassed over with polyester resin which becomes quite brittle over time and cracks plus after 30 yrs the glue is also brittle. I would strip off the old glass, roughly sand the bottom and apply new glass this time using epoxy resin which has a bit more flexibility than polyester. Also I would recommend glassing it all the way up the topsides so the hull is completely sealed, avoiding getting any water between the glass and wood. Make sure to get a good, air bubble free, glass to wood adhesion so no moisture gets between the two and sets up a perfect rot situation. Good luck and feel free to ask more if needed-----------gary

Am looking at sailboat with FRP covered wood hull, pros and cons of FRP
covered vs all FRP hull?

Hi;
Probably the biggest advantage 0f glass over wood is ease of repair and renovation. You basically have a wood boat, hopefully a plywood or cold molded one, whose strength is based on the wood not the fiberglass. Wood boats have good stress strength in all directions as well good puncture resistance whereas a FRP hull, like an egg, has great compression strength but little puncture or cracking resistance. Glass over wood can only work well with plywood, cold molded or strip plank construction. Glassing over carvel or lapstarke planking is a big no, no, unless you put so many layers of glass that you are merely using the wood as a mold.-hope this helps--gary

I have 1882 26' penn yan with twin inboards,and has two motor hatchs,
water has gotten in between the sandwich of the deck hatches and rotted at at the
perimiter i have cut away at the edges and further back in the hatch ,and find that the inner body is made of wood peices cut as end grain standing on end ,epoxyed in place could you tell me the reason for that, rather than a sheet of 3/4" plywood
thank you
Rhody Walls

Often in those days they used balsa wood on end as a filler sandwiched between fiberglass layers. Putting the end grain adjacent to the glass surface was thought to increase the resin saturation into the wood. Strength and lightweight were the goal but if any moisture got in it was rot city. . If you need to rebuild, use plywood lightly glassed over------------g

question: I have an old 1955 Navy Liberty 40'boat carvel planked, that was converted into a pleasure boat. A few years ago I took the boat to Florida for a few months and got wormed by Teredo worms. I have since taken the boat to New England where it has been in the water during the summers and out of the water over the winters. I am considering putting some type of coating on the hull, but not sure about fiberglassing, epoxy or polyvinyl (hydrex 100)over the existing hull. Any suggestions or comments.

Covering a carvel planked boat that is not ready for the wooden boat graveyard with fiberglass is not a good idea. You are covering a flexible structure with an inflexible material. As a last resort, fiberglassing works if many layers are used so that you actually create a glass hull around the wood. Since the boat is no longer in a tropical climate, Toredo worms are not a great problem , although it is well advised to keep on good bottom paint and let no exposed wood on the waterline stay unpainted for much time. The wood needs to "breathe" and any of the plastic coatings inhibit this and can facilitate rot if fresh water is trapped. I assume any damage done by the worms has been corrected, if not you should tap the suspect planks with a small hammer and listen for hollow or thud sounds which would indicate worm damage. Nice solid sound means no problem. Toredoes burrow into the plank and eat along the grain lines making hollow channels that never come to the surface, so sounding is the only way to expose problems. Destroying the worm is done by putting a torch on the entry hole which heats up the channel and kills the beast, you can hear them pop like popcorn. I believe freezing kills them as well .----gary

question: I HAVE A '87 WELLCRAFT ARUBA. THE STRINGER WHERE THE ENGINE MOUNT IS ROTTEN. HAVING THE STINGER ENCASED WITH FIBERGLAS AND RESIN, COULD I JUST CLEAN OUT THE ROTTEN WOOD FROM THE TOP OF THE STRINGER AND POUR SOME KIND MATERIAL IN THAT WOULD HARDEN AND BE STONG ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE WOOD. IF YES, NAME OF MATERIAL I COULD USE. SOMEONE SUGGESTED "STOP LEAK". (A CONCRETE MIX) THANKS MARTY

Sorry, no quick fix here. If it was just a cosmetic repair there are many ways to fake it, but this stringer is structural and must be replaced. Use a kiln dried piece of wood, fir is fine, and makes sure it is well glassed in where no moisture can get to it. The rot in the old stringer was caused by fresh water getting into the wood and glassed over wood doesn't breath and rot ensues. Have fun---gary

question: I have a wooden hull with fiberglass over it. In one section the fiberglass is bubbling. Does this mean that water is getting through and the fiberglass needs to be re-done? Yes the hull and floor are damp in that area.

Yes, when the glass bubbles away from the wood the resin has lost its bond. This is usually do to water working its way between the glass and wood and often, if not corrected quickly, the wood will rot as well making the repair more of a monster. Hopefully you can just grind off the bubble area and reglass, but if there is rot, you must replace with good wood so you can get a decent bond between it and the resin. Have fun-------------g

Need to repair a 150mm x 300mm section of dry rot (removed) in a 4mm gaboon ply catamaran hull. It's been suggested to do this by epoxy bonding a ply 'frame' to the inside of the hull that the new insert would be bonded to.

Then I have also read of the scarf join technique. Which is the better & stronger method, the less weight the better, but not at the expense of safety.

I'm new to this so all details would be helpfull; should i use screws to clamp and are they then removed and filled.
Cheers,and THank You.
Rob

If this repair is in a low stress area either way you mentioned is ok but if it is in a high stress area like around the chain plates it would be best to use a plywood backing plate extending several inches beyond the edges, screwed or bolted to the hull and the inset piece screwed or bolted to it and glassed over. Hope this helps but feel free to ask more if I am not clear------gary

Gary,
Thanks for your advice, its about 800mm one way to chain plate and
1 metre the other to front bridle, however there's a bulkhead within 150mm
of intended patch either side (before both chain plate to the back and
bridle at the front). It's turned out a fair sized piece of soft wood,
about 300 mm square will be size of patch. Do you prefer the backing plate
in this case or either or?

I was intending a marine epoxy glue to bond all surfaces, are you
suggesting permanent screws as well, or temporary to clamp surfaces to
ensure bond? Should I then glass over the join on exterior surface? If so, is a
piece of mat covering the entire area better than a 50-70mm tape over the
join(s)
Appreciate your help

I tend to overdo my repairs so I would prefer using the backing plate. If you epoxy glue the pieces and can clamp them , then mechanical fastening wouldn't be necessary and the fiberglass tape is certainly adequate for water-tightness and fairing, Also, make sure to repair the problem that caused the rot in the first place and a piece of useful knowledge, car antifreeze kills dry rot.-----------have fun-----gary

question: Hello Gary,
I have a 1930 46 ft Dawn intercoastal cabin cruiser. Inside she is basically a rather large peice of furniture. A walk thru her is like a trip to the museum. She is carvel cedar planked with oak frames and floors.
I intend to retire for a couple to 20 years or so on this vessel. I have also decided to glass her whole hull. She has been inside on the
hard for over three years and is DRY. I am inserting cedar stips in her hull plank seam gaps of over 3/8 inch and using West system apoxy to adhear. The rest of the smaller seam gaps will get caviseal troweled into and the but boards also. This will be done afer all the old cotton batten is removed and seams scraped to the exposed wood inbetween.The intire hull will be sanded to expose the cedar planks.
My question is concerning the # of layers of glass and resin need to make the hull rigid and strong enough to handel 8ft seas. She is primarily a intercoastal cruiser with fair weather trips outside to fish.
What weave of glass should the first layer be and what direction does it need to run.
First a run of heavy glass from bow to stern ( including the keel ) and then two layers overlaping from side to side. Since the boat is inside this will all be done in a 24 hour period.
I want to make the hull RIDGED, but not add too much extra weight. Right now this estimate wil cost me about $10000. Bucks.
What would you reccomend in the type or weight of glass to use and the direction of each layer and the number of layers need to atain RIDGEDITY.
I am removing the transome, installing 1/4 plywood and sealing it with epoxy resin. Then the mahogany transome is being refitted into it;s original position. The plywood is a attempt to creat a seal in the hull. The transome will be glassed to the water line. I hate to glass the transome but will if it will create a weak spot.
Thanking you in advance I am grateful for any experience you can share that will improve this reconstrution of a old piece of history.
Should you or any experienced wood lovers be in the New Bern,N.C. area in the month of april,2004 and like to visit and see the work please fell free to drop in. Pleae call first. When finished the vessel under power by twin 25 HP 1942 BUDA diesels will travel home to the Red Neck Riveria of South Texas. The ship is at the Neuse Bay Harbour Marina in Bridgton.

Hi;
Sounds like a beautiful woody, but I am the wrong guy to ask about fiberglassing such a boat. It is evident you have made up your mind to do this so I won't burden you with my diatribe on why it is a bad idea and how the cost will more likely be greater than fixing her the traditional way. I suggest you go to google.com and type in fiberglassing wood hull and you will get a plethora of information. Good luck with your project and remember to clean the resin off your skin with vinegar, not acetone and after working with or sanding the glass, take a cold shower not a hot one , this hinders the small fibers from getting into your pores and itching forever. I'll take wood shavings and sawdust anytime. Good luck with your project and your retirement---gary

Thanks Gary,
Knew you would say stay traditional. That's what I had planned originally. However years ago I had a plank pop on me after a professional bottom redo. Almost lost the ship and almost went down with her. This old girl (after three inspections by boatrights) will most likely leak for the rest of her life. She has most likely been leaking her whole life. All of my woodies have always been dry. Even the one that popped open. It hurts to glass this old lady but since I have been advised this is the best course I am going this way. I do have the feeling I have sinned and I will have to answer to Neptune someday. I just want to do this as right as I can since I'm going this route. Thanks for the response and for not giving me advice on something your not sure about. I have enjoyed reading your question and answer dialogues as they are very informative. Keep up the good work. My best, Bob

question: yes sir i am interested in a skiff a guy build here in florida he has been building them for 10 yrs and they seem o be holding up great, my question is the boat is 1/2 in marine tech marine ply, the bottom outside is glassed and epoxied, the outside sides are epoxied then painted , but on the inside of the hull he leaves them to just a prime and topside paint the swears by this and says that this lets the wood breath and they get wet and dry out he says he could encapsulate with epoxy or glass and epoxy but if i did get a screw hole or something that wasnt sealed water would get in cant get out and start the rot process, what is your oppinion, the boat will only be used weekends and out of the water the rest
thanksd again jerry

Jerry;
The man knows his business, he's right. I have had countless questions from outboard boat owners who have wood transoms that are encapsulated in fiberglass and have rotted out. Once fresh water brings the rot fungus into that perfect environment where no fresh air can get to the wood, it's all over. These skiffs sound like good boats done by a knowledgeable craftsman----have fun with yours----gary

question: After you build your wood and fiberglass stringers, how do you attach the floor? ie. Do you fiberglass plywood panels and nail, screw or glue them to the support struture, or do you screw wood to the support structure and just fiber glass the top....

How you do it depends on what you want to accomplish. If you just want a floor to have a level surface you can pretty much build it anyway you want , but if you want the floor to create a watertight compartment for flotation you have to properly fiberglass the plywood to the sides of the hull. No matter what you do the plywood should be thoroughly sealed on both sides with penetrating epoxy, you can glass the top if you want or not. Just remember whenever you encapsulate wood in fiberglass you must do a thorough job and not leave any possibility for fresh water to get to the wood and establish a perfect environment for rot. Hope this helps, ask more as needed---------gary

question: Gary,
I am building a new 18ft plywood lake skiff and have received several suggestions on how to finish the boat. One is to just paint it with several coats of paint while others suggest using an expoxy coating (2 to 3 coats) and then prime and paint. The expoxy proponents also recommend coating the inside of the open skiff with the expoxy. Any suggestion on how to finish this project.
Thanks,
Don

Don;
Usually, what I have done with plywood boats is to use fiberglass tape on the seams and then coat the restof the outside of the hull with penetrating epoxy. The fiberglass tape adds a bit of strength and guarantees no leaks and adding the penetrating epoxy just seals the surface from moisture and makes it easy to paint. Most importantly,with plywood one must be careful to make sure all edges are well sealed so no moisture can enter the layers, this is where rot usually begins. My preference is not to epoxy the inside mainly because there are so many nooks and crannies fresh water can sit and eventually work under the coating and one must remember that , unlike paint, epoxy and polyester coatings do not breath and therefore can trap fresh water and create an ideal environment for rot. The outside of the hull presents less of a problem this way. Have fun, and congrats on building your own---------gary

I've used polyester resin to adhere fibreglass tape on the seams of a dingy I'm building. I "thought" it was epoxy resin. Problem is, I used it over areas where I had applied epoxy putty. It won't cure. It's been three days and I've had heat in my shop during the day (about 50-55 degrees), and today I tried a heat gun - no luck.

TOM;; Eventually it will go off but if you mix a hot batch and put it over the uncured the heat generated will take care of it--g

I have a 33 ft launch with a sound strip plank kauri hull,my keel doesn"t look so sound it has laminated 4x2 pine timbers.I've reglued as best i can. I would like to fibreglass the keel for added strength as the weight of the rudder on the steel bottom keelplate could delaminate it.my other option is to tie all the keel timbers & steel flat bar together with stainless bracketing,any expertise on this would be appreciated,

You would have to use multiple layers of biaxial glass to get any real strength, and the natural expansion and contraction of the wood would eventually cause the glass to separate from the wood. If your main worry is delamination of the keel, I would try to through bolt into the keelson or the floor timbers. Also I would use some good 3/4 in plywood fastened to the sides of the keel with multiple screws or nails, maybe even 2 layers of ply with staggered joints. This would give you tremendous sheer strength and eliminate delamination problems.You could then glass over that but I see no real advantage to that.----- Good luck------gary

question: Gary, I have a 1979 Gibson 36 FT Fiberglass houseboat. I have water between the gelcot and inside fiberglass. Lucky I have no bisters on the outside of the bottom. I have ground out the inside of keel area and in the keel cavity I have a 2X4 wood keel in the cavity but around the wood on both sides there was open space of about 1/2 to 1 inch on each side of the wood. That space was full of water from ossmosis. I now have the keel opened up and drying. I will be starting my fiberglass but before I do I need to fill the space on both sides of the wooden keel. Someone told me to fill that area with bondo. Is that correct? or is there a better product. Need guidance. Steve

Bondo is too brittle to fill anything more than surface scratches or dents. I would use either a mixture of epoxy resin and sawdust or epoxy and glass fiiber culled from fiberglass matt. You could also substitute ployester resin for the epoxy since that is what you will most likely be using for your glass work. Have fun----------g

It seems to be imposable to locate any info on extending hulls astern boats. The info that I have found is limited to brief descriptions to procedures used by marine repair yards like Padden Creek Marine. They show photos of boat extension procedures on there site, (http://www.paddencreekmarine.com/pcm_wip.html).

Also I have come across a few writings on this subject but noting specific in details.

Some methods are to prefabricate the extension then join the extension to the hull, and others mold a carefully designed form then lay up fiberglass.

I have a 24 foot Fiberform soon to be completely gutted down to the stringers. It sat on dry dock for 12 years unprotected except for the inboard motor. I would like to extend the cockpit. From what I understand this should not exceed 10% of the hull length. I also understand the process of creating a mold to fabricate the extension, extending stringers to full length of new addition, and the lay up needed.

What I am most concern about is the joining of the extension to the hull. I’ve read info on joing small fiberglass projects but something this large would be daunting. Some ideas I have would be:

1. leave 5” or so of the old transom as a knee and fabricate a similar knee on the extension. Then bolt and fiberglass joints together, then fill and fair the exterior. Not my favorite.

2. Take down the hull to the core, back 20” at the joining location at the hulls transom, secure extension mold form to hull, lay up the interior, remove mold and lay up exterior, fill, fair and paint. Or something like that.

Finally, unrelated to the above subject, should I when removing the transom and stringers after gutting all interior sections temporally fiberglass a few wood struts along the hulls beam to avoid stress to hull or support hull with braces on the exterior?

Daunting project, why not look for a boat that meets your needs rather than attempting such an extensive rebuild ? That said, I think your #2 is the best option with stringers and sheer clamp extending into the original hull 3 times the distance of the new extension. This is the same ratio used for cantilevering a balcony on a house. I would also use the biazial cloth, roving and matte sewn together, to make the splice. It is difficult to imagine the stresses involved plus how the additional length will effect your center of effort and thus the overall balance of the boat underway, but, what the hell, give it a shot.------gary

Thanks for the quick reply. I truly would be bless if I could get my 20 year old to write to me that fast-if at all. Supposedly this 1975 Fiberform engine was rebuilt a year before my foreman docked it for 12 years with the intent of rebuilding it. It has a Ford 351 and a Mercruiser outdrive. He tried for the last 2 years to sale it to me and three weeks ago decided to give it to me. I got it free and that never happens to me. I rebuilt two boats in my life so I'm aware of the work involved.

The reason for my previous questions is that I am trying to accumulate all the possibilities for what I would like to do to this boat. And what is that you ask?

I fell in love with an Italian style boat, the Sciallino 25(see attachment). I will never see one here in Hawaii yet, be able to afford one. So I was thinking, with the naivety of a 18 year old that after drawing and developing design plans, that I could morph some of Sciallino into my Fiberform. Really like the rounded transom and swim step and those sweeping lines, cabin height and on and on. It's all a thought right now and I my end up just building a tanker surfboard, dive for octopus and call it a day. But maybe not.

Again Gary thank you for the reply and if it happens I'll let you know - in a year or two.

20 year olds don't have time for that, only us 60+ year olds find meaning in such endeavors. Thanks for the photo. I see why you would want your boat to look like that and I say go for it. In the 80's I worked repairing wood boats in a San Francisco boat yard and at that time many Vietnamese were coming there. Many were fisherman without the resources to get proper fish boats, but with unbelievable ingenuity they would turn the most unlikely bay day boat into an ocean going fish boat. I witnessed a group take a 16ft boston whaler open skiff and build a 30ft inboard fish boat on top of it using scavenged lumber from the dump and for years after that I would watch that vessel, with amazement, heading out under the Golden Gate bridge into the Pacific on a fishing trip. So, the extreme, the outrageous can be accomplished and what better legacy can we have than to have participated in such marvelous shenanigans. Keep me up to date on your progress----g

I plan to extend a 33 foot grp catamaran's hulls by 3 feet adding transom steps. I'm considering using Duflex panels for the job. My question is how to get the cut panels to conform to the original hull shape. Should I make a mould using thin ply? I have searched the net for advice with no luck whatsoever and then found your site. Hoping to hear some suggestions on how to proceed.

I am not well versed with grp repairs but I did once fix a large hole in the side of a grp hull by shaping a large piece of floatation foam to the contour of the hull, wedging it on the inside of the hull and fiberglassing over its surface after applying a releasing agent to the foam so the glass wouldn't stick to it. Then of course, once the hull is glassed up, removing the foam from the inside of the boat Worked well and I see no reason such a system wouldn't work for what you are doing------------g

I HAVE A 1984 22 FOOT FIBERGLASS BOAT HOW DO I CHECK TO SEE IF THE FOAM HAS BEEN SOAKED WITH WATER. AND IF IT HAS BEEN HOW DO I GO ABOUT REPLACING IT. HOPE YOU CAN HELP THANK YOU

Easiest way is to tap the deck with a screwdriver handle or
wood mallet. The good parts of the deck will have a certain sound and the
bad parts will sound much different, dull thud like. The fix depends on
whether the wood in the core is rotted or just water soaked. You'd have to
drill a hole and poke around with an ice pick to determine this. If rotted,
it must be replaced and I am sure you can imagine that job. If just water
soaked, you drill lots of small holes to let the core dry , a heat gun or
hair drier helps. Once dry you saturate the core with epoxy resin using a
resin hypodermic type applicator. Check out this site for more info---good
luck
http://www.rotdoctor.com/L/BoatL/Bqa.html

The deck of my 35' wooden boat is glassed-over ply on red cedar planking. The glass & ply was done some years ago. The deck appears completely sound though now in need of painting. My problem is I don't know exactly what the glass-cloth was laid in, and/or what paint was originally used. When you kneel on it, or rub a finger on the deck, you get a whitish powdering off the surface, and over time the weave of the cloth has become more evident. I guess the surface needs stabilising before being painted but I'm unsure what product to use. I've no reason to think the original job was anything but conventional ----Robbie

I am sure the fiberglass was saturated with polyester resin and over
years of being trodden on and exposeure to UV rays has had a wearing effect.
Ideally one would get all the paint off and add a couple more coats of resin
to stabilize the surface but the paint removal could be difficult and the
glass seems to be still adhering so a more realistic option is to use a 2
part polyester paint over the existing paint. You should do a small
experimental application to make sure the poly will adhere to what is on
there. The simplest option is to just use a good quality alkyd based enamel
over what's there and see how it wears.There are no huge wrongs here, all
choices will work to some degree and you're really in no trouble as long as
the glass is adhering well to the ply.You might should check with
www.rotdoctor.com who is an expert on resins. Hope this helps---gary

question: I am rebuilding the companionway hatch on my Alberg 30 and would like more light down below. What thickness of Lexon should I use. Thank you Larry

Hi Gary. Could you point me to a plan of one of the old fashioned skylights, with the bi-fold opening tops.I have an old motor launch .circa 1910 , and she is getting a bit of a spruce up at the moment. She can get a bit stuffy below, especially on a long haul , and needs more air.( I'm ok up top , but the wife has to keep the coffee and sandwiches coming!). She has a conventional hinged hatch on the fore deck , but one of the old butterfly ones , in mahogany on the cabin top, would do her wonders. I know they leak , but we dont go out in the rough stuff anyway.
It is really a question of the best way to form the gutters and seals.
Your input would be appreciated.
Cheers.
Doug Browning. New Zealand

Doug;
I can't send you directly to a set of plans for that type butterfly hatch but would suggest you make your inquiry on the forum at www.boatbuilding.com. Having said that I have worked on and repaired enough of those hatches to tell you that the ones that didn't leak had a raised 1/4 spline about 1/2inch in from the edge all the way around each windows base with the appropriate sized matching groove on the upper window frame. Often, on older boats, this spline would have to be replaced and in some instances is done so with stiff rubber. Also in constructing the corner joints for the hatch itself, make sure to use a joint that has plenty of glued surface area and can be splined and or doweled as well i.e. make it strong as hell. Good luck with a fun project. Send me a Picture when completed.---------------g
ps. You might find a drawing either in Chapells "Boatbuilding" or Hershoffs "Sensible Cruising Designs" both great books.

I purchased a Coronado 23. It is in great shape except for the wooden hatches. How to I put the bow in the new companionway hatch? What wood should I use? Can I buy 3/4 inch bendable marine plywood? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks, Phil

Phil:
You should use Honduras mahogany or Teak for the frame of the hatch and use 2 layers, glued together in place, of 3/8 marine ply. The 3/8 will take the bend a full 3/4 will not. If you want to get fancy you can use 1 piece of 3/8 ply and attach 2 X 3/8 inch strips of mahogany or teak for to aft on top of the ply. You can use black caulk in the seams that are created as a result of the camber. If you are on a tight budget a good clear fir is fine for the hatch frame. If you want more light down below you can cover the hatch with a piece of lexon rather than wood. Make sure with your finished product that there are no seams or open joints where fresh water can enter and cause rot. I hope this helps and feel free to ask more-------------------have fun----gary

question: hello mr. wheeler my wife and i are totally new to sailing. we recently bought a 26'northstar 600 this may seem silly , but can a main halyard be changed without ascending the mast on a system like MastMate ? thanks for your time i remain oyur ob't servant anthony canu
email: CANUAP @euroseek .com
B1: Send to Gary Wheeler

Mr. Wheeler,
I am searching for information about how to refurbish riverboats, and thought you might have information to pass on to me. There is a riverboat in the state of Iowa that is in the need for a total refurbishment. However, there is no known craftsman to perform the work. Here is some background on the Lone Star riverboat:

The Lone Star riverboat, built in 1869, is now dry-docked on the LeClaire, Iowa levee as part of the Buffalo Bill Museum. Originally designed as a side-wheeler "water taxi", in 1876 it was converted into a towboat pushing logs down the Mississippi River. Then in 1899, it was remodeled at the Kalke Boat Yard in Rock Island, Illinois, where it was converted from wood to coal power. Later, around 1922, the "Texas" upper deck was added. Its last days were spent as a sand dredge workboat until finally, in 1968, it was taken off the river after nearly 100 years of service. It is the last and the oldest surviving example of the wooden-hulled workboats.
If you would be able to refurbish this river boat or have information on an organization or a craftsman that may be able to refurbish this riverboat or, at least, be able to guide its refurbishment, would you please contact me? My contact points are listed below.
Sincerely,
Bill WILLIAM ARTHUR ATKINS

Bill:
Sounds like an interesting project. With restoration work, since you are mostly replacing bad wood with good, you don't have to have the know how to build one from scratch, just the knowledge of materials and how to traditionally put them together. I suggest you take your inquiry to www.boatbuilding.com and also www.woodenboat.com. Both these sites have good bulletin boards read by skilled wooden boat craftspeople from all around the country. Good luck with your worthy project------gary

Hello Gary Wheeler:

I have Lightning 7868 (1960) cedar planked. My problem is the leakage
factor. I clean and caulk w/seam compound inside/out and then bottom
coat w/ antifouling epoxy every spring. The rate of leakage seems to
have increased.
Besides simply doing what I've been doing more/better, etc. I wonder if
in the long run there's another approach? I wonder what additional
coating you'd recommend if any over a 40 YO wooden hull. Fiberglass/gel
??
Does this make sense? What are pitfalls?
Bill Powell

Bill.
Years ago I had an old lightning and had some great sails with it. In fact it was the boat I first tried the mast mate prototype on. Because of the stresses on the planked hull, they do need to be recaulked occasionally. First putting seam compound on the inside is a waist of your time, stopping a leak from the inside of a boat rarely works, as is putting it on the outside without recaulking the seam with cotton. The cotton acts like a gasket, the wood swells around the cotton sealing the seam. Laying the loose cotton into the seam takes skill and experience, but often cotton string or rope of the right diameter can be used. The trick is to place the string or rope in the center of the plank seam such that the plank can swell around it. You then add [pay] seam compound over that. Caulking in this fashion allows considerable
plank movement without leakage. If the boat is swollen i.e. been in the water for a while, you should make the cotton a tight fit, if the boat is dried out you would place it in less tight. You would control this by the diameter of rope or string used. A dulled pizza cutter works well to push the cotton into the seam. Using any type of epoxy or polyester putty in the seam is doomed to failure for it does not move with the plank. The only effective way to use these materials is to completely cover the bottom with a thin layer of marine grade plywood and cover it with a layer of fiberglass. Of course this is not a simple procedure, adds weight to the boat and alters the initial construction. I hope this helps and feel free to ask more questions. ----Gary

Gary:
thanks for your thoughtful response.
since my em, I have learned from another expert some other opinions, which I'd
like to add to the directions you have provided.
specifically, the other recommendation was to pull the boat and observe where the
leakage occurs by adding sufficient water to it on the trailer, on level ground,
then attack seams with a putty knife (tho I like your pizza idea) and add Davis
Slickseam, instead of the conventional seam compound I have used previously. this
person's advice was the 40 YO wood has now lost its live edge, it's beginning to
rot and the conventional seam compound won't bind to the "gray" wood. (and he says
this product will attach)

I now have the added recommendation of using the cotton batting. I haven't
researched this technique, but will look at it.
It sounds like the way to do it is from the outside, so I would need to flip it
and bare the hull wood? or just work around the bottomcoat with the pizza wheel?

As to the suggestion to epoxy MDX to the bare hull, then fiberglass over, he
advised against it, citing the concern that any moisture caught between old and
new would worsen rot conditions.

If you have suggestions regarding (1) combining pizza wheel insertion of cotton,
plugged with Slickseam, or (2) bagging the compound approach and go with straight
cotton batting, I'd be grateful to hear from you.

BTW, when I was in Rockland, three (?) years ago, I was near the waterfront, and
there was a small lofting shop with a woodie behind it....is this you or someone
else??? I can't remember store or street name.
thanks for your interest.
Bill Powell

BILL:
No, that wasn't me, I have only been here a year, spent the last 20 yrs in San Francisco bay area working on wood boats. Of the choices you have I would go with #1. I haven't used slickseam but since the surface putty isn't what keeps the water out ie. it's the planks swelling around the cotton, any compound should work. You don't have to wood out the bottom but you do have to clean the seams well. Use the bent over tip of a file to scrape the seams well, god knows what all is in them. Roll the cotton string in place and then if you are using an oil based seam compound, paint the seam and the cotton with an oil based paint or bottom paint. The paint keeps the oils from leeching into the wood. If you are using poysulfide type caulking, don't paint the seams.
For your edification when one repairs an old planked bottomed boat by covering it with plywood and then glassing, you do not epoxy the two, rather you screw the plywood to the old bottom and you put a bedding of tar or Henry's roofing cement between the two surfaces. This prevents further deterioration of the original planking.
Finding the exact location of a leak on a planked bottom is pretty tough but my lightning experience tells me it is either around the mast step, or around the centerboard trunk. Let me know how this plays out, you will get all kinds of advice but the old ways are proven ways-------gary

Bill;
One thing I forgot to mention is that before you go to the trouble of recaulking you should check to make sure the bottom planks don't need to be refastened. You should pull a couple of the old fastenings and see if they have any holding power. If not , you should rescrew the planks. If it hasn't been refastened once in its long life it well may need it. Before you refastened you must take out all the stuff in the bottom seams.----------g

Gary:
thanks for the additional comments. it was replanked sometime before my tenure
began, but will be looking to verify condition now.

RE: size of cotton batting. I imagine based on your earlier comments that
various thickness of material (cotton string) are appropriate, depending on
the gage of the gap between planks, and how much gray wood may exist. West
Marine has one 1/4" product I see, for deck planking. Are there specific
materials other than regular "string" of various thickness which I should use?

I've also been ruminating about the timing of the repair. If I follow another
advisor's suggestion, I would pull the boat on trailer, and add water to verify
where leakage is. Then flip boat, clean and install cotton batting and
slickseam. (and inspect/repair per your suggestion, below). However, if I waited
until the boat were thoroughly dry (next spring) , and the gage of the gaps were
the greatest, then the cotton batting may be easier to do, and may provide a
better plug. What do you think? I'd hate to do it while the hull were wet, and
then next year find that the overall job still leaks. If I were to do it while
the hull were still swollen this fall, I would probably want to pull it back in
the pond this fall to confirm effectiveness, but would the benefit be the same
after letting it sit through the winter???

thanks again.
Bill Powell

Bill:
Putting water inside a boat to find a leak is usually inaccurate in pinpointing a leak for often where the water goes in is not where it comes out, Better to dry the boat out good, go sailing with a good sponge and try to track down the point of entry. I still vote for the centerboard trunk. The repairs should be done in the off season after the boat has dried out. This will allow for maximum swelling around the cotton when wet. Also after the planks have shrunk you can neaten up the seam widths so one size string will work in most places. On wider seams you twist the string together to make fatter widths. If you run into some severely damaged seam edges and you end up with a very wide uneven seam, it is best to true up the edge and glue a batten to one plank edge leaving caulking room to the other. The caulking edge should be beveled such that the seam width narrows as it goes deeper.---------gary

Gary:
more great ideas. let me ask on the last detail, regarding a bad plank, and your
advice to true one edge and glue a beveled batten. You suggest that the bevel of
the filet should allow for the " seam width narrows as it goes
deeper" . This would be from the outside of the hull, no? Therefore the gage of
the gap with the straight edge and beveled batten would be still widest at the
hull, and taper narrow ("deeper") towards the inside of the boat?
Bill Powell

Bill:
Right: This way when you position the cotton you don't push it through to the inside.----------g

My boyfriend and I are currently restoring a wooden boat. It is a 1964, 57' Chris Craft Constellation. The hull is double planked Phillipine Mahogany on oak ribs. The the boat was in dry dock for approximately 3 years prior to our purchasing it. We put her back in the water in April of 99, pulled her back out in April of 2000 to coal tar epoxy the bottom. However she still seems to be taking on more water than he is comfortable with. I don't feel the problem is that serious being that she was out of the water for so long. The hull is in excellent condition. Can you tell me about how long it takes a boat of this size to fully swell after she was in dry dock for so long? And how will the application of the coal tar change this process if she was not in fact fully swelled before it's application?

Thanks for your help
Jennifer

Jennifer:
You have a fine boat well worth your effort to restore her. No matter how long a wooden boat has been out of the water, it will swell to its maximum in 7 to 10 days. If a leak persists after that it will continue. Unfortunately wood that gets extremely dried out will not necessarily swell all the way back to its original size, so you could have some leaky seams especially around the plank ends and where the planks are butted together. I would certainty not cold tar the whole bottom but rather put seam compound in any suspicious seams. It is likely that after that lengthy stay out of the water, the old seam compound is pretty dried out and may need to be replaced. Also if the outer plank seams are caulked with cotton you should reef a seam and check the condition of the cotton. It should not pull apart or break easily. Usually these double planked boats were built with matched seams, no cotton, but I have seen some caulked with cotton. I would suggest first checking the seams around the transom, for in my experience with power boats this area is the Achilles heal when it comes to leaks and or rot.
Also on wooden boats there are plugs called stop waters. These exist where the large timbers are joined together such as the stem joints to form the curve and where the stem connects to the keel. These softwood dowels going through the seam laterally i.e. at right angels to the seam and swell up to keep water from moving through the joint to the boats interior. The most exposed one and therefore the easiest to inspect will be at the base of the stem in a Z shaped joint. Hope these ideas are helpful and remember a little salt water in the bilge is a good thing, it kills the rot spores. Fell free to ask more questions---------gary

Hello,

I am new to wood boats. Got a buy I couldn't refuse. 33' 1964 Fairliner
with twin V8 Chevys. Overall condition is excellent. Problem: She
takes on water when under power. Bilge pump handles with ease.
Guesstimate 3-5 gallons of water. The engine compartment takes on the
least. Midship bilge pump gets the majority. The old owner had new
transom work done. He thinks maybe improper bottom caulking. I'm trying
to save money till next spring if possible.

Do you think she needs immediate repair work? Can there be any other
areas to look at? Is it normal for some wood boats to take on water? If
she handles the water easily with bilge pumps, can normal weekend use be
considered?

Norm:
Ideally, properly caulked and cared for, a wooden boat should not take on any water thru the hull, you will always get some through the stuffing box where your shaft[s] enter the hull. Of course, especially with older wooden boats, the ideal is rarely the case and a little water in the bilge is the norm rather than the exception. 3--5 gallons, although a little disconcerting, is no big deal. If the boat does not leak other than when it is underway, the culprit, other than the stuffing box, is probably a faulty seam that only contacts the water when underway. I would enjoy the boat for now and just keep an eye that the water intake does not increase. Next time you haul the boat, right after it comes out of the water wait overnight and come back with a piece of chalk and mark all the seam areas that are still wet. These most likely should be recaulked. If you are using the boat in fresh water and you have standing water in the bilge, put a salt block in the bilge. This will prevent any rot spores from finding a home. Hope this helps, sleepless nights are part of the bliss of being a wooden boat owner. but isn't it great having all that wood around you instead of plastic? Feel free to ask more.------------gary

Hello, My name is Christian Hess and I own a 1958
Herreshoff H-28, traditional design made out of teak
on oak frames, a beutiful little boat that I ha=ve
been slowly repairing since I bought it six months
ago. I bought it in Alameda, Ca and have sailed it to
my country El Salvador, proving that a well designed
boat can go a long ways despite its years.
Well the point of this e-mail is that during the
preparation for the trip to El Salvador we took the
masts off to do some mast varnishing and when we put
them back in with new rigging the rigger and myself
included tightened down the rigging too much, and
slowly by the time we found out the problem in Santa
Barbara, the Garboard strake had been pushed down by
the force of the rigging creating a disturbing leak
under the mast step, during the trip it only got
worse.
The two keel bolts that are directly under the mast
step are the ones leaking, and I have no idea if there
is any damage to the Garboard strake. My question is
do I replace the two keel bolts with oversized ones
and seal them up, reinforce the Garboard strake, or
what??

Christian:
You have a great boat, I am looking for one myself. I am jealous of your trip. Overtightened rigging on a wood boat is a no, no, which you found out the hard way. Normally keel bolts do not leak even if they are stressed but often they appear to leak as the result of the garboard leaking. I would guess most of your problem lies with your garboards at the mast step. I would reef them out along the keel, refasten them and recaulk. If your keel bolts are broken they would give a dead thud sound when you tap on them with a hammer. Compare their sound to that of tapping on the others. If there is a problem you can add a couple of bolts by threading into your keel a distance 3 times the diameter of the threaded bolt [1in bolt= tap 3in]. This is considered as strong as going through the whole keel. I hope this helps, ask more if need be.----------gary

question: Help I just aquired a 1963 Owens 30' flaghip. And of course it leaks. What can I do? It is almost time to lay up in winter storage. It normally placed in a winter slip. I would like to pull it out and fix the hull. What do I do? Thanks.

Congratulations------ You have to find out where it leaks. Most likely along the keel or around the transom. Take up all your floorboards and wet vacuum out all the water then chase down the leak, then write me back. Usually a leak can be fixed with refastening and caulking but you have to know where the problem area is. Also check closely your shaft log i.e. where the shaft comes through the bottom. Good luck--------gary

I am the new owner of a 1930 Alden Indian lapstrake centerboard sloop. The boat has been out of the water for 2 years. The bottom garboards had fiberglass mat layed to the first lap. (There is also a split in the garboard. Maybe the reason for the fiberglass mat.) It has two broken ribs, splits in the skeg that I believe should close after its back in the water. The previous owner, recomended I press 5200 along the keel/centerboard seams and put it in the water. I did (after painting) and it seems to be taking on a lot of water. I believe the water is coming from area's under the frames through the bolts to the keel. I only see a small leak from one area in the aft between the keel and the garboard. After 7 days my bilge pump runs for 20 seconds every 8-10 minutes. Each time it is pumping about 2 1/2 gallons of water. I figure I may wait another week then pull it back out for the season.

My questions are what should I do to make my Indian float without a pump? How long should I wait before sailing her? What should I do after I pull it out of the water to make it watertight for the next season?

I now realize I should not have used 5200, but cotton between the garboard and keel. Should I should remove the fiberglass (by sanding?) strip the bottom paint, repair the split in the garboard,(how?)Scrape out the 5200 and caulk with cotton? Should I check the fastening? It is fastened with screws and nuts visable on the inside of the hull. I don't see any rot, all wood seems solid but it does have the fiberglass matt on the bottom.

Nice classic.Lapstrake construction is a marvelous way to build a light
strong boat but they are a bitch to fix especially when they have been high
and dry for a long period. Most launch leaks will clear up in a week or 10
days, longer than that indicates a more serious problem. I would definitely
get the glass off and cut out the 5200. Ideally one should pull both
garboards and get a good look at the rabbit and reinstall new ones caulking
them properly with cotton and seam compound. Short of that I would put a
shaped bedded backing block behind the crack, pull some fastening along the
seam and refasten with longer screws ,caulk the seam properly and see what
happens. If a seam problem persists, I would get some flat lead strips, or
copper, and fasten and bed them with roofing tar along the garboard seam.
You can fasten this strip with copper carpet tacks. Usually bolt leakage
will swell over time but if not an old trick is to throw saw dust in the
water around the boat and swirl the water with a paddle forcing the saw dust
to sink wherein it will clog the leaks. Of course along seams and such it
will wash out with boat use but in bolt holes and such, it will last awhile.
Good luck with this, often perseverance wins out. Ask more as needed.-gary

Gary, I am looking for a good book to help me through the steps in repairing and replacing lapstrake planks on wood hull such as the Century Raven and Chris Craft Sea Skiff. I am in an area where there is no technical assistance close by. My Raven has a hole in the hull which needs to be fixed and I would like to learn how to do it right as there are other repairs done to it by previous owners, but they all look bad and need replacing themselves. Any Help? thanks VERN

Vern;
Unfortunately I have limited experience with lapstrake hulls but enough to know that plank replacement is a bit of a challenge. Their are no books that I know about that specifically deal with repair of lapstrake so you may have to extrapolate from books on lapstrake building. Lapstrake Boatbuilding Vol.1& 2 by Walter Simmons would be a good place to start. Here is a hyperlink to the woodenboat site where you can order them Woodenboat Publications . Also, you probably can get some individual expert advice on the boatbuilding forum at www.boatbuilding.com. Good luck. You are undertaking a most worthy task and I commend you for wanting to do it right.----------gary

question: Do I need to caulk the seams on my 26' wooden lapstrake Skiffcraft before I paint it ?

Normally lapstrake seams are not caulked-------unless there are large gaps and then just a bead of a polysulfide tube caulk will do-- unless the boat hasn't been in the water in years--then you have to swell it up first---------give me more info and I can be more specific---g

IFOR is pronounced IVOR. I am Welsh and live in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Dyfed (Duved) in West Wales.UK.

I am not sure where you are situated. Recently on Holiday in South Devon. Devonshire UK I was offered a Clinker boat as a project. I am only a novice But have a small 16 Foot GRP Yorkshire Cobble with cabin on a wet mooring in Fishguard nearby to me.

The project boat from Devon seems to be mainly cleaning, sanding and painting. All cosmetic. But there is some damage to starboard side. It looks a lot worse in the close up photos I took. I took about 70 photos in all.Inside and out. I guess there is a lot of work to be done on that starboard side? But as a hobby there is no rush. However long it takes.

On the hull however it is full, encrusted with Barnacles. This is because the boat has been in a Large Fishing port bay a long time, rising and dropping with the tide. So there will not be any drying out problem. If there was and Caulking involved I guess I would not be up to that at present. That seems complicated to me.

Maybe you will tell me a bit more about your organisation? Club? I only found Ask the Boatwright from Ask jeeves. Do you enrol members? etc.,

Before transporting the Boat home to Wales, I have to go back to Devon very soon. A journey about 150 miles. To Measure, bilge pump out rain water etc. I am attaching A few photos. Maybe you could tell me a rough estimate what you think length and weight of boat is? And what you think about that damage?

Of course I realise from photos you probably can only estimate a guess. But not belonging to any boat club, there is no such in my local little ports. So I can do with enrolling with an online club or whatever so I can get help along the way. Any help appreciated.

They will not harm the wood but leaving them on will foul the smooth flow of the water over the hull. They are easy to remove when the boat first comes out of the water but once dry they are a bear to get off. Saturating them with urineor any mild acidic makes it easier to scrape them off . ---gary

Thank for your advise and comments regarding my project boat, Helandrea 2 a wooden clinker cabin cruiser. As mentioned before its in South Devon UK and I live in west Wales UK. I havent taken possesion of the boat yet , but probably will make the journey to do so in a few weeks. Before taking possesion, I will make the journey just 150 miles or so, to measure and prepare for moving the boat etc before the day I bring her home.

I have another question for you. When bring the boat home, HOW LONG IS IT SAFE TO KEEP IT ON A DRY MOORING BEFORE IT DRYS OUT?. And in your last comment you said this boat does "NOT usually have cotton caulking" between the planking "ACCEPT where plank. garboard, meets the keel and at plank ends at stern and bow." "DOES THIS MAKE ANY DIFFERANCE TO DRYING OUT OR IS IT THE SAME RULES AS IF IT WAS ALL CAULKED WITH COTTON?"

There are a variety of ways to do this but first one should as why they are doing it in the 1st place . Your boat isn't that old and considering it is fiberglass with a minimum potential for electrolysis of problems, your bolts should be fine. But , if like many sailors, you have nightmares of your keel falling off, some extra bolts might help. It has been shown that a bolt threaded into the keel 4 times its diameter, ie-1in bolt threaded in 4 inches, gives as much strength as a full length bolt. The ease of putting threads in your keel depends on its composition but very doable in either iron or lead. Keep the drill straight by using a level, after you have leveled your boat athwartship. I have done this process many times and have not lost a keel yet. On a glass hull the bolts should be stainless. Good luck-------g

question: Gary, Thank you for the information and quick response. My boat had a bent rudder post from Huricane IVAN. I cut the fiberglass to expose the post and welded a new post vice straighten. Electrolysis had created a 1 inch gap between the Post and the two upper rods, the third was 50 % eroded.

Makes sense, although that amount of electrolysis is mysterious unless the boat was in a "hot" marina. You can tap the keel bolt nuts with a hammer and see what sound you get. Sharp sound good, dull thud bad.------g

I have just found very deteriorated keel bolts in my old sailboat. It has a lead keel and I was hoping to drill and lag bolt new bolts and the sister to the frames of the old keel bolts. Does this sound doable? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Should I epoxy bolts into keel?

Yes, you can add keel bolts that way in lead, you can also drill and tap (thread) the holes for bolts. The bolts should extend into the lead 4 times their diameter. They also should go through the floor timbers. The old ones may still have some holding power although another option is to pull and replace the old bolts, which is not too bad with a lead keel. Good luck and ask more if needed---gary

Thanks for your quick response! What type of bolt do you recomend, SS or bronze? I was thinking about epoxying the bolts in. What do you think? I will make a frame to sister to the existing frame that the old bolts go through. Today I tried to loosen one of the nuts and the bolt broke off about a foot and a half down. it was in REALLY bad shape and I am certain the the keel was in danger of coming off if the other bolts are similarly deteriorated!
Regards, Aaron

Thanks for the photo, nice looking boat, like a Kings Cruiser. The type of metal to use depends on what the fasteners are, so as to avoid electrolysis. The lead itself is neutral, so if the fasteners are steel, go with stainless, if copper or bronze go with silicon bronze, if Monel, either is OK. Putting epoxy on the threads couldn't hurt and remeber to put a turn of cotton under the bolt head to seal it off. You'll sleep better at night knowing your keel won't fall off--------------g

Hello,
We are looking to possibly purchase a beautiful old 1932, Howard Chappelle
designed, 39' Ketch.
We love the boat though it is a real fix-me-up, but the one part of the boat
we are unsure of is a section of the keel in the midsection of the boat.
A topside leak years ago dripped fresh water down the inside of the boat.
Therefore, the rib and planking is in bad condition beneath the leak (no
problem) but so is the top two inches of the deadwood of the keel. The wood
below it is as good as the rest of the keel, which is to say dry, cracked,
and not very pretty. But the rot is confined to a relatively short section
of the keel. Being new to wooden boats, but well versed in woodworking, we
don't know if the condition of the keel, as well as the rot in the keel mean
the boat is lost, if we need to replace the keel, or if there is an epoxy
product we can use to repair it and continue with the purchase and
restoration of this beauty.
Any advice you could give on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Joseph:
Sounds like a great boat and a worthy project, I wouldn't let a little rot in the dead wood of the keel discourage you. The deadwood itself does not take a great deal of stress, it is a filler to get the weighted part of the keel deeper so as to increase the mechanical advantage of its leveraging power. If the rot has extended into the keelson you may have to pull the Garboard planks to fix it. Actually if your doing extensive work on the boat, having the garboards off can make it a lot easier, plus on a boat that old new garboard planks is a good idea. Also on a boat that old check the fastenings and if they are steel check for iron rot around them. This is the main killer of older steel fastened boats. I included a little sketch to illustrate how I would fix the keel. Good luck and feel free to ask whatever-----gary

Thanks for your response, I really appreciate it!
One more question, though. The entire keel is cracked and obviously very
old, despite the fact it is not sagging. the current owner swears that the
wood will expand once in the water, and the surface will therefore be
smoothed out, and fine...Is this true? Is this normal on a boat which has
been drydocked for 2 years? Will all the cracks in the wood be closed, and
therefore OK?
Sorry to pester you with these questions, but you are the only one of 4
experts I emailed who responded. I really appreciate it.

Joseph:
No problem, I like the questions. After a wooden boat has been out of the water for an extended period of time, the large timbers that make up the deadwood will check and separate to a frightening degree. There very mass makes their expansion and contraction extreme. To avoid leakage when the boat is put back in the water, I usually fill those cracks with plastic roof cement, it will squeeze out as the wood swells and you can trim it off your next haulout. I remember the first wooden boat I restored and all the questions I had, some seemingly rather stupid, but I had some good old timers around me who had the answers. So now it's my turn-----gary

Gary the keel on our 1935 Mcgruer sloop has been leaking over the past
years and when I went to tighten /slacken the keel bolts recently
discovered that they had wasted away (to about 1/4 " imperial) and
consequently sheared when I applied leverage to the spanner.
Obviously the keel had to be dropped and refastened but have found
it impossible to drive out what remains of the bolts I am thinking of
passing a hacksaw blade between the keel and the deadwood removing the
keel (all two tons of it!) and drifting ,or jacking, the bolts up into the
boat
My concern is that the timber in way of the bolts will have seriously
degraded as the oak is visibly black and appears to be soft
would it be acceptable to cut out square tapered sections in way of the
old keel bolt holes and epoxy in place prior to redrilling or will I have
to replace deadwood/keel?
Best regards Graham

Difficult job. Of course, ideally, one should replace the damaged wood with new wood but with boat repair, ideal is not always feasible. I think your solution is workable and shouldn't lesson the quality of the job. Good luck--------gary

I just made back home in Alaska after a couple of months in Honolulu
on my boat. The keel bolt replacement went better than expected, I talked
the yard into blocking her high enough to remove the bolts by driving out
from the interior. Gee that sounds easy, it went well but slow, I was able
to dig out the epoxy sealing the recessed nuts and cut off the nuts with a
holesaw leaving the bolts intact, than took up the weight of the boat with a
bottle jack, of course the bolt wasnt moving so went inside and started
beating on the bolt to loosen it after a while they would move more pressure
more heavy blows to keep it moving after things moved a little going up I
pounded it down, back up, down again about that time I cut off the top of
the bolt and drove them down and out using a 3/4" rod as a punch. I only
twisted off one bolt that did not go through the cast iron, that was when it
was decided just to use the holesaw to remove the nuts. The original bolts
were 7/8" mild steel I replaced them with 1" hot dipped galv. all thread. I
had to ream out the holes but it worked well. Also installed new S/S chain
plates moving them outboard as the original ones were also mild steel that
were inboard and the deck leaked and the chain plates were quite rusted and
where they passed through the deck. Styrke is Norwegian built lap strake my
friend who is a finish carpenter and cab builder made up the new wood pcs
which we laminated over the existing hull planks than routed out for the
chain plates, left in the old chain plates for backing. really hell for
stout now, new bronse bolts should be good for at least another 40 years.
While things were apart replace sections of the dead wood at each end of the
cast iron keel. Boy finding any wood larger than 3-1/2" was a problem in
Hawaii. Anyway thanks for your ideas earlier I was lucky and did not have to
remove the keel or try to drill and tap it. All in all I was on the hard for
almost 6 weeks. The shaft log was just a hole without liner, I installed a
fiberglass tube and built up the interior, where there was some rot cleaned
it out and installed some patches bedded with 3M 5200, had to do same thing
at top of rudder tube. Former owner had covered steel plate rudder with foam
and fiberglass with out providing place for zinks so S/S rudder shaft was
eaten away, its only money so had a new 1-1/4" shaft welded on the rudder,
cleaned off all the foam and glass installed zinks ect. Every thing always
take more time than expected. Will replace rigging and reinstall engine this
fall. Time to get to work and earn some money to pour in my hole in the
water. Thanks again John

Thanks for the in depth update. Congratulations, hell of a job. Glad to hear you could replace the keel bolts with full length bolts rather than tapping and that installing the fiberglass tube in the shaft log went well. Once your underway, you will be able to sleep soundly. Send some pictures when you get a chance--------gary

question: Gary, I have a 1967 Mariner ketch, mahogany planked, copper riveted. The hull is in excellent shape overall, but it has been out of the water for about 10 years. My question is regarding a longitudinal, fore-and-aft crack in the wooden keel. The crack seems to run from the aft end of the keel about halfway towards the bow, then closes up. It was about an eighth of an inch when I bought the boat (about 6 years ago) but has now gotten bigger. I've been told maybe it will swell shut when the boat is refloated. What to do? I know keels can be replaced, but isn't it a huge job? I thought about jacking the boat up off the ballast keel a few inches, cleaning off the bottom of the cracked wooden keel and the top of the iron ballast and slathering in a bunch of non-hardening caulking type goop, then re-tightening the keel bolts. I figure this would allow the keel to swell up again and yet (hopefully) keep the water out. Is this a structural threat? Must this keel be replaced or what? Am I DOOMED? Thanx, Fred

Nice boat. With a wooden boat that has been high and DRY for that period of time the best thing to do is get it back into the water with as little done to the hull as possible. It is most likely the crack in the wood keel or deadwood is merely a natural check in the wood that has expanded as the wood has dried out. I would just use some Henry's roof patch tar to fill the crack as well as any other area that could leak and get her back in the water. Let her sit for a couple weeks before she is stressed then slowly sail her and find out what needs work. She'll probably be just fine.--------good luck. Feel free to ask more as needed and don't let others talk you into using epoxies or polysulfides. She was built traditionally and should be maintained that way as well---g

Gary, thanx for your quick reply. Not sure if I made clear just how big this crack is. It's a vertical split thru the center of the keel. If you reach down in the bilge you can stick a butter knife down in it and hear/feel it hit the iron ballast keel. It started small and is now probably over a half-inch wide and apparently goes all the way down to the ballast. I'm with you on using traditional methods/materials. I'm wondering if a split of this magnitude will affect the boat structurally (although it only goes about half the length of the keel) and how do ya caulk it and still allow it to swell shut? I'm having nighmares about trying to chop out and replace a keel on this beast. By the way, where are you located? Thanx a million! Fred

If the split is vertically longitutinal, I would run some bolts through it from one side to another after pumping in some roofing tar, don't overtighten. The tar will squeeze out as it swells . Over time you can tighten up on the bolts when you haul out. When I worked on boats that had been out of the water as long as yours, we would pull the engine and sink them for a couple weeks before we even tried to fix them. In other words, you don't know exactly how things are until she swells. If the worse scenario is dropping the keel and replacing a portion of the keel, it is not that big a deal if you do the labor.--------------g

question: Hi There: I've recently purchaced a folkboat, and want to check out the keel bolts. I've a sneaking suspicion it's a hell of a job!

Congratulations, you are the lucky owner of one of the best designed boats ever. The ultimate way to examine the keel bolts is to X-ray them, but this is usually beyond most peoples bank accounts. I assume the bolts are steel. Wire brush off whatever rust is on the bolt heads and nuts. Strike the bolt head with a steel hammer. If you get a dull thud it is likely the bolt is very deteriorated or broken. If you get more like a solid ring, then chances are they are ok. If they need to be replaced, the process is very labor intensive but doesn't take a great deal of expertise. I will advise you further if this proves to be the case--------g

I've given them a good dunt and though it's not a dull thud, it's not a sharp ring either!

Yes, it would be ideal to look at one but usually that is easier said than done. If the keel is lead, getting one out would br easier but normally the keels on those are iron meaning the bolts will rust in. Often the bolts deteriorate at the keelson (wood) to keel joint. So if you try to hammer the bolt down it can brake there and get horribly jammed never to come out. Also often the bolts do not go all the way through the keel but rather go about 1/2 way down where there is a window on the side of the keel which gives access to put a nut on the keel bolt. These windows are then plugged with wood or cement. If this is the case getting a complete bolt out is almost impossible. When one commits to putting in new bolts you usually have to use a metal sawblade in a sawsall and run it down the seam between the keel and keelson cutting through the keel bolts. Then, after rolling the keel aside, you drive the ones in the boat up and out and the ones in the keel are driven down and must be intermittently cut if there are windows. What I have done for some boat owners who were keel bolt sensitive was to add a few new bolts which are threaded into the keel. It is accepted that a bolted threaded into the keel a distance 4 times the diameter of the bolt is as strong as a through bolt. Depending on the keel material this process is not hard but takes a lot of leaning on a big drill especially if the keel is iron.. These tapped bolts, for ultimate strength, should go through some new additional floor timbers, although putting them just through the keelson would add considerable insurance against dropping a keel. In many ways I prefer this method because on old wooden boats much strength comes from the memory of the pieces being together for a long time and thus even if the existing keel bolts are mostly shot, they probably still have a lot of holding power but adding the tapped bolts eliminates sleepless nights.---------g

question: Gary, I have dropped the cast iron keel from my International Dragon, a 30' mahogany on oak Sail boat. Just in time, most of the bolts were rusted through. I am planing on using galvanized steel bolts as a replacement (any comments?). Also I have read that may be I should be bedding the keel with Irish felt and bitumen. Does this have advantages over a polysulphide compound? If so where can I get hold of the Irish felt? I am located in the NW.

Thanks Rolf

Rolf;
Nice boat, beautiful lines. Using galvanized bolts with iron is fine, another 50 years anyway. Irish felt is usually available at roofing companies and is the traditional way to go but I have used regular tar paper as well, in either case I suggest using Thompson's roofing tar on both surfaces with the felt or tar paper in between. Toredo worms hate tar. Coat your bolts as well with the tar and double wrap some caulking cotton under the washers to prevent any leaks. Oh, also remember to retighten the bolt nuts after using the boat for a week or two. I compliment you in taking on a rather daunting task, but after you're done you will no longer have the wooden sailboat owners nightmare of the keel falling off----------have fun----gary

question: A previous owner of my 1968 East-German-built folkboat (built in Rostock) put a huge cleat on the mast, with very big screws, which became loose. On removal, they have left rather large holes (1/4") with small cracks and discolouration of the wood around them. What's the best thing to do - fill holes with Wests and then re-west the whole area? (The mast is Wested).
Also, the mahogany transom leaks a bit low down and seems a bit soft when I put more screws in. Is West's advisable in this case on the inside of the transom - as a local boat repairer suggested - to strengthen/plug leak? The whole hull is screwed+glued together beautifully and no seams have ever opened elsewhere. I would hate to start removing or changing any planking as the joinery is superb and the wood impossible to replicate (in fact, I believe a grand piano manufacturer built these boats!)
Incidently, on the issue of keelbolts are you aware if these particular boats or any others have studs instead of bolts (as I have been told) as I can't find any sign of nuts/bolts outside the hull. I liked the suggestion you gave recently on putting in extra bolts and leaving the old ones where they are. Should I put in extra bearers in that case and how many bolts do you think would suffice? As far as I know the bolts have never been changed,
Bill

Bill;
Folk boats are wonderful----beauty in form and function..With the mast screw holes, I would use a #12 drill plug countersink and glue in a 1/2 in wood plug (bung). The transom is trickier, using penetrating epoxy will harden up the soft wood but the leak might be do to a caulking problem. Try the epoxy and if the leak doesn't stop a further in depth analysis will be necessary.Usually on these boats the keel bolts are bolts but they don't go all the way through, except for the furthest one forward, rather there are pockets about half way down the keel accessed through cut-outs in the side of the keel. Usually these cut-outs are filled with a wood plug or cement. If you tap in some new bolts it is preferable that they are supported by a floor timber but even just going through the keelson alone would provide some back-up support. Part of the issue with the keel bolts depends on what metal is used for them as well as what metal is used for the keel. Steel in iron have less a life span than bronze or monel in lead. Good luck and feel free to ask more as needed. If you have a picture of her send it along----------gary

Gary,

I have a Formosa 35' Ketch. As you probably know, it has hollow box spruce
masts. I live in Hawaii (tropical climate). I have noticed cracks in the
Mizzen mast. These cracks run vertical on the right side of the mast just
below the spreaders and are about 2-3 feet in length. My concern is that it
may be delaminating. I currently have the mast off the boat and in my
garage (and across the driveway). I have been advised by the "Bar Fleet" on
methods of repair. The two most common answers are: 1) Fill with West
System and repaint. 2) Route out the cracks, then fill with West System and
repaint. What do you recommend to properly repair?

Randy;
First you have to determine if the crack is on the glue joint or is just a check in the grain of the wood and second determine how deep it goes. If it is a natural check in the wood just clean it out and fill it. If it is a glue joint and it goes deep, you need to determine if the original glue is breaking down. Put a small wood wedge in the crack and tap it lightly to see if the crack gets larger. If it does you will have to break apart all the glue joints and reglue the box. If not, it is best to router out the crack and glue a spline in. If the crack is very shallow in depth, just clean it good and fill with epoxy glue. Good luck-------------gary

Dear Gary

This is Alex from the UK, I am currently building my first boat, a roamer sea cruising dinghy, (plans available from the dinghy cruising association of the UK). Upon consulting with other roamer sailors I wish to change the plans to include a tabernacle for the mast to enable it to be lowered at sea or for trailering. Would you know of anywhere I can obtain a diagram of a mast tabernacle on the web

Regards
Alex.

Alex:
Sorry I don't know of any sites that would show that in detail, although the principle is pretty simple. It is basically a three sided open ended box with two bolts athwartship through the two sides of the box and the mast. The lower bolt locks the mast in place when up and the top bolt is for the mast to pivot on when raising or lowering. The higher the pivot bolt the easier it is to raise and lower the mast , also the two sides of the box should extend higher than the fore and aft third side, so the mast has clearance when lowered. Assuming on your small boat the mast will be lowered to the stern, the 3rd side of the box would be aft, the fore side remaining open for the swing of the foot of the mast. Almost all the stress on the base of the mast is downward ,so it is most important to extend a support piece under the tabernacle to a stout block on the keelson. This way the stress is transferred to the keel, the strongest part of the boat. It probably would be easiest and strongest to construct the tabernacle out of metal, but you can use wood. Hope this helps, you also can get advise and maybe even a drawing at www.boatbuilding.com. Good luck and feel free to pick my boatbrain---------------------gary

Seems like you have a pretty good grasp of the situation. Doing that repair properly with the mast in placing is nigh impossible short of having a sky hook, so you must see this is a quick fix that can be done correctly later. Do as you say, cut out one side of the mast box and clean out the rot from the solid inner core and scarf a new piece in place, may have to block the mast up with a couple of wedge timbers to the deck from under the spreaders to relieve the weight on the mast step. You can use antifreeze (with glycol) to kill what rot spores remain and penetrating epoxy to solidify any remaining soft wood. The fix should work OK, just avoid any uncontrolled gybes-------gary

question: Thanks for your forum. I have a 1984 hardin ketch 45. recently i discovered an area of rot behind a cleat on the main mast. my plan was to dig out the rot, epoxy and paint. i discovered a huge problem. I tuck a 10' screwdriver straigt up into a rotten mast. We are getting ready to step them, but need direction. Is this something that can be repaired, or must the mast be replaced? Obviously i don't know the extent/size of the rot, but i have no idea if a strong mast can result from a repair. Thanks for your effort

Nice boat. I assume your masts are glued up hollow spruce or fir with
internal blocking at stress points.
The bottom 8-10 ft of your mast has solid internal blocking and somewhere
above that blocking there is a leak allowing fresh water to get inside the
mast and wet that blocking and with no way to dry out, the rot spores have
a perfect home. The question is how extensive is the damage. You need to
drill some small test holes in the other blocked areas to see if there is
rot as well. Any wood boxed mast can be repaired, it just depends on the
extent of the repair and whether it is financially feasible or is it cheaper
to look for a used aluminum one , which I imagine are in abundance in
hurricane damaged sailing areas. I would not trust your mast until the
extent of the rot damage is assessed. Ask more as you know more----gary

You've helped us already! We were under the impression that our mast had a solid core that ran the extent of it. At least now we have hope that it might not be a deadly as first thought. Do you have a clue where we could get a plan for a hardin mast? It would be great if we knew what we were looking at (perfect world). Second, we are in Fort Myers Florida. You would think that with all the boats/yachts here that help would be hard to find. Do you by any chance have any kind of network that would provide a contact in our area. Thank you again for your help. We were afraid all was lost!

I am glad that information relieved some anxiety. There would be no standard mast blue prints for your particular boat, you basically just have to extrapolate from how a box mast is made. Realizing it is a 4 sided glued box with solid blocking at the stress and attachment point ie---1st 6-10ft at the bottom, at the spreaders, shroud attachment points and the last 3-4ft at the top with a few smaller spacer blocks in-between. Another trick to find the blocks is to take the handle of a screwdriver and tap on the mast, you will hear a definite difference between the hollow part and the areas that are blocked. Then I would pull a few screws at these points and probe in with an ice pick to see how solid the blocks are. Also check the glue seams for separation which would allow fresh water penetration.

Unfortunately I do not know anyone in Ft Myers that would be of help although If I were you I would go to the forum at www.woodenboat.com and ask for help and I would go to a local boatyard and find out where the crew goes for drinks after work, go there and spring for a round or two and ask them who they would recommend. That is how years ago a guy, exactly in your predicament, found me to repair his broke mast in Miami.-----gary

question: Hello Gary I recently purchased a 1965 wood lightning.The wood mast is broken at approx.7' from the bottom.There is dry wrought,although don't know how far it extends.I'm interested in a scarf joint repair,would it be advisable to say make a new approx. 10' base sction and scarf it or scarf in a mid section to where wood is solid?I am going to take the paint off,CPES it,use laminating epoxy where needed.In reading at your website it mentioned not to use a scarf joint within 4 ' of each other?The mast construction is a box type made up of 5 pieces including a centre core piece.The wood is sitka spruce.A friend has offered to help me who is a very talented wood worker.Any input greatly appreciated.Thank you Jeff Pearson

On a smaller diameter mast like that one the scarfs can be a minimum of 2 feet apart but still should have the 12 to 1 ratio on the scarf itself. The solid core usually extends from the step to above the lower part of the sail track and the there is just blocking at the spreaders and other areas of hardware attachment including the mast head. I would make my first scarf just below the spreaders and the next opposite side one as far down as possible and the remaining 2, 180 degrees opposed at 2 ft intervals. Use a good epoxy glue and hose clamps strung together make good clamps. Good luck and you can get some homegrown input on the lightning web site www.lightningclass.org----------I sail an old woody here in Rockland--see pic---good luck and ask more as needed------gary

Hi Gary I have removed all hardware and paint from the mast.It is stored indoors.I am in the process of finding some sitka spruce to make a new lower section.My questions relate to the old section of mast.When it was originally built they used resourcinol glue,evident in the purple/dark glue lines.There are sections which are good and others which are loose.Should I reglue with resourcinol?Should I try to get apart the good sections?How?Any advise on this greatly appreciated.Jeff

Good progress, you're coming right along. Knowing what you do about the old glue joints you'll never have full confidence in the mast unless you reglue the whole thing. To split the glue joints try first using small wooden wedges to open the joint, considering the age of the glue it should work but if not use a circular saw with a thin blade and a batten guide to direct the cut down the center of the joint. Clean off the old glue and reglue with epoxy. Smith & Co makes an excellent epoxy glue with a thick consistency without fillers http://www.smithandcompany.org/. Have fun--------g

Hello Jeff here.I emailed you several months ago about repairing my Lightning mast.A couple of notes/questions.The original construction is a centre solid core approximatelly 1"x2" and then wrapped with four 1/2" pieces.Now the centre core piece is not continuous,but various section lengths,maybe for flex?There are shorter pieces intersperced between the longer core sections.The mast,good section is sitka spruce,inwooden boat form some have suggested using douglas fir(cheaper and more readily available)Your thoughts?Once again I have to replace the lower 9'.Any help greatly appreciated.Cheers Jeff Pearson

Hello again--your reconnect is serendipitous for my lightening mast broke today, freak accident with tarp over mast and boat, too much rain and not enough support under center of mast, broke at the spreaders, so I have a scarf job as well. The inner core blocks are usually located where hardware is attached and from the maststep up a few feet. For equalization of stress factors it is always best to use the same wood especially if the scarf is in between 2 original sections, but since you are originating the bottom 9ft section 1/4 sawn straight grained fir ( preferably air dried) is ok. The scarfs should be 12 to 1 i.e. least 6 inch with 1/2 in stock and the opposing sections scarfs should be no less than 2 feet apart. You can use hose clamps for setting epoxy glue joints. I can go into more procedural detail as you move along. Feel free to ask----------g

I am replacing a wooden mast on my 1946 Luders L-16 with an aluminum mast given to me but it has worn/chafing spots in a ring around the mast where it rubbed against the deck. It is a keel stepped mast. Not all the way thru but perhaps at its deepest a 3rd of the way through the 1/8 inch aluminum. My thought was to get an aluminum band about 6 inches tall and having it welded on top of the chafed area but I am unsure of whether that would not create more weak spots. Any advice you can provide would be much appreciated.

You might should keep your wood one, but if you want the aluminum one you'll have to weld a sleeve over that weakened area, extending 6in above and below the stressed area--------g

Had another idea. A simple cheap fix would be to insert a wood plug that goes from the maststep to a foot or so above the weak spot. Possibly the old wood mast could be trimmed up to make the plug-----g

I have a small sail boat with a wooden mast. One of the guide wires let go
causing the mast to topple, there is currently about a 12 inch crack in the
mast, about three feet from the base. The crack starts about the center of
the mast and runs to the outside. Can you offer any suggestions as to
repairs which I may be able to do ?

Thanks
Grounded

Grounded:
Ultimately you should get a nice clear piece of Sitka spruce and shape a new one, a good winter project. But for now I would get some fiberglass tape and wrap it like a bandage around the cracked area using epoxy resin. You should scrape the area to be taped down to bear wood so the tape and resin will adhere. This bandage will serve you well. If you do a neat job of it, the repair will be hardly noticeable. Good luck-------Gary

Mr. Wheeler
I have acquired a ketch rigged Formosa 35. This boat has been neglected and the mizzen mast is in pretty sad shape. I am having both the main and mizzen pulled for in depth inspection and an estimate on repair costs. In the meantime I am searching for someone that does good work and can make a replacement mast, if it comes to that.
Another option would be to convert to aluminum masts. But, if I did, what started as a do-able project might soon not make economic sense.
Any thoughts or guidance
Thank you
Jim

Jim:
Nice boat. Usually even very neglected wooden masts are salvageable unless significant rot has crept into the foot or around the spreaders, but even this can be repaired. Often older unprotected wooden masts need to be reglued. Your main mast is basically a glued up 4 sided box as probably is the mizzen. Regluing involves splitting open the old glued joints, cleaning the wood up, and regluing with a good epoxy glue. This takes patience but not a great deal of skill. The most difficult part is finding a nice level place to work and then scavenging or making up enough clamps to do the job. Personally, I have never found a wooden mast I couldn't fix, even if broken in half. Forget the aluminum. Expensive and ugly on that type of boat. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions-----------gary

Hope one of you can help. Bought a lighting from a club member while I am in
Florida, another member just informed me due to the heavy snow, the cover
caved in breakeing the. wooden mast how, if it can be repaired do you start
the rebuild. Thanks Bob

Robert:
Sorry to hear about the mast. Of course you have three options, fix it, make a new wooden one, or get an aluminum one. I would suggest the third option if you are not into woodworking or if you are going to do a lot of trailer sailing, for the aluminum mast is a bit easier to manhandle. Check the lightning assoc. website for used ones International Lightning Class Association .With guidance, the second option would be a fun project but rather involved. The first option maybe the easiest depending on the nature of the break i.e. whether it is all splintered or a clean break. Either way you will have to scarf in a new section. A scarf on a mast should be 12 to 1, for every inch of thickness you need 12 inches of scarfed surface, So if the mast is 4 inches at the broken area the scarf would be 48 inches long. If you need further help with options 2 and 3 feel free to ask. Good luck, a lightning was the first sailboat I ever owned and was the first boat I ever tried the Mast Mate on.----------------------gary

question: What is best glue to re-glue three foot scrafed joint at top ten foot section of 60 foot wooden Spruce mast, and to re-glue opened seams of glued mast seams surfaces of original construction?
email:

Hi:
The glue I have used with success for mast gluing is a 2 part epoxy glue manufactured by Smith & co. in Richmond CA------ here's a link to their site www.smithandcompany.org. Their epoxy has a peanut butter consistency which makes it useful for filling those voided old glue joints as well as not having to add fillers to get the right working consistency. I am sure there are other epoxy glues of equal workability but I know Smith's. Use plenty of clamps, multiple hose clamps strung together to get the right diameter work well. Sounds like the boat that has that stick is an interesting one. Good luck----feel free if you have further questions--------------gary

I have a wooden mast on the Holman Stella I am restoring-The previous owner had sawed it approx in half- I am told I can repair it with a scarf but do not know how to do this, could any one please advise on how and with what type of scarf, also glue type to use and any information.
Ken, in Cornwall,Uk

Ken
A scarf on a mast must have a 12 to one ratio, ie if it is hollow with one inch sides, each side must have at least a 12inch scarf and no two scarfs can be within 4 feet of another. This means you will have to scarf in new pieces. To make the scarf you build a 3 sided box with the sides having the proper angle for the scarf and lay the piece in the box and plane it down using the sides as a guide. Do all pieces this way and they will match perfectly. Use epoxy glue and as many clamps as you can get your hands on. Hope this helps;email me if you have further questions.

question: Hi Gary I have what I thought to be a Holman stella but I have a plan of the Stella and there seem to be many differences especialy the cabin length and the LOA is only about 24ft It looks to me more like a folk boat -I have never seen the boat rigged but have the old mast which is in 3 pieces -I have asked you about scarfing this -but do you think it really practicle. If so have you any more advice on how to do it

Thanks Gary
Regards ken gregory in Cornwall

Ken:

2----4 sided 12 to1 scarfs, no 2 within 4ft of another, on a rather short mast is probably asking for trouble down the line, plus for all the work involved, it would make more sense to make up a new one. Some good sitka spruce, a long bench, a bunch of clamps and a quart of epoxy glue and you're all set. Or you can poke around some boatyards and maybe find one that would work. Good luck-----g

Hi Gary- thanks for the info on the mast I thought it would be more trouble than it was worth so I'll look around for a second hand one. Would you look at the attached pic of my boat I am restoring in my back garden, I was told it was a Stella but as you can see the cabin is much smaller and the actual LOA is only just 24ft so do you think it's a folk boat or a special one off. I have never seen it rigg, the mast was through deck but I intend to mount it in a tabernackle on the deck in the same place. I have increased the size of the deck beams and added a post for support internally with what would you fix the tabernackle? I'm told should not be too strong so that if the mast comes down it won't tear the deck off. Sorry to ask so many questions but this is my first wooden boat. I hope it's Ok to send pics

Regards Ken Gregory

Ken;

No problem, ask away and send as many pics as you like. Pretty lines, certainly folkboat like, but the length seems a bit short. As far as the tabernacle, your right it should break away without much damage plus all the mast compression is transmitted through the compression post to the maststep and on to the keel. I would just use some long screws through the cabin top into the block you installed to land the compression post on. Also make sure the post lands directly on the mast step not just on the cabinsole. You have a good project on your hands, she'll be a beaut when dolled up and you'll be a wooden boat lover the rest of your life. Don't hesitate to ask questions no matter how silly they may seem.--------------------g.

I have a Lapworth 36...One of the last ones built circa 1965. ... with a wood box mast that is starting to fail in the lower 15/18 feet or so. The failure is the glue bonds and there are no cracks other than the box seams showing separation. Any tips on fixing this? I presume that unstepping the mast and taking it apart is in order. There may be an area or two of dry rot, although I don't know for sure yet. If so what is the recommendation for replacement? Can I spline or join stock together and replace an area? I presume I can, but is it a good idea? The mast also has the old stainless track and while it does not jam it is not the most amiable system for dropping the main. Any suggestions on track replacement.? What about glues in the rebuild? The original was resorcinol based near as I can tell.
Any advice? I've already ignored the advice from my brother when I bought the boat:.."don't buy a wooden boat", he said... but I figured I could use another career anyway.

Thanks for anything you can tell me,

John

John:

I happened to be online when your question came through. Nice boat and its good you understand the maniacal devotion, time and more time necessary for wooden boat ownership. Yes, the best way is to unstep the mast and remove the hardware so you can do a thorough inspection. Make up a bunch of small wooden wedges that can be used to wedge open the glue seams. Clean well and reglue with a good 2 part epoxy. If there are small area of rot you can use small splines but if a section has to be replaced just remember the scarfs need to be 12 to one ( 1 inch thick board, 12 inch long scarf) and no two scarfs should be closer than 4 feet. Making a scarf box helps. You will need a lot of clamps, multiple hose clamps work well as do 2X4 pieces with threaded rod. I can give you more details as you discover what you need to do. Have fun-------------g

I'm about to build a set of spreaders for my Columbia 38 and was wondering what's the best type of wood and do you know of any good European sources?

Thanks,-------Martin Harris, SV/Mystique, Seattle, lying Tarragona, Spain

Martin;

Spruce has the best strength to weight ratio but fir is also adequate. Either should be quarter sawn, the end grain should look like this //////// . I do not know European suppliers but either should be available almost anywhere---Also, in a pinch, any fairly dense wood will work as long as the grain follows the above rule-----good luck--gary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MILDEW 3

question: Hi Gary

I 've just got a Santana 22 and my first project this summer is to fix the interior,(so my wife and daughters will find it more acceptable). The berths are poorly finished 3/8" plywood with large and small black spots (mildew) spread through out the horizontal surfaces. There is also a cedar rail infected. I have cut out what I could and used wood bleach on the areas that are left. After going through two cycles of the Acid/ Baking soda and Rinse the black areas are still black. I am thinking about glycol(antifreeze)--Do you think that would be better? Before I prime, I think I should turn those black spots brown. Also

Do you have any suggestion about primers?-------Thanks

You can try some TSP cleaner, available in hardware stores, to better treat
the mold areas and use a primer like Zprime with a shellac base which will
seal the stains from showing through------enjoy your new old boat------gary

Hi Gary,

I would really appreciate any tips you can suggest to clean up mildew and hopefully retard its return. Thanks.

I know the feeling. The best stuff I found was TSP, available in hardware stores. Wear rubber gloves. If you want other opinions go to CW/SW General Messages Board - Message Index and post your question. I live on land at the moment but spent many great years living aboard.----------------Gary

question: I am looking at a glass over wood tri- haul to buy. On the interior haul there is mildew coming through the paint. My qestions are... is there wet wood in there? And how can I tell how hard it would be to repair it? thank you Desiree

Desiree
Normally mildew does not indicate wood rot, rather it develops on
any surface because of the difference in outside and inside temperature and
the lack of fresh air circulation. To test the soundness of the wood in
question tap on it with the handle end of a screwdriver. If you hear a sharp
precise sound all is well, if you here a dull thud there is a problem. If
your investment in the boat will be substantial it is worth getting a
survey. Glass over plywood construction has problems when fresh water works
its way between the glass and wood and finds a perfect environment for rot.
So, check especially around the deck and cabin house for soft spots. Good
luck and feel free to ask more as necessary-------gary

I found this website and your e-mail link online – looking for some information on how to clean my bilge. I have a 1957 wooden motor-sailer. It’s a one-off design built by my family.

In the last two years, my bilge has developed a “new smell” which intensifies as the summer progresses. I have checked for waste system leaks, but have found none. There is the possibility that one of my grey water tanks had overflowed into the bilge at one time, but I don’t think it was the cause of this smell. Last year I cleaned out the bilge prior to launch, and the sludge left a smell on my hands that I couldn’t rid for days. I don’t know what the cause is, but this year I’d like to clean the bilge and try to kill whatever is growing with something more than water.

You can either get some TSP from the hardware store and scrub away or get one of the commercial bilge cleaners from west marine---http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearchView?catalogId=10001&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&keyword=BILGE+CLEANER&Ntt=BILGE+CLEANER&N=377+710&y=

Either should work but you need to track down the source which for an old wooden power boat could well be diesel or oil soaked rotting cotton in the garboard seams. They may need to be reefed and recaulked. I would keep some salt water sloshing around the bilges to further purge the smell and kill any fungus. Hope this helps---g

question: Hey Gary: Great site for a great cause! The art of caring for wood boats is disapearing - learning to find my way through has been difficult at best. I have a swamp cedar, a.k.a juniper, over oak frame carval planked coast guard inspected vessel which is licensed to carry up to 17 passengers. She is a workboat with true chesapeake lines. The genious who built her flush mounted the pulpit over the stem. From the downward pressure of the pulpit, the stem developed a crack below the pulpit. The crack has some flex in the area under the pulpit. I was thinking of drilling some 1/4" holes deep into the crack and pouring resin into the crack and clamping the area to firm up the stem. After the epoxy sets up I was going to wet out cloth with epoxy over the area for additional strength. Does this sound like a proper fix? Again, she is a workboat - not my personal yacht, so the fix must be sound but not a "work of art". Thanks. Great site!

Thanks for the compliments on the site, it's a great deal of fun. If there
is some flex in that crack I doubt if epoxy and glass reinforcing would be
advisable. I would tend to want some mechanical fastener, bolts,
transversing the crack, adding some epoxy glue as well or even better squirt
in some 3m 5200 before you tighten the bolts. You want to keep fresh water
out of that crack so no rot develops as well as strengthening the area. Hope
this helps------gary

question: hi gary i talked to you last year about striping paint of of an old chirscraft it was not fun but it was done . a frind of mine was looking at my boat last sumer with a dive tank and hs say's that i have no worm borad ????? i sad ok ;; what is the bast wood to used?

i live in eastern canada in salt water .thank's you must get alot of ???????????

Nice to hear from you again. A worm board is just a sacrificial piece of
lumber running the length of the bottom of the keel. Any local wood will do
as long as the worms find it tasty. the important part is that you need a
barrier between the worm shoe (board) and the structural keel. Roof patch
cement or a piece of tar paper works just fine, the worms will not eat
through that. Good luck--------Gary

I found an area under the front window frame, which is made out of whitebeach and painted with redlead and oil based topcoat where the timber has completely disintegrated. It was crumbly and also the paint on top of that timber was still intact. The reason I noticed it was that the paint had cracked. The boat has only been in the water for 12 months and the timber is new. The timber sill was 2 inches thick and further along the sill the timber is starting to go soft. I didn't see any insects. Do you have any idea what this could be? Please help.

That's really surprising to have such deterioration occur so
quickly which to me means that whatever is causing it was already active in
the timber before it became part of your boat.I have seen this many times
and no partial fixes are successful. The only fix is to replace the piece
with a new one from a different source. Hopefully the use of that trees wood
in your boat was limited but I would take the precaution to do a bit of
tapping to listen for that dull thud or hollow sound that indicates
deterioration.-------good luck--gary

question: Hi Gary, I have a 1957 chriscraft 38ft. sportfisherman .This boat was customized by Rybovich boat works in 1964. This is a non aft bulkhead dayboat. The boat is in the water year around in N.J. and during the winter months the interior cabin sweats badley. During the winter I keep a aft mooring cover over the cockpit to protect the salon area. What do you suggest I do to eliminate this problem? I also chip a salt block and spread that into my bilge is that ok? Thank you Don

Salt in the bilge is very good, kills rot spores that live in fresh
water. To eliminate condensation and rot spores that grow in damp areas,
fresh air circulation is the key plus, if you have shore power, a couple
light bulbs help a lot as well.----Gary

question: We are in Thailand and just had our aft teak sole replaced (14 mt Camper ad Nicholsen ketch) and there is a piece that is not screwed down (a lift off hatch to bilge) and it is bowing. Do you have any suggestions? We put heavy weights on corners to straighten out and as soon as we took the weights off the 4 corners lifted again. We were told the marine ply they use here is inferior to the cured ply/teak they use in the US. Any suggestions would be appreciated, Sincerely Pat

Lovely boat--Unless you can screw on stiffeners to the backside or
double up the plywood you have to replace the piece, it has a permanent
flaw. If it was solid teak, steaming it would help but that is of no use
with Ply. ----Gary

Thank you for your response to Patricia's e-mail. If I may, I would like to pick up the thread, as follows:

The replacement sole is 10 mm plywood, with 6 mm teak strips glued for/aft thereon. Almost without exception, the individual sole pieces have developed a concave bow, with the port/starboard edges of the piece rising up. I guess you could say that the bow is perpendicular to the grain of the teak strips. The sole boards have not yet been varnished or otherwise sealed.

The teak strips were not kiln dried - although I do not know their moisture content. After they were glued onto the plywood and the finished pieces were placed on the boat, this bow developed. The boat is air conditioned. I wonder if the teak is drying out a bit on board - and thus shrinking perpendicularly to the grain, and thus causing the bow. Does that make sense to you? Is it possible that they would dry out and bow in a matter of a few days?

Yes, your analysis makes sense. Since the strips are glued, the force of the woods shrinkage is all concentrated on the unglued edge causing a bend. No option other than removing those strips and applying more stable pieces. A couple pieces athwartship at the ends as well.---------g

Thank you - I think. Do you think using kiln dried teak strips solve the problem?

Well, that depends on how the plywood reacts to the removal of the support. If it flattens out, good enough, but if not our theory is bogus. I don't understand why the plywood wasn't thicker to begin with so reinforcing strips would not be necessary. Yes get dried lumber, but my preference, if space allows, would be to glue on another solid sheet of ply and forget the strips . Best of luck and let me know how this is resolved.-------g

I have purchased a 1972 Grand Banks 50. It has spent its life in CT in saltwater. On the hard only a few weeks in 30 years for replacing a few planks above the waterline. The planks are 1-1/4" mahogany over yacal frames.

I've heard the term "pickled", among others, to describe how bottom planks become treated by salt water. These boats were not caulked but are butt-edge to butt-edge.

#1 Is there any merit to the preservation of these materials related to thier exposure to salt water?

#2 I want to begin pulling plugs in the bottom and checking fasteners. Over time, what is the best approach to this investigative process?

#3 I am moving the boat to fresh water for 4-5 months per year. What do I need to do diferently as far as bottom finishes are concerned if any?

I am buying a 31' Hacker Craft from Canada to take to Los Angeles. How do I convert a diesel Engine from fresh water to salt water use?

Nice boat. Actually you don't have to do anything, but over time
the saltwater will corode some of the metal and there will be salt buildup
in the cooling ports and the engine will eventually overheat. The best option is to install an enclosed fresh water cooling system using a heat exchanger within which the fresh water(antifreeze) is cooled by circulating
salt water. I would have such a system professionally installed, should not
be that expensive.---gary

question: if you are asked to survey a wooden gaff-rigged yawl. What are the things you would want to discuss before taking on this project. Include the terms and conditions.

You would do better to ask this question of a licensed surveyor for much
of the agreement is legal jargon which basically relieves the surveyor from
any liability.As a potential buyer you have to decide what you want to
know, do you just want a structural analysis of the vessel or a total
evaluation of all equipment including future repair expenses. If it is a
wooden boat you want to make sure the surveyor is experienced with such
vessels. For the novice buyer a survey is always a good idea but if one is
short on cash a good old time boat carpenter can tell you if the investment
is worth it probably for the cost of a few beers.-------gary

question: We ran our 1974 Ericson 32 into a sea wall and damaged the bow cap, which appears to be made of aluminum or other soft metal. It wraps around the bow, over part of the rub rail and is attached by screws through the rub rail, onto the boat gunnel. How can i replace the broken bow cap? Is it a job for a metal refabricator or is it a piece I can find at a boat yard? Thanks

I would think a fabricator is your best bet, but first check the Ericson 32 website at http://www.geocities.com/tpe2/ericson.htm-- good
luck-----and steer clear of hard objects--g

question: hello Gary. I just bought a 1962 far west built h-28 Herreshoff double mast set up. I need info on reduing bottom paint, last paint done in mexico, I dont know how much to scrape or prep. how long can she stay out of salt water, she seems to have leakage from port side. thanks for help, great site thanks Mark
.

H28--One of the finest designs ever, lucky man you are.A planked
wooden boat should not stay out of the water for any great length of time
especially in a hot windy climate for it will dry out too much. With a
bottom job you must first decipher what is on there . It is a soft sloughing
paint or a hard vinyl paint. Sloughing paint is chalky looking. You can't
put a hard paint over a sloughing paint but you can visa versa. For
preparation you should remove all loose paint and rough sand it but don't
take off more paint than needed unless chunks of old paint are peeling in
layers than it is time to strip down to the wood and start fresh, but I
wouldn't do that first time out. Get some paint on, enjoy the boat and if
the bottom needs more attention plan it out down the line. Your leakage
could be from loose caulking, resetting the cotton might fix it or just some
new seam compound could help. You should find an old boatwright and have him
check over the bottom, pull a few fastenings and advise you on what's
needed. I am jealous---great boat---gary

question: Gary, I'm so glad to have found your website. I'm looking at a 68'x 17' sampan that has some worm damage around the skeg. I intend to repair with epoxy, fiberglass and encapsulating the keel. Where do I find some reasonably priced 90/10 copper sheet? Labor here (Philippines) is cheap but availability of materials can be limited. I had thought of a total fiberglass job using the hull as a plug, but it would take about 550 gallons of resin but the cost would be around $9,000. Instead, I would recaulk the hull, making sure the keel is properly sound, tar and felt the wetted surface, then copper sheath. Of course, any advice is gratefully received.

Quite a project. Unfortunately I can't be any help with your copper
supply problem but your fixit plan is AOK by me. Just make sure to torch
the worm holes so the little buggers are fried and stop munching away. Good
luck---g

I write you from New Caledonia. As I'm looking for any information about the "Seal" of William garden (I've got a Seal) I did some researches on the Net And fortunately I found a page on your site were you spoke with "Norm" concerning fiberglass and she mention the "Seal" of Willima Garden (see Fiberglass over woo 49). This beautiful 37" wooden ketch has been built in so small number that I not sure there are some of them around the world at the moment. But I've got one of them (built in 1965 in Italy-Rimini by fratelli CarliniI) Do you have any information about Norm, this boat or any idea of someone you have got the same boat that mine? I will be so happy to find someone who can give me any sort of information about it. Cordially Katia

Sorry, I have no further information, but you might want to persue your
search through the Mystic Seaport Museum---http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/manuscripts/coll/spcoll096/spcoll096.html#head48463984
see 96.369

question: Thinking about buying a boat that has botton paint on and i want to remove the botton paint. Do you know of any good botton paint removers

Three ways to remove bottom paint----grind it off, very toxic dust;
sand blast it off, very expensive or use a chemical remover, many
choices.The most popular is peel away
stripper,http://www.pridemarine.com/Stripper.htm, but there are also other
choices http://www.star-distributing.com/nature/naturestart.html, a little
more ecologically friendly. No matter what you do it is a messy business and
the residue must be dumped at an appropriate toxic chemical dump. Unless the
old paint is uneven and badly cracked because of too many layers, there is
no reason to remove it, just go over it with a compatible one. Good
luck--------gary

question: I am wondering if there is a good reason why prefab fiberglass panels or floor grating could not be used to replace a rotting boat floor? I have a 1989 Wellcreft 186 Eclipse Bowrider with a rotted wood floor. I don't relish the thought of replacing it now and again in ten years. Any suggestions?

No good reason at all except difficulty in fabrication. I like the grate
idea because it allows for needed air circulation which inhibits
rot------gary

question: Hi, I have a 1948 46' Chris Craft DC. My wife and I awoke last weekend to the sound of running water. The leak was caused by rot in a plank under the berth in the aft cabin. It is right where the shaft is coming up through the hull behind the shaft log about two feet. I could stick my finger right through the rotted plank and touch the propeller shaft about 3/8 inch down. I cut a small block of mahogany and bedded it with brown seam cement and screwed down the corners. But since this is in the diagonal plank (the straight plank had been drilled away for the shaft hole), how do I do a permanent repair without taking apart the whole bottom of the boat???

I am having a hard time picturing exactly where the rot is, for the shaft
to be only 3/8 below the hole, the damage must be very close to the shaft
log, or in the log. Usually damage in this area is caused by electrolysis
not rot,especially if the boat is in salt water, but that remains to be
seen. The hole maybe through the shaft tube, sometimes a lead or bronze pipe
and other times no pipe at all. A good fix , if this is the problem , is to
replace what is there or not there with a fiberglass tube, glassed to the
hull on the inside and outside, the stuffing box hose being directly
attached to the fiberglass tube. That way the whole shaft log is sealed
inside and out.I would need some photos of the damaged area to be more
specific.-----------gary

I've asked and asked and asked around and no one is wanting to give me an answer, so, alas, I am coming to you. With your experience and know-how, I am sure this is a "No-Brainer", but to me, a first timer, it seems like a daunting task.

I have a 1969 31' Chris Craft Constellation and the bottom, chines and some of the ribs need replacing and/or strengthening with epoxies, etc... I need to block the boat. I don't know the procedure and I don't know where to place the blocks for the best and safest locations. I will be strip planking the bottom, so I need access to it. I need to replace the chine, so I need access to it. While the keel seems to be in good shape, I will need access to it at some point to repair and replace parts of it toward the front of the boat.

Will the keel support the weight of the boat? Do I need to support it on both the keel, transom (which is also being replaced) and the bulkhead? Where do I need to place the blocking to hold it from moving from side to side?

Like everything it's a "no brainer" only when you know how. Simply, out
of the water , the weight of the boat is supported along its backbone, the
keel. With a 31 footer you should have 4 or 5 supports evenly spaced along
the keel . The blocking should be at 16 inches off the ground so you have good access to the keel area and should be level so as not to put more pressure on one area than another. Once the boat is on the blocking, all the weight load is on the keel, so it takes very little support on the outer edges,
chine, to keep it from falling over. Usually one uses two to three supports,
boat stand screw jacks or equivalent, at the outboard bottom surfaces(see
attached). They can be 12-16 inches inboard of the chine and one can move
them to get access to an area. That's it, a no brainer---good luck

question: my strut is loose and my shaft looks bent the moter is runniing rough. how can i pull the shaft fom the motor while the boat is in the water. I have air and im thinking of unscrewing the bolts from the strut myself. can u help me???

Hi;
Pulling the shaft underwater is not the problem, it's removing the strut
and setting it back properly so the shaft is aligned right with the engine.
You undo the shaft from the engine coupling push it out through the stuffing
box and plug the stuffing box with a tapered wood plug, on some designs you
may have to pull the prop first to get the shaft past the rudder. The strut
problem may be do to a warn cutlass bearing, so it may need replacing. This
whole job would be considerably easier with the boat on the hard. Is there
no area where the boat could be secured so all would be exposed at low tide?
Good luck-------------gary

question: I have a '67 Flying Scot. On the port side the floor has separated from the balsa core in an area 5 feet long and about 1 foot wide. I drilled a bunch of holes in the floor about 1 inch apart and the wood was saturuated. Probably drilled 200 holes. Only twice did the wood on the drill bit come back dark in color. I don't want to get into tearing up the floor. I do however want to dry the boat out, kill the rot spores and re-attach the fiberglass to the wood core.

Greg;
I would inject a penetrating epoxy into the drilled holes. It will
displace water and does kill or petrify the spores. Go to www. rotdoctor.com
for more specific product information and advice. If you should open the
surface to expose the balsa you might consider replacing it with closed cell
foam.A few more small inspection holes in the bottom won't hurt
anything-----good luck ---gary

Thanks Gary. If I drill a couple holes in the haul will the penetrating
expoxy seal the holes as well? Meaning should I have the epoxy act as
hole filler? If not, is there a filler I should use that is water tight?

No, the penetrating epoxy is not a filler, you need to use maine tex or
marine bondo--------g

I have a 1964 Owens Cabin Cruiser which has recently developed a leak, about 10 gallons/hour, which I've been able to handle with a strong pump. I'd like to try and patch it while it's still in the water, rather than haul it out now and lose the season since every repair yard here is booked. I've located the leak, and someone recommended that I try "Z-Spar Splash Zone". I'm also willing to dive under the boat if necessary and patch from the outside. I've tried patching with another epoxy, but it was too light and the water coming in pushed it away before it could dry. It there a heavier epoxy that you know of, and can I patch it from the inside enough to last 2 or 3 months, and would diving under and patching it be a good idea? Thanks a bunch.

I have a '62 Chriscraft Cavalier 35'. She was hauled three years ago, when I replaced all the through hull fittings, installed new prop shafts, bearings and packing and bottom paint. The PO painted everything topside with a thick coat of urethane paint. Underneath the paint, here and there, is a variety of plastic hard stuff. In some spots it has been used to fill areas where the rot was dug out. The rot has progressed to the point that about half of the exterior wood is infected. There are many places where the old rot has been dug out and "faired" with plastic. Some of it is greenish incolor, some tan and some clear. There are two grapefruit size areas in the plywood above waterline. Provisionally, I plan to strip the rest of the paint, treat the rot with PEG and boric acid, and fill in the voids with real wood. The wood is dry and cracked. The same goes for the rails. My question is about that dry wood and how to deal with it. I know that before the new materials c!

ame on to the scene, oils were used to treat and preserve the wood in boats. But, I don't want wing it by speculating about what to do.

I may be able to lift some of the deck planks and flip them over because they seem to be ok on the underside. The rot is where the wood was covered. So, if we can deal with the dry, cracked wood and comeup with a plan to maintain it, she should survive.

Nice old boat, but as with most old things, including ourselves, use,
misuse and both good and faulty repairs take a toll.You seem to have a good
handle on what to do but since plywood is fairly easy to patch you might
want to patch those large epoxy filled areas.With dried out wood I usually
thin down some Penetrol (a mixture of oils used to make paint smooth out
when applying) with turpentine 50/50 to start and increased penetrol
percentage with successive coats. Good luck with your project, I can tell
you will be a good steward---gary

I have a 1942 CC Knockabout with some dry rot in the bilge. I am sanding down the hull to wood, and wondered what the best procedure for building the hull back up again? Planned on using CPES or West on the exterior and Tung and thinner on the interior and bilge. Right now its painted and thought it would be safe to build an exterior water barrier, and an interior venting would help keep the boat from slidiing any further toward the burn pile.

question: I just purchased an Beneteau 370, with teak seating in the cockpit. I have a complete set of new seating and wish to replace the worn panels. The new seating has teak and 1/4 inch rubber between eack slat of wood.

First, I want to finish with Sillkens before the installation without getting the topcoat on the rubber, how do you suggest I tape it off. And second, how is it adhered to the FPG. Seems like there is an adhesive under the old panels, that is coming up. How is the FPG prepared for the new panels.

I have a 1960 Grady White that I can only afford to keep on a trailer. I bought this boat 3 years ago and used it the first year by pumping the water out as I used it. Can I let this boat swell up on my trailer by filling the inside bottom. Do you have any other suggestions for using this boat as a weekend warrior that will be trailered each time of use?

Yes, keeping some salt water in the bilges would help a lot although you can't put in too much weight when the boat is just supported by the trailer. Also using a sponge like material that can be soaked and laid against the inside of the hull would be a big help. There is a carpet underlayment that is such a material. Always use salt water for it kills rot spores wherein fresh water carries them.------gary

I have 1957 22' Owens Cruiser, which has a plywood hull. After owning the boat for a year I decided to pull her out (fresh water) and do some minor repairs. Being new at this, it is now three years later and I'm getting nervous about putting her back in the water. The hull seems to be in decent shape. The shaft angle has changed. Is there something I should know or you recommend that I do, before I put her back in the water.

Since it is a plywood hull the amount of shrinkage from being high and dry will be minimal but all the underwater seams, i.e.. along the keel, transom and chines should be checked closely for separation. Where you find voids fill with a caulking substance, roof patch is the economical choice, 3m 5200 is the more expensive alternative. Also have a good bilge pump and have a bag of sawdust you can swirl into the water if there is a large leak. The boat should fully seal up after a week, if there are still leaks after that time other measures will have to be taken. Since the shaft being out of line indicates the hull has changed shape, I wouldn't activate the prop until the boat has regained its water shape which should again take about a week. Good luck---gary

question: I have a very old (pre1940) Maryland modified sharpie skiff as described in Chapelles Book. It is original and in very good condition with the exception of the centerboard trunk. The trunk and the decks are covered with an open weave material not fiberglass and painted. It works well except for some detachment inside the trunk. Could I simply reattach this with 3M 5200? I also wondered if a sleeve made from copper flashing and glued to the trunk inside would be a workable solution. This boat is stored indoors and trailered. I would rather not comprimise the original intent of the builder. Also this boat was a workboat and inside its small cabin 5'x5' by 31/2'high there is only minimal floorboards is this the way it would have been used? Thank you for great advice and a most enjoyable website

Greatl boat. Sounds like the material is canvas that has been set in and seized with oil paint. Normally one would repair it using the same procedure but modern materials such as 5200 could be a viable fix. The copper sleeve would work although I doubt if glue is the answer, I would think you would want the seams soldered and flange the bottom edge to be tacked and bedded in tar or 5200 at the base of the trunk , the top flanged and tacked as well. Recanvassing might be a lot easier. The cabin sounds as original. Send a photo of her if convienent-----gary

question: We need to replace A toe rail due to Hurricane WILLMA should we use strips and laminate instead of steam bending? Thanks for all your help . Jeff

With the epoxy glues available today, laminating is the best way to go especially for the novice who may not be set up for steaming and will have a hard time finding lumber stock with the appropriate moisture content for steaming. Sounds like you escaped the worst of what could have been. Good luck and ask more if needed----gary

Just a quicky, I made contact a month or two ago about my dear little clinker built dinghy 'Simone of Maldon' that was made in 1938 and I was having problems getting her watertight, Remember???

I returned to the UK and took her to a boatbuider who has just e-mailed me and states that she needs various planks and half a dozen steam bent frames, that I can understand but he reckons that she is drooping at both ends and is 'hogged' Is this likely on a 12 foot boat??? she has never broken her back and there is no evidence of it ever having happened plus she sailed really well. If she was hogged would this have affected her sailing ability and would there have been any noticeable signs?? I would appreciate any advice you can offer.

p.s. havent forgotten a picture, will have to take some next time she is up + running OK.

Thanks for the update. Usually one sees the hog in the sheer not being fair and true and often once the boat is working again, the hog is reduced. It's not a big deal as long as the boat sails well. Your carpenter's structural analysis is no doubt correct and maybe those repairs will fix the leaking, either way , you are being a good steward-------keep in touch--------gary

question: can you tell me anything about a fiberglass 13'9" row boat? gay craft boat manufacturing schofield wi,it has a 1973to1976 registration sticker on rated 15hp load 600lbs thats all i no thank you

Sorry, I don't know that manufacturer, but most fiberglass boats of that era were very well made, mostly hand laid up and overbuilt. The only problem might be anywhere wood was encapsulated in the glass, like the transom, wherein it rots over time. Tap all over the boat with the handle of a screwdriver and listen for a solid sharp sound ( glass is not delaminated and under wood, if there, is OK) or a dull soft thud (glass delaminated and rotten wood, if there).. Good luck-------gary

question: I hope you have the answer to this, I am really stumped. We are looking at buying a wooden hull boat, vintage 1968. She has always been in saltwater. Someone told us that if we moved her to fresh water her hull would "disintergrate". Is this true? Is there no hope of using this boat in fresh water? Thanks for any infomation you can give.

Not true---although salt water protects wood by killing the wood rot fungus and therefore is good for wood boats, there is no problem moving a wood boat from a salt water environment to a fresh water one, just spread some salt around the bilges and make sure there is good fresh air circulation throughout the boat, which also helps to prevent rot caused by the fungus found in fresh water.----enjoy the boat--gary

Thanks mucho for the info re: my mahogony refinish. The original bronze hand bilge pump is still installed but not working. Any chance this chunk of marine history can be repaired? Thank you

No problem, They come apart easily and all that needs fixing is the leather(usually) at the base of the plunger--g

I've been casting about for direction maybe it is here. After 25 years of teaching building construction to high school kids, upon retiring I decided to build a boat-and did. It is a flat bottom mini-house boat, a Jim Betts streched GP16, 7 foot beam, stem (no stem) to stern, about 19'6" at the water line. Built in New Hampshire, it's home, a lake in Central Florida.

The problem: The wieght has been distributed so the boat trims true when docked. An area 7'x12' trims nice and true, great to look at but---when needed the bilge pumps do a fine job of removing water with the exception of about a 1/4 of an inch of water left over this entire area and I don't want a lake going "bath tub". I would like to install some type of sump(s) for the pumps and am thinking about deck plates on the other side of the deck i.e. the bottom, then I can worry about not doing a good enough job of making them water tight but at least might get that last 1/4 of water out for a while. I am very confident this bilge water is from condensation not from hull leaks. Or should I live with it?

Nice project boat completed. You don't say if your houseboat is powered and moveable, if so you can put in a directional drain valve in the stern and open it underway . If not, and you have access to 110, you can use a wet and dry vacuum and suck it out and install a vent and fan to circulate some fresh air to cure the condensation problem and prevent any rot problems that could result from the condensation hiding in dark damp corners. Enjoy your houseboat and next build a boat with a pointy end.---gary

Thanks for the quick response. Yes it is powered and moveable. For a while I considered a double ender, a project that a nearby high school in NH put together a few years before I retired (to teach "math" concepts) was a double end whale boat. Yes a pointy end was in my mind and proceeded to purchase a set of plans for a 30 foot Coastal Cruiser fully lofted and all that -but- after due consideration it seemed I would be well into my golden years before it slid down the ways so an alternative was in order. We are in a small 55+ community on Lake Eustis in central Florida, most of my/our friends here have pontoon boats and having spent sixty of my sixty seven years either a ten minute drive a ten minute walk to the Atlantic, I had a bit of distain for "party boats" no pontoon for me. But, when you build a house "fair" is not the way it should be, enough already...

The reference to mini house-boat was what the authorities in New Hampshire determined - that is what it is, maybe because it has a landing craft bow with a bow plank. It only draws about five inches of water and with a flat bottom plus five sister keels we don't have to be concerned if there is dock space when we are out on an adventure, merely run it ashore and drop the bow plank. Without the "pointy" end we have a lot of boat forward.

I shall plug the drain holes that I added when the boat was pulled last May, reinstall the bilge pumps, add a fan (blower) and a small heater of some type to raise the temperature of the sole just a tad.

Thanks for the additional information, I have a better picture of her, but a real one would be better, hint. Also, don't add any heat beyond a light bulb, don't want to exacerbate the problem and make the vents large enough that air will circulate even when the fan isn't running. Also, throw some salt in that bilge to chase away those fresh water rot spores----------enjoy---g

I have read that Easy off oven cleaner will take off painted names, but I don't know if it will work with vinyl--g

No, although all plywood now uses the same waterproof glue, regular ply has only 4 layers, having voids and fillers, Marine has 5-7 layers of solid wood with no voids or fillers--- Cabinet grade ply and MDO ply are also of marine quality. Regular ply is adequate for interior work on boats, but any structural or exterior parts, i.e.. hull, transom, deck, cabin house, should be of the better quality------gary

question: I'm rebuilding a motor bracket for a Uniflyte 23, it looks as though they used mahogany in the past, my question is, is mahogany wood harder than oak? and if it is to be used outside which is better,

do you treated with any chemical before varnishing? any suggestions will be appreciated

Oak is a much harder and stronger wood than Mahogany but is more subject to rot, so when used outside it should be well protected with paint or varnish. Good luck with your project-------gary

question: Hi Gary ,I purchased some green roughsawn white oak for my boat,but there are powder post beetles,should i be concerned. Ross

I would talk to someone whose expert in wood disease. My concern would be eggs that may hatch much later. I have seen such damage in boat timbers that no doubt were installed with the infestation problem in place---------g

question: I recently bought a stainless marine oven with two burner range. I'm strickly a coastal sailer-liveaboard so it doesn't need to be gymballed but I'm not sure how to safely mount it in the galley of my oday 27. Suggestions? Thanks.

Tom;

You have to work out the space it will fit in the galley area and build a secure platform with rigid sides, all of which should be lined with a heat resistant material, metal, tile etc.. If the build requires odd shapes, almost guaranteed in a boat, you can make the job a lot less agonizing by fitting templates first out of door skin or thin plywood which you can fit together with a hot glue gun.You may have to attach the finish pieces to the hull with fiberglass . If the unit is propane fueled, mount the tank outside the cabin-----gary

What a bonus to find your brilliant site and hopefully get an answer to my questions. Hope that you can help a novice out!!!

I have a dear little clinker built sailing dinghy that was constructed in 1938 by a boat builder called Curly Richardson near to Maldon in Essex (U.K.) Originally she was a tender for a Thames barge called Vicunia then later she was a sail training vessel for, so I was told, the navy. She is gaff rigged with a bowsprit and really is just so pretty and attracts a great deal of attention wherever Ihave sailed her.

Now my questions are, owing to work commitments plus our moving to France it has meant that she has been out of the water for two years and is really dry so has any irreparable damage been caused by this action?? What and how can I resolve and make her tight/take up again?? I want to repaint her as the paint that is on her is bubbling, should I do this whilst she is dry or should she 'take up' and then be painted?? When in use previously she used to take in water (also when moored sometimes to the point of sinking) so I was thinking of using a sealant/caulking or some medium to stop this happening, is this a good or bad idea?? I really would appreciate your advice as I stated I am a novice but willing and wanting to do the right thing for my little boat so we get many years of fun out of her.

Interesting boat, send me a pic. Clinker craft are not usually caulked but after many years of drying and swelling she might need a little help. If the overlaps have opened enough that a space is created , I would take some cotton string and roll it into that space with a pizza cutter, a wheeled cutter, or any such device. When the wood swells around the string a "gasket" is created. After this is done and before you paint put her in the water and let her sink to the gunnels and keep her there for a week or so. Pull her out, let her dry for a day or so, then paint. You don't want to put anything in the seam gaps that will prevent them from swelling closed, such as a seam compound or other caulking. Once swelled, if there are still leaking laps, you can then run some polysulfide caulk down the leaky seam.----have fun with your great Dink.-------g

No problem, you are being a good steward. Wood boats are built to swell and dry out, so no damage as such is done from being high and dry, the damage occurs when one introduces high tech materials that interfere with the boats ability to go through this cycle naturally. Stripping the paint before you dunk her will facilitate her swelling. Any wood boat, no matter size or how long she has been high and dry, will swell as much as she is going to within a week, normally halving the amount of water she takes on each day. That is why if she still takes on water after 7 days, one must take corrective measures. With larger boats that one cannot sink, one throws saw dust in the water swirling it with a paddle to make it sink so it is drawn into the leaky seams and plugs them up but will be pushed out as the wood swells. Ask more as needed, no question is too simple, plus it allows me to pontificate---gary

Andy----stripper is the best---burning tends to melt the paint into the soft grain-----Also, remember there is no need to take off good paint that is adhering well, it provides a good base ---g

Question 3. What number, size, and location of bilge pumps would you recommend for

Congratulations on your new old boat. All the work you have done so far seems fine and to your credit, well researched.

Q-1--I would go with the yards suggestions. A good caulker can spot caulk a boat, even one as open as yours, without putting it in too tight so the seams have the room they need to swell. I would suggest once launched, besides a large capacity pump, you have plenty of sawdust handy to throw in the water and swirl with a paddle so it sinks and temporarily seals the seams until they swell.

Q-2---Cut out the pan. It is more important to have good access to that area than to protect the bilge from a little oil, although keep the bilge fairly oil free for it destroys the cotton fiber in the caulking.

Q-3- Have 2--one amidships and one far aft to off load the water that will slosh astern when the boat is underway. Go a size larger than you think, a little extra cost here could save your boat later.

Good luck with your project. GBanks are great boats and deserve the care and attention your giving yours. Send me a photo----gary

I plan to pull my 42' matthews out for the winter and fill the bilge with a saltwater/antifreeze mix in an effort to keep the carvel mohagany planking damp. Should I have some refastening done, as recommended by my surveyor,when the wood is still pretty wet (fall), or should I wait until spring when the hull drys out more?

Wait until Spring, that way the new fastening will cinch up any pre-existing looseness-------g

question: Hi Gary I am buying materials for a traditional lapstrake boat and intend on using white oak for planks.Logs available will have to be plain sawn to yield needed widths,is this ok.If not can two narrower 1/4 sawn boards be edge glued.How airdry should planks and keel sections be before beginning const.What is best method and product for natural wood finish. Ross Mn.

Because of its weight and brittleness, oak, white or otherwise, is not an ideal planking material but, because of its strength and ability to hold a fastening, is excellent for any structural members such as frames, keel, stem etc. A preferable planking material would be white cedar, spruce, Philippine mahogany or other soft woods that are light but yet strong. Talk to local boat builders and see what indigenous woods they use for planking and what moisture content is preferred for that particular wood. Best natural finish is High UV rated varnish or an oil, but oil tends to get dirty fast. Most woods should be air dried for a year before use in boat building. Nice project--ask more as needed-------gary

I have recently purchased a 1959 42 foot Matthews stock cruiser with 1 inch mahogany carvel construction over white oak frames. She has spent most of her life in long Island Sound and the Connecticut River. The previous owner found her dry on shore and spent about $100K over several years restoring her professionally. She is a great boat and has been in the water continuously for about five years now with the annual one-week haul out, wash, and bottom paint. The bilge runs several time a day because I have a leaky rudder packing, that I was going to fix until I thought the fresh saltwater flow thru the bilge was probably a good thing.

My surveyor found the boat to be pretty good shape. We hauled the boat out and he sounded the hull and pulled several fasteners. Most were good, but he recommends re-fastening the bow and transom planks with ½ inch longer bronze screws for good measure. He also found several frame ribs along the rear chime area that need repair as they were sintered and some dry rot do to rain water getting in from the deck hatches. Several frame ribs had already been repaired in this area with a new wood epoxied and bolted onto the top of the existing split rib with apparent good results.

My plan was to haul the boat out for the entire winter and store her inside where I could perform the required repairs and painting over time. However my concern is warping & shrinkage of planks. Do you think it would be wiser to pull the boat for only several weeks this fall and after repairs put her back into the water with a cover for the winter?

Also what is the best way to clean and preserve the bilge area? Several have told me to throw some salt water with bleach in it periodically to help kill mold spores. I have desiccant dehumidifiers on board to help control humidity levels. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Matthew's are wonderful boats and it sounds like you got a good one and plan on keeping it that way. Inside for the winter should be no problem but I would keep some soaked blankets under the boat to keep moist air flowing over the bottom. Best rot preventative is fresh air circulation and salt water in the bilge. If you discover any rot beginning soak it with antifreeze, the glycol kills rot and actually will penetrate a painted surface to kill the rot spores underneath. Send some pics-------gary

Great site, great information. I recently bought a 1961 Owens Express Cruiser. It has seen better days and needs a moderate (alot) amount of repair. But I have some kind of connection to this old piece of furniture so I made it mine and hauled it out of the water to work on. Where's a good place to buy mahogony planking? And if I epoxy/ glass the waterline after fastening the bottom tight,will that prolong the time between hauls? Last question, this boat has a bad 283 engine, do you see an issue with me replacing both engines with a late model chev 350? Thanks for your reponses-- much appreciated--Jim

I have a soft spot for those boats as well. No, adding epoxy to the bottom does nothing really, except inhibiting good bottom paint adhesion. Your best protection is up to date bottom paint. The engine upgrade should be no problem if they fit ok and align properly on the engine bed. You may want to go one size up on your shafts if they are only 3/4---------have fun-----g

question: Hi Gary, Just purchased a 1956 Chris Craft Connie. Boat was kept in beautiful show condition until it changed hands several years ago. The prior owner should have owned a plastic boat! My question is about the fabric covering the cabin roof , which leaks like a seive. What is the best product/ process to replace this. Most of the main front looks original. it appears the sides have been spliced in at some point. The existing material just looks like cotton cloth that has some type of hardener and lots of paint on it. It pulls right up and in the front is accually held down by a brightwork moulding, but on the sides it is just brought down to the top of the moulding and caulked in place. I have looked at fiberglass mat but it looks too coarse (weave wise) So what do I use? New to this so excuse my naivety! Thanks, Chris

Lucky you, nice boat. I am not that familiar with the Chris runabouts, but I think those tops are made from duck canvas stretched over irish felt and saturated with oil base paint.. But to get the real low down go to this site and ask http://www.chris-craft.org/-------------good luck---gary

I am an Interior Decorator in Scotland (on dry land) and I have been asked to design a two bedroomed flat on a boat interior theme. I am looking for good reference books to help me utilise every possible square inch/cm of this flat as space must be very cleverly utilised and lighting is also at a premium.. The building is on the Harbour wall and is surrounded on three sides by the sea. Extremely picturesque, and clever designs will be required. I would be extremely grateful if you could point me in the right direction. We have brilliant craftsmen and I have a good imagination and have been left to my own devices as to design.
Many thanks
Iona

Iona:
Sounds like an exciting project. I have been in the process of renovating my own house using a lot of boat type tricks for interior design. The best and only book I have seen that might help is "classic yacht interiors" by bobrow & jinkins. It is available at www.barnes&noble.com..The one difference more than any other that separates interior boat design from regular house interiors is no sharp corners anywhere and of course the use of fine expensive exotic woods that stand up to moisture. My personal preference is a lot of white surfaces trimmed out in teak, too much wood looses detail and absorbs too much light. Good luck and feel free to ask questions. I will however expect finished photos.-----------gary

Dear Gary, I own an old 27" 1975 Silverton. I have recently repaired all
the old rotted wood and fiber glassed it over. I spent nearly 5K on wood
restoration and paint. However I notice that the side windows are still
leaking, and I'm still getting water inside at the corners of all the
windows. I have caulked around all the windows but still seem to get water
inside. Do you have any inexpensive ways to stop the leaks. I have checked
into replacement and that is close to another 5K. The boat just isn't worth
that much money. I was thinking maybe I should buy Plexiglas and screw it
to the outside of the window and just seal them that way. However I would
need a seam in the middle as the window is 127" long. Any Ideas? Thanks.

Joan:
Unfortunately the only way to fix the problem properly is to pull the windows and rebuild the frames and rebed the windows . One thing you can try is to saturate the leaky areas with penetrating epoxy or if the trim is painted use oil based paint. The liquid should follow the same route as the water and seal the area up. If that fails, your idea with the Plexiglas is the only hope short of a rebuild. Sorry for the bad news---------------g

Wow thanks so much Because the leaks are very minimum now that I have redone
the wood the liquid epoxy might just be the ticket. Thanks for the idea.
If it doesn't work I will go to the Plexiglas idea.

question: I live in a houseboat on a long wooden dock. We surface it with TripleM cloth (like the back of a sponge) every few years. But, we are looking for other viable alternatives. Marine carpeting usually has a rubberized backing which we feel may cause the dock to rot. We are considering trying to put the carpeting on top of metal grill material which we also use in slippery areas. Do you have any suggestions. Susan

I assume you are putting a false surface on the dock to make it less slippery. Instead of covering the dock, which as you say will cause rot, I would paint it using a special non skid technique. Get some Epson salts. Make a shaker out of a coffee can. As you apply the paint shake the Epson salts liberally into the wet paint. Let dry. Wash down the surface with fresh water. Then repaint. You end up with a carpet like surface which is totally non abrasive, doesn't cause rot and is easily renewed. I use this technique with great success on boat decks. Have fun, living on the water is wonderful--------gary

Hi,
My husband and I are restoring a1967 brunswick 18' power boat. And we would like to put a new steering wheel on the boat.. Just the wheel. and the wheel is not coming off after we took the bolt off, what are we doing wrong. How do we take it off? thanks Nanetta

Nanette;
Usually, after many years in the same position, the wheel is slightly corroded onto the shaft and keyway it is bolted to, so even with the bolt removed it will stay stuck. If tapping it lightly with a hammer doesn't free it, heat it up with a propane torch and it should pop right off. If this fails call your local mechanic. Good luck-----gary

I am a student working on a business case for CMA Canada (Certified Management Accountants of Canada) regarding wooden boat builders.

I am trying to determine who buys wooden boats. The market appears to be very defined, but I am having difficulty finding demographic information. Are the people who buy wooden boats retirees? Cottage owners? When people look for the traditional style of wooden boat, are they looking for something that compliments their existing lifestyle (a boat for their cottage), or are they looking for something that is a retreat from their current lifestyle (a boat suitable for traditional boat rallies on weekends)?
Any insight that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your assistance!

Cory:
Interesting project. In today's boating world where off the line fiberglass boats rule the market, wooden boat owners are kind of the renegades, the romantics and they tend to concentrate on either end of the money scale, the poorer boat owner because old wooden boats are cheap and fairly easy to repair, and the wealthy yacht owner who takes pride in being able to afford a custom wood boat, which today, because of the cost of materials and the skilled labor, are very expensive. There are some, like myself, that simply prefer how a wooden boat feels in the water, the sound it makes and of course, how pretty it is. Also, given the osmosis problem in fiberglass boats resulting in blisters and delaminations, the attractiveness of wood as a reliable boat building material is getting more attention.-----Hope this helps-----for research purposes I would ask your question on the forums at both---www.woodenboat.com and at www.boatbuilding.com----------------gary

I'm trying to replace the port side sliding window in the cabin .I have takin all the screws out of the inside rail of the bottom of the window and i cant get it out .can you tell me how to get this window out Thank You, Dennis

Dennis:
Nice looking boat. Usually those windows are hard to remove because over the years previous owners have tried various ways of keeping them from leaking, the favorite way being injecting whatever goo is available into and around the track and of course this goo, although not stopping the leak, makes window removal damn near impossible. Normally you have to take out all the moulding and remove the window and track together or, at times I have had to break the window. Good luck,it is a thankless job.------------gary

Thank you very much . I decided to go ahead and break the window aned go from there .thanks again. P.S.It's not all that thankless ,ilove that old boat .

Dennis:
Good decision, and of course it's worth it and as you say it is a labor of love. If you have further questions feel free to ask.------gary

Mr. Wheeler,
Your paragraph in "The Boat Yard" said you answered questions about all phases in wooden boatbuilding. I'm in the earliest phase of boatbuilding: learning how to. I am looking around at various boat building schools, but don't have a sense of the boatbuilding business. I'm looking at four schools in particular: Silva Bay in BC, the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Olympia, WA, the Lyme Regis International School of Boatbuilding, and Seattle Community College's Boat Building Program. Are you familiar with any of them? Any comments you could make about them or the boatbuilding milieu in general would be greatly helpful in my research.
Thank you for your time,
Anne

Anne;
I once took a wooden boat surveying course at the boat building school in Port Townsend WA and thought it a nice place but can't say much about the school perse. There are many good schools, in fact, there is one here in Rockland called the Apprenticeship which has a 2 year course at a pretty reasonable cost and most of the students seem to get interesting work after they graduate. They usually seem to have about 8-10 students, several females as well. They are affiliated with The Atlantic Challenge Organization. You can get information by going to www.atlanticchallenge.com and click on programs. They just had a wonderful competition in coordination with the Wooden Boat festival here in Rockland. This is a great place to be.
I myself learned the craft from working with others in boat yards and by trial and error, a good way but much more time consuming than a good apprenticeship. I have made my living by repairing and renovating wooden boats mainly in San Francisco. I moved to Rockland about 4 years ago. I developed the Mast Mate, see the website, and answer boat repair questions in the Questions section of the site. Check it out---www.mastmate.com. Hope this helps. Be glad to answer other questions. I wish you the best of luck, you are embarking on a wonderful adventure full of wonder and beauty---------gary

question: Hello Mr.Wheeler, My name is Andy O'Neill from Moncton, Canada
I have a 1980 20'Cutter Runabout 6cyl speedboat. We took it out of the water the other night because all the boat would do was plow at full throttle. We emptied about 600lbs ???of water out of the main hull when we got it on the trailer. We could'nt believe it. We have no Idea where the water is comming from. Any suggestions, Also what can you use to remove algea and other gunk from the hull, is there a spray chemical on the market.

Thanks in advance
Andy

Andy:
The first place I would check would be the stuffing box which keeps the water from coming in the boat where the shaft goes through the hull. It's basically 2 large nuts which compress a waxed rope, the stuffing, around the shaft to keep the water out. If the boat has been out of the water a long time, the stuffing dries out and the adjusting nut needs to be tightened to keep the water out. Sometimes the stuffing needs to be changed. To clean the bottom just use simple green cleaner with a scrubbing sponge---------------------------------------gary

Hi,
I have built a Newhaven Sharpie scaled down to 16 ft. Clearly it is a flat bottom boat. I have since decided to finish making it ready for sailing not just rowing. Currently it has two rowing stations and can sail down wind only. I have no centerboard of any nature. I would like to add a center board of some sort so that I can sail more. I like that it only draws about 2 inches of water though. I have heard that if you extend the bottom past the port and starboard sides a couple inches that that can work as a keel of sort. Have you heard about this at all? If so, does it work? If it works where can I find information on that. Does it have a name? I know that there are most likely easier solutions but this one sounds kind of fun to me. If you have not heard of this, do you have an equally interesting solution other then different daggerboard positions?
Thanks,
Mark

Mark:
I have not seen of what you speak, but since a hard chine boat already digs in when healed off the wind, increasing that effect by extending the chine would probably work but would might impair down wind performance. Also I would consider lee boards rather then a centerboard. Check some of Bolger's designs, he likes lee boards-------------------gary

question: Hi Gary
I have acquired a old wooden boat I am not sure of age and maker. I think it is called a cruiser. My question is I want to gather up all the information I can on restoring it. Do you have any suggestions on something that would cover all of it. I know some wood needs replacing. I have not checked everything yet, want to get info before I start so I can see what needs to be done.I do know that the bottom looks really good. Thank you any info. would be helpful.
Tracey

Tracey:
The adventure begins. You need a couple good books----go to www.woodenboat.com and go to the store and look at the books on repair and refinish. I'll be glad to help with specific questions-----g

question: Hello Gary, great web site. My question is about my 1952 31' chriscraft express cruiser, I'am replacing the foward deck over the v-berth, after I removed the old deck I noticed the deck beams do not extend all the way to the hull on either side, they all fall short 1" - 1 1/2" is this the way chriscraft originaly built these boats or has something been altered here? also since I have her out of water I'll be replacing some bottom planks, it is dbl. planked and I've noticed the canvas between the inner and outer planks has compleatly deteriorated, is it of any benefit to replace the canvas or will just proper caulking and painting achieve the same outcome, a dry bilge? Gene D'

GeneD:
Great boat. I think the deck beams act more as stiffeners than support members but the proof is if the deck is solid when you walk on it. I would inquire to other CC owners by going to the search engine www.google.com and type in Chris craft. With the double plank canvas, I would bed the new planks in some quick patch roofing tar, this will stop any marine life or rot spreading from one layer of planks to the other.----------------------g

question: I have inherited the care of a 25+ year old 21' strip-planked dory. Hull is Alaska yellow cedar, seats etc. fine-grained old growth red cedar. Epoxy
was used on the outside of the hull, as well as to glue together the layers of strips, but the inside of the hull was left bare wood, oiled occasionally
with whatever was handy.
This is a well-used working vessel in amazingly strong and sturdy condition but in need of maintanance. Q. is about "boat soup," a traditional
mixture of (I understand) equal parts of pine tar, linseed oil & turpentine. I am thinking it is definitely time to apply something to the bare wood,
again. Can you offer any words of wisdom about how to mix or apply this stuff?
Also, would this oil mix be appropriate for applying to the inside of the hull of an older plywood skiff with fir frames?
Thanks, mike.

Mike;
I commend your sense of tradition in wanting to use the "mix" which although very friendly to the wood it is not very friendly to human skin and rubs off on stowed gear. Good old oil based paint is the best and easiest but if you want a clear finish use a good wood sealer. Stay away from epoxies or any finish that traps moisture. If you wish to pursue the "mix" mixture proportions, go to the forum at www.boatbuilder.com------good luck, sounds like a nice boat-------gary

question: Hi, I have a 25 ft 1958 copper riveted varnished teak hulled Cheoy Lee I keep down in Mexico to sail on weekends. It got damaged by the marina when they moved it for a yacht race. The marina replaced my teak cap and rub rail with
fake mahagony. But the big thing is the bottom of the sheer plank sticks out
about 1/8 inch. Looks like a couple rivets are broken. I ordered a book "Planking and Fastening", which hasn't come yet, but I have no idea where to
purchase copper rivets. Where can I get a box? I live in San Diego. Thanks!

Hi;
Nice boat. You might find in order to pull the plank back into place you will have to take out the cotton in the seam { if the seams are caulked and not just matched]. Also you may have to use screws rather than rivets. Actually rivets are not rivets in the usual sense, they are copper nails with a rove [ special washer] driven on the inside portion of the nail. These are availble through Jamestown distributors----wwww.jamestowndistributors.com----. Also any fastener supply house should have them. Good luck-----g

question: Hi, We're restoring a 1959, 30' Owens. We did our first bottom paint two years ago, and apparently did it wrong...it's chipping really bad.
I believe we took the paint too far above the water line. So...We're getting ready to pull it again in a couple of weeks and we just want to do it right!!!! Can you give us some pointers? We only have Fri-Sun to paint. HELP....and Thank you so much, for such a great website!

Hi;
Bottom paint put over older bottom paint can be tricky. If you put a soft sloughing paint over the same you are OK, if you put a hard vinyl over the same your OK, if you put soft over vinyl your OK but if you put vinyl over soft you will get extensive peeling. If this is you problem the paint would be peeling below the waterline as well as above. If this is not happening, than your diagnosis is probably correct and you need to lower your painted waterline and possibly add a bootstipe which is a hard enamel and holds up to scrubbing better than the bottom paint. Good luck and feel free to ask questions
as needed----------------gary

question: Hi Gary,
I've just bought a 26' Thunderbird that I'm doing up and had a couple of questions.
1. I've stripped all the paint off the mast (it was two pack) and boom to see how bad the corrosion is and have decided to leave the mast and boom bare aluminium. Is this OK? I've been told it will oxidise (turn black) and that will be as bad as it gets.
2. When I was removing part of the engine mount (the outboard is mounted in a lazarette) I peeled off a bit of the fibreglass wall. The wooden mount was glued to the fibreglass. It's left some of the fibres exposed. I've been told that I should cover it in 'Flowcoat' (I'm not sure of the spelling). Is this the best stuff to use?
regards,
Tony

Tony;
Thunderbirds sail wonderfully. I worked on several in San Francisco. When aluminum oxidizes it turns a dull grey, not bad looking, and not harmful to the mast but you occasionally have to check the condition of the rivets and or screws used to attach fittings. These boats are mainly constructed of plywood that is glassed over with polyester resin and fine woven glass cloth. I am not familiar with flowcoat but any exposed fibers should be coated with resin, either polyester or epoxy and painted over. Have fun with your new old boat and feel free to ask questions as needed-------------------gary

John:
Quite a noble undertaking. Two possible alternatives. Often with an old iron keel it is easier and just as effective to tap in some new bolts rather than trying to replace the old. If you tap into the keel 5 or 6 inches with a 1 inch threaded bolts, you would do well. Also with the shaft-log, often all that is needed is to replace the inner pipe sleeve with a fiberglass tube. Feel free to ask more about this or other questions--------------------have fun-g.

.question: I have a leak in one of my bronze thru valves. I have tried to tighten the packing nut, but it still leakes. I'm hauling in the spring. Is that a beetter time to repack and if so how do I do it? I have the good type of valve, with the handle and ball.
tim

Tim:
Normally with a bronze ball valveor cone valve for that matter, there is no packing
packing envolved. There is either corrosion caused by electrolysis or some debris, like mussels and barnacles, keeping it from closing. Nothing to do until you haul out and can get a good view of what is going on. If your leak is not in the valve itself but rather where it comes through the hull, when hauled, you will have to pull the valve and rebed it. Good luck--------g

Thanks, Gary, I know I have to unscrew the back side to get it lose enough to move the small handle and it seems almost frozen, I have worked it back and forth, still I have water leaking, it could very well be at the valve/hull, It's in a really tight place to get to, so I'll have to wait until the haul out.

question: Hi Gary,

I am wanting to buy a classic 1956 Chris Craft to keep at my dock in Cale Coral Florida. My canal is brackish and the hull is wooden. barnacles grow rapidly in a matter of weeks. If I haul the vessel and put new bottom paint on every 6 months will the hull keep its integrity or will there still be barnacle accumulation and damage on their removal. Please help me. Thanks Fred

Hi;

Sounds like a nice idea, pretty boats. Barnacles don't really harm wood boats but toredo worms do, they dine on wood. So it would make sense for you to spend the money needed for a good bottom paint with a very high copper content. Stay away from high tech paints designed for fiberglass boats. Also, if paint gets rubbed off at the waterline make sure to heal the boat over and get some paint on the bare spot. Most worm damage happens at the waterline just for that reason. When you haul the boat make sure to scrape off the barnacles right away while they are soft, let them sit overnight and you have a real problem. If some harden use a slightly acidic solution, urine works good.Also keep some salt in the bilges to discourage rot. Have fun with your boat and feel free to ask more as necessary-------------g

question: Hi gary, I was very pleased to find a site like yours, i mean helping people with yheir problems is indeed very nice,

listen for my question i have aqquired a few sailing dinghys called topaz made by topper i beleive for our sailing club in Malta but the problem is that their is a few cracks in the hulls specially in the transom area, since thet are made of a tri laminate plastic im not sure how to go about repairing them, any ideas would be greatly appreciated

joe:

If the boats are truly plastic, they usually have to be returned to the manufacturer for repair, but if by plastic you mean fiberglass, repairing it is simple with some polyester resin and glass cloth, here is a site to instruct you Fiberglassing Books, Boat Repair, Fiberglass Repair, Fiberglassing Videos: TAP Also take your question to the forum at www.boatbuilder.com----- goodluck-----------gary.

question: I am repairing/restoring a 40 year old wood cabin cruiser. Main cabin ceiling insulation is ruined, lloks like rockwool or glassfibre . Is there a foamplastic substitute...boards that can be cut to fit between ceiling supports?

thanks c. Machalicky

Hi;

I did one a couple of years ago using philipine mahogony door skin with a small moulding. But I would also go to these sites and ask your question on their forums.
www.chris-craft.org and www.chriscraftboats.com. Have fun with that great boat--g

I have an "old" 18 foot wood boat (model/age unknown). The boat is in fair condition except for several pieces which are not rotted, but appear to have been submerged at some time in the past. What can be done to preserve and protect the damaged wood? Thanks for your assistance.

Jim

Madison, AL

Jim:

If the tired wood has a structural function it must be replaced, if it is merely cosmetic penetrating epoxy may work. About epoxy repair check out www.rotdoctor.com. If you have further questions feel free to ask.----------g

question: I bought plans for a boat advertized as suitable for cedar strip or cold molded construction.
The plans just show carvel planking. Is there a formula for determining the desired thickness
of frames and strips and epoxy/glass layers; or could you recommend a good book covering convertingfrom carvel to strip planking. The plans are for a full keel, round bilge, 4 ton classic design; the 26' Pilot by George Stadel. It will spend more time on a trailer than in the water hence the need for something other than carvel.
Thanks,
Donnie

Donnie;

I would suggest you got to the forum at www.woodenboat.com and ask your question there as well as going to www.macnaughtongroup.com and ask there as well. Usually the strips are edge nailed and glued tongue and grooved strips about 1in wide and 3/4 to 1 in thick. The hull is built over a jig with only the bulkheads as permanent, the ribs are added after the hull is complete and turned over but since the hull is so strong there are very few frames needed. I know, once set up, the building goes fast and there is little or no spiling needed. This technique makes for a strong and fairly light hull but they are a bitch to fix if damaged.-good luck---------g

question: i am trying to bend 3/8" x 1" ceder strips for the ribs of a canou but they keep breaking, they have been soaking two days. any help would be much appreaciated.

Hi;

Try using a heat gun or hair dryer to heat the rib as it is being bent--------g

I just purchased a 12' sail boat built buy American Fiberglass in 1974.

It is in need of a little TLC but in good over all condition.

It has a dagger/center board that is made of 1/2" plywood that at one time had a type of coating on it.

I would like to replace it because of some warping, and am unsure of weither to use some type of 1/2" plywood again,

or to use the old one as a template and use a solid wood; such as teak or oak.

Any help with this decision would be appreciated.

Please send reply to:

Thanks R. Howett

Robert;

Your main concern is to have a board that is strong and won't swell and shrink. Marine or cabinet grade plywood covered with a layer of fiberglass cloth would fit the bill best, but if money is no object Teak is also a good choice, oak is strong but tends to swell and is subject to rot. Have fun with your new old boat.--------gary

Gary;

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

One other question about that; do you have a recommendation for

a polyurethane type or manufacturer to use. I decided to use 1/2"

marine grade plywood due to cost and time ( I'm trying to get some use

of the boat before it gets to cold), the slot for the board is only 1/2".

Also failed to meantion that the boat will only be in fresh water.

I noticed a Carver Tripp poly that a hardener can be added to?

Thanks again for your time.

Robert

Robert;

Actually if you want to use it ASAP, I would just coat it with a couple of coats of Penetrating epoxy and leave the glassing for a winter project. I would recommend using an epoxy resin rather than polyester. The epoxy, although a little more expensive, is more resilient and more abrasive resistant than polyester. You actually could get away with not glassing at all, but it would mean you may have to replace the board sooner then otherwise. Have fun, go sailing------g

Thanks again for your help and insight.

I'll look for the epoxy.

Robert

question: I am considering purchasing a mahogany Chris Craft. She has been in salt water her whole life and I would be putting her into fresh water. Is this going to cause any problems?

Nope, just keep some salt in the bilges. Salt water kills rot fungus which thrives in fresh water. Have fun with your new old boat----gary

how are you today, i have one quick question, i recently

purchased an old wooden novi that is in very good condition

except for one thing, it looks like the last person to sand

the hull used a grinder and left all sorts of gouge marks in

the hull witch i believe is pine over oak someone suggested i

use a sraight line air sander to remove the gouging but i was

concerned this may flatten out the natural curve of the boat

do you have any suggestions do you think the straight line

sander will work thank you so much for your help paul

Hi;

Sanding out the gauges , unless you are very experienced, can cause further harm. Often it is better to fill the gauges with an epoxy filler and then fair the hull with a circular sander using a soft pad which stops gauging. I don't know what a straight line sander is, but it sounds not right for a boat.------good luck---------g

question: Hi,

I am preparing my 1970 carvel planked folkboat for long term cruising. She is oak below the water line and mahogany above. Teak decks, spruce masts, and above all built to a very high quality. My questions are as follows:

1. The previous owner installed a small single cylinder diesel (BMW D7). I have removed it since I need the space to store gear. I am now wondering what I should do about the the hole cut through the stem to fit the stern gland and cutlass bearing, and also what to do about the small section of the stem that was cut away to give the propeller the proper alignment. I am mostly concerned about structure and longevity since I will be cruising for the next couple of years and have the opportunity now to do something about it. So that you know, the wood in this area is 100% healthy. But for me personally, I am a bit troubled by the fact that a hole was cut (25mm or 7/8th's) in such an important structural area.

My idea was to remove the stern tube, fill the area with an oak dowl maybe 1/2" and lots of sika flex 292, and then sister in the aft stem area with oak and again sika 292 overlapping into the rest of the stem. Or do nothing!? Do you have any tips or advice? Thanks for your time.

ps. I live in Germany (though I am American) and any help would be greatly appreciated since the language is a bit of an obstacle when it comes to repair advice.

Steve:

I love folkboats and it sounds like you have a good one. There is not a better sea boat in that size range. Your fix idea seems fine except I would use a softer wood for the dowel so it will swell better and make a more watertight repair, also put it as far in the shaft log as possible. The outside filler piece should be Oak as you stated. Have a great cruise. Ask more if needed---gary

question: Hello,

By the way, thankyou for your quick response to my question about shoring up/restoring the stern of my folkboat after I remove the engine. I have another question. I spoke with the first owner who installed the engine, and he said that the stern tube was installed with pitch that he and a shipwright heated up and poured into the hole in the stem and sternpost. My question is, is there a solvent or technique to get the stern tube out easily that has been put in with pitch? I still have not dismanteled the stern gland and boot from inside the cockpit, but I have removed the two lag screws from outside on the hull where the stern tube is attached. It wiggles a little bit, but that is it. There were also wooden cheeks on either side of the stem where the stern tube hole is because there 'was not a lot of flesh left' as he put it. I would like to get the stern tube out without damaging anything (for instance where the wood has 'less flesh' at the beginning of the stem where the hole was drilled). Any tips? Thanks alot.

Steven Livengood

Steven;

If you get a bit of a wiggle you should be able to get it out. Take off the stuffing box gland and the hose. Measure the diameter of the stern tube and get a short piece of pipe the same diameter. Align the pipe with the stern tube and hammer it out.

If the stern tube is too tight and pounding on it threatens to detach the stern of the boat , the next option is to cut it longitudinally with a long sawzall metal cutting blade, 2 cuts opposite one another and out it comes.-----------g

question: Dear Gary:
Like so many others I thank you for a great site. For now I have two questions. First, I just bought a 1956 Chris Craft Sedan Cruiser. You have a previous questioner with this same boat and I'm wondering if you can put me in touch with him. Second, I read your method for removing the boat from the trailer so the hull can be worked on. Will this work for this boat or is it just something you recommend for a lighter and shorter vessel (mine is 24'). Thanks, David S

David;
Congratulations on your new old boat. Unfortunately I do not keep a data base on those who ask questions but I suggest you go to some Chris Craft websites and ask questions on their forums here's two---www.cchriscraft.com---------------------http://www.ringsurf.com/netring?action=info&ring=chriscraft. The off trailer method I speak of will work in theory with any size boat, but as the boat gets bigger and heavier the timbers, jacks and support members also have to get bigger to support the stresses. At a point it is cheaper and safer to have professional boat movers do it. Hope this helps---gary

Gary, thanks for the quick reply. You must know it only encourages more
questions (for which opportunity I'm very grateful)! This boat (1956 CC
Sedan Cruiser, double hulled) has been on a trailer for a year or so. I've
tapped and poked at the hull exterior and interior planks and can find no
rot or softness anywhere (read up a bit on surveying wood boats). However,
two or three of the exterior plants are noticeably warped, for example, with
one lateral edge protruding more than the other for less than two feet
(clearly not the whole length of the plank). In one or two other places
there are plank ends with cracks, with the crack running less than a foot.
My question is, should I consider replacement mandatory for such planks, or
might the swelling of the plank (or some other treatment) make replace
unnecessary?

Thanks and regards, David

David:
No problem, keep the questions coming. With a wood boat that has been out of the water for a good amount of time, a year or longer, it is best not to do any drastic repairs or decision making until after you put it back in the water and let it swell. In order to make it as water tight as possible, before you put it back in the water, fill all the cracks and seams below the waterline with some kind of caulking, roof patch works well, most of which will be squeezed out as the wood swells. After the boat has been in a while, more than a week or two, and hopefully used carefully, pull it back out and do a thorough survey and fix those areas that swelling didn't cure. Often cracks are wood checks and will swell out. On wood power boats the achilles heel for rot problems is the plank ends around the transom, check that area closely. Get that yacht in the water!!!!!----gary

question: Hi Gary. Me again, of the 1956 CC Sedan Cruiser. The transom was painted white with paint that was peeling off. I've removed the top three mahognay boards and stripped them of paint and will be restaining them, varnishing, etc. My question: Should I put any kind of bedding or caulking compound between these above-waterline vertical planks? The boat was pretty dry when I hauled it back here to Snohomish WA from Utah, and these planks had noticeable gaps between them. Being here in the moist Northwest I've noticed they are much less dry and maybe even swelling a bit. Are they meant to swell with moisture so caulking is not needed, even though they are above the waterline? Hope your Memorial Day is drier than ours.
Thanks, David Spencer

David;
Sounds like your moving right along. Yes the palnks will swell but normally there is some flexible polysulfide put in the seams, some will squeeze out as the palnks swell, but older boats that have had there wood swell and dryout many times will not swell all the way back to the original shape, so although originally those transom planks may have not needed any caulk, they probably will now. Also a hint about staining. I have found, especially with older wood, it is best to first seal the wood with a wood sealer before you stain it. This prevents the blotchiness that comes from the stain penetrating the soft grain to a greater degree than the harder grain.----------gary----ps- it's been raining all day

Thanks, Gary. I've seen your tip about sealer on your site and will
certainly do it. I see that Interlux makes a brown colored seam compound.
I doubt whatever I use will take the stain, so a darker color might be less
noticeable in the finished work.Would this be a polysulfide that I could
use? Thanks. D.

David;
Yes, polysulfide is OK for this pupose , but I would never recommend it for underwater seams, the brown interlux regular oil based compound works well for that. Polysulfides don't do well underwater where the planks move, contract and expand as they are intended to do, on the topsides there is less of this plus leaking is not that big an issue. If you encountered cotton in the transom seams when you removed the planks you should replace it, if not, no worry, it wasn't intended----------g

Hello Gary I have just had my lower drive rebuild on a 1987 27' Sunrunner. After the repairs the shop put the boat in the water and it is taking on water. The boat was out of the water for 6-weeks during the repairs. The shop is telling me that the boat will have to take on water and swell back up before it will stop taking on water. Is this true and if it does not stop taking on water what is the next thing that has to be done to her before she will stop taking on the water?

thanks for your help
Lee

Lee;
They are right, the boat must swell. If you didn't have a leak before she came out you shouldn't have one after she swells. It can take up to a week for the boat to totally swell up, day to day you should see less water coming in. If after that time, she is still taking on water, you will have to track down where the water is coming from and figure out a repair.. Let me know how you make out----------gary

question: My 8-1/2 tonner has been out of the water for 4 years, and the carvel and splined construction looks ok but some seams are visible through the antifoul, or what remains of it. How can I get the planks to swell up again while we are refurbishing the boat, or is as easy as a hose pipe every day and then drop her in and pump like mad?
any advice greatly appreciated.

Hi;
You have a few choices, dowsing it thoroughly everyday , more better if you staple some absorbent cloth and saturate, do nothing and get a big pump or before you paint the bottom use some Thompson's tar roof patch to fill the open seams, it will squish out when the boat swells. Do nothing and have several bags of sawdust nearby ,put it in the water and and dump sawdust in the water and swirl it with a paddle so the particles sink, they will clog the seams temporarily . Personally, I don't like dowsing a wood boat with fresh water i.e.. it can set up moist pockets where rot can develop. Instead of the roof patch you can use Interlux bottom seam compound thinned down with a little bottom paint. Do not use any gooey stuff like polysulfides or hard stuff like epoxy. Hope this helps------have fun sailing-----oh, I forgot, after launch the leaking should half itself each 24 hrs and completely stop in a week, if not there is a more serious problem and ofcourse do not sail the boat until it is fully swollen and has its water shape back-----------gary

question: Hi Gary. Regarding the 1956 Chris Craft I've written you about previously, in the bottom planks instead of bungs it has a putty over the countersunk fasteners. Any suggestions on a modern material I can use when I replace a screw? Thanks.

Glad to see you are still at it. Actually glued in wood plugs, bungs, used in conjunction with a tapered bit and plug countersink are the easiest way to go but you can use the marine Bondo(2 part epoxy filler) or mix up your own stuff with some epoxy thickened with fine saw dust or flower.----------gary

question: DEAR GARY:
WE HAVE ENJOYED READING YOUR GREAT HELPFUL HINTS. WE HAVE JUST PURCHASED A 42 FOOT WOOD TROJAN MOTER YACHT> WE HAVE HAULED IT AND POWER WASHED THE BOAT. THERE ARE A LOT OF WOODEN PLUGS MISSING. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE NEW WOOD PLUGS MAY CRACK THE THE PLANKS WHEN THEY SWELL. BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT SWELL THE SAME AS THE OLD WOOD. THIS BOAT WAS IN CONNETICUTT. WE ARE IN NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA. WE FOUND SOME SCREWS HAD BEEN PLUGGED WITH A SEAM FILLER. WE FOUND SLICK SEAM BY DAVIS. THIS SAID IT WOULD WORK. WE DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE THIS BOAT OUT OF THE WATER LONG AND CAN NOT FIND ANY MORE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WILL WORK TO FILL THE SCREW HOLES? THANK YOU MOLLY AND ROGER SMITH

Molly & Roger;
In all my years of working on wood boats I have never seen a new wood bung, plug, split an older plank , although you should use the same wood. If you use plugs, set them in with some epoxy glue. Slick seam will also work OK and is probably a bit easier time wise. I have also use Thompsons roof patch tar, as well as a mixture of epoxy glue and saw dust. They all work------Enjoy your new old boat and feel free to ask more as needed--------------gary

question: Can you use freshwater motor in the salt water? and what about a fresh water bass boat - can you use it in the bay or salt water? The reason I am asking is because we been having a debate about this - I told them that you should not use the fresh water motor or fresh water boat in the salt water (bay or off shore).. Am I wrong to say that? I told him he is better off buying salt water motor to use both in the bay or fresh water.....

No problem, engines are not rated for the type of water they are used in. After use in salt water the motors cooling system should be flushed out with fresh water. Also , no problem with boat in salt water as well, it too should be washed off with fresh water after use. I assume you are speaking of an outboard motor and tralerable boat not an inboard boat that will sit in salt water for a long time. If this were the case the engine would have to be protected from electrolysis, the disintegration of certain metals do to electric current, by applying the appropriate zincs which acts as a sacrificial anode. Hope this helps----------gary

question: First i want to thank you for this website it's already helped me a whole lot . I have written you before about my 17' stingray that I am replacing the floor,between the runners I have foam insulation.I have the boat in direct sunlight to try to completely dry it out .I had to remove some of the foam to replace part of the runners and discovered that the foam was still retaining water . i started to apply acetone directly on it but pretty sure it will eat it up.If I remove this foam do I need to put it back it seems that the foam is part of my problem if water does penetrate the foam absorbs it and doesn't let it evaporate .Also if I do need to replace this foam is it a special type of material for marine use?

Hi;
Glad to hear your project is moving ahead. The foam has no structural importance and merely adds floatation which is negated as it gets soaked with water. There is a closed cell foam that is waterproof but it is a bit tricky to use but there is also a blue insulation foam available at lumber yards that could be cut to fit the spaces and I believe it is waterproof as well, plus since it is not marine it therefore is considerably cheaper. These foamed filled spaces are to keep the boat partially floating if it is trying to sink, whether or not it would keep the boat afloat with engine and all is questionable so the importance of having it in there at all maybe a mute point. Use your own judgment on this---------g

question: Recently purchased a 1955 Christ Craft 55 ft. Constellation. Have a bit of documentation that JFK was a previous owner - working on obtaining additional documentation. Just found out from the boat yard that the previous owner covered the hull in roofing tar and then painted over that with a fiberglass resin when paint wouldn't take to the tar. We would like to remove this & refinish the boat properly. The boat yard is currently researching products for this job. Do you have any suggestions for us. Your thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!

Hi---interesting problem. I don't think polyester or epoxy resin would stick to tar either but whatever concoction is on there you have to get it off. I would look into wet sand blasting, it is genteler and easier to control than just sand blasting plus you can subsitute the sand with an artificial softer grit material that will not hurt the wood----good luck and let me know what you decide and feel free to ask more as needed. No doubt the concoction was applied to stop leaks, so you will have to deal with some recaulking and maybe some spot refastening----------gary

Hi-- I just bought a 32' Grand banks-- 1971. The boat has three main problems:

1) the rear cockpit teak deck has some leaks next to the rear of the house that has caused some of the plywood to rot away. See picture. How would you repair this? Pulling up the whole deck and replacing the plywood and so on is perfect but expensive and lots of work. I was thinking of cutting bad plywood away with a router set to the thickness of the plywood then cutting a new piece and putting bedding compound on the bottom and slipping it up and into place then gluing a another piece of plywood or perhaps ½? thick by perhaps 6? wide mahogany which I would bronze screw into place from below and also put some of the Interlux seam sealer you mentioned or other caulking material. I could just glue it with waterproof polyurethane or even regular water-proof white glue. Then I would peel the caulking out between the teak decking and replace with new—what do you like to use by the way for caulking seams on teak decks like these?

2) a bonding system was added two years ago by the last owner and there is clearly lots of damage as a result of this not being done well. We are going to replace all the thru hulls and remove the swim step and move upward out of the water. Here are the questions. First—my surveyor suggested that since all the metal in the water is bronze- propeller, shaft, rudder, thru hulls, swimstep supports, hull fasteners etc. that he would just remove all the wiring completely and leave a zinc on the stern unconnected inside the boat to anything by wire. Good idea? I thought I would do this and also add a galvanic isolator and an isolation transformer as well to stop all this damage once and for all. I also noted in my BIG book about boat repair that the author mentions that in Europe they often don?t have any bonding wires through their boats at all and try to keep all external underwater parts as similar as possible.

Then how would you repair the wood around this external bronze parts that has been burned from the electrolysis? I see you don?t like using penetrating epoxies and I can see that this could only trap moisture in the wood. The wood doesn?t look too damaged and is solid just below the surface. I guess it could just be sanded back and primed and repainted.

What would you use for bedding the thru hulls when reinstalled. The yard mentioned 5200 but I now understand from your comments that this doesn?t flex enough. Would you use the interlux seam caulk that you mention a lot?

3) The bronze shaft log appears to have a butt plate – wood—between the hull and the bronze shat log that is very rotten and is easily peeled back with an ice pick. The surveyor suggested that this be replaced- which involves removing the rudder, shaft, bronze log etc. So I want to see it done right once!! What wood you use to cut a new butt block out of? Mahogany – teak? I don?t think the cost should be an issue in terms of the wood used for this important structural area and would use whatever you think best! Also in terms of bedding this piece of new wood what would you use? And would you do anything to the wood under the butt block – which I assume is the keel itself. Would you treat this area of the keel that will again be under the butt block with any type of liseed oil- I like Watco teak oil myself—would you use this? I also thought about overdrilling the old screw holes in the keel – then polyurethane or epoxy gluing in new wood plugs or just filling these holes with epoxy and then redrilling and screwing into these new wood or epoxy locations when the new butt block and the shaft log are reinstalled.

What do you like about what I have said above and what don?t you like????

I?m in Newport Beach Calif- capital of 10,000 miles per hour plastic speed boats and the yards here don?t seem to have a real feel for wood boats and need some direction to stop them from making mistakes. I probably asked too many questions at once- but a little knowledge leads to many questions!!! DO you ever take phone calls ? I would even be happy to pay a few dollars for the verbal consulting along the way as I enjoy several opinions and I liked your responses and understanding that wood boats need to be put back they way they were built and that all this epoxy being thrown around is not such a good idea in a wood boat.

If it would be easier to discuss these questions and you had time and interest in helping—my tollfree number is 866 -957 1081 from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm california time. There just are not any real wood boat people out here—all the yards hire non english speaking Mexican workers and they don?t have a real high concern for repairing a wood boat well. They love to use epoxy for every repair—they all seem to have a 5 gallon West systems jug attached to their free hand wherever they go on a boat they are repairing.
Jeff

Jeffery-
Interesting project, nice boat. First any bedding you do that is not a glue joint, which is what you get with 3m 5200 or any polysulfide, you should use Dolphonite bedding compound, available at marine stores. A cheap second is Thompson's wet dry roof patch.
Question #1---- Your fix is a good one, but for glue use either 3m 5200 or a thickened epoxy. 3m also has a new product 5100? for deck seams, also a product called Dekto---http://www.detcosterling.com/dcaulkappl.htm?. Wipe the teak with acetone before you apply the caulk, it eliminates surface oils.

Question #2------ The fuzzy wood around the through hulls should be just cleaned up and saturated with regular antifreeze which kills and prevents rot.Use the antifreeze anywhere you suspect soft wood, it even goes through paint. I don't trust bonding, the theory is good but in practice it causes more problems than it fixes. Same with zincs. If you have similar metals, probably bronze,no zincs are needed but you may have a stainless shaft and that is all that should have a zinc.If you keep the boat in a marina where there is often stray electricity in the water, when you're dockside put a small zinc over the side with a copper wire from it to the engine.

Question #3----The shaft log can be a messy business, If you replace the way you say, teak would be the best choice but I would suggest a whole different way. Replace the existing shaft log with a fiberglass tube,they are available or you can make your own, and fiberglass the tube to the hull at both ends, leaving a 3 or 4 inch nipple on the inside to attach the stuffing box. This seals the whole thing, a fairly easy job but most important to get the angle right. I can explain in more detail if needed.

Absorb these answers and come up with clarifying questions , then let me know and I'll call you--------gary

question: Gary, I have a chance to buy a 1985 SkiffCraft X-260 small wood cabin cruiser. I live in Florida and the boat has been here all it's life. It is stored on a lift over the water. I have been researching wood boats in saltwater and have gotten opinions from the sublime to the rediculous. Are you familiar with these boats, built by the amish in Ohio? Is there anything special about wood boats in saltwater, besides don't put off your maintenance? Thanks, your answers page seems to be a light in the darkness.

Hi
Wood boats love salt water, wood rot fungus cannot live in salt water so rot is less of a problem but salt water can cause metal deterioration do to electrolysis. I see by the pictures on this site http://www.oldboatworks.com/SkiffBrochure.htm, that the planking is lapstrake which is excellent for water tightness but if the boat has been out of the water for a long time you may have to put a bead of caulking down the seams to keep them water tight until the wood swells. Seems like a great boat but, before you buy, I would have a survey done on it to make sure there are no major problems. Let me know how it works out.----gary

question: Hi Gary: need advice how to replace shaft bearing on a Columbia 29 mark II thanks. Armando

Armando;
Not familiar with the bearing set up on that design, whether it is in the hull or in a skeg but either way, usually there is a set screw or screws that secure the bearing in place, but even if you loosen them the bearing needs to be cut out . Of course the shaft must come out and the bearing will have to be cut out using a hacksaw blade or a sawsall, cutting lengthwise in 2 places. The new bearing will have to be gently tapped in place and the set screws tightened. Once the shaft is out and before you start cutting, look closely and see how the bearing has worn, is it even all around or more wear in one direction or another. The wear will indicate if your engine is properly aligned. Hope this helps---------gary

just inherited a project skiff from the wifes boss and am in need of a little advice. It is a 1961 16' LAFCO runabout made in Lafayete, LA. PLywood hull and teak topdeck and widshield. A few of the structural pieces have some rot and this I think I can handle. My concern is the plywood. There is some interior surface rot on the bottom of the hull. Seems like most of the spots only go down thru the first layer of the plwood. Also the are a few spots rotted thru the plywood at the gunnel section. Without any experience at plywood boats any help would be greatly appreciated. Bo

The most severe problem with plywood is delamination which apparently you do not have. The problems you do describe are basically cosmetic not structural. Both ares can be repaired with a little penetrating epoxy and some filler, although if the rot on the gunnels is very extensive it should be cut out and replaced with new wood. Plywood is wonderful stuff, extremely strong for its weight and provides a good painting or fiberglassing surface. It is most vulnerable along the edges where water can penetrate and cause delamination or rot (your gunnels), so it is most important that all plywood edges are thoroughly sealed. Hope this helps, enjoy your boat-------gary

I've seen these timbers used as posts for decks exposed to weather and sometimes they twist and crack with time.

Is there a way to select PT 4x4's or treat these logs to prevent the twisting and cracking?

Usually PT lumber is kiln dried and then treated and do to its low moisture content it can bend and twist when exposed to a wet environment. You are best off by using air dried lumber with no pt treatment, but if you can't find any get some kiln dried no PT yellow pine, good straight grain , quarter sawn if possible, and soak it for a week or so to get the moisture content up a bit and then do your thing. Sounds like a nice project-------gary

question: Gary, would appreciate your advice on what type of wood to use for total stringer replacement in a 19' runabout. orginal wood was spruce, not readily available, besides, it turned to mush. not too impressive. there is probably only two stringers, which straddle a center mounted fuel tank. thank you, roger scott

I would use clear fir, quarter sawn--the end grain looks like this //////// ------gary

question: I am the proud owner of a custom built, canoe stern,35 ft ketch, 40 years old this year.Designer was Victor Harasty out of NY. She is a hard chine, 1" mahogany ply on mahogany frames. Survey is 2 years old wherein she had 2 minor wet spots below the waterline. Surveyor was impressed. My question is........... Because she has always been in fresh water, can I take her south to the islands (Abacos)with the copper bottom paint(International) that I currently use, or, should I take the botton down to bare and apply a covering of 6 or 4 oz fiberglass, 3 coats resin, then bottom paint.??? The real question is........ What will the salt water do to the hull? Is it better to glass or not ??

Sounds like a nice boat. Normally salt water and wood get along just fine and adding a layer of glass cloth wouldn't really do much to protect the bottom, plus toredo worms aren't partial to plywood, they don't like the glue. You might want to freshen up the bottom paint and get some advice about putting on some zincs to counter act the effects of electrolysis that comes with differing metals reacting in salt water. Good luck with your new old boat and feel free to ask more as needed-----gary

Thanks so much for the info. In regards to the zincs, I do have a couple. Is there specific areas where they should

be attached? I see most are placed on either side of the prop shaft on to the deadwood.

Considering the importance of proper zincing or better said,
the severe problems that can result from lack of or improper zinc
placement, I would suggest you get a local surveyor to have a look and
recommend what is needed. Where you attach the zincs is dependent on the
type of differing metals under the waterline. Usually the shaft is
stainless and the prop bronze and often the rudder gudgeons are metal as
well. The zincs must have direct contact with the metal, either attached
directly to it or connected with a copper wire. So it is important to
know what metal was used for hull fastening and through hulls as well as
for the pieces mentioned above. Also your inboard engine may need
protection as well. Add to this confusion that you can over zinc as well
causing the very problems your attempting to avoid, so expert advice is
called for. One of the reasons your new old boat has survived so long in
such good shape is because her life in the freshwater environment did
not expose her to the ravages that can result from electrolysis. One
also has to be leery of marinas where stray electricity can easily enter
the water and exacerbate the problem. Scare you enough?????------g

Scary no............ Confusing , yes........ As I have only sailed the great lakes I have
known of this but not to any detail.......... Guess I'm gonna learn.... I have 2 years to get
her ready, so I will be asking lots of questions and I thank you in advance for you help and patience.

I have an old 1970 Rawson 30 fiberglass boat. The gas engine was replaced with a Yanmar about 12 years ago, and now the steel L bracket that a rather well known yard near Annapolis used as the engine bed, has begun to pull away from the old wooden bed that was fiberglassed into the the hull. Evidently the old Palmer gas was considerably wider than the yanmar. The yard that deed the work advises me to pull the engine weight off of the L beams, and simply replace the lag bolts with a larger diameter bolt. But is that the best way to go about it? Are their better bolts (expansion bolts?) that are less likely to pull out. (I need to mention that since the old engine timbers are heavily fiberglassed in place, the only way to get a bolt on the end is to tear the out. Do you have any ideas??

Hi;
First make sure the engine bed wood is still ok. Too often I have sense engine bed timbers embedded in fiberglass rot out because of trapped condensation with no air circulation. If OK, the oversize lags would probably work but for extra strength ,and piece of mind, you could use expansion bolts, the type used to fasten wood plates to a foundation--see ---http://www.fixeusa.com/5piece.htm--------Good luck---gary

I really appreciate your help. I had playing with the idea of expansion bolts too, but did not find any references to their use in wood – only in masonry and for rock climbers in stone – but it seemed actually, exactly what was needed. As far as the wood is concerned, my examination of it does not find any soft spots, or obvious indications of rot or deteroriation. Would it make sense to try to check on the water content of the wood, or would that really tell me anything? I guess I’m asking if there is some way to ascertain the quality of the wood beyond surface inspection, use of ice pick, seeing how well its is still bonded in the fiberglass, etc. These Rawsons were built in the pacific northwest and seem to be pretty sturdy – designed by William Garden, and hand laid out of solid fiberglass – but still, that doesn’t mean the wood could still be bad – I’ll check it out.

Don't be over concerned about the rot factor, if it was happening you would know it with minimum investigation.. Sounding with the handle of a screwdriver works well, not wanting hollow or dead thud sounds. You are right, Rawson has a reputation of building bullet proof boats----enjoy you boat---g

question: At the boat yard, someone left a thru hole open. The boat took on water when the boat was refloated covering teak sole of cabin. What is the best method of cleaning and disinflecting cabin sole? I have hear that teak has germ killing properties. Any Suggestions

question: I crew on a C&C34+ and there is green fuzzy mold on the interior teak. What can I use that will not ake the color out of the wood? What can I do to preent it in the future?

Scrub with trisodium phosphate, TSP, available at any hardware store.
Mold is caused by condensation resulting from poor air circulation below.
Get air circulating and no more problem--------gary

Bonnie---If the teak is treated with oil , varnish or polyurethane it will
be fine, if it is bare I would try a little TSP in a inconspicuous area and
see what it does. Just wire brushing or sanding untreated teak will alter
the color but it will return in time. It is rare to find untreated teak down
below usually one sees it this way outside where it weathers a nice grey
color-----------g

question: working on a Kalik 40 boat in which the Hull is solid thick hand laid glass, but interior was built from Marine Plywood and Veneer. The previous owner let so many leaks go unfixed for years, so there is so much rotten plywood and destroyed Veneer. Is there a less involved method, or trick to replacing these pieces and recovering with veneer. 90% of the wood is unaffected, so I really dont want to tear everything out and start over. But I would like to darken the color of the wood.. so that would hide some of the seems and repair points. Any methods that would help me here?

I would cut out the bad areas scarfing in new pieces using butterfly
joints and epoxy than veneer over with your choice of finish------g

We're talking to a sail maker about having a Mizzen Staysail made for out
Harstad 31 motor sailor (ketch rigged) to increase its sail plan. The sail
maker has told us most sailors are going to an asymmetrical Spinnaker
Staysail instead of a standard Mizzen Staysail. We're having trouble
deciding whether to go standard or go spinnaker. What are
advantages/disadvantages with these two sails? Has anyone out there used
either one on a ketch before? With the ketch rig we are trying to keep our
sail plan easy to set, and not have to make headsail changes (mostly single
handed) if possible. We were quoted $295.00 standard sail and $395.00 for
spinnaker, both in 1.5 oz. Cloth, does this sound about right? I'll post a
picture to aid any in advising us in what to do.

Ben & Marilyn;
It sounds to me as though your getting good information. If the two sails are equal in ease of handling, I would go with the spinnaker cut. The price seems in the ballpark as well. Good luck-----If you need a way aloft, check out www.mastmate.com------gary

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question: Hi Gary

Do you have any suggestion about primers?-------Thanks

.

You can try some TSP cleaner, available in hardware stores, to better treat the mold areas and use a primer like Zprime with a shellac base which will seal the stains from showing through------enjoy your new old boat------gary

.

Hi Gary,

You can try some TSP cleaner, available in hardware stores, to better treat
the mold areas and use a primer like Zprime with a shellac base which will
seal the stains from showing through------enjoy your new old boat------gary