a really daft question to say I have a wooden boat!!

[gary3029]

The other day I got into a debate with a someone in our yard who has one of those fiberglass things with a big engine. His point was that wooden hulls need to be painted before they are antifouled as this protects the wood. Each year I should take all the antifoul off and repaint the hull and then reapply antifoul. This is not what I do and he has got me thinking!! I use jotun antifoul primer then apply my antifoul. I didn't think there was a paint which will protect a wooden hull underwater. Does he know something I don't and have I been doing it wrong all this time??

 

[dombuckley]

In my book, there's no such thing as a daft question.

Giving misleading opinions or advice, that's another thing. This chap clearly has no knowledge of wooden yachts, and is talking out of his rs. It's about as sensible as him taking all his antifoul off, polishing his bottom (maybe he could do his boat's at the same time?), before re-applying the antifouling.

The watertightness of any wooden yacht (particularly clinker, like your Finesse) relies upon the planks swelling up when wet: if she was fully painted with an impermeable paint, this wouldn't happen. Carry on doing as you are at the moment, and you'll be just fine.

 

[Peterduck]

I concur with Dom's assessment. I have found that there are about ten givers of useless advice for every one who has the genuine article. I have also found that the more ready folk are to give advice, the greater the likelihood of it being useless. The guy who really knows his stuff is usually too busy working on his own boat to be concerning himself with yours. It will most likely be a well-kept wooden boat, not an over-powered plastic gin- palace.
Peter.

 

[alan006]

THere is something about boats that brings out lots of well meaning advise from fellow boats. ( So here I come with some more). I usually listen politely then have a look at the person's boat. If they have a well maintained boat I give it credibility, if not I don't. As peter says often the most clued up people have to be asked as they don't always push themselves forward. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Casey]

When (frequently) I am offered advice I listen politely and then (in the case of paintwork) go and read the suppliers manual and follow the instructions! I have found that it never fails. Blakes paint manual and the instructions for Sikkens are very necessary 'bibles' for me. For anything else I listen to people who I know have had some success with whatever job I am doing and even then take a look at the books.

 

[chrishelen]

Yes this is true of conventional boats but what about ply?this needs protecting from the water especialy the end grains.

 

[tillergirl]

Ignore him - no - don't. Point out its only glass boats that need some assistance on their bottom to stop them becoming porous. The recommended treatment for wooden boat bottoms as far as I can remember, is to prime the bare wood with antifoul primer and then apply the anti-foul. antifoul 'protects' the wood. Carry on with what you are doing.

 

[cliffordpope]

What does "protection" mean? Replies seem to be interpreting this as waterproofing, but what about protecting the wood from boring creatures? If the antifoul is insulated from the wood by a layer of paint or primer, what protects the wood once they have got inside?
My old boat has always been painted underneath with hot Stockholm tar, followed when dry with a coat of thicker tar. The planks are saturated right through with this stuff, and apart from the garboards, replaced in 1926, are original.

 

[Coomkeen]

Ah yes, bottom 'protection'.
Quote from the original brochure for my 1960 Purbrook Heron says - "The bottom has two coats of bitumastic and one of anti-fouling...".
This year I'm going back to that treatment.
Did it once a few years ago and it worked really well.
Though Stockholm Tar sounds even better.

And the topsides says - "Before painting they are dressed thoughout with Cuprinol."
Anyone do that these days?

Ron.

 

[oldfrank]

I'm afeard I still believe that tar has no place on a gentleman's yacht. OF

 

[Coomkeen]

So who's a gentleman? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dombuckley]

I was of course talking of conventional sticks’n’nails type wooden boats: these rely on a certain amount of moisture ingress to keep them tight. As soon as you move into having a rigid structure, be it plywood or strip-planking, then you need to keep water out entirely.

Most plywood boats are daysailers and trailer-sailers, which do not require antifouling. In these, the areas below the waterline are best painted as for the topsides. The problem comes with larger yachts (such as your eventide) which are meant to stay afloat, and require antifouling, as normal alkyd paint is not designed to be permanently immersed. The “Rolls Royce” solution would be to epoxy/glass sheathe, but this is difficult to achieve after build without a major refit and making sure she is absolutely bone-dry. Alternatively, seal any end-grain with epoxy, and paint with two-pack, antifouling over the top: the drawbacks to this are that any slight movement of the timber will cause the paint to crack and allow water in behind (causing rot behind the paint), and it is also difficult to get a good bond between the two-pack and the antifouling.

An older technique is simply to strip her off every few years and dose her up with cuprinol, then prime and antifoul as for any other wooden vessel - you could throw in a layer of bitumen or stokholm tar as previously mentioned. Certainly an old mate of mine who had a plywood Golden Hind was pleased with the results of this, and later completed an Atlantic circuit in her with no problems.