Advice needed

[atelford]

Last year I obtained a wooden boat built in 1910. It was originally designed for Belfast Lough and so has a very big heavy keel. It was built by a policeman for his daughter and as more people saw it sailed more were created. Nowadays there is about 6 or so remaining in my club. Thats the background covered and Im ashamed to say it has had no repairs carried out since I got it. With a new year comes the resolution to finally get this thing floating again. Below as some photos. My questions are:

Where the bottom section of the hull meets the stern there is a gap that is easy to see through. What can I use to seal this ?

The deck wood is very soft. I can press my fingernail into it to leave a mark. WHat is the best way of replacing the deck.

Is the boat safe ? With nails holding it together almost 100 years old is there any hope to float this boat again ? See the attached photos for info.

If you have any suggestions, general advice..... anything...... I'll be glad to hear peoples thoughts.

 

[Woodlouse]

Is she bronze or iron fastened? 100 years is about the lot for iron fastenings. Replacing the deck is simply ripping up the old one, checking the deck beams, and laying a new one. A big job more in scale than difficulty.

The gap at the bottom end of the stern could mean replacing or refastening of the bit of wood thats come away, could be the plank or could be the keel.

I would suggest getting a survey from a chap who knows what he's looking at. He should be able to give you quite a jobs list.

 

[bobgoode]

Wooden boat, out of water for a year...suggest planks may have dried out and hence the gaps. They should swell again once immersed in the salty stuff so beware of packing the gaps too tightly.

 

[nmiller]

Do as Woodlouse says. Get a knowledgeable mate to look at her.
The decks are of some kind of pine or fir, so I would expect to be able to mark them with a fingernail. You should worry if a bradawl or electricians screw driver goes right in with no effort. As to the gap between the planks and the transom, clean out the loose stopping and try to determine what the fastenings are. Also prod the transom with the screwdriver to see if it is hard. If the transom is ok, see if you can get the fastenings out without damaging the plank, and re fasten with a slightly thicker fastening, using an appropriate luting in the joint. If there is rot in the transom, refastening won't work, you will have to replace some or all of the transom itself.