advice on wooden boat please

Mollyfish

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Hi, can anyone help? I have a thirty foot carvel planked wooden boat built in the 1960's. She is moored in a Marina. At the moment she's been floating for the last five years, has a lot of weed underneath her, but lets in very little water. I'd like to lift her out in order to repaint and antifoul the hull. I am worried that if I take her out, the planks below the waterline will dry out, and the seams open up, or that I will disturb the existing caulk, which still appears to function well. I have limited money, do you think I am taking a huge risk taking her out, and letting her dry out? How can I remove the weed without causing any damage? Thanks for your time, Mollyfish
 

ashanta

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Hi, I would suggest you post this on the classic boat forum. I am sure there would be plenty of advice available to you.

Regards.

peter.
 

boatmike

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I should not worry too much. Have her out, Pressure wash her, give her a good scrub and a couple of coats of antifoul then back in. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days and she won't dry out in that time in our climate! Go for it!
 

supermalc

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I helped with this job with 3 boats last year, and hope to do this to mine this year.

When the boat is out of the water, empty the bilges and scrape the bottom. Old push hoes used for gardening are ideal, or a wallpaper scraper tied to a brush handle. Leave to dry overnight then paint with black (or the colour of your choice) bitumin. After a couple of hours fill any cracks that show signs of leaking with a paste of antifoul and fine sawdust. Another coat of butumin. wait about an hour and relaunch.

I am fairly new to boating, and certainly new to wooden boats.

This is the way it has been done for centuries. As it is a carvel boat, I would assume some caulking string pushed into any spaces inbetween the planks would also be suitable.

This simple and effective method appears to have been lost with the modern GRP boats and modern antifoul.....as I've learnt from reading boating forums these last 3 years.

Just as in repacking the sterngland. I've not only repacked mine in the water, but also changed the propshaft for a new one (I managed to make myself)

Full story on my boating pages
http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/malcsworld/
(apologies for pop-ups. price I have to pay for free webspace)
 

oldharry

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Lifting a wooden boat and putting her ashore for several days - or even weeks - will do no harm whatsoever.

Many of us put wooden hulls ashore for several months without problems - at least in the UK! In warmer climates drying and shrinkage is accelerated. However the week or so required for a full below waterline clean-up and repaint will do no harm whatsoever.

Be careful if you do need to replace any of the caulking, as you can do a great deal of damage forcing too much in. Over filling will mean the planks do not have space to expand back properly, and can lead to stretched and loosened fastenings. Then you HAVE got a major job on your hands! You need to find someone to show you how to do it correctly - an experienced owner perhaps, or a friendly boat builder who will demonstrate the techniques for you.

But Bitumen has no place on a modern hull. Tar was used for centuries to help seal wooden hulls, but modern paints do a far more efficient and effective job, and Bitumen simply does not have the durability and efficiency of modern paints.

Use a decent paint system.
 
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