Brackish Water/Mahoganny hull

[corkhopper]

Hi all, first post, first renovation.

I have just been reading through recent posts and I am concerned that I have not found enough about wooden boats before buying one. My concern that my lady is mahoganny planks on oak. She has been sitting in the Thames in brackish water for the last 15 years, which I now understand is particularly not good for mahoganny. Is there anything that I should look out for when introducing her to salt water. She is 70 years old and has mostly spent her life in salt water. There hull appears extremely sound.

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Thanks

 

[Porthandbuoy]

It all boils down to love and attention. Mahogany is impervious to rot in salt water but will rot eventually if left afloat in fresh or salt if badly maintained; just quicker in fresh. Left on the hard, on a mooring, or in a mud berth, rainwater will find its way down below and rot your boat from the inside out. Keep her interior dry and airy and she should be fine.
Shifting berths from salt water to fresh occasionally could be beneficial in that any spores, bugs, growth and gribble which thrive in one medium will die in the other.

 

[corkhopper]

Thanks Mariposa,

Love & attention is the one criteria that I am able to give to my project and your advices are very helpful. The boat has also received some of this over the last few years by the previous owner.

I have to say that I have surfed the web looking for a good forum and this is by far the best.

Thanks once again