Brass screws below the waterline.

[Leighb]

Well Hotrod used the same sort of materials to build the Flying Hawaiian launched a year ago and still floating. 65 ft long and 32 ft wide.

I expect it may float for another year or two as well, but the long term prospects are poor.

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

1,800 miles from the Butt at the moment.

Perhaps there is a lot in common between exposed brass screws an old wreck of a fishing boat on salt water in Scotland and the screws on a canvas covered Kayak on a freshwater river in Australia.

It just does not seem so to me though. I once made the mistake of using brass to secure the lid of a chart table on my wooden boat. Within two years the heads had completely disintegrated.

I also suspect that the 'brass' of 54 years ago was probably of a far different (and superior) composition to that available to our man in Scotland at his local B&Q.

Oh well, Bogobiri House then...

To be fair to Kareela's brass screws, even though some were below the waterline they were isolated from the water by canvas and paint, and the heads had been plugged. But on the other hand, to be fair to Kareela herself, at least 90% of her time afloat was in salt water, not fresh -- Western Port, Port Phillip, the Southern Ocean, or Bass Strait (albeit never more than a mile or so offshore).

I certainly do not advocate using brass screws for boatbuilding though, whether for use in freshwater or salt, and would have warned the OP's builder of the risks (as I said earlier). The only exception might perhaps be for internal fit-out. But given your experience with them in your chart table, maybe the brass was indeed 'better' in those days? Or maybe Aussie brass was just better than Pommy stuff? Who knows?

Mike

 

[30boat]

I expect it may float for another year or two as well, but the long term prospects are poor.

Especially if they try to sail it for any length of time.I bet it would desintegrate in anything above a force 3.

 

[ccscott49]

Most of the "brass"screws in B&Q seem to be brass plated!

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Ah. When buying brass, bronze, or stainless, always take a small magnet with you.

Mike