Clinker leaks

[joeirish]

I have an old dinghy which is badly leaking. She is clinker construction. I want to get another year out of her (she was given to me for nothing and doesn't really warrant a lot of work - I want to sail her not restore her) so would appreciate advice on how to stop her leaking. I don't want to re-clench her as that is too much work for just one year. Can i 'inject' Balcotan or epoxy to fill the gaps or is ther another caulking material that might be better?

 

[Ifraser]

Have you only just put her in.....usually a boat which has been dried out ashore for some time will leak on launching then stop as the timber swells....It can take up to a week to fully take up during which time she will need a regular pumping out. If she's been in a while and is still leaking then its hard to think of a proper repair that won't involve some work. You could try tightening the fasteners that are already there without replacing them. The best place to get advice on this will be on the classic boat forum ( if you haven't already done so ) Cheers Iain

 

[LadyInBed]

If you want to do a cheap job, go around it with a tube or two of black roof gutter sealant.

 

[Hardley]

If she has just gone in the water and is leaking, an old, cheap trick, is to get a bag of sawdust, tie it on the bow, with a small hole in the bag, so that a trickle of sawdust falls into the water and providing the tide is flowing from bow to stern, the sawdust will get sucked into the leaking parts and seal them in a couple of days.

 

[supermalc]

Scrape all the bottom and leave to dry overnight (or in your garage). Get a gallon (or two) of black bitumin. Paint a thick coat of bitumin, then mix some filler from very fine sawdust and bitumin. Paste and poke it in all the joins. In another hour or so if it is a drying day, paint another coat of bitumin.

I watched someone do this to a 26ft motor sailer last year. A few of the planks were worn to about 1/3 thickness.

I used this method to repair a small hole at the bottom of the boards at the front recently. I went through a bit of ice, not knowing how much was being thrown up in the bow wave.

I've covered with Marine ply now, as an extra precaution, just in case I hit a branch, or something else in the river. But was amazed at just how this mix was as good as the original wood.

My boat..... http://community.webshots.com/album/149288759WsJRWV

 

[graham]

I once cured the leaks on a clinker dinghy with black bitumen type paint from a DIY store .I think its meant for flat roofs .

 

[oldharry]

If it has been out of water for an extended time and allowed to dry out too much the clenches will have been stretched, a and no amount of 'taking up' will cure the problem.

A quick solution for an old clinker hull is to tar it with bituminous paint, known to the trade as 'black-jack' working it well into the seams.

To do a less messy and longer -lasting job (but taking much longer, pin lengths of quadrant (quarter round hardwood dowel) bedded on sealant over each plank joint. For a neat finish use quadrant that is the same thickness as the planking.

This will give the hull quite a few more years leak free (ish!) life, if the timber is basically sound.

 

[Cobra25]

Use a bar of soap like the old guys used to on the Portland beach boats.

 

[joeirish]

Thanks for al the replies. I forgot to mention that she had not fully taken up even after 6 weeks in the water last year. I assume that she really needs re-clenching but she is not worth the time and cost of doing that. I'll try the bitumen of gutter sealant and see what happens.