clinker out of water !!

[mat777]

Im about to launch my 14 ft clinker that has been out of the water for about 2 years ,I have planed a trip for this comeing weekend ! are there any clues as to what to expect ? I have been putting water in the builge and It has been leaking out over a few hours I have been doing this for 24hours !! is this a good idea to continue ?? thankyou in advance ( is there anything else I can do )
Matthew

 

[Mirelle]

Yes, good idea.

You can speed the process up a bit by old towels or similar in the bilges with one end in the pool of water.

Obviously, don't put a preposterous amount of water in, because she is not built to take the strains "inside out", but you can safely leave a good puddle a couple of incles deep in the bilges.

Try to lead the towels up the sides a bit or you will find her leaking like a bucket as soon as she heels once under way, although the bottom has taken up.

She will take up OK.

 

[dp45uk]

I think that humidity inside the boat is the answer ,put wet sacks or towels inside the boat & cover it up with polythene or tarpaulin.It may still sink convincingly and maybe take up to two weeks to take up so make sure that there is nothing inside that will spoil & try & arrange for it to be able to lay in the water semi submerged .If its tidal you will have to get all the water out at the end of every tide or it will likely burst open when the tide goes out. I had an old wooden Kestrel (mahog on oak) & I eventually learn't not to take it out every winter

David

 

[Lakesailor]

When they relaunch the row boats in Bowness Bay each year (traditional Char Fishing boats) they leak until they fill to the gunwhales. They have a Honda water pump and just drop the strum box into each boat in turn until they take up and stop leaking.
I met a guy who had brought his rebuilt (Arthur Ransome type) clinker dinghy (and I know, the original is 150 yards from me as I type) to Coniston for a fortnight's holiday. He's spent a long time rebuilding it out of the water and it was still taking up after 2 weeks.
It probably depends on how dry it's got. What thickness and type of wood it's made of and whether the fixings have slackened off during the drying out.

By the way, have you not read This Thread on the same forum?