First season with wooden boat

[m1taylor]

Having been out of the water for two years my 17ft yacht finally went in at the beginning of last week. It took up relatively little water - about two and a half bucket fulls. I am used to a dirty old GRP boat from the 70's that was dry for its age and had a self-draining cockpit. This boat obviously doesn't self drain, but does have a cover to nearly all but driving rain out. But due to being clinker and ribs, it is abit of nightmare getting it 100% dry - how important is that? Does abit of water sloshing on the bottom beneath the floorboards matter? Should I chuck some salt down to keep it saline rather than fresh in case some rain water does get under the cover?

 

[ccscott49]

Keep it as dry as possible, pump when ness. Keep the bilges clean and well painted, that will suffice. I have seen people put salt in the boat, but why? wood will rot, with the correct moisture level of sea water or fresh. Wood underwater in salt or fresh water, will not "rot" but in the splash zone will, as the moisture content is correct for rot spores to breed, dry wood or soaked wood will not, the spores cannot survive.

 

[Casey]

I have alwasy had some seepage of water into my boat hence the float switch and electric bilge pump. It would appear that all wooden boats, and certainly clinker built ones, have the same feature and has to be controlled rather than cured.

 

[LittleShip]

Oi! not all wooden boats leak.............. mine has dusty bilges, no water at all.

"Touch Wood" and there is plenty around!

Tom

 

[Casey]

Then she is not a real boat - Clinker Built!!!

 

[gary3029]

mine is clinker hull and bone dry...perhaps I am just lucky!!

 

[Casey]

How long do you have her out of the water?

 

[gary3029]

had her out for 5 months this time...had some work to do on her

 

[Seagreen]

A bit of water causes no harm at all. I'd sprinkle some salt about the bilge evry so often, especially if you keep her floating in fresh water. Depends what you can tolerate. In a 17' boat, a few pints would be all I'd leave.