flexible filler for folkboat hull?

[Niander]

Hi i have a small gap to fill only about 1 or 2 mill wide about a metre long on the hull below water line
then it will be antifouled so is there a flexable filler that will do the job?....this boat drys out quite a lot but floats on the highest tides so gets wet quite often.
carvel hull.

 

[youngwrinkley]

Try Sealastic - then put wet towels (salt water) on the inside against the offending seam to swell out the planking before launch.

 

[nmiller]

Is she in sea water, and do you expect the gap to close as she gets wet? If the gap is likely to close Sealastic may cause the split to get longer as the Sealastic holds the crack apart. A traditional solution was to trowel household soap into the crack. It will not dissolve in sea water and is just soft enough to squeeze right out if the crack closes up.

 

[youngwrinkley]

Sealsatic works fine. It forms a thin skin where exposed to the atmosphere (seals) this can be painted over with primer and then antifouled and remains exceedingly sticky (elastic) where not exposed. You will find that it squeezes out a treat over the following weeks / months as your planking swells.
The old salts used to use red lead putty below the waterline - linseed oil putty loaded with red lead powder - and white lead putty above the waterline.

see this : - http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1753560/an/0/page/2

You can buy red lead from Classic Marine : -

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/fasteners.pdf

 

[ValleyForge]

Sealastic worked for me in a similar situation (carvel, mild seam gaps u/w, primocon then a/f). Great for bedding fittings etc. too. Much better than silicon stuff.

Still got 1/2 a tube, must be 30 years old & still works fine for those odd jobs. Can you still buy the stuff though ?

Gonna get afloat soon up there Niander ?

 

[Niander]

Had a look today and the gaps closed up.
tis high tides at the mo so geuss she got wet enough!
was gunna put some soap in it...lol
ive got some ribs to repair by laminateing what woods ok ....6 mill strips?
oak good?

Gonna get afloat soon up there Niander ?

might potter around under seagull 102 power...

the hole for bottom of rudder in iron keel is worn/elongated not sure of best way of dealing with this....any ideas?