gel-coating a wooden boat

[Coomkeen]

Oh my God.
Not.... Can't bear to think about it....
Not..... WEED!
Ahrrrggg...

Remember, don't spoil the ship for a ha'pth of tar.

 

[Niander]

Yea just Smoke iT...

 

[Seagreen]

Easy! We were all beginners once upon a time.

 

[jguzowski]

Greetings boat masters! Now, I know I'll get a lot of groans in saying I'm a beginner, but I hope for some understanding.

I've "begun" with MSY FAUNE, a John Bain design, built by Silvers in 1929. She is in very, very good shape considering her age - strong teak carvel hull, oak ribs and iroko decks. She is in Malta and I've just put her up for re-caulking as the last time was about 13 years ago and she was taking on about 10 galons/day (is that a "yikes"!?).

I've just read all your advice on re-caulking and I'm glad as I was ready to apply epoxy to stop the leaking once and for all. I assume that this is a naucious and perhaps even inane idea.

When I pulled her up, I found she was leaking from a 2-foot wide seam where the hull meets the beam about midships. I am now sanding and pulling out all the caulking and cleaning the seams. Is this the right procedure? Afterwards, I assume the best option is to re-caulk using traditional methods, then antifouling.

Am I missing something? Many thanks for any advice!

Some photos at www.global.net.mt/sylvan

For those interested, I can email photos of the hull as she stands now on dry.

 

[ADLS]

Don't do it.
my wooden boat was encased in ferrocrete this had been gradualy been removed by previouse owners and when I bought her she was down to the waterline, with the joint sealed with mastic. Flexing of the hull soon broke the seal resulting in foul black water in the bilges that stank the boat out. All of the ferrocrete has now been removed, a few planks replaced and the boat smells a lot sweater for it. seams do open up above the waterline and there filled with a flexable mastic and painted over. Not a perfect repair but it does keep the horrible fresh water stuff out.