Hull leaks

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Frank mellin

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Have just purchased a very nice folkboat but it has issues with leaks in hull.
Basically boat has been out of water over winter and was repainted in spring before going back in water earlier tbis year.
Timber looks to be very sound as inside of boat is not lined and therefore all timber can be seen.
Apparently last year the boat was totally watertight so obviously the problem stems from being out of water over winter.
I have a theory that the boat would have dried out whilst out of water and that if not recaulked before painting would have gone back in water in same condition.
The paintwork was applied very well so maybe that would have sealed and prevented the timbers from re tightening when back in water.?
Whatever the reason it has to come out of water again and I reckon to strip back to bare timber ,recaulk and then repaint again.
Can anyone advise best way and best materials to use.
Is there such a thing as a permeable paint that can be used to allow the hull to breath after painting to allow the timbers to reseal once in tne water.
The lines of the boat are beautiful and i want to restore it to its former glory,!
Any helpful advice appreciated
 
It's quite usual for a wooden boat to leak after a period out of the water - as you suggest, the wood dries and shrinks. The wood will expand and "take up", and the leaks will slowly cease over the first week or so once she's in the water. If any leak continues after a week or two, that will need further investigation, but what you report is absolutely normal.
 
Ah; I'm an 'expert' at having a dried out Folkboat trying to sink herself after a period out of the water!
My boat went back into the water a year ago, and 'just' stayed afloat with both pumps running for the 1st couple of days. Prior to launching I'd sealed any obvious gaps, but was still shocked at the amount of water coming in. Over time she took up quite well, and I've addressed the remaining leaks in a logical order of which one annoyed me the most and was most easily accessible. She now takes on about a litre a week, which I'll sort out this coming winter.
I used CT1, which is a fantastic flexible sealant, that bonds underwater. The flow from the leaks was so bad that I was forced to put her against a wall to 'caulk' from the inside once the tide was out, in order to stem the flow.
My logic was believing that the wood would take up to how it previously had been, and that nothing had been removed from the hull itself, so just to allow the boat to 'heal itself'.
Mine's carvel, mahogany on oak.
Kukri has made me grin; "look carefully to see where the water is coming from"! On mine, it leaked in an arterial manner!
On the subject of a permeable paint, I've not a clue I'm afraid, and have heard of stories of people epoxying the hull, which will seal in the water and kill the boat with rot.
 
If its carvel is it an East German type (ie narrow planks )or normal wide boards with cotton caulking........ the reason I ask is the East German type is nailed and glued without any caulking . If the glue line cracked it will never be 100% water tight .
 
Thanks guys for all your replies.should have said is clinker built.
Has been in water for couple of months so should have had time to seal.
Sailed it from lowestoft back to ipswich yesterday but had someone on the large manual bilge pump for a lot of the time which on a 12 hr journey was no mean feat!
Will be taking it out of water tomorrow to sort.
Even with its problem it handled very well with all sails and spinnaker up for most of journey.
Am looking forward to bringing back to a really lovely looking classic boat that it was.
Has anyone fitted an electric motor to one of these boats,the two stroke outboard that came with it is noisy.
It originally had an inboard engine so already has prop and propeller fitted.
Again really appreciate your comments
 
As a wooden Folkboat owner, comments of "Gosh, that's pretty. Must take a bit of work?" become a regular part of life. They're fabulous aren't they.
To get the cockpit floor up to view the stuffing box and engine space, is a pain on STAKKR, but might be worthwhile for you whilst she's still in the water, to view that area specifically.
I've not heard of an electric option being fitted, and would be tempted by an inboard for ease of use, but that depends very much on your area, and the type of sailing that you do of course. I was in a similar position, and have fitted a 10hp inboard, still keeping my Honda 2.3hp on the back though. Having the Honda in the marina with its 360° rotation to use as a thruster, really helps in tight situations, as well as being a useful backup for the area. I believe that the Honda is by far the more useful of the 2, and have been around the North of Scotland, and Shetlands/Pentland/Outer Hebrides with only the outboard working. I've extended mine to being an 'ultra long shaft' to prevent cavitation, and am happy with it, albeit cruising the Pentland Firth with just 2.3hp wouldn't look too clever on a risk assessment or incident report!
There's a book by Thomas Larsson which was/is invaluable for me, and might be of some use to you also. Folkboats are frequently mentioned as 'the' standard.
Have you any photo's to post, they're always valuable, and (of course), what's your time frame? Is she coming out of the water until spring, which isn't an unreasonable amount of time in the real world. STAKKR was out for a couple of years up until last year, which I hope to never repeat. I'm planning to have her in the slings over a weekend close to Xmas to repack the stuffing box and anti-foul, but that'll be the longest time that I'd be happy for her to not deteriorate/dry.
Keep in touch, and remember that it's the Folkboat that all others are judged against. In every marina, there are the modern 35' AWB with TV's, microwaves, heated bog seats and so on. People will walk past those boats to look at a 'proper boat', and will be jealous. Nobody leaves a marina recalling a white plastic 'boat' with some blue bits on it, but a wooden Folkboat done with care.....
 
Ahoy there Capt DH as the inboard as been removed might suggest that you check out rhe Inboard area , like the Shaft (if still fitted) and the water seals in that area including any cooling Input /Output for a good seal etc ;

Might add that if your Beautiful Craft has or is still taking in water , be mindfull that its good practice to load your Craft up so that it sits lower in the water so that the planks just above the natural waterline 'take up' as well ; its quite normal for a Clincher built to leak when sailing recently after drying out , due to them planks that were above the water line leaking badly

Also beware of treating the Hull exterior with any paints /varnish that will resist the planking 'taking up' when in the water , its a natural occurance drying out , especially if the craft has been laid up ashore for a while with its hatches wide open , to dry it out , from the inside ; Clincher built will not appreciate that drying out method , at all

Might suggest that using a SOFT caulking method to cure the major leaks is usually ok , thas if the Soft Caulking will stay soft so allow the planking to expand into its proper shape

Might also add , please try not to let the Craft dry out again , it not a good practice by any means
 
Some good comments above. A Folkboat doesn’t have the displacement to carry batteries for an electric inboard. You don’t really need anything more than a small outboard or even a sweep.

Popeye is quite right about the strakes above the waterline.

DON’T put any caulking in clinker seams apart from soap and the proprietary compound made for clinker seams called, iirc, “Slickseam”, which is made to squeeze out as the planks take up.
 
Clinker built shouldn’t have any caulking. The lands of the planking should ensure that the plank fit is tight. As suggested above it may be that planks above the waterline haven’t taken up and when you are heeled then they leak. In which case do some more heeled sailing. Otherwise Ii it is possible bail it dry and then see if you can find the leaks. Putting down blue paper helps to highlight a leak. You don’t say how the planks are fitted. If copper nailed/roved then any leaking can be retightened (assuming access!).
 
Capt Popeye said:
its quite normal for a Clincher built to leak when sailing recently after drying out , due to them planks that were above the water line leaking badly
Click to expand...
Hacker said:
Clinker built shouldn’t have any caulking. The lands of the planking should ensure that the plank fit is tight. As suggested above it may be that planks above the waterline haven’t taken up and when you are heeled then they leak
Click to expand...
For a few years I had the good fortune as part of my job to sail a 100 year old plus clinker built Orkney Yole. The yoles had been the work boat of the farmer/fishermen around the islands. I only sailed for a couple of hours at a time taking school pupils sailing. The yole spent the winters on a pier, was painted, then the summers afloat. She was fairly dry when left on the mooring but going to windward, pressed by the large mainsail, the the lee planking created an impressive version of a water wall.
 
I spent a lot of my boatbuilding career fixing or rebuilding clinker boats. They are never caulked but rely on a good fit between the planks. Caulking them wedges the planks apart & makes the problem worse.
Hardening up existing fastenings can work if the boat isnt that old but rarely works on an old one as the nails tend to go loose in the hole & will buckle when you harden them up. Its better to replace them & refasten properly.
It is permissible to put a non hardening mastic in the seams & for years my go to goop was Evomastic a cheap oil based sealant that never hardened , it was the best stuff for old clinker boats & would squeeze out when they swelled up.
It is now known as evostick frame mastic sealant.
 
Keith 66 said:
I spent a lot of my boatbuilding career fixing or rebuilding clinker boats. They are never caulked but rely on a good fit between the planks. Caulking them wedges the planks apart & makes the problem worse.
Hardening up existing fastenings can work if the boat isnt that old but rarely works on an old one as the nails tend to go loose in the hole & will buckle when you harden them up. Its better to replace them & refasten properly.
It is permissible to put a non hardening mastic in the seams & for years my go to goop was Evomastic a cheap oil based sealant that never hardened , it was the best stuff for old clinker boats & would squeeze out when they swelled up.
It is now known as evostick frame mastic sealant.
Click to expand...

Good advice. I have got through quite a lot of Evomastic in my time. ? I didn’t know that the frame sealant is the same stuff. Thanks.
 
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