New to this forum - your views on wooden boats.

[PaulRainbow]

Not too different from what many people do with similar age (and newer!) GRP boats in terms of for example removing antifoul back to GRP or dealing with rust on an iron keel or replacing aging teak on decks or in the cockpit.

But you could have to do all of those on a wooden boat too.

agree paying somebody to strip and repaint the topsides would be expensive, but DIY is not difficult.

That's the bit you'd never have to do with a GRP boat.

My point was though, saying "virtually maintenance free" and "Twice now since owning her I've had her stripped back to bare wood and repainted" seems something of a contradiction.

A compound and polish of GRP topsides doesn't compare.

What is costly in time and money is getting a neglected wooden boat up to scratch but if you start with a sound boat on going maintenance with modern materials and techniques is not as demanding as you might think.

I have customers with wooden motorboats and they all spend a significant amount of money annually on maintenance. Some of which is due to the age of the boats.

 

[Tranona]

I am only speaking from my experience. All old boats need work, but many people don't do it on GRP boats because the consequence are not so obvious hence the number of rundown boats you see.

Once every 10 years for a strip and repaint of a sound boat like that is nowhere near as onerous as you imply provided you are geared up for it.

The point I am making is that overall the fact that a boat is wood and in sound condition does not need the amount of additional work that some think.

 

[pawl]

Raised in the time when wood was the only material used in building a boat and glassfibre was new fangled, regarded with suspicion and derision and probably a here today and gone tomorrow material.
First experience of boats was with Dads ex ships lifeboat, a clinker built hull and a cabin grafted on by a " shipwright" used for family holidays.
My Saturday job was applying a mixture of linseed oil and white spirit to the spars and masts being made in the shipwrights workshop.
Remember a metal pipe outside workshop which would have a fire lit under it (using wood off cuts)and left over night to be able to bend new pieces of wood to fit hulls.

There followed a sucession of small wooden work boats usually about halfway through their working lives, all double diagonal and all worked to death before being sold on before they sank.
A constant battle to maintain the hull and superstructure (especially where the two meet) , but lots of folk around who could do this work ie fitting new wood and caulking, at sensible money.
Later boats were steel, this just rusted, but again lotsa folks able to double up for sensible money.

Do you have a signicant other who will be enjoying your prospective purchase, well remember going to look at a example of lots of work and much diligent preservation of a largish gentlemans launch on the Thames.
Wife got on , had quick polite look round and wandered back to the brokers office.
On the way back home she said that the smell of damp and deisel marinated in the interior of the boat was enough to ensure a prompt end to the viewing.


It might be purely time and coat of vanish at regular intervals for a while, at some point the boat will need work , who is going to do it and are your pockets deep enough.
With a classic car you can put up with its amusing shortcomings and simply enjoy using it but pop it back in a " free " warm and dry garage when not in use .
Presumably you will want to spend time away on the boat in the summer, however it will be out there exposed to the elements during winter .


The choice might depend on wether you like owning a piece of boating history or going boating. ?

hi, some good, interesting points, actually my wife doesn't like boats and even if she does grace it with her presence we wouldn't be allowed to leave the pontoon! However, the question of who would undertake any major repairs and at what cost does concern me a bit.

 

[oldgit]

However, the question of who would undertake any major repairs and at what cost does concern me a bit.

It may well depend on where you intend keeping the boat.
On our annual visit to the Thames , boatyards with some beautiful old wooden craft moored outside, some undergoing what appears to complete keel up restorations, appear quite frequently along the river bank. Think there is one specialist that only deals with slipper launches.
Looking at the number of craft moored outside, which sometimes requires a minor course adjustment to get past , suspect all have considerable waiting lists ( years not months ? ) and able to charge accordingly.

 

[PaulRainbow]

hi, some good, interesting points, actually my wife doesn't like boats and even if she does grace it with her presence we wouldn't be allowed to leave the pontoon! However, the question of who would undertake any major repairs and at what cost does concern me a bit.

Would be interesting to hear how much the strip back to bare wood and repaint for @joeirish2 cost