Some questions from a novice

[m1taylor]

This is my first season with a clinker built wooden boat. So just some questions from a novice. It was out of the water for two seasons before it went in on about April 16th. It seems still to be taking up, but down to about one bucket of water in a week. Should it have stopped by now, or does this sound ok? It is on a drying mooring - I have heard that a wooden boat should stay in the water for as long as possible - normally I have gone for Oct-Mid April ashore - is it better to reduce this to say Nov-March? And presumably it is better to store wooden boats undercover? Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Casey]

I have had Kala Sona, a clinker built mahogany over oak 27ft 5ins vessel for six years and have wintered her ashore. This year I launched her and was using five pumps at first to keep the water level below the floorboards. Within three hours I could leave her to the mercies of the bilge pump with a float switch. Within a week she is taking in about a bucketful a week and I am satisfied with that. One year she leaked much more and a friendly shipwright said that it was possible a piece of grit in one of the lands and that she would take up which she eventually did.

I have always had to accept that she will take in some water but this year I am satisfied that she has taken up well.

The first time you sail her and lay her over you will find that she will leak until those lands have been thouroughly wetted and the seams, usually out of the water, have taken up.

Best of luck.

 

[Peterduck]

You can do a lot of good by pre-wetting the boat before you launch her in the spring. If it is an open dinghy that you have stored upside-down, lay wet sacks, felt, carpet etc over the boat for a couple of weeks before you take her for a swim. They must, of course, be kept wet. If it is a larger boat that must be stored upright, lay the sacks on the inside against the planking. Initially, the water that you pour onto the sacks will stream through the open seams, but these will slowly close under this very humid environment.
Peter.