Washboards

[Neil]

The time has come to replace them. However, since I'll have to buy a whole sheet of 9mm marine ply at €105, I was thinking of staining some exterior grade WBP birch ply at a third of the price, since it won't actually be immersed in water. Views?

 

[Dave-Shafa]

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=acrilic+washboards

 

[northwind]

Mine are made from Birch ply, been in use for 3 seasons now, painted with exterior gloss, they are fine, so long as you look after them;- birch ply is not very durable if left to the elements.

(fyi, I have skeg made from birch ply which has been epoxied, it spends 6months of the year immersed, 4 years on its still fine!)

 

[KAM]

I used interior teak veneered ply on my last boat (I think it was moisture resistant but certainly not WBP) they looked very smart. 3 laminations of the thin stuff. Kept well varnished they were 20 years old when I sold the boat. Just make sure the edges are well sealed.

 

[VicS]

The time has come to replace them. However, since I'll have to buy a whole sheet of 9mm marine ply at €105, I was thinking of staining some exterior grade WBP birch ply at a third of the price, since it won't actually be immersed in water. Views?

When I replaced my washboards and locker tops I went to a boat yard and bought only what I wanted.

 

[Neil]

When I replaced my washboards and locker tops I went to a boat yard and bought only what I wanted.

Not so easy in these here parts - the supplier claims he's the only company with genuine marine ply in the whole country, and he only sells whole sheets.

 

[Davegriff]

You could use a sheet of 5mm marine ply (should be cheaper) doubled up, or would 10mm be too thick?

 

[Daydream believer]

I would look for someone who can supply some polycarbonate. Allows light in when hatch shut
Alternatively get some 9mm Trespa.it is used in security entrance doors to tower blocks etc & can withstand a good drunken kicking

 

[Davegriff]

When I replaced my washboards and locker tops I went to a boat yard and bought only what I wanted.

Last time I tried to buy a half sheet of ply (Wickes IIRC) they wanted more for a half sheet than one whole!!

 

[Robert Wilson]

Made mine from off-cuts of 20mm solid oak flooring left over from flooring-out the house. SOLID, they
are, and will withstand a tsunami from over the stern!! a bit OTT, methinks, but they look great.

 

[ELAiNe333]

I would look for someone who can supply some polycarbonate. Allows light in when hatch shut
Alternatively get some 9mm Trespa.it is used in security entrance doors to tower blocks etc & can withstand a good drunken kicking

Great stuff Trespa, but have you felt the weight of it? Don't just chuck the washboards into the cabin the way you might with ply. It is also pretty challenging on tools, almost like metalworking.

 

[kengill]

Get some acrylic bits made up from your local marketing signs company. They'll probably make them up from offcuts anyway and they'll polish the edges as a routine process. They'll make them up to the template you supply and they'll never rot.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Why ply? Why not some solid hardwood? More expensive per sq in, no doubt, but you wouldn't need to make the only marine ply stockist even richer by buying an enormous amount of excess.

 

[PeteCooper]

Why ply? Why not some solid hardwood? More expensive per sq in, no doubt, but you wouldn't need to make the only marine ply stockist even richer by buying an enormous amount of excess.

On my brother's boat he had some washboards made up from some mahogany - they looked lovely. However in warmer weather - we do get some occasionally - they do tend to warp quite badly. They straighten up again when cooled. I've not seen that with ply.

 

[Neil]

Get some acrylic bits made up from your local marketing signs company. They'll probably make them up from offcuts anyway and they'll polish the edges as a routine process. They'll make them up to the template you supply and they'll never rot.

This is something I'll look into - had some signs made once, I'll go back and ask the chap.

 

[prv]

Why ply? Why not some solid hardwood?

Because jointing it together into something large enough for a washboard will be a bugger, especially if you don't have a router or a biscuit jointer. Then it will probably warp.

Pete

 

[TimBennet]

Just for completeness, it's also worth asking what 'sort' of washboards do you want?

If it's something to keep the wind and rain out and even let the light in, then 9mm ply or any of the 'plastics' are fine.

But if the boat is a 'offshore' cruiser and you are contemplating being out in bad weather, then washboards are an important component in the boat's watertight integrity. They must be capable of not only withstanding a considerable blow if pooped by a wave (especially if a crew member gets 'washed' against them), but must stay in place should the boat be knocked down, even if the companion way hatch is slightly open.

The standard design 'criteria' is they should be capable of resisting the efforts of a standard size man to kick them in from a standing position with a booted foot. To do this they should not be too wide, should be strong enough not to break, but most importantly, should be stiff enough not to bend and 'spring' out of the slots at the side.

Although plastics like lexan are probably strong enough not to break, they are not stiff enough unless very thick (and heavy). Half inch marine plywood (with thick face veneers) can be okay, but WBP ply often have very thin face veneers that if cut so the 'grain' looks pleasing running from side to side, actually then has the construction layers running up and down and the 'stiffness' is very low.

Solid wood washboards are much stronger and twice as stiff. It's also easy to rebate an overlap so as to be watertight in driving rain/spray.

Traditional boats used to have the perfect solution - a pair of doors with glass lights for convenient use in all normal circumstances, with washboards for use as 'storm shutters' to add when it got horrible. Many boats these days have washboards that have neither convenient in normal circumstances or secure in extremis.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Because jointing it together into something large enough for a washboard will be a bugger, especially if you don't have a router or a biscuit jointer. Then it will probably warp.

Pete

A year or two back I bought an 8" plank of beech (for internal use at home), but something similar or in another timber would happily make up a three piece washboard set, I'd think.

 

[coopec]

I was thinking of staining some exterior grade WBP birch ply at a third of the price, since it won't actually be immersed in water. Views?

I wouldn't think of using marine ply unless it was immersed in water. In Australia Exterior quality ply uses the same glue as marine ply but marine ply does not have knot holes as Ext Quality Ply may have. Maybe you could consider Form Ply as well which would be cheap.

 

[30boat]

Why ply? Why not some solid hardwood? More expensive per sq in, no doubt, but you wouldn't need to make the only marine ply stockist even richer by buying an enormous amount of excess.

I sailed in a boat that had three part solid teak boards.Iroko will do just as well and is much cheaper.