Wood Boat Maintenance!

[Zagato]

I am considering different types of boats to buy at the moment and some are 1960's Folk Boats made of wood.

I have heard the grumbles about wood but how much work is really involved and what has to be done for routine maintenance. Also what should I look out for?

Thanks Chris

 

[pvb]

A friend of mine has owned 2 wooden boats, over a period of about 15 years. For most of those years, he's been repairing or rebuilding them. He certainly hasn't spent much time out on the water. You'll probably get lots of wooden boat fans saying they're great, but the reality is that GRP is much easier to care for.

 

[Tranona]

I am considering different types of boats to buy at the moment and some are 1960's Folk Boats made of wood.

I have heard the grumbles about wood but how much work is really involved and what has to be done for routine maintenance. Also what should I look out for?

Thanks Chris

I think if you have to ask the question, you should not consider a wooden boat.

There are many different varieties of folkboats - some very well built and some not. There are specific weak points inherent in the design such as cracked ribs, but here can be many other failings individual to the boat.

On the other hand if a well built wooden boat has been well maintained, ongoing maintenance can be manageable. However, if it has been let go it can be difficult to get back to scratch. I have had my wooden boat (not a folkboat) for 30 years and over time it is little more demanding than a GRP boat - but you can't leave anything undone for long.

Owning a wooden boat is a way of life in which actual sailing is onlly a small part. If you are interested in maximising sailing time there are plenty of robust GRP boats around to do the job.

 

[Timbow]

I have a 50s folkboat, one of the East German ones that I bought for very little last year. So far the jobs which have needed doing have been fairly few and easily done. The great thing is that since it's wood you know you can repair it. I fitted a new fore hatch, I have been repairing and replacing cockpit locker lids; I currently have a broken boom but what the heck, take it home to the shed and mend it.

The previous owner had done a fair bit of work, but at the prices these boats go for there isn't any reason to buy one which isn't sound and in good order. she leaked a lot when launched but quickly took up and hardly needs pumping out now, unless she has been knocked about at sea - you wouldn't want to put her on a mooring and forget about her for too long though. A coat of paint and she looks brand new, much finer than a scruffy old GRP boat does.

If you have an affinity for wood and have some competence with tools then the maintenance need not be demanding and can even be a pleasure. And a folkboat - what boats they are! I thought there was something wrong with the log when I saw what speed she did in a breeze.

Tim w

 

[Bobobolinsky]

I had some unfortunate experiences with wooden boats early in my sailing career and actually put it down to inexperience rather than the problems of the boats themselves.
I have grp, steel and wooden boats and I put them in order of steel, wood, grp for ease of repair. For maintenance, I put them grp, wood, steel. This is probably because I have access to welding, cutting and blasting equipment. Plywood and carvel construction are easy to repair and with plywood, modern structural adhesives, have made it a dream. Repairs can be carried out so much quicker. Despite the nay sayers GRP has it's own list of faults, which are unique to the material, and some are design faults because it is a relatively new material. Ply, except for cold moulded ply (and I'm not going there), can be easily repaired with a new sheet of ply and some epoxy, so unless you are a complete tyro, why be put off by wood.

 

[Lakesailor]

About 5 years ago I looked at a Folkboat locally that was stripped ready for caulking. Actually it had been caulked but not very well. There was still a lot of ribs broken (about 12 I think) and the coachroof was soft in a forward corner, which probably means almost complete replacement as a cursory inspection usually grows to epic proportions when you start stripping back.
At £900 I wasn't interested.
It's still in very much the same condition. I see it now and then. It's never seen the water since.

 

[Zagato]

Well I have recently researched 20-30 foot sensible family boats but they don't do anything for me at all - some are like floating caravans with absolutely no charm or class! Yes I am a snob when it comes to cars and boats, design, and form are over function to me.

Luckily the Folk Boat certainly does have all three - who cares about head room, it's just not the point. It's like comparing a proper classic old Morgan to a modern one which maybe more practical but just looks so wrong with modern switchgear and high backs seats You either understand or you don't,

The only grp boats that really excite me with a 10K budget are the Folk Boat and the Contessa 26 but perhaps the Sadler 25 bilge keel is more practical for me. I will start at the top with the most desirable wood type build and work down to GRP long keel then GRP and bilge keel if I have to, sniff.

I love to work on old cars, engines etc so the time spent on maintaining or restoring a wooden boat would not put me off but the cost of paying for more complex wood building skills might be a dampener on the whole thing.

My search started with wood Folk Boats but after initially talking to a Folk Boat builder he said that for 5K you get a load of rotting rubbish and would need to spend 10K + getting it all sorted. This is what put me off and set me on the GRP route BUT I am back on track I am sure for 10K and doing some of the work yourself you could get a nice example.

Does anyone know what you get for between 5-10K in wooden boats. You never know I might even be able to find a beautiful looking 25 footer with a lifting keel

 

[Stemar]

A good wooden boat in perfect condition will still need a lot of maintenance over and above the work needed to keep a plastic one in good nick, and a minor job put off for a few months will become a major job. The people I've known with wooden boats seem to spend time fettling them every weekend, even if it's only touching up the varnish.

IMHO, the only sensible decision is to get a plastic boat and go sailing. Owning any boat isn't a sensible thing to do; owning a wooden boat as a rational decision rates alongside deciding to climb Everest with no training and no oxygen. BUT, if that's what your heart's telling you to do, you're going to do it anyway - you've no real choice. One of the triggers to buying Jissel when I really couldn't afford to was reading somewhere that we don't simply fail to carry out out some kinds of dream, we deliberately kill them and, when we do, something in us dies too.

Be sensible? Or follow your dream? Is it that kind of dream? Only you can decide.

 

[Timbow]

Us men can be a bit too rational and sensible sometimes. I saw a good few plastic boats (knowing it was the sensible material) before I realised that I just didn't want one. You need to buy a boat that you like, love and trust. It isn't all about technical suitability and value for money. If you are going to look after her and expect her to look after you then you had better find her pretty, like her character, be proud to be seen out with her and know that she is made of a stuff you believe in.

£5-10k gives you plenty of money for a fine old 25 footer; there isn't that much demand for boats of that size these days, but spend the time looking and buy wisely. I know because I am doing ultra low budget wooden yachting myself.

My best tip (enen though you haven't asked) is get a good road trailer for her and bring her close to home in the winter for maintenance and storage.You will save hours and hours by not driving any distance, keep your family happy by being close to home and save hundreds of pounds in storage and mooring fees. You can nip out after work, apply another coat of anti-foul and be home for supper. Your loved ones can see what you are doing. You can still cut the grass at the weekend. All these things will make for an easy life.

Good luck

Tim w

 

[Tranona]

The problem with buying old wooden boats is that they are so hugely variable in condition. You can get really good 25 footers for well under £10k, but you need to know what you are looking for. They will be a least 30 or 40 years old, had lots of owners and probably been through a couple of cycles of major work. Very few designs are built in large numbers so there is often little choice available. There are exceptions such as the folkboat, but these can be even more variable because of the different variations and builders.

If you like that style the Stella is probably the safest bet. It is still a very active class and most boats are kept in reasonable condition. A similar but "heavier" design is an SCOD - again often on the market in usable condition.

If you do like the style and see owning the boat as an all absorbing, multi activity project such a boat could be just the thing for you.

 

[Zagato]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Timbow, I have previously "logged" your name in my mind from your first post. I don't want to waste your time with sooooooo many questions until I am sure a folk boat will suit me - good to know your are about.

Thanks Tranona I have just done a quick search on Stella's WOW (and 2 for sale at 4.5K to 7.5K gives a nice cushion for ALL that maintenance ) and a previous Stella YBW.com thread came up also with the suggestion of a Cutlass 27 what ever that is, so will do more research this evening.

Thanks Chris

 

[KenMcCulloch]

..... after initially talking to a Folk Boat builder he said that for 5K you get a load of rotting rubbish and would need to spend 10K + getting it all sorted. D

Utter nonsense, frankly. I have owned a folkboat for four seasons and I probably spend the same amount of time each week during February, March and April keeping her up to scratch as I spend each week between May and October sailing her. There are plenty of good Folkboats to be had for £5000-7000 that won't need more than routine maintenance for many years. Mine sails like the proverbial witch and I have spent far more on new sails and electrical things than on hull repairs. Not so very different from my plastic-boat owning friends.