How to fix leaks in a wooden boat. Cruising Dinghy Basics Episode 7

How to fix leaks in a wooden boat. Cruising Dinghy Basics Episode 7
There are many places water can leak into a wooden boat. In this video, I look at the repairs I made to fix leaks in Moonlight, a clinker dinghy built 40 years ago from Huon Pine. In most cases, the same principles apply to wooden boat repairs on plywood boats.
One likely spot for leakage is around the centre case. This takes a lot of loads, and flexing can cause problems here. The way the centre case is bedded into the keelson means removing it can be a big job, so if you need a quick fix, consider using a spatula inside the base of the centre case to apply a generous amount of polyurethane sealant.
If your boat has a propellor shaft, the stern gland can be a source of leaks. An extra stuffing box on the inside helps, but they only work if properly packed and tightened just the right amount.
The garboard seam in older boats is packed with caulking cotton and then filled with butyl mastic compound or ever tar. Modern polyurethane sealants, though not for the purist, out-perform mastic, and create a paintable and permanent watertight seam.
The “lands” below the waterline can develop hairline cracks. Again, without overdoing it, a bead of polyurethane sealant followed by a coat of good quality enamel paint provided Moonlight with a semi-permanent fix.
#woodenboat #woodenboatrepairs #howto
Find more ideas and information for wooden boat owners, builders and designers at www.woodenboat.com/
The videos I create here are possible because of the work I do in my day job as Wood Underfoot. If you are interested in Having your wooden floor restored or a new overlay floor installed you can find plenty of tips, testimonials and examples of my work at woodunderfoot.com
Follow Christopher sailing trailer boats, wooden boat projects, fibreglass boat restoration projects on Facebook: / sailingmoonlight
We have a healthy and growing community conversation about all things sailing, and you are welcome to join us on Sailing Beat / sailingbeat
Follow Sailing Moonlight on Instagram / sailing_moonlight_dinghy
Get Updates on Twitter: / dinghymoonlight
Christopher is staying fit, mentally sharp and extending his life on Superfood Sea vegetables. Convenient healthy grub for authentic sailors crammed full of zing. If you use my personal coupon code CHRIS you will get a 10% discount. seaweed.ph/ref/1/
These videos are made possible by people like you. If you would like to get early access to videos and behind the scenes insights, consider supporting the channel via my Patreon link:
/ sailingmoonlight
Discover how I can help you realize your dreams and attain complete freedom through life coaching. I am available as your mentor regardless of where you live, on land or sea.
businesspilot.com.au
www.linkedin.com/in/christophersly
There are some affiliate links on this page that give us a small commission. All our music is licensed from Artlist artlist.io/Christopher-1171683 unless otherwise noted.
Predict Wind is an app I use and highly value. See just how helpful it is for sailors like you and me. Go to www.predictwind.com/?ref=chri...
Copyright 2021 Vinsek Pty Ltd

[@daleskidmore1685]

Hi Chris. Great commentary on how and why clinker, or any wooden boat will leak. Some years ago a Bronze age boat was discovered in my home town of Dover, here in the UK, made from hewn sections of oak trees, stitched together with lashings and caulked with moss. It really is a beautiful piece of work. A documentary was made for tv where a group of top historians made a replica using the tools and methods of the time. Unfortunately, it being tv, there was a deadline imposed on a launch date. Imagine the scene: the builders on the quayside watch the finished just in time replica lifting off the dock and being put into the water and taking up as quickly as the crane lowered it in much to every ones surprise. The conclusion drawn in the film was that the boat was a failure and none of the "experts" disabused the producers of this finding.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

That’s a great story worth telling Dale. The Nords developed some brilliant technology. I’m sure if they had sikkaex they would have discovered Australia.

[@daleskidmore1685]

@@SmallSailboatCruising Maybe they only discovered Sikaflex when they got to Australia.....

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

@@daleskidmore1685 They could have just popped over to Switzerland to buy some.

[@cdennisb]

An excellent tutorial! My dinghy is screwed and glued, but many of your comments still apply. Thanks for sharing.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

No matter what the mechanical and chemical methods used in construction they still let go in the same places. Such are the incredible forces at play when wood expands and contracts.

[@user-rr3po3hb4v]

Menarik perahu anda. And anda memiliki tangan yang terampil. Sehingga menghasilkan perahu yang bagus.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Thanks

[@afloatinawoodenboat]

Brilliant! Thanks so much for the lesson :)

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I’ve been enjoying your series too.

[@davidharlem6824]

Really interesting! Yes, Sikaflex is very effective and I now see why fibreglass and timber don’t mix in certain applications. Thank you.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

If there is ever going to be a problem with rot it will be where timber or ply is encapsulated. Soft decks in fibreglass boats are typical of the problem.

[@Rustycarr59]

We had westerly facing panel garage door. I bought pack of earthwool insulation, thinest r value 1.5 . I cut squares , with just scissors, about 50mm bigger than the panel . Just poke it in. It's under compression and doest fall out when the door up. 100% effective. . It doesnt add any significant weight to the opener. I never adjusted the springs and I used the door everyday for 12 months. The springs can be tightened to compensate for age. The are KZbin vids, easy

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

That's a great idea. We had the same westerly aspect in Qld until quite recently. It can get up to 50 degrees in there without insulation. Now we are back in Tasmania, we don't even have a garage door! Not yet anyway.

[@michaelsimpson9779]

Thanks for this. Very well done. There's some foil based insulation, some, similar to bubble wrap, some soft foam, that you could clip or adhere to the interior of that panel lift door to dramatically reduce the heat in the garage. Might be worth a look.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Good idea.

[@cooperhunsberger8141]

love it

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Thanks Coop

[@stevewolf7205]

I enjoyed that one Chris im sure new wooden owners would to maybe one rigging your dinhy would be good to cheers 👍

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I will take that onboard. I’m thinking of getting rid of the wires. Hempex would be plenty strong enough.

[@damoog5985]

Great video, thanks! Given that you only use oil/turps based coatings, are you able to saturate the timber with linseed/turps mix beforehand? I'd be interested in your thoughts on this. Thanks for sharing!

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Huon pine is saturated in natural beautiful aromatic oils. Nothing else would penetrate. However some species are very porous and might benefit from linseed perhaps. I think it would cause adhesion issues. I’m thinking something like a tung oil might buff up nicely but I’ve had no experience of this. Every boat is different. Thanks for the comment.

[@Antipodean33]

Have you seen the little boat similar to yours for sale in WA for $1000? Supposedly a ex fishing boat 16 foot built in 1906. It has some documented history as in photo in a book. She's on a trailer as well and looks really good. Has some planks leaking but it looks like a beauty. I'm in SA and I'm tempted but by the time I factor in bringing it back the costs mount. That said I still think it may be worth it

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

As long as there is no rot requiring major work it is a good size

[@alvessail4718]

Hello. Congrats on your channel. Can you share information on your engine?. Many thanks

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Pleased to. Just search the content on how to install. There are a couple of videos there in a playlist

[@user-rr3po3hb4v]

Saya dari negara Indonesia.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I see. Greetings

[@johnsmall9729]

Thank you so much for clarifying this issue of sealing planks under the water line in clinker built boats. I am busy refurbishing a ca 70 year old clinker built sailboat for our local coastal heritage association.She's 17 ft, scots pine on oak. Having got the paint off the hull, I see a few planks need replacing, but notice many of them have been sealed with some kind of flexible sealant, which has mostly come loose. Planning on using a polyester sealant with adhesive properties under the waterline, such as 3M 5200. Any comments on this solution?

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

I agree there are some very good hi-tech sealants. I have used soudal.com.au/multibond/smx35/ on garboard seams on a clinker dinghy. I had experimented with a range of different sealants on tongue and groove timber floors and found that capacity to stretch varies quite a lot.

[@johnsmall9729]

@@SmallSailboatCruising Thanks for responding Chris. Soudal smx35 is not available here (Norway); Soudal here however has a product Fix ALL Flexi, which from the product Data Sheet is identical to smx35. Cheers, John

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

@@johnsmall9729 My trade is timber flooring. Many issues result from sheeting and edge bonding since the introduction of strong polyurethane. People often don’t Like the cracks and want them filled. I’ve tried a lot of things and none have proven the ability to expand and compress so I tell people to live with the cracks that are there for a reason. With boats that is not an option. The soudal product is the best performing one I found. But beware they do make less capable products as well. There is a lot to be said for butyl mastic rubber painted over with turps based paint. I’m not familiar with the physical properties of your timber. A Lot will depend on that. Is the boat kept on the water or in a shed? I imagine you will have plenty of snow by now in beautiful Norway. We are in the 30’s and high humidity which has its own challenges for wooden boat builders. Kindly Chris

[@johnsmall9729]

@@SmallSailboatCruising I am in Telemark, south east Norway. Sailing season here is April/May thru September, with sea temperature ca 5 - 20 C. The boat will be kept on the water during that period. Rest of the year it will be in an unheated shed, air temperature down to ca minus 10. That's where we are at now, with a few inches snow. Thanks for pointing out reservations on sealing products. When I come to do that job, I will also canvas the locals for suggestions. Today I will get a hand turning the boat (it weighs 140kg), so I can scrape the inside and assess the frames. Cheers, John

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

@@johnsmall9729 temperature humidity species construction method all impact on what would work best for you. I’m thinking you guys invented lapstrake so I’m sure you’ll find the right solution. Too hot to work outside here again today😅

[@dwightmarshallphoto]

Do you keep it in saltwater during the season you use it?

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Hi Dwight. It is kept in a trailer out of the water between uses. Stored inside. The timber it is built from is extremely stable. Regards Chris

[@chrispeters4405]

wood moves and fg doesnt, ive been told that. something to think about

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

You are right about that. It’s all to do with moisture. Wood is like sponge. Fibreglass is like glass.

[@rogerc4196]

There's a lot of good traditions from wooden boats to keep; hot tar might not be one of them.

[@SmallSailboatCruising]

Yes I would have to agree. Although Sampson Boat Co (Tallyho restoration) just poured a bunch of it into the bilge.