Traditional Copper Anti-Fouling

[anjou]

When I was in Sardinia I saw work being carried out on a boat next to ours in the yard. She had copper sheet on her hull and it was stripped off to reveal very soft oak.
Once it had dried out, the remainder of copper nails were pulled, the holes sealed, extra screws were driven in on every plank at every rib and the whole hull was painted with an epoxy. The widest gaps were caulked and it was left for weeks and then one day the guys turned up and started re covering with new copper sheet which was cut to the curvature of the waterline and nailed and sikaflexed in place.

I can only imagain the cost not only of the copper but also the labour.

[SkiprJohn]

My friend did his wood boat like that after repairing some worm and rot damage. Cost him about as much as two haulouts worth of bottom paint. He did all the work himself and it did last a long time.
regards,

[James S]

When I lived on Guam I watched a guy copper clad a Tahiti ketch.
In the end it looked great...but what a messy job to put it on.
If I remember correctly, he first coated the wood with hot bitumen, then nailed it on while the bitumen was still wet/hot....section by section.
Seems like the bitumen acted as an adhesive and filled to ensure no voids.