Have I just ruined my boat ?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

I hope you weren't pulling something out of nothing.

You're the only one who can answer that mate.

Have fun.

Dave

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Oh and Rick, those pic's are short board's, they are long board's when they get to 3 ft plus.

Dave, Buddy! Technicalities. He didn't say how long his boat is. It could be a 12' dink then a 24" sanding board would be "long". Now if it's as big as that monstrosity you're building he'd need a 10' 4 man sanding board! *lol*

[cat man do]

If only I could get 4 dudes interested enough to swing a board.

I do actually have a mate who likes boarding and want's to do the boat, "cause it's already so straight" say's he, but he'll need someone on the other end of the six footer, and it won't be me.

If you look at my gallery pic's at the hull's, I got to that stage with a sat 180 Hitachi 2 speed sander with 36 grit, before hi-build.

Dave

[Dave-Fethiye]

Thanks for the advice.
So it looks like I can repair the damage - it will just take time.

As I am keen to get the boat in the water, I have decided to finish the painting and then re-do the sanding the next time I take it out of the water. I am going to re-furb the interior next winter, so the sanding job can be done then. Bear in mind that I bought the boat on the hard standing - so I have yet to enjoy it being in the water - the boat will still look pretty good and at least its not something that is going to get worse !

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Dave-Fethiye

Bear in mind that I bought the boat on the hard standing - so I have yet to enjoy it being in the water -

Dave I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds here but . . . I have to say this. I am not an expert on wood boats but it is my understanding that when a wood boat has been on the hard for an extended period of time the tibers dry out and the boat becomes less than waterproof until the boat has been in the water for awhile. During that time you will need to be running your bilge pump often. I had a friend who had to rent a stronger pump till the boards swelled properly. It might be good to post a thread asking for advice and explaining how long the boat has been out of the water etc. so that some one more knowledgable can give you advice.

[Alan Wheeler]

If it is a planked hull, then yes Charlie, when you relaunch, they leak like a sieve till the planks take back up again.

[Dave-Fethiye]

Thanks Charlie.
Yes - I have been a bit concerned over the past 3 or 4 weeks as I watched the timbers opening up pretty dreadful ! The tempreture in the shade here reached 51 degrees C last week !!!

Anyway the local boat buiders assured me that as the cotton caulking has not fallen out, the timbers will swell up again - just get it in the water

I DO have some backup: I have a generator ( which I use to provide power where I am working on the boat) and I'll connect my mains voltage swimming pool emptying pump (plus a friends one ) to the generator as a real backup to the bilge pumps. These two pumps working together are capable of removing 300 litres per minute ! Thats over a ton of water every 4 minutes. So I think I'll be safe.

[Kuapa'a]

Originally Posted by Dave-Fethiye

... These two pumps working together are capable of removing 300 litres per minute ! Thats over a ton of water every 4 minutes. So I think I'll be safe.

Aloha Dave,

Just my $0.02 worth, but 2,000 lbs. of water every 4 minutes = 500 lbs. per minute divided by 8 lbs. per gallon only equals 62.5 gal pumping capacity per minute. That's not really a lot of water.

I don't know the details of your boat (displacement, number of planks - seams below waterline, etc.). But as someone who many years ago watched his 44' strip planked cedar hull gaff schooner sink in less than 2 minutes because I hadn't known to 'wet out' the hull prior to her going down the slipways, I would humbly suggest that you fill her bilges right up to the sole and turn a lawn sprinkler on her exterior hull for 2 or so days prior to splashing her.

To say that a dry hull leaks like a giant sieve is quite an understatement. There were jets / streams of water 3' high coming in through her seams. Probably the only thing more dramatic would have been to have sawn a large hole in the hull. I was fortunate in that she settled so that her decks were awash with only about 2' of water and we were able to re-float her the next morning with only minor damage, except to my pride. (I mean, how does a guy who makes his own deadeyes out of lignum vitae, and weaves thumping mats for the deck tackle, miss such a basic principle?) Duh!

Anyway mate, all the very best to you on launch day, whatever you decide to do.

John K.

[GordMay]

I’ve NEVER seen a yacht with bilge pumps large enough to drain serious inflooding.

Approximate Flooding Rates, for smooth holes at selected depths, are calculated using the formula:
Flooding Rate in gpm = 20 x d x square-root of h
where:
d = diameter of hole in inches
h = depth of hole underwater in feet (head)

Hence, for a 2" dia hole at 3 Ft depth:
Q = 20 x 2" x root 3 = 20 x 2 x 1.73 = 69.2 gpm (4,152 Gal per Hour)

Since water weighs about 8.3 pounds per Gallon, the inflow accumulates about 575 pounds per minute or over 34,000 pounds per hour.

[Dave-Fethiye]

OK - I think I get the point !

I will be wetting out the boat before I try a launch

Thanks for the warnings.

[migot1]

Hi,
I would hire a local at Fethie, as it is not expensive... the hull must be sanded again all over, to a smooth surface. better do it now, as you shall have to re paint the boat all over. if you have now proffessional help , you will be very happy at the end of the day....

All the best

Mike,

from Israel

[CSY Man]

Anyway the local boat buiders assured me that as the cotton caulking has not fallen out, the timbers will swell up again - just get it in the water

And leave it in the slings over night...

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Boracay

Bringing a boat into perfect condition is a much overrated pastime.

I like that; I'm going to steal it for my own.

For a lot of people brightwork is the means and the end. A great line I heard / read once is "Thank God for wooden boats, and thank God there are other people than me that will maintain them and keep them beautiful."

[hellosailor]

Dave, I would think that you could start the wood sweling again (so there's less leakage when you launch) simply by putting lawn sprinklers on or facing the hull, like the mist hoses used to keep new concrete damp while it cures. Simply keep misting the hull, it will absorb some of the water & be partly conditioned before you launch.

Longboarding traditionally is done with a long (4-6 foot) thin plank, with sandpaper attached to one side. Sandpaper purchased in rolls. And then, at least two miserable crew members to move each board around.

If you can hire a couple of locals who know how to do this and already have the huge arm muscles needed to make it less painful...that might be something to think about. Of course the job will be easier on DRY wood.