chinese junk restoration

Hello, I have a 1958 Whing Long Chinese Junk (35foot). There are two cracked ribs. The forward bulkhead has rotted and the mid has shifted. There is a major line of separation in the hull about 1 inch thick and runs a few feet
below the deck. There is rot in some of the planks and evidence of termite damage in a few places (not sure how extensive or how to tell for that matter). The upper deck needs restoration.

Previous hull work looks to be done very poorly in terms of patching here and there, and stuffing the large cracks with hemp or cotton.

If the bottom is patched up can the bulkheads and ribs be worked on while the boat is in the water?

I am a novice and was thinking about putting a few years in to this boat. Is this a worthy exploration or are the sea days for this dear boat over? Advice greatly appreciated, Anise

 

It sounds as though this vessel is aptly named - 'junk'. For your own sake get her on the 'hard' as soon as possible. Check out the extent of the termite damage. Affected areas will have to be replaced - even if termites no longer active. And no - I wouldn't attempt to replace bulk head and ribs whilst afloat - external pressures could - most possibly will - distort the hull making an unsatisfactory repair. At worst - if the termite damage is more extensive than you suspect - the whole vessel may collapse inwards.
On the bright side - in restoring her - you'll gain a lot of experince for next time you buy into wood.

 

It's likely you can make in water repairs, it's done all the time. Difficulty arises when cracked, broken or otherwise damaged structural elements have compromised or altered the hull shape. In order to return the hull to a shape that will fit the structural members, it will need be cradled and a complete survey completed to find the issues that are causing the problems. Usually the surveyor has enough experience with the craft or style of construction to make recommendations for repair.

Since your a beginner, I strongly recommend you seek out the advice of a surveyor, who's familiar with the type and have your boat accessed.

Once things start moving around enough to cause the visual clues you've described, major problems are evident and need be addressed quickly to minimalize the deterioration, which will progress more rapidly as they go un-repaired. The more use the boat has, the faster the problems will cause other problems. Fasteners work loose, joints open up, localized stresses start breaking things and generally a downward spiral that will quickly kill the boat, unless halted with proper, well thought out repairs. The repair process can be done in stages, so you don't have to bite down on too much at once, but the assessment needs be performed right away, so you can pick a place to start and a plan of action.

 

make sure you post pics of the work being done