old sloop

[BPK]

I have read postings on this site for a while and this is the first of my own. I have a boat project that I really am not sure how to proceed with. I love this little boat and want to fix her up and sail her eventually. The title says it is a "Falcon" sloop, built in 1938. I would appreciate any information anyone might be able to provide on this boat. The previous owner only knew that it was built here in the northwest and that it is made with white ceder. Some of the screws have been partially drilled out though to my eye they look sound. Also the previous owner set about the gaps between the planks with "Gorilla Glue". This seems like a bad idea to me too. I have a lifetime of experience working with my hands but have not worked on boats before. I feel in love with this one as soon as I saw it. Oh and it has a small brass plate that says "center for wooden boats 0026" Is 16 foot 8 inches long and has a beam of 5 foot 8 inches.

I apologize for the long winded message here and thank you in advance for any advice or information any of you might send my way.

Cheers, Brian

[PAR]

I'm not sure about the origins of your sloop, but the PU in the seams has to go. It will likely require a few ruined seams and some plank repairs, which was a needless mistake by the previous owner, looking for a short cut.

There are many previous threads on this site about seams, why they leak, how to stop them etc. Spend some time with the search tool and read up.

The boat appears to be a carvel build, so the seams need one of two treatments to seal up the boat again. The first and recommend method is to caulk the boat conventionally. This is what the structure was designed for and will serve well. It assumes the fasteners are holding well in the frames. If not (also likely) then she'll need to be re-fastened to restore the structure.

The other option is wedge seaming her. By this a thin wedge of white cedar is installed (glued) into each seam, which makes the boat a single skin, homogenous structure. This is quite good at staying dry, but it doesn't like huge swings in wet/dry cycling. This occurs when the boat is moored or berthed for a season, then is hauled, stored ashore for the long dry winter, then splashed again in the spring. The planks become water soaked in summer and dry as a bone in winter. This amount of movement will tear open the wedges or more commonly split the planks. It is a method that works on dry sailed boats (day boats that live on a trailer). These boats doesn't get water soaked, just wet and quickly dry out on their trailers, which is okay for this seam treatment.

Wedge seaming requires the plank seams be "evened" up with a specially ground blade, so the wedges have a solid landing on the plank edges.

Traditionally built boats require traditional upkeep and repair methods as a rule. Attempts to use different methods and materials almost always have a less then desirable result in the long run.

Your "long winded" post wasn't anything compared to my occasional verbosity.