Salty

[jbowers417]

Last November, I purchased a 27 foot wooden lobster boat that was built in East Booth Bay Maine in 1946. Found it on E-Bay of all places. Paid $8500 for the boat and a couple of weeks later another $1500 for a trailer to get it from Michigan to my home here in Ohio. I'm the fourth owner. In 2005, I'm told, the man I bought it from repacked and recaucked the hull from the water line down to the bottom of the keel. He tells me the owner prior to him did the same from the water line to the gunwhale just prior to selling the boat to him. Boat came with one battery and a 1980 Crusader/Palmer 160 HP inboard engine which hasn't been ran for two years. Running lights were hooked up with table lamp cord and alligator clips. I have taken a marine electronics course through our local power squadron. I now have two twelve volt batteries with an eight breaker panel, and a buse bar for my ground for a 12 volt DC system. Installed a red dome light in the pilot house. Boat sat outside in the rain for a few days. Water ran out of it all over the place. Is there some sort of putty, or seal I can smear over the area below the water line, then paint over that would severly reduce this leaking problem? The boats ribs are built out of oak and the planking is out of yellow pine. Material came from a Navy ship yard where they built mine sweepers at the end of WWII.

[Bergalia]

Is the planking carvel or lapstrake ? And at the risk of sounding rude - any chance of pictures of your 'bottom' ?
Water 'running out' is a bit of a novelty - usually it's water running in that's the worry. But it sounds as though your previous owners' caulking was not done well - or somewhere over time has been allowed to dry out completely and no longer serves its purpose. Before you even think of 'gunking' below the water line check the caulking. Poke it with a knife. Is it caulked - or merely botched up with putty. Was it a quick fix, for a quick sale; a lick of paint to cover earlier sins. The 'table lamp' wiring speaks volumes.
But pictures would help, at the moment it's only guesswork.

[marshmat]

I might add that some types of wooden construction, if left on land for a while, will develop leaks. The wood dries out and shrinks, 'cause it's not in the water, thus gaps open up between the planks. Once back in the water, the bilge pumps will run nonstop for three days, then she'll be tight and dry again. Whether this is the issue with yours, I do not know.
As Berg says, photos (some of the whole underside, and some closeups of the leaky areas) would be a great help.

[jbowers417]

I have some picture of the boat on a disc. Not being a computer geek, I'm trying to figure out how to send them to you. Is there an e-mail address that I can send pictures of this boat for you to look at? And by the way, this is not lapstrake. The planks butt up against each other snugly.

[longliner45]

might just need to put it in the water for a week or so to allow the wood to swell,,,,if that dont work ,,then seek help,,,but more than likely the latter will work,longliner

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by jbowers417

...And by the way, this is not lapstrake. The planks butt up against each other snugly.

Carvel, then. Marshmat is right. Carvel is 'prone' to drying-out when left on the hard for any length of time. Best thing is to 'dangle' her in the water (from a crane - if available) for half a day. Then lower her gently and get those pumps working for the next 72 hours. (You may need to sleep aboard) But the wood will swell and 'seal' herself.
As to the pictures - transfer them onto your computer. Use a programme such as GraphicConverter/ Photoshop or etc to bring them down to a manageable size. Then when posting a reply move down to 'Additional Options' - 'Manage Attachments' and click - then follow instructions.

[lewisboats]

Originally Posted by jbowers417

I have some picture of the boat on a disc. Not being a computer geek, I'm trying to figure out how to send them to you. Is there an e-mail address that I can send pictures of this boat for you to look at? And by the way, this is not lapstrake. The planks butt up against each other snugly.

Put the disc in your drive, and when you are posting go to the advanced button. Below the box you type in is the option for attachments. Click on this and browse to your disc, select a picture or three and click upload. When done close the dialog box and around the manage attachments button you should see the pictures you attached. then submit your message with the attachments and we should see them. Another way to show pictures is to link to them from another web site. Click the button above that looks like a postcard and type in the address to the picture EXACTLY (including any capitals) ie: "nttp://www.blahblahblah.com/pictures/boat/hull.JPG"

Steve

[alan white]

I'm guessing the wood came from the navel shipyard on the Piscataqua river in Kittery, Maine, but may have been Bath Iron Works too. Do you know the builder? Some of those early lobster boats are beautifully made. Generally, they are bigger these days.
The seams should close up in a few days in the water, but you could also run a hose inside to get the process started.
If it won't close up within a few days, you will have to haul the boat and see why not. It may be that the boat is due to be refastened. After many shrink/swell cylcles, even bronze fasteners work loose, compressing under the screw-heads when swelling, and the screw doesn't seat as tight next time.
The boat may be iron fastened too. I would worry more about the fasteners than anything else. If the fasteners are good and tight and not corroded, then the plank seams can be addressed. If the fasteners aren't right, the seams will never be. Adjacent planks will not be lined up, and the joint will "work" and spit caulk out. Check for adjacent planks that are offset at the seam.

Alan

[marshmat]

Another technique I've heard of, when you can't take up 24h of crane time:
Take some burlap or heavy felt, something that soaks up water well. Wrap strips of it tightly over the bottom and secure to the gunwales or rails with rope. Run a couple of those $10 soaker hoses they sell for delicate flowerbeds along this, and wrap tightly with plastic tarps. Let the hoses run at a strong trickle for a few days and when you unwrap, the wood should be starting to return to normal. About $100-$200 in burlap, rope and tarps; cheaper than paying for crane time if you don't have a $free$ crane.

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Another technique I've heard of, when you can't take up 24h of crane time:

I was forgetting, not everyone has a sister-in-law whose dad runs a marina back in Scotland....

But yes. A great tip from Marshmat (we'll make a sailor of him yet.)
Mind you, we Scots wouldn't go out and buy trickler hoses....we'd 'liberate' them from the local municipal gardens...

[charmc]

Originally Posted by Bergalia

Mind you, we Scots wouldn't go out and buy trickler hoses....we'd 'liberate' them from the local municipal gardens...

I thought the Scots preferred to trickle "yellow water" ; no cost at all.

[Bergalia]

No, Charlie - we bottle it, label it: 'Auld Ben Fuji-ama' and sell it to the Americans.....

[Frosty]

As what?? Iron Brew?

[charmc]

Jbowers,

Getting back to serious, I tend to agree with Matt and Alan that the boat should swell up tightly with water immersion. My vintage Pacemaker was exactly as Marshmat described; in the slings for a day or 2, then another day or 2 of constant bilge pumping, then the pump ran about 5 minutes a day tops. Any of the techniques mentioned for wetting the wood will shorten the process a bit. The point is that wood planking will dry out and shrink after a few months on the hard; immersed in water, the planks will swell up and the seams will disappear or shrink significantly. Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to check if the caulking is good other than by soaking the boat. Given the evidence of the incredible wiring, I'd be a bit cautious. Alan's point about checking fasteners is a good one. Tightening or replacing them is a land job, to be done before any soaking.

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by Frosty

As what?? Iron Brew?

Grief Frosty - your spelling is worse than Tim's. It's spelled - 'Irn Bru'....