Refastening clinker hull

Hi. I am about to refasten the hull of my clinker built Yachting World Dayboat and was wondering if I should go up a size when replacing the square sectioned copper nails and domed roves, or stick with the size currently in the hull. Any boatbuilders out there know which is normally done?

Andy

 

Why are you removing the old rivets? They are copper and very soft; you can tighten them instead of replacing them. If you need to replace them and the hole is still good, just use the same size.
Robert Gainer

 

hi Robert, thanks for your reply. many of the roves are now just red powder, so it seems like a good idea to replace them. i think the holes are ok, so i'll try your suggestion of using the same size again.

Andy

 

If the hole is good you can stay with the same size. I doubt they are though. The corrosion in the metal usually produces chemicals that attack the wood. If you use a larger size, keep them as small as possible.