caulking planks

No, the pressure will make the leak continue. Opening the seams from the inside is a very bad idea. You need a proper caulk job.

 

Thought so - thanks. Will re-caulk next time Tantalus is lifted out. In the mean time, I'll just try to get out as aften as possable.

 

its not a good idea to open any seam, hull or deck

 

Thanks peter,
I guess I'll just have to live with it 'til the next lift out and get these joints re-caulked.

Pierre

 

Had two days away on Tantalus - Saturday saw some fairly choppy conditions. I am happy to report that I have not needed the bilge pump at all. After both days, the water seapage through these joints was about 3 litres. (Previously, I was getting about 5 litres every 20 minutes!) So, either the daily spraying of linseed oil, or slightly cooler weather has done the trick.
Thanks for the advice from this forum.
Now for 10 days away over Easter....

 

what good news

 

Had the ten days away at Easter and another few weekends..... still no seapage. I now keep a spray bottle with linseed oil handy, but have not needed it.

 

Seems above the water line

Hi All Im new to the forum and learning ever day with your help! thank you!
I recently purchased a 1957 Phil Rhodes, great boat and great fun, this year we painted the hull dark blue, maybe not so good of an idea, as the seems above to waterline are really separating, Now i know we have had a major heat wave and that has not helped, the seems that show the most opening are all facing the sun at the slip, so it makes sense, My question is, should i just keep sailing, should i fill them, and if so what with? or im sure as you can imagine as we just painted now i have alot of touchup work! appreciate your help on this one,
thanks
Jason

 

Hello Jason, and welcome.
I found that the best solution was to "keep sailing"....
My boat is white, and yet the seems have moved. It's not an issue on a wooden boat once you got used to the idea of a little bilge water. Just keep an eye on it.
Pierre

 

Anything to report?

 

In the Merchant Navy wooden lifeboats were regularly filled with water while they were on the chocks and kept full until water stopped leaking out, then they were emptied. USS Constitution is turned at her berth so alternate sides face the prevailing weather, they also hose her sides down regularly. We have all read our Patrick O'Brien and the constant washing and flogging of decks. This is not to keep them clean but to keep them tight.

 

I think you brought up an important point about caulking in carvel planking: it's structural. It doesn't just seal the seams to keep the water out. It tightens up the skin of the vessel, so the individual planks aren't just floating free.

 

...no dark colours on topsides if you want the seams to remain in place, dark colours absord heat, heat expands wood, seams jump out to get away from the heat...end result is a crappy topside finish. Stick with white.
Also do not use two packs on carvel seamed topsides, it is too brittle and will fracture along the seams after a few temperature changes thru the seasons.
Two types of caulking have been traditionally used, hemp and cotton...we used to only use cotton above the waterline as it goes rotten here in Brissy, but i know many use it below the waterline in cooler regions. You can of course spline the seams if you feel that way about it, you then will have a no leak boat, but it does take a while to do the job. Make sure that you rally taper the seams if doing splines, I have worked on leaky ones that were simply wedged, it does not work.

 

If you hose the sides, use sea water and not city water. The salt preserves the wood and also maintains the humidity content in the wood.

 

gonzo.....we here in the tropics would not recommend that treatment at all...sea water dries to crystalized seat salt crystals, they refract the sunlight and burn the paint surface...the worst thing that you can do to paintwork is leave sea salt crystals there....also destroys metal fittings in contact.