How can i stop the tide.

Help i have fallen for an old wooden boat that leeks like a sieve. It needs to be pumped out twice a day. Just mention the words the tides coming in and the old girl starts to dive, dive, dive. So what to do! moving her to dry standing unfortunately is not an option. The boat is around a hundred years old and in otherwise good order. What i am wondering is if there is a way i can patch it from inside. Any ideas

 

Why cant you move her?

Is there a hole or just she's shot overall?

If she's holed why not cover the hull in a waterproof sheet and try to make her watertight. If she's shot to pieces.... well y'know...

 

How big? construction? how deep in the mud? length ? weight? masts? engines?

I am strongly inclined to say walk away from it, especially if you dont yet own it. Your going to have to really know what you are doing or she will banckrupt you.

Asking here how to float it is not a good start. Can you post a pic?

Oh--post number 1--- welcome to the forum . Where in Uk are you.

 

Taking on a hundred year old timber boat is like marrying a broken down, very ill old woman, not much good can come of it, unless you have much experience, lots of cash and more time then she does.

If you don't own her, run, run fast little Johnny and find another love.

To answer your question about sealing her up while afloat, nope, it's not likely. The water is pushing in from the outside, which will push anything you smear on the inside off. Not to mention not much will stick to water and oil soaked planking. You can bag the old girl, which is to place a tarp, large enough to cover the whole of the underwater areas in one shot. This is best accomplished with a travel lift, but it can be done by hand, diving around her to make sure it's fitted. then you cinch up the loose ends and tie them to the boat. This is only a short term solution (it'll chaff through in no time), but can stem the tide for a while, as you make preparations to haul her and get the old lass on the hard.

 

Thanks all for the good advice. I hear what you are all saying ,running away would probably be the best option. The lady in question is called Twinkle and no i haven't committed totally to her yet.
Twinkle is 70 ft by 13,6 ,she draws 6 ft and is currently on a mud berth on the south coast. was stem powered but boiler is long gone. I will try and post pic . Their maybe trouble ahead !!!! but i 'm willing to give it a go.

 

Hi RHP. I think she is fairly shot away.People have tried in the past to sort her out .It all comes down to money . I can get to the hull in between tides.
A waterproof sheet might buy time, its not something i i had thought of before.

 

Does it float at all . Even for 15 minutes to get a sheet under it. If not I dont see how you can get her out of that creek without it breaking up.

 

Repairs to a vessels of that size can easily run into 6 figures and a restoration likely 7.

 

Yes she does float with the aid of two pumps on float switches. The boat is on a free hold mooring which i am about to buy. I am caught in a total dilemma.
Being honest twinkle would only be a temporary home until i can get a larger steel hull to convert. I would love to repair her but know in my heart the amount of money and work would get the better of me. As you can imagine freehold moorings are relatively rare so its a gamble, we are selling are house and moving onto twinkle. She really is beautifully in an open timber hull sort of a way, but probably fatally floored her current owner who is so lovely let slip in conversation that she removed the old ballast and replaced it by pouring concrete into the Hull. I didn't have the heart to say what i was thinking, but I'm betting they didn't put any form of membrane in between.

So!! yes I probably am slightly mad. I have always loved boats having lived on and worked on several. I'm not so sure my family will think the same in the dead of winter with the bilge pumps kicking in but what is life without a challenge.

 

Ok things are becoming more practical. So its just a temporary home?

Well I guess thats different then as long as you trust the bilge pumps(every day) or dampness could get a bit overwhelming. My thoughts are -would it be wise to live and sleep in a humid enviorenment like that?

As far as the freehold mooring? I thought moorings were in water?

 

Stonehouse,

That poured concrete sounds like the kiss of death. Are you seriously going to install your family on board just before Autumn? Winter 2007-08 is predicted to be freezing. If you have young children, the CPA will come a'knocking.

Twinkle is handsome, no question. Rather than converting a tin can, why not take Twinkle's lines and recreate her as an epoxy ply composite craft?

BTW, is that Shoreham?

Pericles

 

Epoxy ply composite! sounds interesting. If their is a way we can save her then all is fine and dandy. Thanks for your concern ,staying warm and well is high up on the list of priorities. Its not going to be easy,i know what boats are like in the winter but i m sure we will manage. Yes your right it is Shoreham well spotted.

 

This is the ugliest of jobs for the informed... telling the romantic and still naive that sometimes there is no hope.

If you have the money...??? A very large amount of money.

 

Stonehouse,

See this site for starters http://www.boatbuilder.org/ and view this http://www.devlinboat.com/constructionkokanee38.htm

Ruell Parker's book http://www.parker-marine.com/parkerlivro.htm is available from Amazon for around a tenner. Cold moulding is epoxy laminate work. Read the posts here. http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19145&highlight=pericles

I found your approximate location using Google Earth. You said South Coast and a satellite's eye view enabled me to put road bridge, saltings and buildings on far shore into their mutual relationships. My family and I are looking to move down your way from London, just as soon as we complete selling the house. Anywhere between Gosport and Hastings.

Pericles

 

Mr greenwood is pushing out the boundaries of bravery. Soon it will be acceptable to gently spell out the pointlessness of such a renovation.

If the boat is required for temporary acomodation,!! am I being unreasonable in suggesting therefore that it would'nt seem likley you had sufficient funds.

I strongly suggest that you consider these critics as your friend, and those or anyone who says go for it to be yes men and far less sincere.

Perhaps I could suggest for your consideration that if it was such a worth while restoration then you would not be the only one willing to buy it.