Thread: 21 ` Clinker Hull Cabin Cruiser Restoration.

Jimbo,
Pictures, Pictures and more pictures........there are plenty of amatuer boat builders that will give advice and there are a few professionals whos advice overwrites all us amatuers ha ha..... but seriously some piccies would help those that know to advise and welcome to the nuthouse mate you will find some good advice and a smattering of humour to go with it which balances things out nicely.

Kev

Jimbo,

You should join up with the Wooden Boat Association of QLD as there are a bunch of like minded blokes who do restoration projects as well as new builds ( see https://www.woodworkforums.com/f32/li...-dinghy-87456/ ) They would be a wealth of information.

If you want to save yourself a good deal of money and time on this project, go and hire a marine surveyor or a timber boat builder for an hour or two. They would be able to help you set out a plan of action and could possibly provide a consultation service along the way - sort of drop in for an hour every few weeks to see how you are going (a few beers after work might lower the fee!). In the end, a few hundred buck will be money well spent.

Clinker repairs are generally not difficult - they are just a series of small steps to be followed. Techniques like fastening off, steaming planks etc are easily learned.

So on to your boat, any idea how old she is and what she is planked in? How big are the splits? Any pictures?

regards,

AD

AD Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I have no idea of the age but I would think it to be about 30 to 40 years old, the planks are Cedar. The photo of it in the water was prior to the guy I bought it from taking over. The photo on stands is where he parked it for a few years. The rest I took about 10 mins ago
I have posted some pictures of the before and the after.....
There is no wood rot than god just splits form being on dry land too long.There are about 6 in all. 2 above the water line which are no problem and 4 below. One of which is really nasty. Yesterday I had a friend who has built several boats look at it and he offered his opinion. Replace the one badly split timber which is 1320mm long, fill the others with a felxible filler, wet the hull and gradually get it to take up again. Once it has then repaint and I would use a membrain on the inside. It has a 20 hp Diesel in very good conditionton power it. The cabin needs a total fit out. but thats good. I can set it up as I like and dont have to spend time ripping the old out.
Regards
Jim

Originally Posted by Kev da Fridgee

Jimbo,
Pictures, Pictures and more pictures........there are plenty of amatuer boat builders that will give advice and there are a few professionals whos advice overwrites all us amatuers ha ha..... but seriously some piccies would help those that know to advise and welcome to the nuthouse mate you will find some good advice and a smattering of humour to go with it which balances things out nicely.

Kev

Thanks mate.
I have just posted a few pics & also in my reply to AD.
Cheers
Jim

Planking is a consumable item, just like an oil filter. It wears out and has to be replaced. You may think you don't have rot, but you do. In short, you have some plank repairs to make, possibly some replacements will be necessary as well as an assorted lot of other issues. After 35 years of this type of thing, there is no "membrane" sort of "cure" that I'm aware of. You also have signs of plank movement, which suggests fasteners are sloppy. This will cause the seams to open up. If left to "take up" they may seal the boat for a while, but if used much, it will not be long before the faying surfaces on the laps are ground to dust and she leaks like a bottomless bucket. At the very least you should probably refasten the bottom, if not replace it. I would also be inclined to replace planks with plywood instead of solid lumber. It's more stable, is less prone to rot, you can cut weird shapes economically and it'll take a seam sealant better then solid lumber.

Originally Posted by PAR

Planking is a consumable item, just like an oil filter. It wears out and has to be replaced. You may think you don't have rot, but you do. In short, you have some plank repairs to make, possibly some replacements will be necessary as well as an assorted lot of other issues. After 35 years of this type of thing, there is no "membrane" sort of "cure" that I'm aware of. You also have signs of plank movement, which suggests fasteners are sloppy. This will cause the seams to open up. If left to "take up" they may seal the boat for a while, but if used much, it will not be long before the faying surfaces on the laps are ground to dust and she leaks like a bottomless bucket. At the very least you should probably refasten the bottom, if not replace it. I would also be inclined to replace planks with plywood instead of solid lumber. It's more stable, is less prone to rot, you can cut weird shapes economically and it'll take a seam sealant better then solid lumber.

That's actually less dire than it sounds by the way

Richard

Thanks so much for your very helpful advise. I can see there is a lot to learn and I am very happy to get such advise. The only thing I`ve leant for sure in my 65 years is how much I dont know!
Cheers
jim