Thread: Boat ribs

Guys thanks heaps for all the advice, many many issues and while I have good wood working experience i've never done boats before.

First Kero sounds good and I guess a splash would'nt hurt so I'll give it a go! I agree about steaming rather than boiling but I'm not sure that was the idea - just another way of steaming, and boiling the water within the pipe makes it simpler, just need a longer pipe. It makes you wonder how you might do it under pressure? Still saftey first so I'm not going there. Same with the buzzoka idea - you guys shouldnt even mention stuff like that cause i start thinking about it! Fore mounted kero buzzuka to repel boarders!!

The timber is obviously the key and I'm talking to a few suppliers. When you say grain running parallel to the wide surface do you mean growth rings on the wide face or at 90 degrees so growth rings are on the narrow face?

Cheers guys

Jimmy, I repaired about 60 ribs on my boat, with deck on and too many planks to get to heels (no garboard plank), 28ft 6 tonnes, so this wasn't easy, ribs 32mm wide, 25mm thick. I actually removed most of the sistered ribs, just dont like them. Removed roves, then nails, then cut away roughly old ribs using angle grinder (AG) and "wheel of death". removed enough roves/nails so I could get, generally, a 12:1 scarf. Faired the scarves using AG and coarse discs, the palm of your hand will tell you if everything is fair. Epoxied in laminations, 5.5mm thick x 4, held in place by gyprock screws and washers through the existing nail holes. When set, remove gyprock screws, fair the ends of laminations, AG + coarse disc. Drill for nails, spray holes with WD40, then drive nails in (dolly inside) then rove as per usual. I used WA karri, this wasn't green timber but then I wasn't steaming. I had to spring all the laminations under a stringer, slathered in epoxy, then used spring clamps to hold while drilling, there was still some bad language! You don't have many to do and they are quite a bit smaller. Dont use jarrah instead of karri.

Regards

Adrian