thompsondockside.com

My plan for this season is to seal up the bottom of the boat so that I have minimal or no leaking. After this season I plan to freshen the bottom by removing the keel and stem caps and cleaning and resealing, treating with CPES, and repainting. There is some hooking that I will address by faring the bottom if the handling of the boat this first season indicates I should.

So I spent some time under my boat last night prepping it for caulking. I cleaned out the joints between the laps and the garboards that will be in the water and of course around the keel and stem caps. There was a variety of old brittle caulk, what appeared to be putty (used as a caulk), and soft caulk that has lost it's adhesion to the wood. There are areas on the bottom where the paint is very thin and in a few small places it's essentially bare wood. My boat will be in and out of the water, spending no more than a few days in at any one time, and usually in and out in a day.

The question (at last). Can I get a way not painting the bottom this season? I hate to spend the time and money just to sand it all off in a few months.

I would recommend that you put a couple coats of paint on the bare wood to help keep moisture out of it. I would think one coat of cut paint followed by a coat of regular would do it for this year.

Have you checked for any bad wood on the keel, keelsons, ribs and around the bottom of the transom that might cause a problem when under way on the water? Just using caulk for patching a leak that is caused by bad wood is like putting bubble gum on a leaking gas tank. It will keep things inside for a while but will let go and then you are in "Deep _ _ _ _".

Good Luck!

Phill

totally agree - tomorrow I plan on inspecting all those components - makes no sense to paint and caulk it up if the boats just gonna come apart - the guy I bought it from claims it's nice and solid - we'll see. Unfortuanatly, the way he has the seats in, I have to take the stupid thing half way apart to get the forward half of the floors up.

Couldn't resist - sanded the bottom thoroughly, caulked where needed, two coats of Pettit copper Bronze (that I got for half price). I figure that if I pull up the floor and there is a significant issue, I'll be so bummed out it wont matter that I painted the bottom.

I cannot believe you are going to put the boat in the water and use without having inspected the inner keelson and ribs and entire bilge area.

Andreas

Then you are good AR, because I have no intention of doing so - I wouldnt fly a plane with out knowing if the wings would stay on (I forget who uses that anaology ). I fully intend to inspect under the floors. Only saying that I caulked and painted the bottom knowing full well I may have to go back over it if it turns out the guy whom worked the boat over a few years ago was less than knowledgeable (or truthfull) about her structual condintion. I am hopful based on the condition of the bottom. There were no soft spots and very very little delamination of the Garboards.