Merlin Rocket 1200 Restoration

[PeterV]

If you look back at one of my previous posts 'More Fairey Repairs' you'll see some pictures of almost exactly the same problem on my Finn. I scarfed a new piece into the hog and put a new piece into the bottom of the transom. I kept my knee as it was OK but I had to work from the outside because of the rear tank. It was daunting thinking about it but quite easy doing it.

[Ed]

oh......just cut it out and replace with some nice matching good quality wood.

In the end doing it properly won't take so long and it will be fun and as you say last another 50 years.

using wood hardeners etc is fine for a temporary fix....or where doing it properly would necessitate more work than you want to do at that time, but they often take longer than you might think, don't look so good, are not so strong and won't last nearly so long.

It is a pretty common fix and PeterV's thread will, I am sure, put you on the right track.

I wouldn't bother to replace the whole transom, as you will never find a bit of wood of the same quality as you had on a merlin of that vintage.

Just cut out the damage and scarf in a nice bit of mahogony....the best you can find.

cheers

eib

[Godfrey]

You may need to chase out quite a bit of rotten keel and hog but the nasty surprise with all Wyche & Coppock hulls is the dreaded 'infill' between the garboards.
Instead of planing off the planks flush with the hog, they used an infill to bridge the gap and then put the keel piece on. If moisture gets into the sandwich, the weakest part (the infill) acts as a conduit and the spine falls apart from the inside out. They also liked to use a lot of mild steel screws with sad consequences.
You may have to chase out a fair bit of decay where damp has got into that bottom corner, but the good news is that the planking is often the part that survives OK and only requires cleaning up.

[Ed]

@godrey oh you are so right.......those damned steel screws.

I couldn't believe it when I first hit one of those....somehow I felt really cheated. georgeous mahogony.....held down with orrible steel screws!

cheers

eib

[chris]

I gather Chippendales screwed their centreboards in with steel screws too.

[Bill-Conner]

Chris,
I think you mean centreboard cases? Yes they did, so did all of the trio, of Wyche & Coppock, Chippendale and Hoare. The steel screws were strong at getting that final half turn without breaking, one pair of boat builders did that but removed them when the glue had set and replaced then with bronze ones, - Nick Truman and Richard Debenham superb craftsmen both but neither built down to a price! Incidentally not unique a practice to dinghy builders when the 3rd Morning Clouds wreck was raised after her "pooping" and resultant sinking off the Owers it was noted that Lallows had used Steel screws!