My first job was to remove screwed down floor boards. Apart from revealing Chris Barlow's replacement ribs on port side I found 12 broken ribs on starboard side plus one more to port. In this pic they are marked by the red bits of tape.
DSC01484 by dralowid, on FlickrThen I had a go at the hull.
DSC01481 by dralowid, on FlickrPlenty of insulating tape(?) woven glass tape, some gap filling glue, old cracked putty and a fair amount of silicone. Interesting to note that the paint adhered far better than the tape, indeed some of this stripped of very easily. Bits of the boat look as if they have suffered under the administartion of a blow torch.
Now I have revealed significant cracks on the three planks either side of the keel in the centreboard area and further aft too.
DSC01477 by dralowid, on FlickrAlso curious joins in the garboard that look very old and may be original though that doesn't smack of good boatbuilding in a 12 ft boat which I would expect to have had full length planks.
DSC01488 by dralowid, on Flickr
DSC01471 by dralowid, on FlickrSo what next? This is where I am looking for input from 'them what know'.
The boat has what is fashionably known as a 'soggy bottom'. The starboard side flexes quite easily when pressed with the heel of the hand but that is hardly surprising. It is also slightly out of shape around one of the garboard joins but I doubt there is much I can do about that. The cracked planks have little lateral strength but seem OK fore and aft.
I am not up for replacing planks on this scale so the first job is to mend and strengthen the ribs to try and prevent the weak planks from flexing so much. I will replace or scarf in repairs on the broken ribs. I will then laminate another rib onto the existing ones running from keel up out of the damaged area and ending where the runs is fairly flat and not too curved so as not to create a pressure point. In effect this will make the 3/8'' thick ribs 3/4" thick under the floorboards and around the centreboard. If the planks were in better shape I wouldn't need to do this but I reckon they need all the help they can get.
Then I need to consider what to do with the joins in the garboard. I don't particularly want to scarf in another bit of plank because that just makes for more joins. I may patch on the inside and do something epoxyish on the outside.
Cracked planks? Clean all the muck out of the planks and where possible epoxy in fine fillets...unless some has a better idea.
I'd better hurry off down to the boatyard now, he's about to order some green oak for another rib repair job and if I can tack my requirements onto his a few £££s will be saved.
Interested to hear your thoughts about my approach
Michael
