Bow join is leaking

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MerlinMags
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:29 pm

Bow join is leaking

Post by MerlinMags »

I've found that the joints between the hull planks and the bow timber (apron?) are leaking on 'Swallow'. She's a clinker dinghy made around 1950-1960. You can't see daylight through the gap, but the water floods in fast enough that you're bailing more often than not.

Can anyone advise upon a solution? I don't want to pull timbers apart and take weeks to fix her up....but I don't really want the 'quick and dirty' solution if it will cause cursing in the future. I think I'm aiming for the sensible option that can be done in 3 or 4 lunch-times.

Looks like someone has added some brown gunk to seal the cracks in the past two years. Shall I continue this tradition?! What is the stuff called?

Thank you everyone.

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Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Bow join is leaking

Post by Michael4 »

Most likely it is called Sikaflex (there others) sometimes also known as cat poo. If you dig out some of the old stuff and and put in new you may solve the problem for a while. You can make the whole thing look tidy by making use of masking tape.

Unlikely that the repair will last forever but when you come to do the job properly it comes out OK.

Alternatively, if you want to try solving the problem very quickly you can try using Gorilla tape (posh gaffer tape). However, looking at the picture you may not be able to get it to stick effectively to those rough surfaces and it will not look good.
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neil
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Location: Plymouth

Re: Bow join is leaking

Post by neil »

Had the same with my Tideway

Pull out all the crap, and see if you can get some Jeffery's Seamflex. Once you dig the old stuff out see if you can tighten it up with some new fastenings.

Before
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After
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Varnished and sailing
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Seamflex is a traditional oil based product, and is a hard lump. Hack a bit off and put into a plastic bag. Stick the bag under your armpit for a while, the Seamflex will soften, roll it into a thin sausage and apply to the gap, it will compress and can be faired with a wooden tongue depressor/lolly stick. It cures in a couple of days, but never goes fully hard. It will skin over, allowing it to be vanished.
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MerlinMags
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:29 pm

Re: Bow join is leaking

Post by MerlinMags »

Thank you everyone. Seems like an obvious choice then! Sikaflex will save the day.

I thought my problems were over, and now I find that both my local chandlers (Guildford Marine) and the chandlers I was just about to place an online order for rope with (Classic Marine)....they don't sell it!

So it looks like I'm paying yet more delivery charges, or driving to Wembley/Southampton.
Knickers.
MerlinMags
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:29 pm

Re: Bow join is leaking

Post by MerlinMags »

Force 4, MarineScene and Trident sell the brown, but delivery still bugs me. P&B had black/white only.

Google told me Screwfix sell the brown version - but I don't think it is the same as the marine type (code 291). Will steer clear.

Aha - ebay has saved me! Several sellers have the 291 in brown.
Oh...ebay has crashed.
Knickers.
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