That was a bit scary. When I was a lad we would have "launch parties" for the old wooden hulls. But the boats bilges would be filled with water up to the waterline with a bloc of salt for a few days before launch. The the bilges would be empty and the boat launched with big water pumps in them. We never 'sank' boats to launch them. Never seen that technique before and I think it created way to much work after the launch in completed to clean the boat and get it ready to sail. Thanks for posting. Cheers, a.
It was not quite the intention to sink my boat although I've been told that that was how they did it before the invention of all the great pumping gear we have today. I agree pre soaking the boat is more convenient now when I've tried it. :)
All strength to your arm! These old classics are beautiful and deserve saving. I am 84 and have spent all my life around small craft. I have seen too many lovely boats scrapped for lack of effort and respect.
That boat is in serious need of some restoration if you wish to keep it any longer than the first storm. The inside frames and planking are on their very last legs and the state of the paint inside goes to show that it's only been put there to cover up the extent of the damage. 4:54 : I have worked on many wooden boats mostly 6mJI from the 30's and not one of them was as bad as yours even though tehy were not made to "last" this long ! Used to sleep inside overnight and as soon as the water got up to my back I'd spend hours pumping. Usually took 4 days, but although wood shrinks and expands, this amount is unsafe. Good luck.
I agree a lot of work is needed on her. It’s not quite as bad as it looks though. The hull is pretty solid except a few spots. And the boat is made of pine which is less stable than say mahogany or oak. Once expandad there is surprisingly few leaks in the seams of the planking. Not to say theren’t other issues. Chers!
Well, don't want to put salt on the wounds .... but I do it anyhow... sorry 🙂 You were right that the wood would swell up when it gets wet. However...... 1st it takes time and as you have encountered, the boat took more water than it could hold before the wood was soaked. 2nd you tested it with bare wood, no paint on it, so it soaked the water much faster than your wood on the boat covered in paint. I call it a lesson learned, not much damage done and I bet next year you consider a bid more cautious approach :-) Thanks for sharing, hope it helps other boat owners not to panic if they are not used to wooden boat physics .
You are absolutely right. Also the wood on the boat should be impregnated with linseed oil etc which also slows swelling down to some degree. This boat luckily doesn't have any electronics or engines in. But I've heard countless stories when this happens, say, with wooden motorboats. Not such happy events.
Thanks for posting this. Interesting to see this extent of leakage and how you manage it. I expect an intense beat to windward will also open things up.
You’re welcome. Actually when the planks swell the only water that comes in is the one flying over the sides and deck (and that’s a lot when it gets windy). These boats don’t like to sit at the dock though as the sun dries out the topsides and can cause the seams to open up again.
I used to help an old boat hauler . One of his techniques was have an old coffee can full of saw dust on a long pole. He would shove it down the sides of old wooden boats. The sawdust would get sucked into the leaks and swell.
Even under water she looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing! That’s the joy of owning a wooden boat. And, I assume, there is no other way than to wait in (or under..) the water until the boat has taken up water enough to seal the planks. Great job.
I don't understand why you don't consider caulking (corking). You cannot rely just on the planks fitting perfectly each against other when wet. Plus: planks must not soak as if they were sponges. This adds an incredible amount of weight that makes the boat slower and less governable. The boat must stay dry; only minimum leakage is tolerable.
Your absolutely right. This boat needs to be inpragnated with lindseed oil. In regards to caulking, it's a matter of tradition. In Finland and the Nordics (as I've understood) it has been the tradition to just rely on planks fitting perfectly.
@@VilleSuonurmi Actual salvage lift bags are expensive but for such a shallow lift you could use anything that would hold air and a borrowed scuba tank could fill it.
@@VilleSuonurmi so, once it starts holding water again. Will it do so only below the water line? How do you finish the interior? Do you repaint it when it’s in the water or leave it the way it is now? I’ve always had an interest in wooden boats. You can’t beat the classy look and craftsmanship of them. Plus they don’t make you itch like a fiberglass boat!
The boat will swell over time also above waterline due to capilary effect but it wont swell properly all the way up without going out and sail. Many a wooden boat have been sank at that stage so caution is advised. The wood also have to swell fully around the keel bolts before sailing is advised otherwise there is risk of damage. I try to do all the painting etc off season on the hard. Interior is mix of painted areas and areas only treated with boiled linseed oil. Wooden boats are truly something.
Yes, for sure! Makes you think of all the possibilities. Even if you had extended periods of dry weather even on the water. Keep up the work, good luck!
I can not believe it is a good thing to do that. Even if you empty your boat with a sponge, it is full of salt, and the salt maintain a constant moisture and the wood will rot. Your aft deck is in very bad condition. It is a shame for a so beautuful boat. Such a waste
Some people believe salt water is good for a woodean boat (Salt has been used as a preservative for thousands of years) and that it’s fresh water that will rot the boat. Eitherway the water is not that salty here.
I don't think this is the right way to do it. I've worked on wooden boats for years and every season we fill all the hull before moving the boat in the water, later on when the wood expands the filler goes out.
You're absolutely right. Here we normally use steamers, water hoses and old carpets and sheets to try to swell the hull before the boat goes in. I didn't have the time this year and the industrial pump should hold the boat afloat long enough. When it's not broken that is. So not quite according to plan this year.
I’ve seen another boat hanging from a smaller crane one summer so that might be an option. I think the crew was quite stressed that day as there was at least 8 (or more) other boats waiting to be launched that day.
I know from last years incident that insurance does not cover these kinds of things. A wooden boat leaking at launch is not considered an unexpected event even in the case of pumping gear failure. I asked my insurance company last year as that sinking damaged the deck.
She’s a beautiful thing! I’m glad that you are making progress with her re-immersion. Our boats give much pleasure, but require much care! I’m thinking, now, that it’s like any other relationship in my life! 😂❤👍👍
@@VilleSuonurmiIt has to be released under the keel to work. Boatyards had a sawdust box on a pole and a lid that could be pulled open when the box was submerged under the keel. Also tallow rubbed into the seams can hold it back enough before putting in the water. Why did the boatyard not hold you in the slings until you could get some sawdust organised? I used this method several times including a 48’ fishing boat.
@@AndyUK-Corrival Aa, I see. I didn't realize that. I think In general here though boats with carvel planking have clean seams i.e. we don't use caulking in the seams. The thinking is to let the woods natural expansion seal the boat and if anything is put in the seam then that will prevent the plank to swell properly next time. Of course with a well shaken boat where the planking isn't aligned anymore and the seam don't swell closed anymore it's a different game. I think this could have an application there. I'd say not so generally know method here. My guess.
How you going to maintain this? Sink the boat every year? Obviously the myth of expanding wood is not realistic to maintain. In 1500 until 1900 yes this would be a method. That’s why the crews kept the deck wet as they sailed into the warmer regions. But the wood was not painted at all. If a leak stayed they amended it with hennep and tar. As hennep swells too. Your boat does not have any hennep and tar. The biggest problem is rot. All wet wood will rot. Or even worse the worms get in it. That’s why the wooden hull got copper sheets attached. Copper sulfide will stop the worms and rotting. The best way to stop your boat form rotting is to fill it up just above the water line with copper naphthenate. Soaked in that stuf your boat is safe for a while. Doing that your boat must be dry again. Amended all leaks and then let is soak. Obviously you need to get it first as it is not easy to obtain then you need to store the left overs etc etc,
Unlike it might appear it's not the plan to sink her every year. :) Traditionally these boats have been impregnated with linseed oil. It is to some extent rot resistant and keeps the wood from soaking too much (ideally none) water. Takes a long time to apply tough. The bilge was painted with nice red lead paint and the underside of the hull with more properly toxic stuff. The rest of the boat was then either varnished or painted. Luckily we here in Finland and (as far as I know) rest of the nordics are spared from wood worm though. This boat needs a linseed oil treatment (maybe something for next winter). Unfortunately, or luckily, the toxic paints are not available here (banned) anymore so I'll have to make due with the less toxic ones. I know some people have used copper sulfide mixed in linseed oil and tar (or tar based products). Not sure to what extent in the Hai boat community. I've not used tar or derivatives in this boat but not sure what previous owners have used.
@@VilleSuonurmi interesting, the Baltic is toxic enough not to have many worms around. The Dutch word is “ paal worm” but I don’t know the translation. Original tar is now also a toxic substance. Not said you can’t get it. Any natural fiber was used with tar to stuf the gaps in between the gaps. Obviously boats build in Scandinavia have their own ways like wise the Dutch or British. Think past, that the Vikings and the Dutch are the first know commercial sailing community’s 😉 . Nevertheless your boat is way newer. Linseed was used everywhere. It was the only good known conservative that was readily available. They used it about the 1960 for river barges. All because it was cheap and most ship where covered in it already. Obviously the wood is soaking it well when the oil is very warm. I don’t believe it will work at cold application. Then it’s like paint. My good friend is Woden boat builder . He said once.. new type of paints are a vail of death for boat. Where I added “ so 10% polyester mixed aceton , will stop wood rot but then it is a plastic boat” 😁 Obviously that’s a no go as acetone kills everything and everyone when used in large quantities. That why we figured out that copper naphtha is the best for preventing rot. Can you get it .. probably via the commercial trade. Private it will be a almost a no go. An alternative can be engine coolant as that has copper naphtha in it. Again you must pump out the lot and get rid of that too. Nevertheless I say that copper naphtha is less destructive than a plastic boat that sunk. Maybe the linseed is not a bad idea 🙃
@@rcpmac Indeed! Not only is it bad for the environment and sea life but also extremely harmful for anyone working on these boats. Still waiting for a non-toxic antifouling suitable for wooden boats.
a neighbor was living in his 42ft wooden sailboat Elizabeth Jane (registered in USVI), with his girlfriend. We got hit by hurricane beryl here in texas and his boat sank in under a minute and his girlfriend lost her life. A true tragedy. I am now a firm believer that wooden sailboats are pretty, but purely a novelty item now. Too much upkeep goes into them for ownership to be worthwhile
It’s a matter of time mostly. We take the boats our every winter and I have a roadmap what to fix over a time peoriod. This way I also get to sail her in the summers. This way is also how we mostly do it over here. I know in some parts of the world the custom is to do a full restoration and then relaunch.