Do I have a Problem?

[SNagy]

I am brand new to wooden boat ownership, and have a newbie question. The boat is a 16-foot carvel planked sloop. She has been in the water for about a month, and is still taking on water (maybe 2 gallons / day). I had assumed that after week or 2, I would have dry bilges. Were my expectations wrong, or do I have a problem with a leak that needs to be sealed. My main concern is that the planks being in the water on both sides will lead to high moisture content and rot.

[Donn]

Different woods take up at different rates. What is your boat planked with? Track the source of most of the leakage, and take a look at that area. Keep the boat ventilated, and the wet bilges will just help her seal up faster.

[Jonathan Kabak]

Two gallons a day is a bit much to be taking up if she has been in the water for some time. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds as though you may have a leak. If it is only two gallns per day it is probably not a difficult thing to fix. a good way to find the leak is to take a can of condensed milk and poor it in the water around the boat. Where you see it coming in is where your leak is.

Best of luck,

Jonathan

[SNagy]

Thanks for the quick replies.

She is planked with cedar on oak frames. By the comments, it sounds like I should be seeing a dry bilge by now? That's a great idea with the condensed milk ... will give it a try.

[RGM]

Condensed milk? Not bad, not bad at all. The submerged air hose trick works well also. Instead of condensed milk showing you where the leak is you'll get air bubbles. This is great, couple of days ago I learn a few new tricks with vinegar, now I've learned one that uses condensed milk. What else do we have in the kitchen that is useful in wood boat repair/construction? Besides beer and wine.

[ 06-25-2002, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: RGM ]

[Noah]

I have used just regular old milk. Get a quart of gallon, and punch a couple of holes in the container. I then taped it to oar, and put it under my boat. Worked pretty well.

Noah

[Ed Nye]

Milk, sounds like a lot of work on a 16 foot boat. Just get a hand full of corks, pump her out, and plug the limber holes. The frame bay with new water is where the leak is. After that its simple to locate the exact seam with the problem. Don't forget to take out the corks.
Ed

[Scott Rosen]

I agree with Ed. The rest of you are violating INTERPOL by dumping foodstuffs in the world's oceans. I'm going to have to report you to the EPA and the UN.

[Wayne Jeffers]

I see cats swarming over your bilges looking for a drink of milk! tongue.gif

Wayne

[videoguy]

One trick my father-in-law used was to take saw dust swish it under the boat with a oar . It gets sucked up into the leak swells up and stops the leak . He would never launch a boat without a big box of saw dust handy. It worked great.

[rickprose]

if it's just a 16' boat, can it be hauled out reasonably easily? because you're going to have to haul it out to properly fix the leak, anyway, and then you'll be able to run some water inside it and see where it's leaking out, then you'll know where you need to caulk it, so all this milk pouring just seems like so much wasted effort, not to mention spilled milk...

[SNagy]

Thanks for the tips. You guys are great ... I luv this forum. I'm sure I can fix the leak. Since I haven't owned a wooden boat before, I just wasn't sure how much water in the bilge is "OK". Based on all these responses, it seems clear that what I have is too much. Thanks again!

[Ken Hall]

I think Wayne meant 'catfish'... tongue.gif

Either the haul-out or the corking the limber holes suggestion should work.

Apart from that, yes, you have a problem...the same problem we all have...we like wood boats. :D