Metals for refastening

[dickw]

I have a 45 year old sloop fastend with all galvanized square boat nails, spikes, keel bolts, etc.. Her topsides look like fiberglass, her seams are tight, she has never been recaulked except at the joint on the mitered transom. The bilges are dry except when sailing in 30-50 knot winds. My surveyor and I believe that it is time to refasten based on the age of the boat nails and the leaking when under stress. I replaced 1/2 of my galvanized keel bolts when the boat was 30 years old and they were only 15% -20% gone. I replace some dry rotted planking on a but block 4 years ago and the nail condition varied a lot dependent on how much water was getting to a particular nail. The boat has never used zinks and bronze through hull fitting, original prop & rudder fittins seem to be doing well.

First question:
I want to refasten with screws, but I am having a hard time deciding on what kind of screws will best live next to my old iron nails.

Second question:
Where to buy good screws in this day of Far East screw production.

Third question:
I am considering using penetrating epoxy on the hull soon as it is dry enough, but before it shrinks to break the caulking. The bilge is not painted.

All experienced comments appreciated.

Thank,

Dick

[Art Read]

Weren't you guys just talking about a good source for galvanized screws here recently? Anybody remembeber the thread? Seems like that's the answer for Dick's boat, no?

[Art Read]

Ah yes... Here it is.

Galvanized Screws (http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=001570)

[dickw]

Art,

Thanks for sending me the address of the possible source for galvaized
screws.

I am looking for a bit more input on possible options such as possible trade offs
between carbon steel screws and stainless
screws. Maybe finding someone who knows of real old fashioned iron
screws that have been hot dip galvanized or
316 stainless, Aquamet or some some other alloy that won't make 2000
small batteries on the bottom of my boat with the old iron square boat
nails.

Another question I am trying to research is the use of penetrating epoxy
sealer over wood that has been dried for only
a couple of days. The idea here is to seal out much of the water when
the boat goes back in the water (hopefully within a week of coming out
and being stripped) to help protect against galvanic action, while not
drying out the boat to the point that I need to recaulk or make the
planking move around because it dried out. This boat has never dried
out since it
was put in the water in 1958. The last time I stripped the bottom (15
years ago) it was only dry for a long weekend.

The good news here is that the currently the boat is not leaking under
most sailing conditions.

[Ian McColgin]

Forget not locuts trennels - as you pull the old nails you'll have a hole that needs filling anyway. Locust is not absolutely permanent: It will last about 2 years less than eternity.

[Art Read]

Re: the best choice of material for your screws: I would just go with whatever is available that is closest in composition to your boat nails. (Or Ian's trunnels, which might be the "best" solution of all, but I don't have any experience with that.) Are the nails already in there wrought iron or steel? I suspect many would recomend against stainless, at least below the waterline, because of crevice corrosion. I don't pretend to understand all that, but that's the jist of the conventional wisdom I've heard. I just used copper or bronze for everthing so I wouldn't HAVE to figure it out... :rolleyes:

Re: Penetrating epoxy (Smith's CPES): It won't really help "keep the water out" when she goes back in, and I'm not sure what you mean about galvanic protection, but if you put it on as soon as you've striped the hull, it "may" help slow down the planks drying. It WILL help your new finish stick better. (Go on easier, too, IMHO) Just be aware you can only apply it to bare wood. It won't do anything over painted or varnished surfaces. (Not sure about oil finishes. Dried out tired ones, maybe. Fresh oil, I doubt it...)

[ 03-28-2003, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: Art Read ]