BC FIR in the Tropics?

[wttaylor]

I am considering purchasing a large boat in Nova Scotia. Her planking is
Honduras Mahogony for the topsides and BC FIR beloe the waterline.
I am told if I sail this boat in tropical weather and waters that I will not be able to stay
on top of the dry rot. She has white oak bent frames and is single planked.
Does anyone have any warm water experience with these fine older boats?
Bill

[Downwind]

I have a 1936 wood trawler that is all Douglas Fir, bottom & topsides. Worms are a problem with older boats (the wood gets waterlogged and soft, easy for worms to penetrate. The only answer I've found is to haul her yearly, double coat with a good, soft ablative copper based bottom paint. I blow out any worm holes I find with a squirt of lacquer thinner in the hole followed by a flame. Sort of fries anything in there, then squirt epoxy in the hole and repaint. Seems to work for me on the Southwest coast of Florida.

[Peter Duck]

Yes, worms and gribble are more likely to give you trouble than rot. As always, prudent maintenance [and that does not mean continuous maintenance], will keep ahead of any rot or worm problems. But then if you wanted to buy a boat to neglect, you wouldn't be sailing a wooden boat! It is very easy to get the bottom of your boat scratched/abraded by coral in the tropics, and if there is any contact with the bottom, you would need to closely inspect the integrity of your bottom paint ASAP. If you can afford the capital outlay, copper sheathing would be a very good protection. There are a number of workboats built here in Melbourne during the early forties which are planked in B.C. fir and are still working as commercial ferries. Because they are commercial passenger craft, they are inspected annually by the Marine Board to ensure that they are sound.