leaky dry wood boat

[Sean P. Scanlon]

I was recently given a 1971 Carver 28' (wood)
this is my first boat, so I am a little "wet behind the ears".
It will probably have to be re-powered, but that is another story..
it has been out of the water for 3 years
right now I am concerned about if it will float or not!

I have taken up the floor in the cabin and from
what I can tell there are no cracked ribs and the wood looks pretty decent.

BUT, when water gets into the hull (when it rains). I see that water drip out the transom
and from the keel somewhere in the middle.

from what I have read the wood will expand when it gets a chance to soak up some water.

so my question is: can anyone give some
pointers to wood boat repair books?
also some info about the leaking would be helpful too.

thanks

[Pelican]

Lots of books available thru WB Store. What is the construction?

[Sean P. Scanlon]

I don't know what the construction is.
the planks of the hull overlap each other
and they are held together by copper screws (i think).

I don't know if that helps

here is some pictures:
http://bluedot.net/boat/

[Paul Scheuer]

I assume you have a subscription to our sponsor's magazine. You might also want to spend some time in the index to locate back issues that might apply to your case. Check this board at least once a day.

Generally, rain water inside is not a good thing. It may have already lead to problems, or it soon will.

Sounds like a free boat. Now that it's yours, the free part is over. Good luck.

[Concordia..41]

A. Congratulations

B. Welcome

C. Nice boat

D. Rain water getting in to that (or any) degree is not a good thing. In addition to tracking down the source of the leak(s) you may want to consider some kind of cover as your next order of business. I can't tell from your pictures if you're in a boat yard or what, but depending on what you can get away with, time invested now in a cover - anything from a series of tarps to more complex structures like Our Lady of St. Phoenix - will not only protect your boat, but will enable you to work more and more comfortably.

E. Two books that Dave refers to often are:

</font> Wooden Boats - by John Scarlett </font> Wooden Boat Renovation - by Jim Trefethen </font>I believe both are available the the WB on-line store.
F. Enjoy!

[FParth]

Sean,
Here's the reading list I've accumulated in rebuilding the 41 year old H28 I got last year. Any list put together by one person is inevitably incomplete. Hopefully others will add to the list:

This Old Boat, by Don Casey. Written specifically for rebuilding fiberglass boats but has some useful information for all.

Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding, by George Buehler. Good general information.

Boatbuilding, by Howard Chapelle. One of those classic books that everyone is supposed to have. It's specifically written for someone building a new boat and so the majority of the book is dedicated to the basics of lofting, building the keel, and the various types of hulls. Good book, but I found it less useful for the rebuilding I was doing.

Details of Classic Boat Construction - The Hull, by Larry Pardey. More useful for me than Chapelle on the hull-related work I needed to do, but also designed for new building rather than rebuilding. The book doesn't cover putting the deck on or anything later in the process than that.

How to Build a Wooden Boat, by Bud McIntosh. A much more useful book for rebuilding.

Boatbuilding Manual, by Robert M. Steward. This is one of the books I use most often.

Wooden Boat also publishes a series of books based on articles in the magazine. I've found these some of the most practical and useful books I have. Two in particular are "Frame, Stem, and Keel Repair" and "Planking and Fastening."

There are other books I have on painting, varnishing, etc. But that's much further down the road for me.

Hope this helps.

[CMART]

Find a good surveyor with a lot of experience surveying wooden boats and pay the money now to have a good survey done. That includes pulling planks, fasteners, etc... Your free boat can easily become a place where a lot of time and money go very quickly. With a good survey, at least you will know what to expect.

[JLM]

looks like its lapstrake constrution.also do what
cmart said look for a good surveyor.but don't let him disscurage you.any boat can be fixed just a matter of how bad you want it .sounds like were in the same boat.mine was free to and needs alot more work then yours from what i can see.good luck JLM

(BIQ)1970 34'pembroke lapstrake mahogany :D

[Andreas Jordahl Rhude]

Carver Boats of Pulaski, Wisconsin made lapstrake boats in the mid 1960s. They had made molded mahogany plywood hulls earlier. It was after Wally Markham bought the firm that they began making lapstrakes. Markham had come from Cruisers, Inc. and had been with Thompson Bros. Boat earlier. I did not realize that Carver continued to make wooden boats in the 1970s.

Give the factory a call (they are still very much in business) and see if they can ID the year and model for you.

I agree with all the above advice: get it covered, get a survey, etc...