Floor seams

[Delta Sailor]

I'm trying to deck the best thing to fill in the seams (cracks) between the hull planks that are visible on the floor of my boat. NotE: The hull is Western red cedar, with oakum seams; it has recently been faired and covered with top of the line glass and painted with antifouling Awlgrip (all professionally). So, I doubt there will be any leaking issues from the bottomside.

However, I want to know what to do from the topside looking down. Initially, I was going to paint over the seams with the paint (Pettit Shipendec easypoxy), but now I am leaning towards some type of caulking prior to painting. All I have is 3M 5200, but I've read some bad reviews in this blog about such. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Dudley
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZgzdqk1b_g/Sh6MRyDrN-I/AAAAAAAAAEY/kGzmYzScaDM/s320/IMG_0627.JPG (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZgzdqk1b_g/Sh6MRyDrN-I/AAAAAAAAAEY/kGzmYzScaDM/s1600-h/IMG_0627.JPG)

[Delta Sailor]

Maybe this is a better picture of the floor planks; you can barely see some of the old caulk, oakum, or whatever that has not been removed on the right side (actually port). I have since gouged it out since it was brittle (and a little rubbery). Please let me know if you need any more specifics or pictures. I think I've figured out how to post them now.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZgzdqk1b_g/SbRmQ_usDSI/AAAAAAAAADY/tIjgRjvFDx4/s1600/IMG_0597.JPG

[Lew Barrett]

One of the reasons you may not be getting much by way of return is that if we read your post carefully, it suggests that your boat has been glassed over (after the fact?). If so, this is a contentious and not wholely agreed-upon repair option.
So the old admonition applies: more information, please.

However, I will suggest based only on what you've given us, that if you have had the hull glassed as a remedial measure, there's really no need to fill or pay your seams, especially "from the inside." In most cases of repairs such as yours, essentially the structure becomes a form to hold the fiberglass. By glassing over a carvel planked boat, you've made the boat a core, but one open on one side and sealed on the other. This is usually considered a poor prescription for extended life, and makes repair and suggestions difficult.

Sorry but that's how I read your post. As I said, this is a contentious practice and others may come along with other suggestions and a differing viewpoint. In any case, using 5200 to pay your seams is usually considered , as you surmise, a terrible plan. It does not give or yield with the structure, and in a normal planked hull will spell defeat and destruction of the caulking seams and bevels in short order. Maybe you should just paint and move on, or just move on to enjoy the boat as is. If the boat is leaking now and the effort is to stem the leaks, the fiberglass has already failed in it's mission and you are simply marking time.

Sorry, again, to be so harsh but I align with those who find fiberglassing after the fact to be a remedial measure of dubious worth except as a last ditch stand.

Added: I feel badly enough about my interpretation to say that I may have entirely misunderstood your question, in which case, just move along and take the next guy's more considered advice. But I that's how I see it at the moment.

[Delta Sailor]

Lew,

Thanks for the honesty. I'm sure my limited knowledge affects the way I ask for help.

However, there are two important factors that I left out regarding the fiberglassing of the carvel planked hull.

1) It was never a repair issue, nor a remdial measure; it was just popular at the time. The original boatmakers (my grandfather and great uncle) glassed the hull before ever going into the water. The boat never leaked, according to them. The seams between the planks (as viewed from the inside by my novice eyes) looked fine, but then I sanded to remove the paint and whatever caulking of choice that they used in 1956. At that time I had this great ambition that I would remove all paint and stain the interior. Now, though, I plan to just refill those seams with something more modern and then repaint with my topside paint. I really don't want water, dirt, and grim to fall into those cracks, nor do I just want to fill the cracks with a lot of paint. I am trying to achieve a somewhat smooth surface. I understand that the inside needs to "breath" and that is the reason I will be using the proper topside paint.

2) I guess I left out that I had a professional remove the old fiberglass (picture below) that was used and reinstall new cloth and paint. At the time, the Florida heat had caused a separation in the glass while it was in storage, and instead of patching, I had it completely redone. Why? I figured that the boat was in such good shape for a 40+ year old boat, that the glass must have played some role in that; therefore, I chose to reglass. I guess I could have just faired and painted the carvel hull with some antifouling paint, but at the time the decision was made I really wanted to maintain the original "look" of the boat with only a "minor" change in how the deck looked. Hindsight is always 20/20. I know very little of wooden boat restoration, and my knowledge of sailing and sailboats is even less. Hopefully, I can make it through this project with sound decisions going forward. Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Dudley

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VZgzdqk1b_g/SaQf4DBqDlI/AAAAAAAAAAM/RWnLdIa28ig/s1600/Hull.1.jpg