My first boat - a clinker dinghy in need of repair, a Plea for help...........

[Orkney Driftwood]

Hello folk of the forum. A few months back I bought my first boat, it came with trailer and outboard for £300 and it's a clinker built 12' ex-hire boat from the Orkney trout Lochs. I want a boat for sea fishing within a mile or two of the coast which can handle some swell and keep me safe. I got this from a local boat enthusiast who sold it to me because he needed the space, it's been in storage for 4 years or more (dry stored) so is about as dry as you can get short of baking her! I am a complete and total amateur regarding boats but I like working with wood, problem is I really don't know where to start with this boat........

Ok, so I've scratched my head and had a poke at the wood, most seems solid apart from the transom which has soft areas that I've dug out with a chisel, top 1/3 to 1/2 of the top planks, no knees for seats and part of the keel at the bow which needs replacing. Oh I forgot to mention that I need to replace the gunwales inside and out and the spacer blocks which lie between the ribs and join the inner and outer gunwales together, also a capping piece along the top of the gunwales. A couple of ribs are missing and some others are broken in places. I will be taking some photos but my camera battery won't charge when I tried yesterday. The boat has been stored outside since September with polytarps over it (yes I know, plastic + wood = not good but I don't have an indoor space for it right now) loosely so the plentiful wind up here can keep the damp of her. Yesterday I took the covers off and there was a damp feel to the wood so I have now taken the covers off and hope that this is the right thing to do?

I have accumulated some white oak battens (10mm x 40mm x 2.3m approx), some red pine planks (25mm x 225mm x 16'), a larch plank (22mm x 150mm x 16') and an 8' x 4' sheet of 9mm marine ply, also some driftwood crooks and tree stumps which I may try and cut some knees from. For paint (It's painted not varnished) I have bitumen paint for the bottom inside the boat, I have aluminium primer and exterior satinwood for the rest. I also have PU glue and West system epoxy and microfibres. I know where to get copper nails and roves but I'm not sure what size I need so I haven't ordered any yet apart from some small quantities of smaller sizes off eeeeeeebay. I'm in the process of trying to get a workspace and wanted to get the boat on the water this summer/spring so I'm not shy of quick fixes as long as I'll be safe for a season (I can work on it some more next winter). Bottom line is that I'm not sure how long this boat has got left in her and what the best thing to do with her is to maximise the working life, I am loathe to fibreglass over wood but that's one piece of advice I've had. This will be a boat for fishing primarily and money is definitely an issue. I can get timber from these: http://www.rembrandtimber.com/ either from their sawmill or from the list of timber in their "buy online" section but I think I already have the materials for top planks (red pine), ribs and knees (white oak), gunwales (larch, I originally ordered the oak for this but I don't think I can edge bend it as well as bowing it inwards) and for the capping piece strengthening the gunwales I was going to use the marine ply.

That's all I can think of at the moment, I tried to put as much detail as possible, sorry if there is too much detail! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment and not sure if I've been sold a boat I can repair or whether it's not worth it, any advice would be greatly appreciated, I've read through the forums and sites for the last few months and my head is spinning with all the differing opinions and with how it all applies to my boat.

Thanks for reading.

[Peerie Maa]

Get your camera sorted, 'cos we need pictures to be better able to advise you. As to boat nails, go one size thicker in gauge than is in her now, so that they are a tight fit in the old nail holes.
This is from Daveys, should help you on nail sizes : http://www.davey.co.uk/pdf/fastenings.pdf

[Orkney Driftwood]

Yeah, I thought would be the case so I've borrowed another camera and I'll take a load of photos tomorrow and bung them into photobucket. I'll have a look at that link now, thanks for replying and for the advice.

[Orkney Driftwood]

Ok, I think the kittens sabotaged my battery charging, I tried again and battery is fine now, I took loads of photos but I thought photos of every rib break might be a bit much. As I was taking photos I was looking out for fibreglass and broken ribs, I think about 10 ribs need sistering or complete replacement, there are about 5 or six areas of fibreglass repair inside and the keel port and starboard at the bow outside. Inside there is a small area of fibreglass centrally on the transom at the bottom, 1 patch to a plank across 3 ribs midway along Port side on the bottom boards, 2 - 3 patches to the bottom boards on both Port and Starboard toward the Bow where the boards start to sweep in and a strip of fibreglass on the keel right in the Bow which has wood either side (soft rotten wood). I think a lot of broken ribs and FG repair is due to collisions of one kind or another. I'm beginning to wonder if fibreglassing the whole lot would get me on the water or perhaps sell the boat and build an Iain Oughtred design in Clinker Ply. There is patches of rot here and there on boards, especially around fibreglass (no surprise). Anyway, any questions and or opinions would be greatfully received, feeling out of my depth and fearing a total rebuild scenario.
Anyway, some photos:-
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/.../SternPort.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...rnPortSide.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...SternInner.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...boardMidFG.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...ortSideBow.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...ry/MidPort.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...eelBowPort.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...seUpKeelFG.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...To_Cry/Bow.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/...Cry/BowTop.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/..._Cry/BowFG.jpg

[Uncle Duke]

Easier for folks if you use the "Insert Image" icon (the square icon next to the thing which looks like a piece of film, which is for video...). Remember to select "from URL" and un-check the "Retrieve from remote file..." box. The URLs you have, above, go in the "URL" box, of course...

[St.J]

Orkney,
How much have you got like this and how soft is it?
you might want to scrape a bit more of the paint away along the keel where the garboards meet to see how much rot there is.
St.John

[Orkney Driftwood]

But what is easier than a link?............................................. ..................... Oh!










I see

Easier for folks if you use the "Insert Image" icon (the square icon next to the thing which looks like a piece of film, which is for video...). Remember to select "from URL" and un-check the "Retrieve from remote file..." box. The URLs you have, above, go in the "URL" box, of course...

Outstandingly easy to follow instructions thank you very much Uncle Duke.

[Orkney Driftwood]

Oh! Six image rule................

[Orkney Driftwood]

Orkney,
How much have you got like this and how soft is it?
you might want to scrape a bit more of the paint away along the keel where the garboards meet to see how much rot there is.
St.John

I'll have to leave any digging around and scraping until tomorrow now St.John, I'll take some more photos or maybe a short video along the keel in daylight, I'll let you know then, I haven't flipped her over as the topside is weakened.

Thanks

[Peerie Maa]

Nice boat, well worth the effort.

[Orkney Driftwood]

Thanks Peerie Maa, after seeing this boat I fell for it very quickly.

[Orkney Driftwood]

Well, the weather has been awful for a few days now but I finally got a chance to get underneath the boat and check her over thoroughly with a centre punch (no screwdriver to hand) P also took a few photos to show the problem areas, I was actually very surprised at how little soft wood there was. The keel had a couple of small patches, a previous owner had filled some gaps along where the keel meets the garboards, there was a little soft wood along the keel where this hard filler had been gooped in (suspect it was Isopon car or marine body filler), I ripped that out and checked the garboards which were sound. There was also patches of soft wood in and around fibreglass repairs fore and aft on the keel and these can be seen in the pictures:-

Keel Port Side Bow



Keel Port Side 1



Keel Port Side 2



Keel Port Side 3



Keel Port Side 4

[Orkney Driftwood]

Keel Port Side Stern




Keel Starboard Side Stern



Keel Starboard Side



Close up of fibreglass repair showing rot



Shot showing the whole repair which effects 2 planks and 3 ribs



Detail of split in plank


Ok, so I think I'll have to replace most or all of the ribs using white oak, I'll have to replace the 2 top planks, the gunwales, the transom quarter knees, the seat knees, the breasthook and patch up the transom. I'm not entirely sure what to do with the split in the plank pictured right above, any ideas? Also I think something will have to be done with the fibreglass repaired damaged planks - Scarf in new pieces of larch or replace the entire planks? As for the keel, most of it seems very sound including the stem, the main worry is the piece that adjoins the garboards, how would any of you guys proceed? Also, I'm not sure how to tell if the boat has gone out of shape, to me, when I look down the boat from bow to stern along the centreline, it looks like the Port side has dropped a couple of centimetres, should I build a cradle of some kind?

[Orkney Driftwood]

Filler in keel

[Peerie Maa]

Close up of fibreglass repair showing rot



Shot showing the whole repair which effects 2 planks and 3 ribs



Detail of split in plank


Ok, so I think I'll have to replace most or all of the ribs using white oak, I'll have to replace the 2 top planks, the gunwales, the transom quarter knees, the seat knees, the breasthook and patch up the transom. I'm not entirely sure what to do with the split in the plank pictured right above, any ideas? Also I think something will have to be done with the fibreglass repaired damaged planks - Scarf in new pieces of larch or replace the entire planks? As for the keel, most of it seems very sound including the stem, the main worry is the piece that adjoins the garboards, how would any of you guys proceed? Also, I'm not sure how to tell if the boat has gone out of shape, to me, when I look down the boat from bow to stern along the centreline, it looks like the Port side has dropped a couple of centimetres, should I build a cradle of some kind?

First off you need to get rid of all of the grp and boat in a can claggum, then we will all be able to see the extent of the problems.
Yes either put her in a cradle, or cramp three pairs of legs around the sheer streak, plumb both stem and stern upright, and adjust the legs until she is upright both ends and level across the sheer. Get any twist out before starting repairs, or you will build the twist in permanently.
When thinking about replacing plank stuff it is much easier to replace long lengths than short. A third of the length as an absolute minimum. With modern glues you can scarf in say half the width of a streak, which you may need to do for that crack near the land. Use generous scarfs and you may have to pre bend the dutchman with heat or steam to enable you to fix it to place.
If the crack is in the middle of the width of a streak, and straight, router it out to straighten and clean the edges so you can glue in a spline.

[Even Chance]

She looks like she's worth repairing. You need to get her inside and stripped right back now that the cold has finally returned here (im in Caithness)
I restored a 12 foot clinker loch boat last year. Yours is a bonny shape, and looks like she was built in Orkney from the shape of her.

[Orkney Driftwood]

Ok, first: I'm sorry I haven't replied in a while, I have no shelter to fix her up in and it's been raining for a month or more, last few days have been beautiful so I got the boat in the garden and stripped off the Isopon filler and Fibreglass 'repairs' and discovered the reason why rot should not just be dug out and then covered in Isopon. I've got to true up the boat now and then I'll take some photos. Thanks Even Chance, I love this boat, When you restored yours did you replace any planking at all and if so was it part or whole planks?

Once more humble apologies for the very late update.