how much water before finishing the surface

[holzbooteigner]

Hello,

I am a very new wooden boat owner and have a question, noone yet could answer.

My boat rested the last two years in an barn and is threfore totaly dried out. If I put the gfk and the finishing on right away, the wood will increase, when I bring it into the water and the finishing may crack. If I put water on it before, the wood will already be increased. But if it was too much water, the finishing may not stick and maybe it will dry out later and the finishing will crack.

Whats the right amount of water and how should I bring it in contact with the wood before I start the finishing? Is there a rule or an experience you can share?

Sorry for the english, I hope I was at least a little bit understandable

Good bye, Peter

[Buddy]

May we assume the boat is already finished /painted? The old ways are to put her in the water and rest her in slings till she takes up. Or fill with sawdust to the water line, hose it all down and cover with tarps for a few weeks and see if it has closed up all its going to. A few days drying out before starting the caulk and paint work is all it will need. The caulk and paint will adhere to wood with a relatively high moisture content, just not moisture standing on the surface damp. Boats that have been in the water and have had their moisture content therefore stabilised are routinely hauled, washed, scraped and sanded, caulked and painted, and put back in the water in the same week all the time if extensive repairs aren't needed.