To spline or not to spline...

[keelbolts]

that is the question.

Many people are surprised to find out that Favona's topsides are nothing but African Mahogany, a little filler here and there, and Z-Spar 99. Over the years I have logged a boatload, pun intended, of hours with a long board making her beautiful. By the next haulout I see cracks in the the paint caused by the hull working. Recently, I saw in a book that either Dorade or Stormy Weather had been splined to eliminate this problem. I have a friend who splined an old Gieger without a problems.

OK. Here are my questions. What are the pros & cons of splining an old carvel planked/caulked hull? Spline the entire hull or just above the waterline? Don't they have trouble with cracking if left out for a longer than planned haulout? Please share your knowledge &/or experience.

[Lew Barrett]

The general theory is that the wood will move over time, expand and contract. Cracking of the paint is a natural result of this movement. I had a splined boat, designed and built that way, and it had wonderously stable topsides that held paint in the most satisfying manner. My boat now doesn't behave quite as the prior one did, not having been splined. It looks good for a couple of years, but after that, small cracks begin to start in the paint. Within three or four years, they are somewhat more obvious, and after five, they are more so. It's time to paint and start over. No problem. That's the way she is. I wouldn't risk splining her, and grooving her just puts the cracks into groves, where they still occur but are a bit harder to see. I'm OK with life as it is. I wouldn't risk edge compression of the planks by splining her when the small cracks are so common and of such little concern.