I apologise to trespassing from the thread about the removal of the bilge keels to here but Simon, your comments make me think 'Tiller Girl's bilge keels were bilge runners not keels like the Finesse - the Leigh-on-Sea style. I am certain now that the retro fitting of the bilge keels were 'not well designed nor fitted'. So, ok, the bilge keels are bansihed.
But the difficulty is that with the bilge runners and the bilge keels, there have been 16 holes drilled though the length of the same plank port and starboard. The holes are now all dowelled and glued; the seams next to be addressed but that is just about puttying. I have two new iroko planks to go over those veteran planks to provide insurance. I would prefer the lines of her hull to be unblemished or it is better to have the insurance of the new planks as a sort of bilge runner/sand clog.
I had thought there was some sense to renew the veteran planks but that would require the stringers removing which would require some significant difficulties at the bulkheads. Holes and dowelled apart the veteran planks are very sound. Nick's comment about the 'plank over rot issue' is another worry - the original bilge runners were not through ribs so were well positioned; the retro bilge keels were the vandals.
Decisions, decisions.
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