caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

[Willow99]

Im about to caulk Willow's underwater seems with asphalt. She is 65 years old mahogany Carvel planked and was in the water last year so she's still fairly tight, this early in the season. I used asphalt and other more modern compounds last year to experiment, she was really dry and hadn't been in for over 10 years! The asphalt seems to work much better than any of the modern materials.
I'd love to hear some feedback ?
thanks
Geoff

[wizbang 13]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

asphalt and OTHER MORE MODERN compounds
do tell

[johngsandusky]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

Hi Geoff, welcome aboard!
You used cotton first, or the boat still has cotton in the seams? I've heard of many different materials for paying seams, even cement. I've used Slick Seam, which is oily wax, and a black tar sold for seam compound. Probably linseed oil based putty too. I say use whatever works best.

[Ian McColgin]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

You might want something that can hold a coat of bottom paint below the waterline and topside enamel in the tighter seams above. I use Interlux Seam Compound, Brown below waterline and White above. Sometimes the brown is too hard to apply and needs mixing (putty knife on pallet) with roofing goop.

Done rightly it should last through a decade or more of annual summer swelling and winter shrinking with goop hanging on to both sides of the seam.

Best troweled on with a putty knife to press it fully into the seam on top of the caulking. Annual attention means a bad job or inadequate product.

[Larks]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

Asphalt?? As in bitumen and aggregate???

[coelcanth]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

feedback from US ??
sounds like YOU might actually be the world's foremost expert on caulking with asphalt.

or was it paying the seams with asphalt rather than a more traditional compound ??
last year you did the topside seams, and this year you're doing underwater with the same compound ?
i think you'll have to update us with some more specifics and a progress report on how it's holding up...

[rbgarr]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

Jim Elk of Elk Spars charters his International 600 yawl not far from you. He maintains her in his shop and might have good advice for you: http://www.elkspar.com/about-premise.html

[rbgarr]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

Yours? https://sailingtexas.com/202001/sinternational500101.html

[signalcharlie]

Re: caulking 65 year old International 500 with asphalt

Hi Geoff

What's her name? If she's in Maine, I think I heard of one or two wooden boat folks up there...

Photos would help and I think we all need invites to come check out the boat in person