Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruiser

[Scott E]

First time poster looking for some help from the forum. I have been reframing a 30 square meter Skerry Cruiser with two friends over the past five years. The boat has been out of the water for 8 years. Past five in a big shelterlogic tent over woodchip/dirt. The hull is 5/8” mahogany planking, tight seamed, bright finished. Original frames were steam bent oak, new ones are laminated QS white oak.

we are ready to start replacing the several courses of planking and garboards that we removed due to poor condition / for access. Then we’re ready to move back towards launch.

current condition of topsides is 75% varnish coverage, 25% peeling with spots of bare wood. Many new bungs peppering the topsides.

Below waterline we have 85% coverage with old bottom paint but most bungs need to be refilled.

some seams are still tight. Others are not. The worst ones are open 3/16”.

boat has mostly been maintained with slick seam over the years.

questions I have:

1. what is best substitute for slick Seam these days?

2. should we apply (slick seam or answer to question 1) after varnishing topsides and priming/painting bottom or before? We’ve been warned by some that varnish in the seams could impair swelling. Would we be better off to launch without adding new varnish and bottom paint and then pull out to finish after swelling?

3. varnishing frames and inside faces of planking - when is the right time relative to swelling back up? Again - worried about getting hard varnish in seams that need to close up.

4. what is best filler to use in bungs below the waterline? (Over no14 silicon bronze screws).

5. if wetting boat down prior to launch, is salt water dramatically better vs fresh?

launching will be off a hydraulic boatyard semi trailer. We expect to have some big trash pumps running first few days.

appreciate any help you all can provide!

thank you!
Scott

[Peerie Maa]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
If you are putting her into salt water, use household soap in the gappy seams. Let it soften with a bit of water in a lidded tin until you can knife it into the seams. It does not dissolve in salty water, but will squeeze out as she takes up.
Are the screw heads deep enough to accept glued in wooden bungs?

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
Pics of current planking condition. The bottom few courses are coming off for replacement. Obviously we plan to redo all topside varnish and bottom paint (red lead and then paint). Just concerned about best order of operations.

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

If you are putting her into salt water, use household soap in the gappy seams. Let it soften with a bit of water in a lidded tin until you can knife it into the seams. It does not dissolve in salty water, but will squeeze out as she takes up.
Are the screw heads deep enough to accept glued in wooden bungs?

screw heads are deep enough to bung. This is our plan above waterline. Is that the best practice below waterline as well? Looks like it was done with bondo or similar below waterline in the past…

[Peerie Maa]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

screw heads are deep enough to bung. This is our plan above waterline. Is that the best practice below waterline as well? Looks like it was done with bondo or similar below waterline in the past…

Bondo is a bodge for cars, it has no place in a boat. Use proper wooden bungs everywhere.
As to order of work. Bung and fill the seams, then prep and paint/varnish.

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

Bondo is a bodge for cars, it has no place in a boat. Use proper wooden bungs everywhere.
As to order of work. Bung and fill the seams, then prep and paint/varnish.

thanks Nick. Will we have any trouble getting varnish to stick after applying soap or wax to seams? Or do you just keep everything off real well so that you don’t have any getting on the surface of the top sides?

[Peerie Maa]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

thanks Nick. Will we have any trouble getting varnish to stick after applying soap or wax to seams? Or do you just keep everything off real well so that you don’t have any getting on the surface of the top sides?

You could use masking tape to limit any transfer, and then use a sharp scraper to clean along the seams.
After she has taken up, reassess the condition of the seams, scrape again and apply more varnish.

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

If you are putting her into salt water, use household soap in the gappy seams. Let it soften with a bit of water in a lidded tin until you can knife it into the seams. It does not dissolve in salty water, but will squeeze out as she takes up.
Are the screw heads deep enough to accept glued in wooden bungs?

we’ve also heard recommendations to use was toilet rings and interlux seam compound. Any feedback on these two options vs soap?

[pcford]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
get at least two garbage cans full of planer chips. fill with water. spread under boat. cover with plastic film.

[Dave Hadfield]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
That's very dry. A week or so before time to launch, give her a skirt of polyethylene sheeting, from gunwale to the ground, and run a mist/sprinkler inside, underneath. Get the planks swelling.

I haven't launched Drake yet either, and the planks are drying out. Earlier this spring I put water into it and she tightened up to the 4th board, which is a very big help on launch-day. For temporary seam-plugging I use toilet wax-rings. Works fine.

[Scary Borg Craft]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

we’ve also heard recommendations to use was toilet rings and interlux seam compound. Any feedback on these two options vs soap?

International used to sell their own version of "ettan". You want something that will definately squeeze out when the wood swells. Many of these tight seam boats end up with split planks and pulled fastenings as people have used too hard a compound filler. I used to wet down my boat a week before launching, one of them always needed a high capacity pump for the first night but usually tight within 24 hours. I have only used ettan as it is sticky and can be applied under water or into a wet seam while afloat if the pressure is not to high. Soap in a wide split covered with masking tape would work.

[wizbang 13]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
this boat looks underbuilt and overfastened


slick seam is not meant to get all over the bottom...it may have backfired on you by now.It feckin LUBES the planks

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

get at least two garbage cans full of planer chips. fill with water. spread under boat. cover with plastic film.

thanks!

For how long?

target humidity level? Or just to effect?

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />
We’ve never applied slick seam but the previous owner did quite a lot before he passed away 8 years ago. He did a great job of always getting the boat in the water. We’ve taken a few years to address long term deferred structural maintenance but at the expense of getting in the water annually.

yes the boat is very lightly built. We have upsized frames and floors as we replace, perhaps to excess in some cases. We also upsized fasteners. Again perhaps to excess. The original construction was mostly copper rivets.

really appreciate the insight from everyone!

[Scott E]

Re: Prepping to launch a very dry hull 30sq meter skerry cruisebr />

That's very dry. A week or so before time to launch, give her a skirt of polyethylene sheeting, from gunwale to the ground, and run a mist/sprinkler inside, underneath. Get the planks swelling.

I haven't launched Drake yet either, and the planks are drying out. Earlier this spring I put water into it and she tightened up to the 4th board, which is a very big help on launch-day. For temporary seam-plugging I use toilet wax-rings. Works fine.

mist to swell first and then add wax / soap / whatever in seams that remain open or fill seams with soft stuff first then start misting?

seal everything up with varnish and new bottom paint before misting or after?