The Old Lady Needed Some Strong Underwire!
What? Oh just simmer your britches, this is a wood boat site, any old lady is your boat. Okay, so all you goody two shoes can keep reading. Or just look at the pictures. You read Woody Boater for the articles… Right! Got ya.. So here.
SO WHY DO THIS? She had formed a leak at the seam between the keel. When on the railway, no leak, then in the water, her keel would sag. Hey, like any old lady. Anyway. Once on the railway we tapped cotton in the seams, used Seam Compound, and then did the ubolts. And from the engine, or shaft forward. Went right through the Keelson and Keel and used a single Threaded Stainless rod and so on. I will add, drilling holes in your hull is not for the faint of heart. Especially a novice. And two of us second guessing each other is a test of manhood.
Did I mess up? YES, multiple times, and now know how to make dowels out of cedar. So I know that as well. This morning we drop her back into the drink…and have a drink at Bilge watch Beach. STAY TUNED we have a VERY VERY special boat going up on the rail today as well. True Chesapeake Bay History.
Wow, that is quite a project and something I have never seen before. Is that a common fix on work boats on the Chesapeake or a design you just created. I hope you had two of #8 made so you can hang one on the wall in the railway and “grunt” when you show it to your buddies. Nice job!
love the header!
WOW!
Nothing I have ever seen before, but that is the genius of an old time boat builder like George!
Stumbled across this old header yesterday. Thought it would have been a good add to the passion debate the other day.
Grew up with wood boats that had issues but never came across this solution before. Is this just a one off or are there other examples down in your parts?
Grew up around old wood boats with issues but never saw this before. Is this just a WoodyBoater one off or are there other examples down in your parts?
Glitchy today. First didn’t post now posted 2X. Sorry
Wow!!!
Not a job for the faint of heart!!! Very nice work and a surgeon doesn’t have a thing on you guys!!!!!
Be interesting to look at the bolts on next haul out to see how they’re doing and if the repair solves the problem.
Soooo now you have a U boat!!!!
Very nice fix to leaky problem.
Seems like adding additional weight and drag on the keel would cause more “sag”. Are the plates on the inside of the hull resting on new wood? Does tightening them lift the keel? How much time does this buy?
Very impressive solution. Did you drill down from the bilge or up from the outside?
Sweet Pea is not the only one in need of some strong underwire.
I’m wondering if it would make sense to put a single streamlined fairing around/over the u-bolts on both sides of the keel to limit the chances of debris hitting and possibly damaging them?
To answer some questions.
1. This is common practice on the bay. Its that or say so long.
2. The weight is neglagble. Its a trawler, and one normal person on board would be More than the U bolts
3. Yes, we talked about it catching stuff. Like Crab pots and so on. Its the risk, but many of the wood work boats have something like this.
4. Its all part of the learning. Each region does things differently. We also use large stainless nails in the hull.
Thanks for the info Matt.
I do sometimes look back a day and find good stuff like this!
Had a similar problem on a smaller boat built back in 1934. I took out the original bolt and the resulting dry rot, cutting out a section that resembled a key. I replaced this with a single piece of stinkwood cut to match the hole. It could go in from one side only and had the benefit of ‘locking’ the keel. You are right about it being ‘heart in the mouth’ work.
Can’t seem to get a photo to load..last try