hi hendo, i am still searching for the holy grail. i travelled to bundy yesterday [800k return trip] to look at cruiser, 39ft of plywood that had been left out in the rain ! it was on the dry getting the hull painted and bottom antifouled. when i got inside and into the bow i could rub the first layer of ply away with my fingers. i tried in around the motor and the same .comes of like horse hair out of an old mattress.the salesman said i can pour epoxy on it to fix it. the hull is dynal sheathed.i think is best to stay away.what your thoughts?[also i could feel moisture without a moisture meter] last week i looked at aconverted prawn trawler that had stainless plates screwed on the inside of the ribs [some were "cracked"] the bilge was used to store any old oil,grease,and leftover vomit.the bilge pump worked very well as the only leak i could see squirted water at about a litre a minute. this boat buying process is very disheartening. both boats are 50-60k. i've had my say, i feel better, hows your boat going? thanks tom
Hi Tommo!
Thanks for your message mate!
i'll systematically go through your email and try provide my advice on what youve raised.
Bundy trip! ... Wow thats a long way to go only to discover that shes in that way! ... Did the owner elude to that or provide any pics prior to headingup there? I'd be pissed if i drove up and found that without first being told. Mind you. all would not be lost as i'd be happy as a pig in sh!t at the Bundy Rum distillery!
From what ive found and learnt, Freshwater is the death of timber so pay real close attention to one that has been on the hard for a while.
1.) Never listen to a boat salesman! ... especially one that sells secondhand boats. They are full of sh!t, dont care about you and only have eyes on the coin!. Just like used car salesmen ...
2.) Whilst you could pour epoxy in there as a repair, and without seeing the pics or knowing your skill level i'd say walk away mate. Its not as easy as just putting epoxy in there. If it is why arent they doing it? .. heck, theyve gone to the effort of pulling it, painting it and antifouling it, why not just epoxy there as well. I know why. Cause he's full of sh!t and knows that they'll be wasting their time and money so thank them for saving you money and walk away!
A bit of FYI for ya: The ply on AXE wasnt as bad as the one you looked at and i still had to replace it.
One thing the salesman neglected to tell you about epoxy is that it wont stick to an oily surface or substrate. Whilst it may possibly penitrate in the bow, the bilge will not be repairable that way. To be honest, once engine oil is in the timber, you'll be pushing sh!t up hill to get it out!
Moisture is another issue, especially if you can feel it haha
... Whilst i am all for rebuilding timber boats over buying plastic ones, this girl is gone mate. Theres no telling what these owners have done if they are happily painting her to sell. Dynell is a type of cotton cloth. dont mix it up with fibreglass cloths like bi-axel or alike. It is real old technology and should be avoided. You will find the only thing holding that hull together is the dynell and a few crapped out nails.
In relation to the prawn trawler. Dont be disheartened by a couple of broken ribs if that all that is wrong with her. Ribs can be fixed. some easier than others.
I looked around for a completed timber boat for a long long time with no success. Whilst some were nice, at the end of the day i didnt trust the work that was done. It may well have been fine but at the end of the day i needed to be happy with it and the only way is to do it myself. Its harder and more expensive but i know what ive done, how i did it and how to fix it if i did it wrong.
When i was a house carpenter and builder i saw it all the time with poor house renovations. Someone buys a newley renovated house and finds that a couple of tiles keep falling off and wont stick. next thing they are having their whole bathroom ripped out because the waterproofing wasnt done right causing the shower to leak.
Which boat is "The Perfect One" ... not sure there really is such a thing. AXE will never be finished or perfect but i'll come bloody close!
Speaking of AXE, Not much has been done on her since my last update. Weather has been sh!tfull so ive just been chillin on the lounge with Flic.
I hope ive helped but incase ive left you with more answers than questions give me a call
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