Alisske
Senior Member
Good evening.
I wanted to post some feedback on a recent project failure using sapele. (Not a total failure, im determining if its salvageable now)
I found an old fiberglass lapstreak dinghy hull (10ft) that had a bad transom and the rubrails were rotted off.
I have found some dinghys in this condition in the past in this condition, and I have had an easy time bringing them back. (See first pics of an example).
I use an electric chainsaw to clear out the old transom wood (between the inner and outer fiberglass) and then use copper rivets to attach gunwales/inwhales and bronze screws for the quarternees and breast hook. I even made up my own bronze u bolts and cutwaters.
This time I used sepale (instead of white oak or teak)
I steamed it on the boat (see pic) and it was a bear to deal with. (4xs the effort). I got it done so pic when I dropped in water to set the rowlock locations.
I let it sit n the dock and season out a little but so i could make the final adjustments to the wood before i set out the oar locks. (Wood tends to “settle” after a week or so and waiting helps before you do the final planing/sanding.
The sepale is tearing itself apart as it seasoned. It cracking/checking and want to go back to its “straight” shape.
Now the boat has some curves, so i was asking alot, but did not expect the post- installation checking.
I got the sapele for free, and learned my lesson. Never again. I did not mind it was a bitch to install, just that it checked after. (All wood moves a bit, but this is at a new level)
I can get it to work and we beat up our dinghies, so I'm not a perfectionist.
Just an FYI. SEPALE =No Bueno (for rub rails)
I wanted to post some feedback on a recent project failure using sapele. (Not a total failure, im determining if its salvageable now)
I found an old fiberglass lapstreak dinghy hull (10ft) that had a bad transom and the rubrails were rotted off.
I have found some dinghys in this condition in the past in this condition, and I have had an easy time bringing them back. (See first pics of an example).
I use an electric chainsaw to clear out the old transom wood (between the inner and outer fiberglass) and then use copper rivets to attach gunwales/inwhales and bronze screws for the quarternees and breast hook. I even made up my own bronze u bolts and cutwaters.
This time I used sepale (instead of white oak or teak)
I steamed it on the boat (see pic) and it was a bear to deal with. (4xs the effort). I got it done so pic when I dropped in water to set the rowlock locations.
I let it sit n the dock and season out a little but so i could make the final adjustments to the wood before i set out the oar locks. (Wood tends to “settle” after a week or so and waiting helps before you do the final planing/sanding.
The sepale is tearing itself apart as it seasoned. It cracking/checking and want to go back to its “straight” shape.
Now the boat has some curves, so i was asking alot, but did not expect the post- installation checking.
I got the sapele for free, and learned my lesson. Never again. I did not mind it was a bitch to install, just that it checked after. (All wood moves a bit, but this is at a new level)
I can get it to work and we beat up our dinghies, so I'm not a perfectionist.
Just an FYI. SEPALE =No Bueno (for rub rails)
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