Old wounds


As I remove more and more dressings to reveal the wounds sustained over a 50 year lifespan, it is becoming clear that I have to find acceptance in that it is going to be a long while before we can go sailing.

This is something that everyone who restores an old wooden boat, will have come to terms with.

In order to decide if the top chine plank needed to be replaced, I started to peel off the Glass fibre over the repair to the damaged port side, as there was already evidence of delamination along the sheer. The patch was chopped strand mat and polyester resin, this peeled off easy with the help of a palette knife and the whole operation took about 10 minutes, this proved to me that Glass fibre chopped strand mat and Polyester is not a very strong bond to wood. It may be a short term repair solution but in the long term it will have to be addressed again.

Delamination can be seen on the right

This was a neatly done plywood repair.

Stern to Transom area

 Removing the Glass fibre bond around the Transom. This was Glass fibre cloth bonded with epoxy and not easily removed, however with a hot air gun it came away with no trouble.

It is obvious to me that the boat was telling me that a new topside plank was needed, therefore  decision made!